Appaloosa Doodle???

[Jennifer Tramell]

I've always thought that my Tessa has unique coloring.  She started life as a dark mahogany chocolate with blue eyes.  I knew the eye color wouldn't stay but it was pretty cool for a while.

 As she sprinted toward maturity, she faded a bit into a shaggy brown with red highlights.  Her eyes turned hazel with flecks of green.

Last spring, right around her first birthday, Tessa got her first big hair cut.  The coat change was in full swing and there were matts down at her skin; I opted for the "setter cut" to get rid of most of the matts.  I was shocked almost to tears as I continued to cut away her beautiful chocolate hair leaving this silvery/taupe almost weimaraner color behind.  (It didn't help that my husband said she looked like one of the weasels in Who Framed Roger Rabbit.) 

I have accepted and even come to admire Tessa's coloring.  She is a pretty cool dood, definitely has her one unique style.  Before Christmas, she had a couple matted spots under her tail and on her hip.  I tried to comb through the matts but finally just clipped them.  Tessa decided to help and licked at them causing them to go bald.  I prevented them from turning into a 'hotspot' but they were bald.  As the hair grew back, it grew back dark brown?  Now my goldenweimerdoodle seems to be turning into an appaloosa horse.

Now for the crazy part (if this isn't enough)...Tessa has dark hair at the skin.  This wasn't there before - I know because I was always hoping that she would get dark again so I have watched for another hair change.  If you look at this picture, you can see her "roots" showing through.  It's like she needs another dye job.

So, my husband and son want Tessa to have another haircut (well, when it warms up ;-) ).  Everyone wants to know if she will be back to our original chocolate goldendoodle.  Any opinions?  Anyone ever have a dog who would change colors?  She'll be 2 in April.  In 2013 Tessa was chocolate, 2014 brought "lavender" (the name for this color chocolate fade *I think*), what will Tessa's color in 2015 be? 

[Ginny Nightingale]

wow--that is really interesting--I am not surprised at the fading part but coming in dark again? Now, that surprised me! Can't wait to see what Spring brings! My daughter had a "blue roan" horse--she would shed out all the dark hair in the spring and would be a grayish color and then it would grow in again in the fall and she would be almost black...people would ask us what happened to the other horse!

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

I love Tessa's coloring.  Could the dark hair be the start of an undercoat.  Some doodles are double coated and it shows up around 2 years or so.  Anyway, I just love her face she is so cute.