Golden Mountain Doodle genetics have the potential to result in some beautiful combinations of coats and colors.
Just one of the reasons why Golden Mountain Doodles are increasing in popularity is because, in addition to their positive personality traits, they come in a variety of coats and colors. There’s something for everyone!
The Bernedoodle brings in the possibility of beautiful tri-coloring, but how it is expressed depends on the Goldendoodle partner as well. In fact, the final expression of color in the Golden Mountain Doodle actually goes all the way back to the “grandparent” generation, particularly the poodles in the mix.
There are a number of colors in both registered and non-registered poodles: apricot, black, blue, brown, Café au Lait, cream, gray, red, silver, silver beige, or white, or a mix. They can have markings, masks, and points. As you can see, the poodles that contribute their genetics to your Golden Mountain Doodle have the most influence on the color expression. When looking at available Golden Mountain Doodle puppies, black (or black with minimal white markings) seem to predominate in some litters. In others, you will find parti, golden, phantom, brown, tri-color, and even merle.
It is note-worthy that the AKC does not offer a merle coloring option upon registration for poodles; however, there are known to be AKC-registered merle poodles. [1] And not every breeder will have a sire or dam that is AKC registered and pure-bred in the lineage. As a result, there is merle coloring in some GMDs.
Merle is known not to be a purebred coloring in poodles, and does come from a breed like the Australian Shepherd being introduced into the line at some point. However, Merle coloring can be expressed with as little as 2-3% of a different breed in the line, and often comes from generations back. If you are choosing a Golden Mountain Doodle (which is already a cross-breed), you may not be as concerned about AKC registration in the lineage, or the introduction of merle into the line. The fact is, the merle Golden Mountain Doodle is just plain gorgeous!
Breeders who are purposeful in introducing beautiful color combinations in their GMD litters will have done genetic testing to see what different parent pairings will produce. However, not every litter is going to be gorgeous. There are almost always some “black beauties” from the cross, so black (or black with minimal white markings) are fairly common in the GMD community. Despite the fact that they are not as sought-after, they are still the same loyal, loving, and trainable breed!
Coat Type Options
While most GMDs have wavy coats, some are curly like the poodles in their lineage, and others are straight-coated like the Bernese and retriever. The coat type is usually evident in 4-5 week-old puppies, but the coat will change with maturation. When the adult coat comes in (usually between four and eight months), the coat typically becomes coarser and possibly a little wavier. A puppy that had a straight coat may develop a wave, and a wavy puppy may become a bit curly.
Your Golden Mountain Doodle’s color may change with age, as well. Some puppies with predominantly white coats show freckles of color, black dogs can “silver,” and red or brown dogs can have color fading with time. However, as every dog owner knows, these changes are insignificant when compared to the overall loving, loyal, and personable character of the Golden Mountain Doodle (which only gets better with time!).
Coat type is expressed by an entirely different gene than furnishings, but you will want to confirm your GMDs furnishings along with color and coat type, particularly if you are looking for a Doodle because of allergy concerns.