Black / Silver toy poodle colour

Question
I bought a female toy poodle as a friend for my male. She is black with the possibility of being a silver (her father, grandfather and cousins are silvers). My girls fur seems to be lighter close to the skin, and she has a couple of light patches. If she does turn out to be a silver, what age will her fur change colour at?

Answer
Hello Eve,
It sounds like your girl is starting to turn Silver already.  You can see it as early as 8-9 weeks of age around her face, feet, legs, and ear tips.  As to how long it will take her to clear, that depends on what shade of Silver your dog will be.  If she is going to be darker, it won't take as long for her to clear, maybe around 18 months or so.  If she is going to be a Platnium or lighter shade of Silver, she could take around 2-3 yrs or so.  

The Silver will show up better the shorter your dog is, so if you have her shaved around 6 months or so, you will see the Silver better.  

I don't know how old she is, but if she has any brown tinge in her hair, she could be a blue.  Blue Poodles look black, unless they stand right next to a true Black.  In reality, they are a very dark Steel gray.  

Well, I hope I have helped you some.  If you have other questions, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim