Chocolate Poodle Guide – Everything You Need To Know!

Chocolate Poodles are a purebred dog with a rich brown coat. They’re super popular due to their beautiful coat color as well as their friendly and intelligent nature!

If you are interested in Chocolate Poodles keep reading this article to find out all the answers to your questions about this dog breed!

Cover Image Credit: @bonditoypoodle via Instagram

Table of Contents

What Is A Chocolate Poodle?

Chocolate Poodles have a rich brown coat. They have brown noses and brown eye rims and usually feature dark brown eyes. Most Chocolate Poodles have a solid coat however some may feature a small white marking on their chest.

There are also lots of variations of the chocolate coat including the Chocolate Merle Poodle, Chocolate Parti Poodle and Chocolate Phantom Poodle.

Are Chocolate Poodles Rare?

Chocolate Poodles are not rare at all. In fact, they are the second most common Poodle coat color after Black Poodles. This is because the coat color is the result of a dominant gene.

The color is officially called “brown” by the American Kennel Club (AKC) and is considered to be a standard color. Its registration code is 061.

Chocolate Poodle Characteristics

Chocolate Poodle Characteristics
Height	Depends on size (Toy, Miniature, Moyen or Standard Poodle).
Weight	Depends on size (Toy, Miniature, Moyen or Standard Poodle).
Temperament	Intelligent, independent, friendly.
Activity Levels	High.
Exercise Requirements	30 to 60 min per day.
Lifespan	12 to 15 years.
Coat	Curly single chocolate coat.
Eyes	Dark.
Shedding	Low.
Apartment Adaptability	Depends on size.
Good with Children	Yes.

Coat Color Changes

Do Chocolate Poodles Fade?

Chocolate Poodles can change color with age however not all will. If a Poodle carries the ‘fading gene’, ‘dilution’ gene or ‘progressive graying’ gene, they may experience coat color changes.

These changes will usually occur within the first two years of their life however not all Chocolate Poodles will change color. If a Chocolate Poodle changes color, their coat will fade to a grey, white or cafe au lait color. Most of the fading occurs around their eyes, nose and chin.

Chocolate Poodles can also change color from UV light exposure. If your Chocolate Poodle spends a lot of time out in the sun, it is likely that their coat will fade to a light brown or beige.

Coat Color Variations

Chocolate Phantom Poodle

Chocolate Phantom Poodles have a coat with a solid brown background with patches of apricot on their chin, throat, chest, legs, beneath their tail, above their eyes and on the sides of their muzzle.

Chocolate Merle Poodle

Chocolate Merle Poodles feature a chocolate, copper, beige and white coat in a mottled pattern. Most of their coat is a beige-grey and they feature chocolate, white and copper patches throughout it. Chocolate Merle Poodles have light or dark brown noses. In most cases they have light brown or hazel eyes however they can sometimes have green eyes. Chocolate Merle Poodles would have originally had a solid liver (chocolate) coat but the merle gene diluted sections of it into lighter colors.

Chocolate Parti Poodle

Chocolate Parti Poodles have a white base coat that covers at least 50% of their body with dark brown patches that are usually located on their ears, around their eyes, on their ears, muzzle, legs and on their backs.

Like solid Chocolate Poodles, the brown patches of a Chocolate Parti Poodle can fade. If these changes occur, it will be within the first two years of their lives so the dark brown patches will be light brown, beige or café au lait.

chocolate toy poodle — Chocolate Poodle via @bonditoypoodle // Instagram

Price

Chocolate Poodles are not more expensive than other Poodles as it is a very common coat color. Chocolate Poodles usually sell for prices between $2000USD and $4000USD.

Smaller sizes of Chocolate Poodle such as toy or miniature are generally even more expensive than larger sizes. Many people have to go onto waiting lists for months on end to be able to purchase a Poodle.

A good way to keep up to date with current Poodle prices is to check out dog breeder advertising websites like PuppySpot.

Breeders

If you are looking for a Poodle breeder, consider PuppySpot where you can use our discount code PUPPY300 for $300 dollars off any dog. Check out the adorable Poodle puppies that are currently available here!

PuppySpot is dog advertising website based in the US that connects breeders with prospective pet parents. They screen and vet every breeder on an annual basis to make sure their puppies are of top quality as they have a zero tolerance policy for puppy mills and substandard breeding practices of any kind. They also offer various trusted, USDA-certified transportation options to deliver your puppy to your home safely. You can check out their current Poodle litters here.

Shedding

Do Chocolate Poodles Shed?

Chocolate Poodles are classified as light to non-shedders. They will drop a few strands of hair here and there throughout the year but will not undergo heavy seasonal shedding like other breeds.

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Their light-shedding characteristic is one of the main reasons why Poodles are crossed with other breeds to create light to non-shedding ‘doodle’ dog breeds like Goldendoodles, Labradoodles, Aussiedoodles, Cavapoos and more!

Are Chocolate Poodles Hypoallergenic?

Chocolate Poodles, like all other Poodle coat colors and patterns, are considered to be hypoallergenic as they do not produce or release much allergy inducing dander into their immediate environment. Sometimes smaller sizes of Poodle such as Toy Poodles are considered to be more hypoallergenic than other Poodle sizes as smaller dogs produce less dander than larger dogs.

Haircuts

There are many different haircuts that you can give a Chocolate Poodle. Some popular ones include:

Teddy Bear Cut
Puppy Cut
Summer Cut
Continental Cut

Sizes

Chocolate Poodles can come in many different sizes such as Toy, Miniature, Medium (Moyen) and Standard.

Toy Chocolate Poodle

Toy Chocolate Poodles are the smallest Poodle size. They get to a height of up to 10 inches (25.4cm) and weigh between 4 and 6 pounds (1.8kg to 2.7kg).

Miniature Chocolate Poodle

Miniature Chocolate Poodles are the second smallest Poodle size. They are 10 to 15 inches (25.4cm to 38.1cm) tall and weigh between 10 and 15 pounds (4.5kg to 6.8kg).

Medium Chocolate Poodle

Medium Chocolate Poodles are 15 to 20 inches (38.1cm to 50.8cm) tall and weigh between 20 and 35 pounds (9.1kg to 15.9kg). They are one of the middle Poodle sizes.

Standard Chocolate Poodle

Standard Chocolate Poodles are the largest Poodle size. They are 18 to 24 inches (45.7cm to 61.0cm) tall and weigh between 45 and 70 pounds (20.4kg to 31.8kg).

Chocolate Poodle Full Grown

The age a Chocolate Poodle is full grown depends on their size.

Toy Poodles are fully grown between 6 and 7 months of age.
Mini Poodles are fully grown between 7 and 12 months of age.
Medium/Moyen Poodles are fully grown between 12 and 18 months of age.
Standard Poodles are fully grown between 18 and 24 months.

Once your puppy is fully grown you’ll need to start investing in dog products that you’ll keep for their whole life such as:

A full size dog crate so they have their own cozy den to sleep in – consider a dog crate pad to make it that much comfier!
An adult sized dog raincoat to keep them dry during wet weather
An adult sized dog life jacket to help with swimming in lakes and oceans
An adult sized dog jacket for cold winter weather
A dog cooling vest if you live in a hot climate
High quality no-pull dog harness to reduce stress on their neck while walking
And other similar products