The Poodle is probably the most recognizable dog breed in the world since we’re all familiar with its curly and dense coat, which is almost always groomed to have an elegant trim. But have you ever heard of the Phantom Poodle? The name itself has such a mysterious and ethereal ring to it, but it’s actually just a name used to refer to a particular coat pattern.
In this detailed guide, we share all the available Phantom Poodle colors and discuss how their gorgeous coats stand out from all the rest.
What are Phantom Poodles?
Standard Phantom Poodles are different from solid-colored poodles due to their coat color; their distinctive characteristic is that they come with a base color and a secondary color. Considering that they come with a unique coat and color pattern, there’s no surprise that they’ve become popular today. However, one thing hasn’t changed from their cousins with a single-colored coat, which is their high intelligence and friendly temperament.
Just like Tuxedo Poodles and Parti Poodles, there are various kinds of Phantom Poodles, all of which are discussed below.
Phantom Poodles Types
There are many kinds of Phantom Poodles all of which have a main color and another color that has unique markings around specific areas. Below is a breakdown of all the colors that are categorized under the term Phantom.
Brown Phantom Poodle
Like their name suggests these dogs feature a brown solid background with patches of a lighter shade of apricot around their throat, chin, legs, chest, sides of the muzzle, above the eyes, and beneath the tail. This dog is also known as a Chocolate Phantom Poodle. Dogs of this color with the apricot markings of a Phantom Poodle will be considered as one no matter their size, whether they are Phantom Toy Poodles or Phantom Standard Poodles.
Silver Phantom Poodle
These will have a coat with a beautiful solid color of silver to dark grey with tan points or white points throughout their bodies, particularly around the chest, chin, throat, eyes, sides of the muzzle, and tail. This color is also available in all sizes of the Poodle, whether you want a standard, toy, or miniature poodle, and is also known as a Silver Cream Phantom Poodle. This pooch also comes in a variant known as Silver Beige Phantom Poodle, which comes in its usual silver primary color but with beige or cream markings.
Black Phantom Poodle
Black Phantoms come with a solid black coat with phantom markings of a different color such as brown, cream, grey, silver, apricot, or red. These will appear in all the usual places already listed above but are different from the rest. Unlike most other Phantoms that only come in one mixture of colors, these come in a variety of combinations.
For instance, Silver Phantoms will only come in a silver and cream combination, and Red Phantoms will only be available in a red and apricot combination. Here are all the Black Phantom Poodle coloring available:
- Black and cream
- Black and red
- Black and apricot
- Black and silver
- Black and grey
- Black and brown
Just like the others before it, these dogs can also come in different sizes. Moreover, these aren’t like other Phantom breeds that first need to mature before they develop a pattern. Black Phantom Poodles are already born with a specific pattern and will grow with them.
Black and Silver Phantom Poodles come with a black main color with silver phantom coloration around their muzzle, eyes, chest, legs, and tail. Another variation of this Poodle color is the Black and Tan Phantom Poodle, which comes with brown or tan markings. A popular size for this variation is the Black and Tan Phantom Toy Poodle which measures just 9 to 11 inches once it reaches adulthood.
The Black and Red Phantom Poodle looks exactly as it sounds; this dog comes with black solid-colored coats with red markings. When they reach maturity, these dogs will stand around 18 to 24 inches. Moreover, the Black and Brown Phantom Poodle is yet another variant of this breed, which features a black body mixed with brown markings.
Sable Phantom Poodle
This type of dog is considered to be one of the rarest Phantom Poodle breeds. For instance, a Sable Phantom Standard Poodle is known to be rarer compared to a regular Poodle. These dogs come with a coat that comes with black tips but roots that start with a lighter color.
Their sable hair will cover most of the body and will have tan marks all around their throat, chin, chest, eyes, muzzles, legs, and under the tail.
Red Phantom Poodle
These kinds of Poodles will come with a coat that comes in a solid red color with patches of apricot around their throat, chin, eyes, chest, legs, muzzle, and tail.
Blue Phantom Poodle
The Blue Phantom Poodle has a luxurious coat with a faded or non-solid black background along with specks of cream around the usual body parts specified above. Sometimes these dogs are described as having a dark gray coat combined with cream or white markings. With a Blue Phantom Poodle puppy, it’s possible to start off with a pure black coat that eventually turns into dark gray as the dog ages.
This category also includes the Blue Merle Phantom Poodle which comes with a gorgeous black body with splashes of gray color throughout the body. However, these markings can also come in other colors such as brown, red, or apricot.
Merle Phantom Poodle
Phantom Merle Poodles will look just like any other Poodle in any color. What sets them apart is that while they carry the Merle gene, they don’t come with the markings that a Merle Poodle typically comes with. These dogs come with a Merle coat with patches of tan around their throat, chin, eyes, muzzle, chest, and under the tail.
