Chocolate Coat Colour Changes

[Stella]

Chase is our medium sized LD, he is now two years old.  His mum was a chocolate LD (possibly second generation, I can't remember) and his Dad was a cream Australian LD.  Chase was very dark chocolate as a puppy.  In his first summer he went a little gingery on the tips from the sun.  I was combing him out today and realised just how dramatically his coat has changed lately.  Can't be the sun, it is the middle of winter!!  His face is quite a bit darker than the rest of his body, although it doesn't show so good in the picture.  So, I have been researching and wonder if he is turning into a Cafe Au Lait or a Lavender??  What do you guys think??

Our dark chocolate puppy when we first brought him home.

 

Chase today after a thorough combing!!

[Stella]

I cross-posted this is the Chocolate Doodles group, but figured I might get more response here in the wider community.  I tried researching, but couldn't really understand the difference between Cafe and Lavender.  Hopefully, someone can enlighten me!!

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

Cooper too was very dark chocolate when she was a pup. She is getting lighter.... reddish brown with a blonde nose, grey tail, and grey patches. She is still very chocolate though. Her sisters are more like Chase, very grey. I too get confused with lavender and parchment (Chases body). Cafe is more of a milk chocolate/caramel colour i think (Chases face)

 

Cooper is almost 2 and im thinking she will stay much darker than her sisters, possibly cafe..... maybe she will stay chocolate with lighter "sprinkles"

[Becky, Chili & Guiness]

He's gorgeous, no matter which coat he's wearing.

[F, Calla & Luca]

The lavenders are a more grayish-bluish tan. I think he's cafe au lait. This link shows a lavender doodle, I think the doodle posted by Maureen midway down the page shows well.

http://labradoodle-dogs.net/forums/12-business-issues/8616-what-color-would-you-say-2.html

[Stella]

Thanks!  Muareens dog is actually owned by the daughter of our breeder!  I was thinking cafe, just because his face is still so brown.

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

Here are some websites with colour descriptions and photos

 

http://www.sunsethills.biz/Labradoodle%20Colors/colours_of_the_labr...

 

http://www.laa.org.au/ala-lab/colours.htm

[BG and Gavin]

Chase is gorgeous - would love to run my hands through that beautiful coat!

[Stella]

He doesn't stay that way for long!  Once he has been out playing in the snow he gets tight curls on his neck and shoulders!  His rump is very wooly and is a bit out of control - you can't see that in the picture luckily!!

[Stella]

Just realised I have dishes drying in the background - oops!  Ignore the state of the walls, we are renovating an old house that is wallpapered everywhere - it is a very long job getting it off!!

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

no-one would have noticed if you hadnt pointed it out..... i was too busy looking at the lovely doodle!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Our Fudge was called a Chocolate Tuxedo Doodle when we got her and now is slowing turning into a silvery brown color. Her mom was a Parti poodle. Chase is very handsome :)

[Stella]

Fudge is gorgeous!!  What a lovely coat, does she matt?