Question regarding retaining color from puppyhood

[jenn D]

I'm under the assumption that the lighter the "red/apricot" is when a puppy the more likely they will add. Is this true? A litter which we are picking our newest addition has colors ranging from dark red to apricot. One parent is a nice red, the other is a faded apricot. My questions, do they all lighten up? Or could a red fade while an apricot maintain its color? My thought is the darker they are the more likely the color won't fade. Or is it all random?
The truth is we will be choosing based on temperment first and foremost but I am curious if we choose a apricot pup will it eventually fade out to a dark cream.

Thanks for any help.

[jenn D]

I mean fade not add. None of my dogs can add. Silly auto correct!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Reds will almost always fade. Apricots, not necessarily. You can't go by how the dark the color is when they are young. I would try to ignore color when choosing a puppy, regardless of whether it fades or not, it will have no effect on the dog or on you, lol. 

[jenn D]

It's the truth Karen. :) I obsess about the looks but always go with temperment now based on past experience. It's part of my crazy "waiting mama" personality. Of course there was no waiting with Jake and I think he is a perfect black color. We lucked out with his personality matching Brisby's pretty well. And Brisby is a beauty in my eyes so it doesn't really matter.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I agree with Karen. The majority of reds are "fading reds" and true reds are pretty rare.  And keep in mind that you are looking at the puppy coat. The adult coat could not only be lighter but curlier and/ a different  texture. Lots of changes ahead!

[Patti Livanos]

I don't think there is a blanket answer! There are some red poodle lines that do not fade, so it depends which lines your breeder uses! I know some dark red doodles who get white guard hairs. My Baxter is apricot. He darkened as a young puppy, then lightened to a shiny gold just before age 2 for about 6 months & now he is darkening again! He has all different colors in his coat--white, black, apricot, red, cream. It all blends together to his apricot color. And he looks lighter or darker apricot depending on the lighting...

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

 Of course color isn't the MOST important factor, but if the rest of your criteria are met with more than one pup and you prefer a red or apricot, you might try choosing the darkest one. Ned had reds and apricots in his litter, I know of one apricot that faded to cream and one who has stayed lighter red.  Ned has faded but is still apricot.

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Luna got darker as she aged :)  Her dad was a faded apricot with darker ears and she is a dark apricot with cream undercoat.

5 weeks (she's the one on the right)

3 years:

[Briggs]

Briggs has about stayed the same except his face has faded a little bit. but i guess his full adult coat maybe hasn't completely come in yet. we get him groomed about every 6-8 weeks though, with no change so far. 

when we first got him at 8 weeks. 

and some recent photos at 8, and 9 months

[Jordan & Daisy]

I just posted about this exact same topic! The vast majority of apricot pups I've seen have faded to cream or even white at some point (that's just from my experience) but I'm sure there are exceptions!