Cavapoo Colors: Everything You Need to Know

The Cavapoo is a beautiful small-breed dog, a genetic cross between the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the miniature or toy Poodle.

Sometimes known as a Cavoodle or a Cavadoodle, this little pup is adorable and has a friendly, playful demeanor.

These sweet family pets have soft, curly coats that come in a variety of colors. Keep reading to learn more about the wide range of Cavapoo colors!

A Breed of Many Colors

Cavapoos come in many colors, such as apricot, white, cream, black, and chestnut. They can have solid coats or be bi-color or tri-color.

The coloring depends on the individual dog’s parentage, with red Cavapoos being most in-demand. Since the breed is a crossbreed between two breeds with a variety of available coats, there are many possibilities.

The Cavapoo comes from the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, a beautiful toy breed known for being graceful and affectionate, and the Miniature Poodle, an active and intelligent dog.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel comes in four official colors, according to the American Kennel Club.

These are black and tan, black and white, ruby, and Blenheim (a mixture of ruby and white). The AKC recognizes ten standard coat colors for the Poodle, all of which are solid colors. However, Poodles may also have dual-colored fur.

Breeding Matters

Because of the availability of multiple colors in the two parenting breeds, the Cavapoo comes in plenty of fun colors and combinations.

Because some colors are recessive (like black), and some are more common, Cavapoo breeders may carefully choose the litter’s parents to produce specific colors.

However, there is no guarantee that a litter will contain puppies of the desired colors even with selective breeding. That is the fun thing about genetics! Two dark-colored parents may not produce a rare black Cavapoo, but you are sure to get gorgeous pups either way.

Whether you are shopping for a new pet, already own a Cavapoo, or are just curious about this designer breed, you might be interested in hearing about all the different colors.

It is important to note that often, the coat of a Cavapoo will change over time. The coloring of a puppy does not always indicate the coloring of an adult. Colors such as apricot, ruby, brown, and even black may fade over time.

We will review many of the possible coat colors and tell you more about this magnificent dog.

Black Cavapoo

As previously mentioned, the black coloring in Cavapoos comes from a recessive gene. It is rare to have one of these dogs with a solid black coat.

A truly black Cavapoo will not have any patches of other colors on it, but you may see bi-colored dogs with black coloring on them. We will discuss bi-colors a little later.

White Cavapoo

Another rare color is solid white, with no other colors present. A white Cavapoo will often have spots or patches of apricot, tan, red, or even black.

As anyone who has ever had a white dog can tell you, dogs with lighter colors need to be bathed more often. After reviewing all the colors, we will talk about caring for the coat of these darling dogs.

Red Cavapoo

Sometimes referred to as “ruby” (like the standard Cavalier King Charles coloring), red is one of the more common color options for Cavapoos.

There are a few shades that fall under “red.” There is a true red, a darker color, chestnut, which is more on the brown side, and strawberry blonde, a light color.

It is not uncommon to see these dogs with white spots on their body as well.

Red Cavapoos are created by breeding a ruby-colored Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with an apricot Poodle.

Despite being the most common coloring, red Cavapoos are often higher priced. This depends on your area and how in-demand this particular color is with your local breeders.

Light-Colored Cavapoos

There is a selection of similar colors, but all vary slightly from one another. They are all lighter but do not fall under the white category and are not dark enough to be considered brown or red.

The light options include tan, apricot, cream, and gold.

The names are pretty self-explanatory. Apricot, for example, has a peachy tone. The name comes from the official AKC-recognized Poodle color. Usually, to breed an apricot Cavapoo, you must cross a ruby-colored Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with an apricot Poodle.

Tan Cavapoos often have darker colors littered throughout their coats. You will see this color often with the same combination of parents as the apricot Cavapoo. Gold usually has splashes of white on the snout, face, chest, or tail. These two colors come from the Spaniel side of the Cavapoo heritage.

All of these colors may show up in either a solid pattern or will contain other colors, most often white, on the dog’s chest, head, or legs.

Dark-Colored Cavapoos

Like the lighter subgroup, some varieties are darker shades.

Golden Cavapoo

Golden Cavapoos have a similar hue to a breed familiar to all of us, Golden Retrievers. It can be a medium-to-dark shade that appears golden under the light.

It is similar to the apricot-colored Cavapoo, with just extra “shine” to the fur. As with lighter gold, a deep golden Cavapoo gets its coloring from the King Charles Spaniel side of its parentage.

Chocolate Cavapoo

Chocolate Cavapoos are a darker brown, usually descended from a black or brown Poodle.

Phantom and Sable Cavapoo

There are also “phantom” and “sable” colors, which are similar to one another. Phantom is dark and can appear black when it truly has brown and sometimes white markings throughout.

Sable Cavapoos are rare and highly sought after. This unique colorway combines black and tan and occasionally has silver flecking.

Bi-Colors

Many Cavapoos are bi-colored. Several combinations make up the coat of these pups.

