Probably everyone has a color preference when it comes to their pet toy poodle. Some people prefer lighter color dogs; other pet owners prefer darker colors. Visit our toy poodle FAQs pages to see photos of toy poodles and the variety of coat colors they have. Learn more about the genetics of coat color in poodles by visiting our Toy Poodle Genetics page.
Recently a friend who is searching for a new toy poodle puppy asked about coat color issues. Like everything else in life, there are pros and cons. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you search for a new pet if color choice is an open question for you.
TICKS
It is more difficult to see ticks and fleas on toy poodles with dark coats. Although this might seem like a trivial point, parasites can seriously affect a dog’s quality of life. Several years ago Chris had anaplasmosis, a disease caused by the bite of an infected deer tick. I never found a tick on Chris but a simple blood test revealed anaplasmosis as the probable cause of Chris’ lethargy. Bear in mind that Chris is an indoor dog so his exposure to ticks is minimal. I probably carried the tick into the house on my clothing. In any case, it would be extremely difficult to find a tiny deer tick on Chris - or any other dark colored toy poodle.
TEAR STAINS
While it would be easier to spot a deer tick or fleas on a light colored toy poodle, there are other things that are more obvious, too. I am referring to tear stains. Tear stains are a normal consequence of tears that overflow onto a toy poodle’s cheeks. Toy poodles have smaller lacrimal lakes so tears naturally overflow onto the face. A pigment in the tears is chemically similar to the pigment that gives blood its red color. When the chemical in tears interacts with sunlight, the pigment turns red. Hence, tear stains.
Washing your dog’s face every day can lessen the staining and prevent potential eye infections from too much “goop” collecting near the eyes. There are some chemical “bleaching agents” that work for some people but I am reluctant to use those preparations on my dogs.
That said, for lighter color toy poodles tear stains are, for the most part, a cosmetic issue that doesn’t affect darker color dogs. Dark color toy poodles get the stains but the stains don’t show as easily on a black, brown, or red toy poodle.
Until next time,
Mr. Dibs
