Coat color and personality type

[jenn D]

I was just wondering if there is any correlation between coat color and personality (laid back, energetic, clown etc). Just curious if anyone has seen any relationship.

I have a large standard cream male and even as a 10 month puppy he is pretty mellow.

Next year we will be adding one more and I'm curious about colors.

Thanks.

Jenn

[F, Calla & Luca]

I very much doubt there is a correlation.

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Jenn ~ I have not heard of coat color relating to personality, but who knows!  Charlie is chocolate (laid back little old soul) and Beau is a parti (and he is a party boy) he wakes up ready to go.  His eyes blink wide open at 6 and he leaps up like he is late for something! Charlie on the other hand will not get up until I do and if I stayed in bed til 9, so would he!  It will be interesting to see what the experience is of others on this website.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

In certain purebreds, there can be a connection between color and temperament, because certain color lines share the same gene pools. But with mixed breeds, I don't think that would apply. 

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Rooney (ALD - parti colored, brown & white) is like a little old man.  He has his frappy moments with wild bursts of energy but the are short lived, he is quiet, prim and obedient.  Stuart (F1, cream) is a rambunctious party animal that you cannot wear out.  He'll fetch, swim, run, oh and fetch - a fun loving goof ball.  

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

I remember hearing, with some frequency, that chocolate labs were the most rambunctious (polite for crazy) of the lab breed- but not in doodles that I have heard about.  

[Linda, Webber and Seda]

My chocolate ALD is much calmer than my Apricot/cream.

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

I doubt it - I think you'd find more variation within a single monochromatic litter than between coat colours.

[jenn D]

Ok what about size of doodle? Does that play a part?

[F, Calla & Luca]

I think personality and temperament are many factored things and I don't think any one physical characteristic, or even a combination of them, will predict a dog's personality.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Standard Poodles generally are calmer & more laid back than Miniature Poodles, and the Toy Poodles can often have the typical toy dog yappy, hyper personalities. But again, with mixes size probably doesn't play as great a role, especially with multigen doodles. 

[Sally S Miles]

It's possible, diluted considering we're talking mixes - but there are correlations between color and characteristics in many animals.  Take my girl - she is black, her sire was a black Std Poodle and her dam a Golden Retriever - litter was half and half. Which half got curly or wool coat? Which ones got color? Which ones got size?   

 

Yes, I have also heard that the Parti colors tend to be sociable (referenced to several breeds).  I have heard about chocolate labs being stubborn.   I have witnessed the phenomenon in cats and dogs,  but again the dilution figures in if not talking purebred.   Considering part of this breed is a breed that comes in only one color, makes it even more interesting to me.

Then we have to decipher exactly what is 'mellow', or 'silly', or 'social' to a handy reference. :)