Red and white and black and white are common two-color compounds. Usually, white, tan, or black is the base color, with the face, chest, legs, and belly containing another color.

Since many Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are bi-colored, it is common to see their Cavapoo puppies born with this trait.

Tri-Colors

A more rare but indeed beautiful coloring option for Cavapoos is the tri-color. You must breed a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Poodle with multi-colored fur to attain this trait.

Typically, black is the base color for these gorgeous coats, also known as particolored.

Parti-color Cavapoos are unique, with black, white, and other colors appearing on their fur.

Selecting a Cavapoo Color

Deciding which color Cavapoo to select is truly a personal question.

Look up photos of Cavapoos in all the colors we have named and choose which one speaks to you.

It would be advisable to make a list of your preferences so that when you begin shopping for Cavapoos, it is easier to find one that meets your requirements. Since breeding depends on genetics and chance, there is no guarantee of finding your favorite color.

If you are interested in a Cavapoo with medium or darker colors, select a puppy with darker shades. Remember that their coats will lighten up as they age.

Color Change Over Time

As stated, a Cavapoo’s coat may change color over time. As a Cavapoo gets older, even a dark red or brown coat may fade to something almost pink or white in color.

This is because Cavapoos have the same genetic quality that poodles do, known as the “fading gene.” It causes a coat to change color over the course of your dog’s life.

Mixed breeds like Cavapoos will have genetic traits similar to their parent breeds—in this case, a poodle and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

For example, a black Cavapoo may fade to grey or silver while a Cavapoo with a dark brown coat may become something closer to beige or caramel once they are in their adult years.

You don’t need to worry too much, however. While a puppy’s coat will undergo several changes, by the time they are an adult, most Cavapoos will have the color coat they will grow old with.

That said, you may be sold an expensive red-coated puppy Cavapoo. As the years pass, it may turn from a deep red to a soft apricot or sunset pink.

If you want a specific color, then you should not purchase a puppy. Instead, adopt or buy an older dog that is fully grown and settled into its color.

Which Color Cavapoo Is Most Expensive?

The price of a Cavapoo is dependent on many things, color included. As there are so many different color combinations thanks to the Cavapoo’s lineage, it’s understandable that some colors may be a premium if they’re rarer.

Red is the most common, and yet it is the most expensive. However, the price also depends upon the age of the dog, the sex, and how healthy the parents were.

Of course, female dogs are the most expensive as they have the ability to produce more puppies.

A red female is going to be the most expensive of all, especially if her parents were both in good health, with no subsequent genetic conditions. Such a puppy might cost you up to $2,000, especially if she has good parentage.

Then again, if you have a red Cavapoo with splashes of white on the head, chest, or even the tail, then you’re going to pay even more. Red and white Cavapoos are the most expensive and widely sought after of all.

Frequently Asked Questions

There’s more to know about Cavapoos! Let’s answer some of the most common questions about the breed.

At what age do Cavapoos change color?

On average, a Cavapoo will be done changing colors by three years of age. However, during those three years, they may change colors repeatedly, slowly (or quickly!) getting lighter and lighter until they settle upon their adult coloring.

What is the most popular Cavapoo color?

The most popular coat color is red. The hues vary (like chestnut or ruby), but this gorgeous color is very common in the Cavapoo world.

What is the rarest Cavapoo color?

Oddly enough, while black poodles and black Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are common, a black Cavapoo is the rarest of all.

Black is recessive in Cavapoos—thanks to its poodle ancestor—, and red is dominant, rather unlike we humans.

That means that even if you have two black Cavapoos, and those two have puppies together, there is no guarantee that the puppies themselves will be black. In all likelihood, you’ll get a mix of colors, most likely including red, the most common color of all.

Will an apricot Cavapoo turn white?

This all depends. If your Cavapoo is an apricot puppy, then by the time it reaches three years of age, it very well may turn into a shade of white.

However, if your Cavapoo is already an adult, then it is unlikely to fade too much more. Typically, once your dog reaches three years, the color is set for life, with possible fading around the whiskers with age.

That being said, it is unlikely that a Cavapoo will turn completely white, as it’s rare indeed for a Cavapoo to be fully white. Instead, usually white Cavapoos will have splashes of color around the eyes, ears, snout, chest, or even their tail.

Wrapping It Up

Hopefully, you have gained plenty of insight into the Cavapoo. We told you about the breed and how to care for it.

We discussed all the different colors this canine’s coat comes in. These include white, black, cream, tan, and red. We talked about the differences between solid colors, bi-color, and tri-color.

There are many options when it comes to Cavapoo colors. Whatever color your furry companion is or will be, the fact remains that they are adorable little dogs.

Whether you are an enthusiastic Cavapoo owner, a prospective friend to one of these lovely canines, or are just interested in all the different color combinations available in this breed, hopefully, this guide has given you a new appreciation for the unique genetics and aesthetics of the Cavapoo.