There is evidence of parti-color poodles dating back to earlier than the eighteenth century. A parti-colored miniature poodles coat has two or more colors at the skin. Historical dog books, painting and drawings show that the parti-color in poodles was very common at one time, but for reasons unknown, poodle clubs disqualified poodles with this coloring around the beginning of the twentieth century. The last ten years has seen a revival of poodles that are parti-color with the United Kennel Club recognizing parti-colored poodles as a breed standard in 2003.
To show a parti-colored miniature poodle, the dog must be at least 50 percent white with spots of any recognized or acceptable solid color. It is acceptable for the poodle to have a solid colored head or a head with a white blaze or white muzzle. A combination of these two is also acceptable but preferable if symmetrical. The United Kennel Club accepted solid colors are white, silver, all shades of brown, gray, cafe-au-lait, cream, apricot, blue, and black. They also recognize multi-patterned, abstract, and phantom. Depending upon the color of the coat, miniature poodles can have; very dark eyes or dark amber eyes; liver or black noses, lips and eye rims; and black, dark, or self-colored nails.
As pets, parti-color poodles have become very popular over the last few years because of their adorable looks and unique colors. Some of the most common colors of parti-color miniature poodles are white and cream, white and apricot, white and silver, white and red, white and bridle, white and chocolate, and white and blue.
The American Kennel Club Standard and Canadian Kennel Club Standard for poodles including miniature poodles is a solid color, even coat at the skin. They do allow variable shades of the same solid color in dog's coats of browns, silvers, blues, apricots, creams, grays, and café-au-lait. You often find this darkening in the ruff tipping and the feathering on a poodle's ears. The breed standard does not consider variable shades a fault although clear colors are certainly preferable.
White, cream, black, silver, gray, and blue poodles have self colored or black toenails, black noses, black lips, black eye-rims, and very dark eyes. These colors are also preferred in apricot poodles but they will accept amber eyes and liver colored lips, eye rims, and noses. Cafe-au-lait and brown miniature poodles have dark amber eyes, liver colored eye-rims, dark toenails, and liver colored noses and lips. It is considered a major fault if the miniature poodles eye rims, lips, and nose is the incorrect color or incomplete. The American Kennel Club and Canadian Kennel Club disqualify parti colored dogs because, at the skin, they are not an even, solid color although they are eligible for registrations but not shown in the conformation ring.
Miniature poodles are extremely intelligent, wonderful dogs and are extremely popular as both family pets and show dogs.
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