Havapoo & Havanais colors
Colors
Here you can read more about the different colors that can occur in our puppies.
Every dog is unique, not only in personality but also in color and markings. With us, you’ll find a wonderful variety of colors, from classic shades to rare and unusual combinations. Color is just a small part of what makes each puppy special, but it’s always exciting to see how different patterns and tones can emerge.
White markings in the coat – three main groups: In Havapoos (and many other breeds), coat patterns are divided into three main categories based on the amount of white in the coat:
1. Solid: A completely solid coat with no white markings.
2. Abstract: Small amounts of white, usually on the paws, tail tip, chest, or face.
3. Parti: At least 50% of the body is covered in white in separated patches, mixed with another color.
Red
A warm, intense red color that can range from light copper red to deeper mahogany tones. This color is more uncommon in both Havapoos and Havanese. It is most commonly seen in purebred Poodles.
Apricot
A soft, warm color reminiscent of ripe apricot, slightly lighter than red.
Cream
A light, ivory-like color, sometimes with a slight golden hue. In my experience, this color either retains its shade or darkens significantly over time. See, for example, Viktoria’s Angels Jeremy or Olivia.
Cream with white - Abstract
A light cream-colored coat with white markings. This can also appear in combination with other colors, such as sable with white, black with white, merle with white, etc. The combinations vary and create unique patterns.
Parti colour
Parti means that the dog has a white base color with larger patches of another color, such as black, cream, sable, merle, etc. This pattern can occur in many color combinations.
Black
A completely black coat with no other color markings.
Black and white
A black base color with distinct white markings, for example on the chest, paws, or nose.
Brindle
A coat with black and brown stripes. Brindle can vary greatly in intensity, from almost completely black with small brown streaks to a more even distribution, for example 40% brown and 60% black.
Chocolate
A deep, rich chocolate brown color with no black markings.
White
A completely white coat, sometimes with very small traces of cream.
Black and tan / Phantom
A black base color with tan markings above the eyebrows, on the legs, chest, and sometimes on the cheeks.
Tricolour
A combination of black, white, and tan, where all three colors are clearly visible.
Dark brown
A very dark brown shade that can sometimes appear almost black.
Silver
Puppies are often born black but lighten with age to a beautiful silver-gray color.
Sable
A color where each hair is lighter at the base and darker at the tip, creating a beautifully shaded coat.
About the merle color:
Merle is a stunning and beautiful coat pattern that creates unique markings in the fur. However, there are some misunderstandings about merle, and we would like to explain how it works in our breeding.
When handled correctly, the merle gene does not pose an increased risk for genetic diseases, hearing problems, or vision impairments. What can be dangerous is when two dogs carrying the merle gene are bred together – even if one is a so-called “cryptic merle” where the pattern is not visibly expressed. In such cases, puppies may unfortunately be born with serious health issues. With us, you can feel completely safe. All our dogs are thoroughly genetically tested, both for health and color genetics. We place great importance on breeding responsibly and with a full understanding of how the merle gene works. We never breed two merle dogs together, which means that the risk of merle-related health problems is eliminated in our program. For us, merle is a wonderful color variant – not a risk.
Blue merle
A light gray coat with darker gray or black patches in a marbled pattern.
Choklad merle
A chocolate brown base color with lighter and darker brown marbled patches.
Merle parti colour
A white base color with larger patches in a merle pattern (can be blue merle or chocolate merle).
Lilac merle
A rare color where the coat has a soft lavender or lilac-gray shade with a merle pattern.
Isabella merle
A very light, almost beige or champagne-colored base with marbled patches in a slightly darker shade.
Phantom merle
A merle-patterned coat where the dog also has tan markings, similar to those in black and tan.
Chocklat merle phantom
An incredibly unique color combination where the dog has a chocolate brown base with a merle pattern (lighter and darker patches) along with distinct tan markings on the eyebrows, cheeks, chest, and legs. This color creates a stunning contrast between the soft chocolate tones, the marbled merle patches, and the warm tan points.