Many people consider the Merle Phantom Poodles rare since they aren’t regularly born in a litter. They are also known as Cryptic Merle Poodles, which carry the Merle gene but don’t possess a Merle coat. Moreover, crossing the Phantom Merle Standard Poodle with another one may result in what’s called a double Merle Poodle.
Phantom Parti Poodle
The Phantom Parti Poodle comes with a coat that’s 50% white at a minimum while the other half consists of another color such as apricot, black, red, silver, or brown. There may also be phantom markings around the face and tail, but they are commonly found around the muzzle, eyebrows, legs, and chest. These will come in all kinds of sizes, but the most popular is the Parti Phantom Standard Poodle.
Phantom Brindle Poodle
Phantom Brindle Poodles will come with two different shades of color on their body, along with a striped pattern as well as Phantom markings around the muzzle, eyes, chest, tail, and legs. Unfortunately, their coat can fade over time as they age, where the distinct stipes can lose their definition. These dogs will also come in various sizes, like the Brindle Phantom Toy Poodle.
Phantom Abstract Poodle
Poodles that contain less than 50% of the white body coat while featuring patches of a different color are called Phantom Abstract Poodles. In these dogs, the Phantom markings will be seen around the face, eyebrows, chest, tail, and legs.
Apricot Phantom Poodle
The Apricot Phantom Poodle will come with a delicate apricot color coat with white or cream phantom markings.
Tri Phantom Poodle
These are basically Parti Poodles with additional phantom markings, resulting in three colors instead of just two. Tri Phantom Poodles come with fur or a coat where half the body is colored white while the other half is in another color. The phantom markings on these multicolored poodles should only be present around the eyebrows and face, while the legs should mostly be white.
Cream Phantom Poodle
These Phantom Poodles will feature a main color of cream with white phantom markings.
FAQs
Below are just some of the most asked questions about these wonderful Poodle breeds.
What are the Available Phantom Poodle Colors?
While the Phantom Poodle appearance can vary in many ways and there are many different colors that this breed can come in, the most dominant colors are brown, black, red, and silver. However, they can also come in a number of unique coloring such as cream, gray, apricot, Merle, Brindle, and Parti. For the Chocolate or Brown Phantom Poodle, as well as the Red Phantom Poodles, you’ll see that only apricot markings are present, while the Silver Phantoms will only come with cream markings.
What is a Ghost Phantom Poodle?
A Ghost Phantom Poodle is simply another name for the Phantom Poodle and are one and the same. The name is usually shortened to just Ghost Poodle.
How Do You Get a Phantom Poodle?
To get a Phantom Poodle, they must carry the ky genotype, a recessive gene that needs to be inherited from their parents in order to get Phantom genes. Even if the puppy was able to inherit one copy of the black dominant genes, it would only result in a black or brown coat instead. They will need to carry another gene known as at/at or at/a on the A-locus in order to get the Phantom genes.
Is a Phantom Poodle a Purebred Dog?
While these are purebred Poodles, they aren’t a recognized breed by the American Kennel Club (AKC) when it comes to conformation events since their different markings don’t conform to the breed standards. Unfortunately, the AKC requires Poodle owners to keep their pets to a solid or even color. This is how judges are able to rate dogs on how well their appearance matches the current standards.
Your Phantom Poodle may not be able to qualify for such events, but you can still have them compete in other ways, such as in obedience and agility competitions.
How Much is a Phantom Poodle?
Because Phantom Poodles are much rarer compared to Poodles without a coat pattern, they can be a lot more expensive. Much like every other dog breed, the ones that come with more beautiful coats will sell for a higher price than ones with a standard coat. A Phantom Poodle will usually sell anywhere around $3,500 to $5,000 with the average price being around $4,000.
How to Look for Phantom Poodle Breeders?
Because these dogs can cost a hefty amount, you’ll want to ensure that you get the most out of your purchase by talking to a reputable breeder. Unfortunately, these dogs can come with health issues such as hip dysplasia, which unscrupulous breeders will hide from you just to make a quick sale. As such, you should look for the litter’s mom and dad to ensure that both parents are healthy and free from any undesirable traits and issues.
With the right Poodle breeder, you should be able to take home a dog with a high energy level, so be sure to give it plenty of exercise. Another thing you may want to look for are specific markings such as dobie markings, which may cost more but will guarantee that you get a rare dog.
Look for Your Phantom Poodle Colors
Dog owners looking to add a wonderful yet charming furry member to the family should consider Phantom Poodles which come with beautiful patterns and markings that add to their charm. Apart from their unique appearance, these dogs also come with the perfect personality and temperament that’s perfect for a family setting.
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