# When does a brown stop fading?



## all that jazz (Feb 6, 2011)

Jazz is one year and 9 months old. He has lightened from his very dark brown, though he is still a beautiful brown. His father was imported from Alaska to try to get a long lasting brown coat. I had the occasion one year ago to see his grandmother and aunt who were elderly and they were very faded. I was just wondering on the average, when does the coat fading stop- 3 yrs, 5 yrs? Thanks.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

My brown girl is 2 1/2 and I believe has reached her final color. She may still even out a little in the ears, etc, but her overall color will not get any lighter I don't believe.


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## Apres Argent (Aug 9, 2010)

Silk is 5 years old and seems to change with the seasons. She is still holding brown, guard hair is very dark but undercoat seems to be darker in the winter and lighter in summer. She had her first litter and by the time the pups were 8 weeks old they had made a mess out of her ears, so I shaved her with a 7 except top knot and she is currently a medium brown. 

Silk and Pups | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Silk | Flickr - Photo Sharing!


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## Rayah-QualitySPs (Aug 31, 2010)

all that jazz said:


> I was just wondering on the average, when does the coat fading stop- 3 yrs, 5 yrs? Thanks.


It really depends on the breeding. I have owned one poodle that faded out alot around one year of age and then darkened a bit every year after that. This is Coco at around five or so years. Some brown poodles change their colour with the seasons.


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## zyrcona (Jan 9, 2011)

A silver beige is likely to be close to its final colour by 1 year old.

A café is likely to be its final colour by 3 years old, although many finish clearing younger.

A grizzled brown will probably continue to accumulate grey hairs throughout its life. These dogs can end up more of a mucky pewter than a brown colour.


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## Marcoislandmom (Mar 15, 2012)

Rayah has much more experience with browns than I however I do know that many fade in the summer because of the sun. If you are not showing them and the faded color bothers you, then you can use a brunnette shampoo to restore the color. It is illegal to do so if you are showing, I believe.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Marcoislandmom said:


> Rayah has much more experience with browns than I however I do know that many fade in the summer because of the sun. If you are not showing them and the faded color bothers you, then you can use a brunnette shampoo to restore the color. It is illegal to do so if you are showing, I believe.


That is a different type of color loss though than the general fading that happens in browns. The sun causes the surface of the coat to burn, and turn a sort of orange-ish color. The natural coat color will remain at the root.

The fading that occurs in many browns happens at the root. There are also some browns that will grizzle instead of fade.

Many browns are dyed in the ring.


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## McKay (Feb 19, 2011)

Little Anderson is 19 months and is just starting to get a few lighter guard hairs. I expect him to do the grizzling thing. His mum is a cafe' and his dad a bit grizzled dark brown.


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