Bernedoodle Puppy Coat Color Changes: What Will My Puppy Look Like as an Adult?
- shellyskuza
- 18 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Will my Bernedoodle puppy change color as an adult? That's one of the questions I'm asked most often by new puppy owners. Will their coat stay the same? Will they look more like Mom or Dad? Do Bernedoodle puppies get lighter as they grow? At first, all I could do was give my best guess, but now I have years of real examples from puppies I've bred.
One of my favorite parts of breeding Bernedoodles is following my puppies after they go to their new homes. I love receiving updates and watching them reach new milestones. It's also fascinating to see how much their appearance changes from puppyhood to adulthood. Some Bernedoodles look almost identical as adults, while others fade dramatically, become curlier, or develop an entirely different look. I've even had puppies that looked nearly identical at eight weeks grow into very different-looking adults, while others that started out looking quite different ended up looking surprisingly similar.
The Black Bernedoodle Ladies
From left to right: Ellie, Coco, Zoe, Sadie
Top: Ellie, Coco. Bottom: Zoe, Sadie
While some black Bernedoodles lighten with age, others keep a rich black coat throughout adulthood. As my puppies grew, their black coats stayed rich and vibrant. Some Bernedoodles fade as they mature, but these girls largely kept their dark coloring.
Ellie has a saddle tan pattern. When she was a puppy, her face was almost entirely black. As she matured, the tan markings on her face gradually became more visible and spread.
With DNA testing, I'm now able to predict this pattern before the puppies are even born.
The bi-color girls, Sadie and Zoe, always make me smile because I still have to double-check my notes to avoid mixing them up! One thing I found especially interesting is that, as adults, both developed more black on their white muzzles than they had as puppies.
The Brown Tri-Color Bernedoodle Squad
Left to Right: Stitch, Rookie, Penny, Nash
Left to Right: Stitch, Rookie, Penny, Nash
Brown Bernedoodle puppies often have rich, vibrant coats, but I've noticed that brown Bernedoodles can change color as they mature. Some stay dark chocolate, while others become lighter or develop a warmer, milk chocolate appearance. How much they fade is often influenced by genetics inherited from their parents.
Penny and Nash are good examples. Their brown dad's coat has gradually lightened with age, and both puppies appear to be following a similar pattern.
I've also noticed that it's not just the overall coat color that changes. Individual markings can change too. Stitch was born with a light tan front leg, but as he matured, that tan became noticeably darker.
This is one reason it's so difficult to predict exactly what an adult Bernedoodle will look like from puppy photos alone.
The Red and White Bernedoodle Team
Left to Right: Rocky, Tony, Judy, Lulu
Left to Right: Rocky, Tony, Judy, Lulu
Red and white Bernedoodles can also change shades as they mature. A bright orange puppy may grow into a lighter apricot or cream-colored adult, while white areas can develop a light tan or cream tint. On the other hand, some dogs, like Tony, keep their rich orange coloring well into adulthood.
One of the genes that influences this is called Intensity. Dogs with Intermediate Red genetics often mature into lighter shades of red, apricot, or cream, while dogs with Intense Red genetics are more likely to keep deeper, richer colors similar to breeds like the Irish Setter.
Rocky and Judy both carry Intermediate Red, while Tony and Lulu carry Intense Red. Looking at them as adults, you can really see how this gene influences the final coat color.
The Blue Merle Bernedoodles Stepping Up
Left to Right: Coco, Kira, Light, Rocky
Left to Right: Coco, Kira, Light, Rocky
Blue merle Bernedoodles can also change in appearance as they mature, although I've found that their gray merle coloring tends to stay remarkably consistent. What changes the most is how noticeable the brown highlights become.
I've noticed that the brown mixed into the coat becomes more or less visible depending on the length of the hair. When Kira has a short haircut, I mostly see her beautiful gray merle coat with black "polka dots." As her coat grows longer, the brown weaves through the fur and becomes much more noticeable.
Light and Rocky are both Kira's puppies, and I think the family resemblance is unmistakable!
Different Litters, Same Adult Looks
Left to Right: Ripley, Phoenix
Left to Right: Ripley, Phoenix
When Ripley and Phoenix were puppies, I actually classified them as two different colors. I placed Ripley in the Blue Merle category and Phoenix in the Chocolate Merle category. As they matured, though, their coats changed until they looked remarkably similar.
Looking back, I probably should have predicted that outcome because Ripley and Phoenix have the exact same color genetics. They both inherited the same genotype, so while their puppy coats looked different, their adult coats eventually developed to match.
This is a great example of why a Bernedoodle puppy's coat color doesn't always predict what they'll look like as an adult. Genetics often tells the story more accurately than puppy photos alone.
A Haircut Can Completely Change a Bernedoodle's Look
These are all Coco
One thing that has nothing to do with genetics is the length of your Bernedoodle's coat. A haircut alone can make them look like a completely different dog!
With a short summer trim, Bernedoodles can have a terrier-like appearance. Let their coat grow out, and they can start looking more like a fluffy sheepdog. One of the fun things about owning a Bernedoodle is that it almost feels like you have multiple "looks" throughout the year, depending on their haircut.
Whether your Bernedoodle changes color dramatically or stays almost exactly the same, one thing is certain—between genetics, coat maturation, and grooming, they never stop surprising us!
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