# Help with cafe au lait puppies?



## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Sorry, we actually have very few breeders on the forum. You mentioned that you're an experienced breeder, so it's unlikely you're working with a mentor to answer your questions.

My first suggestion would be to review websites of breeders specializing in that color, rather than ads, to see how they describe them. 

Next, and probably better, would be to look for descriptions in the breed clubs, like the AKC, or Canadian Kennel Club, or the Kennel Club of the UK.

My experience in looking at websites (and there are many I steer clear of after a brief peek at their red flags) is that they either don't mention how many of these colors can change, I think assuming their audience already knows, or they have a color description area where they go into detail about the colors they're breeding without citing any particular pup. HTH


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## Bookworm (Jan 3, 2020)

Thanks for your help Rose n Poos, I always try to look at an ad from the perspective of a buyer and I want to be as honest about colour and possible colour changes as I can. I have looked for other breeders however I'm struggling to find any even if anyone could provide a link I'd be grateful. I've read conflicting information as regards colour as one so called authorative website said cafe au laits are always born light and another that says they're always born chocolate and lighten up as they get older. I have thought about having DNA tests for colour on mum and dad ( I've had all relevant health tests done already) but I think this will only tell me what colours they could possibly have and would not help in this situation. 
Maybe other owners who have bought cafe au lait puppies could comment on how their puppies where advertised and what colour parents were as I said before mine were older when I bought them and were clearly changing colour however when you look at pictures from puppy to adult they could be mistaken for completely different dogs lol. Thanks for all your help and I think this is a great forum for poodle owners and enthusiasts.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

There’s a thread on cafe au lait color where people post photos which I think you’ll find Informative. Use the search function to find it.

I would have assumed its like silver where you know if they are silver when you first shave their face as a puppy. 

What did the breeders say who sold you your cafe au lait puppies?


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## Bookworm (Jan 3, 2020)

Skylar thanks for your response. They were chocolate when born. I understand what you mean about shaving their face however I'm not a fan of that look as I love the fluffier look. I have contacted a couple of breeders who have cafe au lait dogs and I'll wait to see what they say and I guess fans of cafe au lait poodles will understand about the possible colour changes.


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

I think it's silver beige pups have lighter faces if shaved, while cafe au lait puppies are more akin to blues, so they are difficult to tell when young.

Given this, I would describe them the way breeders describe litters with black and blue pups, because they do not know about those either.


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## Bookworm (Jan 3, 2020)

Raindrops thanks for your response, now you've pointed it out yes that makes sense to describe them in the same way as black and blue pups I guess I'm just getting myself in a tither about it and my brain is still in hibernation mode so is not working properly lol? x


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Cafes are never born light, they are born brown as are silver beiges, silver beiges lighten up much like a silver Cafes on the other hand as mentioned are much like blues, my cafe girl started to light in earnest around 18 months. True browns are like dark chocolate and cafe are in between that and milk chocolate as puppies. Silver beiges have a reddish hue to their brown as puppies


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Glad to see you got some additional info. I forgot to mention the Color thread, so I'm happy that was brought up, and Twyla recently linked to an older thread showing her girl's color progression.

From the AKC guidelines:

"Color: The coat is an even and solid color at the skin. In blues, grays, silvers, browns, cafe-aulaits, apricots and creams the coat may show varying shades of the same color. This is frequently
present in the somewhat darker feathering of the ears and in the tipping of the ruff. While clear
colors are definitely preferred, such natural variation in the shading of the coat is not to be
considered a fault. Brown and cafe-au-lait Poodles have liver-colored noses, eye-rims and lips,
dark toenails and dark amber eyes."


If the pups are genetically cafe au lait they'll be born brown with liver points and clear thru the months and years to the lighter cafe coloing, due to the fading gene present in many poodle colors.


One caution for the pups and eventual new owners benefits: the fluffy look is very popular but it's not helpful in getting the pups accustomed to grooming while they're young enough to accept it.

It can easily become a nightmare when a pup needs to be groomed for the first time, and that first time is when they are 5-6 months old. Search for some of the grooming stories when the pup isn't accustomed to it early. They will need grooming all of their lives. If one doesn't mind keeping the fluff around the mouth clean. it is a cute look, especially in a puppy. It might be surprising to you tho, how many folks find they prefer the clean face, after they see it. A beautiful, handsome, unmistakably poodle face is hard to beat!


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## Grannie Annie (Mar 9, 2021)

Skylar said:


> There’s a thread on cafe au lait color where people post photos which I think you’ll find Informative. Use the search function to find it.
> 
> I would have assumed its like silver where you know if they are silver when you first shave their face as a puppy.
> 
> What did the breeders say who sold you your cafe au lait puppies?


Skylar, can you tell me about the


Skylar said:


> There’s a thread on cafe au lait color where people post photos which I think you’ll find Informative. Use the search function to find it.
> 
> I would have assumed its like silver where you know if they are silver when you first shave their face as a puppy.
> 
> What did the breeders say who sold you your cafe au lait puppies?


Skylar, I'm sorry, very new to this site. Can you tell me exactly what thread you were talking about? Where do I look exactly. 

Thanks


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

this is an old thread best bet is to start a new thread also, pop by Member introductions and introduce yourself


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Grannie Annie said:


> Skylar, can you tell me about the
> 
> Skylar, I'm sorry, very new to this site. Can you tell me exactly what thread you were talking about? Where do I look exactly.
> 
> Thanks


Welcome @Grannie Annie! I’m not sure which thread Skylar was referring to, but we’ve got loads of poodle photos here:









Poodle Pictures


Share those lovable poodle pictures with the world!




www.poodleforum.com





You may find the “Poodle Rainbow” sub-forum especially interesting;









Poodle Rainbow







www.poodleforum.com


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Hi and Welcome!

Twyla's suggestion to go to Member Introductions will be to your benefit, so we can meet and greet you as a new member, and have your post stand out on it's own.
Here's there:








New Member Introductions


Drop in and introduce yourself and your Poodle to the community!




www.poodleforum.com





and the pictorial color threads are here:








Poodle Rainbow







www.poodleforum.com





and the easier to navigate Full Forum Listing page is here. Save this link as your starting point:








Poodle Forum


A forum community dedicated to all Poodle owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about breeds, training, puppies, food reviews, grooming, and more.




www.poodleforum.com


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

How do cafe's clear?

is that thread, follows the color change in my Beatrice


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