Parti Poodle Guide: Everything You Need To Know!

Parti Poodles are a purebred dog with a distinctive bi-color coat consisting of white and a secondary color. These coats can come in many different colors combinations such as black & white, chocolate & white, red & white, apricot & white and more! It is no surprise that these Poodles are so popular considering their unique coat patterns as well as their friendly and intelligent temperament!

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

Cover Image Credits: @sheldon.and.amy.pooperr

Table of Contents

What Is A Parti Poodle?

A Parti Poodle has a white base coat that covers at least 50% of their body with a secondary color marbled through it in patches. Most of the time the secondary color is black or chocolate (brown) however it can also be apricot, red, sable or merle. You can tell if a Parti Poodle has been bred well as the lines between the white sections and secondary colors of their coat will be crisp and well-defined. There won’t be blending of color between the sections. As a puppy, the colors may blend but as they mature the sections will become more defined.

Are Parti Poodles Rare?

Parti Poodles are not as common as other coat colors and patterns, especially solid coats, however they are not rare. Breeders usually focus on producing solid-colored Poodles which the is the main reason why there are not as many bi-colored Poodles out there.

Parti Poodle Characteristics

Parti 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 parti coat.
Eyes	Dark.
Shedding	Low.
Apartment Adaptability	Depends on size.
Good with Children	Yes

Are Parti Poodles Purebred?

Yes, Parti Poodles are purebred. They are not like Merle Poodles where another breed has been introduced to the lineage to produce the coat color. The Parti coat comes from the MITF gene which regulates Poodle’s pigmentation. When this gene appears, it disrupts pigment production which is why there are white sections on a Parti Poodle’s coat. Parti Poodles carries one S and one sp or two sp genes. A Poodle with two sp genes will be nearly solid white parti while one that carries one S and one sp will have considerably less white on their coat. If a Poodle has two copies of S, they will have a solid coat.

Are Parti Poodles AKC Recognized?

Parti Poodles are American Kennel Club (AKC) recognized however they are not allowed to compete in all of the dog shows. Parti Poodles can compete in agility and obedience competition but can not be shown in AKC conformation events. Conformation events are shows that judge dogs on how well their appearance conforms to the breed’s standards. This is because parti-colored Poodles are disqualified from the breed standards.

Parti Poodle 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.

Parti Poodle Colors

Black and White Parti Poodle

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

You can also get black and white Poodles that are not parti. These Poodles have a mainly black coat with white patches. Nevertheless, in most cases black and white Poodles are parti as they have a mainly white coat.

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.

Merle Parti Poodle

Merle Parti Poodles are extremely rare. They have a white base coat which covers at least 50% of their body and merle patches that are usually located on their ears, around their eyes and on their backs.

Merle is a rare coat pattern featuring mottled patches. A Merle Parti Poodle is most likely to be a Blue Merle Parti Poodle however they can also be Chocolate Merle (AKA Red Merle). Blue Merle Parti Poodles feature a blue, grey and tan in their merle patches while Chocolate Merle Parti Poodles feature brown, copper and beige.

Merle Parti Poodles are also called Phantom Merle Poodles or Cryptic Merle Poodles. A Phantom/Cryptic Merle Poodle is a Poodle that has very small patches of merle or none at all. The ones that have no merle patches at all appear to be non-merle however they carry the merle genotype and produce merle offspring. They can be dangerous when it comes to breeding as Double Merles can accidentally be produced as breeders may not realise both parents are carriers of the merle gene.

Apricot Parti Poodle

Apricot Parti Poodles have a white base coat that covers at least 50% of their body with apricot patches. The apricot patches are usually located on their ears, around their eyes and on their backs. The apricot patches are very light in color and are somewhere between a light red and a cream with peachy undertones.

Like solid Apricot Poodles, the red patches of a Red Parti Poodle can fade. If these changes occur, it will be within the first two years of their lives which will make them look like a cream and white Poodle.

Red Parti Poodle

Red Parti Poodles have a white base coat that covers at least 50% of their body with red patches. The red patches can range in color from a reddish cream to a rusty brown color and are usually located on their ears, around their eyes and on their backs.

Like solid Red Poodles, the red patches of a Red Parti Poodle can fade. If these changes occur, it will be within the first two years of their lives which will make them look like an Apricot Parti Poodle.

Sable Parti Poodle

Sable Parti Poodles have a white base coat that covers at least 50% of their body with sable patches. Sable patches are very unique as they feature black-tipped hairs with roots in a lighter solid color. The sable patches are usually located on their ears, on top of their heads, around their eyes and on their backs.

With age, the sable patches can fade, especially on shorter hairs. For adult Sable Parti Poodles, the sable patches are usually most noticeable on their ears as they will still have dark markings on the tips of longer hairs.

Coat Color Changes

Do Parti Poodles Fade?

Parti Poodles can fade with age however not all will. Poodles can have the ‘fading gene’, ‘dilution’ gene or ‘progressive graying’ gene which can cause coat color changes. These changes will usually occur within the first two years of their life however not all Parti Poodles will change color.

When Is A Cavachon Full Grown? (Size & Age Fully Grown)

These are some of the coat color changes that can occur:

Black patches can fade to charcoal grey or silver.
Red patches can fade to apricot or cream.
Chocolate patches can fade to light brown, beige or café au lait.

red parti poodle — Parti Poodle via @fionagracekennels

Parti Poodle Sizes

Parti Poodles can come in many different sizes such as Toy, Miniature, Moyen and Standard. The most common sizes for Parti Poodles are Miniature, Moyen and Standard Poodles however you can occasionally find Toy Poodles with parti coats.

What Is A Toy Parti Poodle?

Toy Parti 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). Not many Toy Poodles feature a parti coat so it’s pretty rare to find a Toy Parti Poodle.

What Is A Miniature Parti Poodle?

Miniature Parti 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). If you are looking for a Parti Poodle, it’s quite likely you will come across one that is miniature in size.

What Is A Moyen Parti Poodle?

Moyen Parti 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.

What Is A Standard Parti Poodle?

Standard Parti 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). If you are looking for a Parti Poodle, it’s quite likely you will come across a standard sized one.

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

Parti Poodle Price

Are Parti Poodles More Expensive?

Parti Poodles are generally more expensive than solid-coated Poodles as it is not a very common coat color. Parti Poodles usually sell for prices between $3500USD and $5000USD. Most sell for prices around the $4000USD mark.

Parti Poodle Shedding

Do Parti Poodles Shed?

Parti 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. 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!

The best way to reduce the amount that your dog sheds is to regularly brush them. Slicker brushes are great for dogs with single coats and deshedding tools are great for dogs with double coats.

Are Parti Poodles Hypoallergenic?

Parti 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.

Parti Poodle Names

Bailey
Rosie
Patch
Amelie
Bronte
Frost
Marina
Parker
Leyla
Gonzalo

Ash
Rex
Bruno
Jack
Annie
Lily
Amber
Chloe
Rover
Bradley