What are Phantom Poodles?

 Overview

While it is the solid Poodle that is the most common, there is much to discuss regarding Phantom Poodle coloring, which is different than mismarks, the Tuxedo, and parties.

What Phantom Coloring Means

A phantom Poodle is not a different breed or type of dog, this is simply a term to describe a particular coloring of the dog.

This type of coloring, while extremely beautiful and preferred by many Poodle owners, is not yet accepted by the AKC in regard to confirmation.
The AKC standard indicates that the Standard Poodle coat is an even and solid color at the skin: Blues, grays, silvers, browns, cafe-aulaits, apricots and creams (and the coat may show varying shades of the same color.

This is much different than parti colored Poodles, even though both parti and phantoms have a mixture of 2 colors. This term only refers to Poodles that have specific markings on a solid background. The solid will usually be:

• Black, cream, apricot, red, white, silver or brown

These dogs are broken down into more detailed groups:

• Black phantoms - black & apricot, black & red, black & cream, black & gray, black & brown or black & silver

• Chocolate phantoms - Brown & Apricot

• Red phantoms - Red & Apricot

• Silver phantoms - Silver & Cream
  
  

The markings must occur on certain parts of the dogs' coat. Many refer to these markings as Dobie markings (short for Doberman), however this pattern also appears on Dachshunds, certain Spaniels, Yorkies, Manchester Terriers and certain Coonhounds. These markings must be:

• Above each eye

• On the sides of the muzzle (also referred to as the side of the cheeks)

• Across the dog's chest

• Down the legs

• Under the tail

All phantom Poodles are born with their markings. This does not occur as the dog ages. Phantoms are genetically similar to brindle Poodles. For this reason, a phantom Poodle dam or sire can produce a litter of brindle puppies and likewise a brindle Poodle dam or sire can produce a litter of phantom puppies. With most dog breeds, brindle is a term that means the coat that is striped, with intermingling dark and light hairs making a striping pattern. However, with Poodles, brindle means "sable". Sable is a term that means that the coat is one color yet the tips of the hairs are black. With most dogs, the sabling (black tips) fade out or completely disappear with age.

Genes

Phantom poodles must have a ky/ky genotype (non-solid black that allows other colors to be expressed) plus an E (allows for brindling) or EM (gives a black mask) , and also be at/at (the gene that allows for tan points).

Popularity

Phantom Poodles can cost over $2,500 for a Standard Phantom Poodle. That price is just about twice as much as what you can find a solid-colored Poodle for. Apricot poodles are the rarest in the world. Caused by a recessive gene, this color comes off as a very light red that borders on cream. As dogs have been genetically bred for generations to have certain characteristics, apricot is hypothesized to be the last color developed in poodles. It's believed to be caused by a separate gene called the “Rufus” gene. Red is dominant to apricot, so two red poodles can have apricot puppies, but not the other way around. White is one of the most popular and most common colors for Poodles. A white Poodle isn't the same as an albino, however, as the former has black skin whereas the latter will be pink.