Bernedoodle Colors Guide (Tricolor, Black, Merle, Phantom & More)

As a mixed breed dog, Bernedoodles come in a wide range of coat colors from solid colors to complex multi-colored markings. Bernese Mountain Dogs comes in 1 color: tri-color. On the other hand Poodles come in 11 colors including: black, black & white, brown, white, sable, silver, apricot, grey, red, cream and blue. Therefore, Bernedoodles can come in a range of these colors such as tri-color, black and white, black, chocolate, red, red and white, yellow, grey and white, black and tan, grey, merle, phantom, sable, brindle and parti.

Table of Contents

Tricolor Bernedoodle

The traditional tri-color Bernedoodle coat features black, white and tan however it can be a combination of three other colors such as apricot, brown, red, cream, sable, black, tan or white. Tri-color Bernedoodles are the most popular coat color of the breed. This coat pattern originated from the Bernese Mountain Dog.

How Do You Get A Tri Colored Bernedoodle?

It is difficult to breed a tri-colored Bernedoodle as the Poodle brings so many different color combinations to the table. Breeders have to undertake color testing to ensure that they will produce tri-colored Bernedoodles. Bernedoodles with a higher percentage of Bernese Mountain Dog genes are more likely to be tri-colored. Such generations include F1b Reverse Bernedoodles, F1bb Reverse Bernedoodles, F1 Bernedoodles and F2 Bernedoodles.

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Tri Color Bernedoodle Breeders

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Black And White Bernedoodle

What Is A Black and White Bernedoodle?

Black and white Bernedoodles have a solid black coat with white patches on their chest, muzzle, head and paws. If they have white patches on their paws it looks like they are wearing boots or socks. Black and white Bernedoodles are quite common.

Black & White Bernedoodle Breeders

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Black Bernedoodle

What Is A Black Bernedoodle?

Black Bernedoodles are very rare. For a Bernedoodle to have a solid black coat they need to inherit the recessive gene both the Poodle and the Bernese Mountain Dog. Some Black Bernedoodles may have white spots underneath their paws. On average only one puppy out of the litter would be solid black.

Black Bernedoodle Breeders

Chocolate Bernedoodle

What Is A Chocolate Bernedoodle?

Chocolate Bernedoodles have a solid brown coat which can range from light to a dark tone. Bernedoodles get a chocolate coat if they inherit a recessive black or silver gene from the Poodle. F1 Bernedoodles (first generation) can’t be Chocolate as the Bernese Mountain Dog doesn’t carry the gene. Chocolate coloring can only be bred into later generations. Chocolate Bernedoodles have hazel or brown eyes and brown noses.

Chocolate Bernedoodle Breeders

Red Bernedoodle

What Is A Red Bernedoodle?

A Red Bernedoodle has a coat that is a rich rusty brown color. Solid red Bernedoodles are extremely rare. Red Bernedoodles are very likely to have a tiny patch of white on their chest and paws however this is different to a red and white tuxedo Bernedoodle that has large patches of white on their chest.

Red Bernedoodle Breeders

Red And White Bernedoodle

What Is A Red & White Bernedoodle?

Red and White Bernedoodles are also called Red and White Tuxedo Bernedoodles as they have a large white patch on their chest that curls back around their neck, looking like a shirt. Their solid red coloring around this white patch looks like a tuxedo jacket. Red and White Bernedoodles also have white patches on their paws, muzzle and sometimes on the top of their head.

Red & White Bernedoodle Breeders

Yellow Bernedoodle

What Is A Yellow Bernedoodle?

Yellow Bernedoodles are a rare coat color. The yellow of their coat is slightly darker than a cream and looks somewhat like the color of the coat of a Labrador Retriever or Golden Retriever.

Yellow Bernedoodle Breeders

Grey And White Bernedoodle

What Is A Grey & White Bernedoodle?

Grey and White Bernedoodles have a mainly white coat with grey strands of hair or patches of grey dispersed throughout the coat. This coat color is rare.

Grey & White Bernedoodle Breeders

Black And Tan Bernedoodle

What Is A Black & Tan Bernedoodle?

The Black and Tan Bernedoodle is a type of phantom Bernedoodle. It features a solid black coat with tan patches located on their muzzle, eyebrows, legs, paws and chest.

Black & Tan Bernedoodle Breeders

Merle Bernedoodle

What Is A Merle Bernedoodle?

A Merle Bernedoodle carries the merle gene which causes the coat to have mottled patches of colors. In addition to affecting coat color, the gene also affects skin pigmentation on their paws and nose. It also alters their eye color. The two main types are the Blue Merle Bernedoodle and Red Merle Bernedoodle.

What Does A Merle Bernedoodle Look Like?

Merle Bernedoodles look like any other Bernedoodle except for their coat color. Instead of a solid or tri-color coat, the merle gene causes mottled patches of color. Originally a Blue Merle Bernedoodle has a black coat however the merle gene dilutes areas to grey and white. On the other hand, a Red Merle Bernedoodle originally has a liver (brown) coat and the merle gene has dilutes areas to beige and white.

Are Merle Bernedoodles Rare?

Merle Bernedoodles are very rare. They are extremely difficult to breed as the gene is very rare in both Poodles and Bernese Mountain dogs.

Are Merle Bernedoodle More Expensive?

