fading poodle

Question
Hi Kim,
ermm i read somewhere that poodles change their colour, and this is happening to my dog which is a red toy poodle. she's just 3mths++ old and i've noticed her colour is changing to a bit of apricot colour. I read your past answers that the colour changing is due to the background of the dog, but genes do account for this right? how about shampoos? my puppy is still young so is it normal for her fur to fade colour now? when her new fur grows wouldn't it cause itchiness or something? Will the colour change to a cream colour or apricot colour?

Answer
Hello Sarah,
Some Poodles will change their color due to a Fading gene that comes from the White color.  You see this most in the Blue,Silver, Brown and Red colors.  All colors originated from Black and White, so most colors have that Fading gene from the White dogs.  
How much of the fading gene your dog has will determine how quickly your dog will fade.  Sounds like your dog is fading quickly.  My Red Standard Poodle faded around 2 yrs of age, and while he is still a Red color, it is not as deep as it was when he was a puppy.  Though I haven't seen your dog, his color sounds to me like Red/Apricot.  

As to shampoos that you could use, You might look for a shampoo that is made for bronze or Red hair color for people. (I would wait until your dog is 6 months before using these shampoos on your dog, just so it isn't as harsh on her skin) Other than this, any puppy shampoo will work fine.  You can also bathe your dog in Tea to help darken the Red color.  It doesn't hurt the skin and will add some Darkness to her hair.  You simply make a pitcher of tea using several tea bags, and after it cools, pour it over your dogs hair.  You can also use Coffee, but that tends to be more of a brown color than Tea is.  It lasts about 3-4 weeks.  

Her new fur growing in won't bother her unless you shave her coat very short.  Otherwise, she will be used to her hair growing in and it won't bother her.  You should watch her hair growth around 9-11 months of age though.  During this time, she is getting her adult coat and as the adult hair grows in, it can tangle or mat in the puppy hair.  Consistant brushing and conditioning the hair is a must during this time.  If you get your dog shaved before she goes through this coat change, it will be less of a problem, but you will still need to watch the coat and keep the mats out as best as possible.  

I haven't seen your dog, but I assmue that if she is a dark Red now, that she will fade to a lighter Red or a deep Apricot.  If you would like to send me a Picture of her, you can do so to my e-mail MsTopkdog@yahoo.com  I will look at her and be better able to tell you what color she will fade to.  

I hope this helps you some.  If you have other questions for me about your dog, or other Poodle questions in general, please feel free to ask.