Phantom, Tri color, Brindle and Sable Poodles

What are brindle, phantom, sable and tri colored standard poodles?

Brindle standard poodles have two colors that form a striped pattern. They come in a variety of colors including silver, blue, grey, black, and brown. The brindle pattern may cover the whole body or be on the colored part of the dog (not the white areas). It is possible to have a tuxedo or spotted parti poodle with a brindle pattern.

Phantom poodles have markings often compared to those of a doberman pincher. There are several other breeds that have this color pattern. While phantom-patterned dogs have 2 coat colors, the markings of a phantom poodle are in a specific pattern, unlike a parti colored dog. Phantom poodles have lighter markings on their legs, across the cheeks on the face, across the chest, on the eyebrows, and below the tail. A true phantom will hold these marking throughout its lifetime.

Phantom colors can be found in these combinations:

• • Black phantoms: black and apricot, black and red, black and cream, black and brown, or black and silver
  • Brown phantoms: brown and apricot or brown and creme
  • Red phantoms: red and apricot or red and creme
  • Silver or blue phantoms: silver and creme or blue and creme. On a silver, the markings may become almost indistinguishable as the color changes (it is common for silver poodles to fade in color over time).

Sable poodles are usually born black or brown and clear (a kind of lightening) with age. Sable dogs will mature to a lighter dog with black tips. When a poodle is groomed you often may see dark markings only on the longer hair such as the tips of the ears.  A puppy that is born a dark brown or black that is also a sable may lighten to a creme with just dark tips.

Tricolored poodles are genetically two color patterns. They are a parti colored poodle with phantom markings. The legs may be white as is often seen on a parti dog. The only phantom marking that occur may be seen on the face and eyebrows.

You may see poodles with multiple patterns such as a brindle parti or brindle tuxedo. There are also brindle and phantom poodles, sable and phantom, and sable and brindle combinations all with or without parti markings. Dogs may have a black or dark mask on the face which is considered rare.

The markings of a multi-colored dog may also change over time, which can be interesting to see.

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