Yes, Merle Bernedoodles are more expensive than other Bernedoodle colors as they are so rare and also difficult to breed. Breeders have to take extra care when breeding Merle Bernedoodles to ensure that they don’t produce double merles which are very likely to have ocular defects and also suffer from deafness.

Blue Merle Bernedoodle

A Blue Merle Bernedoodle is a black Bernedoodle that has inherited the merle gene. They have black and blue tones throughout the merle pattern.

Red Merle Bernedoodle

A Red Merle Bernedoodle is a chocolate Bernedoodle that has inherited the merle gene. They have brown and red tones throughout the merle pattern.

Merle Bernedoodle Breeders

Phantom Bernedoodles

What Is A Phantom Bernedoodle?

Phantom Bernedoodles have a two-toned colored coat that usually features a solid background with patches of another color in specific areas such as across the chest, on the sides of the muzzle, above the eye, on their throat or legs. The solid background color is usually a dark shade while the patches are a lighter color. Most commonly Phantom Bernedoodles are black and tan however they can come in different colors. They look somewhat similar to a tri-colored Bernedoodle however without the white patches.

Do Phantom Bernedoodles Fade?

Phantom Bernedoodles can fade if the have inherited the ‘fading gene’ from the Poodle. While it is frequently referred to as the “fading gene”, the genetics behind why a Phantom Bernedoodle can fade is much more complex than a singular gene. It is a complex interplay of several genes that causes color changes.

Blue Merle Aussiedoodle Guide (Blue Merle vs Red Merle)

Phantom Tricolor Bernedoodle

What Is A Phantom Tricolor Bernedoodle?

A Phantom Tricolor Bernedoodle is like a black and tan Phantom Bernedoodle however it has a white patch on its chest. They have a solid black body with tan patches along their legs, muzzle, eyebrows, paws and chest. Phantom Tricolor Bernedoodles look very similar to regular tri-color Bernedoodles however they do not feature white on their muzzle, face, paws or tail. Phantom Tricolor Bernedoodles only have white on their chest.

Phantom Merle Bernedoodle

What Is A Phantom Merle Bernedoodle?

A Phantom Merle Bernedoodle features a solid coat with patches of merle along their chest, legs, muzzle, eyebrows, throat and paws. They usually have a light color solid coat such as cream, tan or white. While by definition Phantom Bernedoodles have a two-toned colored, the merle patches are considered to be one color with the solid patches as the other.

Phantom Bernedoodle Breeders

Sable Bernedoodle

What Is A Sable Bernedoodle?

Sable Bernedoodles have hairs that are black-tipped with roots in a lighter solid color. The sable hairs cover most of their body and they usually have a white patches on their chest, muzzle and paws.

Sable Bernedoodles are sometimes mistaken for tri-color Bernedoodles as they have three colors in their coat. Nevertheless, sable Bernedoodles have two-toned hairs while tri-color Bernedoodles have three distinctly colored hairs.

Do Sable Bernedoodles Fade?

Sable Bernedoodles can fade with age. Their sable coat will be the most distinct as a young puppy and the black-tips of their hairs will start to fade as they get older. Usually as an adult dog you can still tell that a Bernedoodle is sable however sometimes their hairs lighten to an almost solid color.

Are Sable Bernedoodles Rare?

Yes, Sable Bernedoodles are quite rare. Most Bernedoodles are a solid color or tri-color. Sable Bernedoodles are as rare as phantom, parti and merle Bernedoodles. As the sable coat is quite rare, Sable Bernedoodles are sold for very high prices as they are difficult to breed.

Sable Phantom Bernedoodle

A Sable Phantom Bernedoodle has a two-toned colored coat that features a solid background with patches sable across the chest, on the sides of the muzzle, above the eye, on their throat or legs. Sable Phantom Bernedoodles are extremely rare.

Sable Bernedoodle Breeders

Grey Bernedoodle

Do Bernedoodles Turn Grey?

If a Bernedoodle carries the ‘fading gene’ they can turn grey or silver with age. Solid black Bernedoodles may fade to silver or grey while chocolate/brown Bernedoodles can fade to a beige-grey. Lightening of color and turning grey never occurs evenly over a Bernedoodle coat. It usually occurs most prominently around their ears.

Bernedoodles that have lighter hairs around their eyes or between their toes are more likely to fade and turn grey with age.

Why Do Bernedoodles Turn Grey?

Bernedoodles can turn grey if they inherit the ‘fading gene’ from their Poodle parent. The ‘Progressive Greying” gene is on the G locus. It is a dominant mutation as there is a good chance that a Bernedoodle will inherit it depending on the generation of the breed.

Grey Bernedoodle Breeders

Brindle Bernedoodle

What Is A Brindle Bernedoodle?

Brindle Bernedoodles have a tiger striped coat. They have a red/brown base coat with faint black stripes over it. For Bernedoodles a brindle coat is much more subtle that other breeds. Often the black sections blend into their coat and are not distinct lines. Brindle Bernedoodles often have a white patch on their chest and muzzle.

Brindle Bernedoodle Breeders

Parti Bernedoodle

What Is A Parti Bernedoodle?

A Parti Bernedoodle has a white base coat that covers at least 50% of their body with a secondary color that is often marbled through it. They are often confused with Phantom Bernedoodles however Phantom Bernedoodles generally don’t have marbling, just a two-toned coat consisting of solid patches of color. Parti Bernedoodles have irregular or random patches of their secondary color.