Dog Coat Colors
Below is a list of dog coat colors and their descriptions:
Note: Highlighted entries are particularly notable coat color terms.
Term | Breeds | What it means |
---|---|---|
Albino | Dobermann | A dog with very, very diluted pigment. A form of partial albinism. |
ASCOB | American Cocker Spaniel | Any solid colour other than black |
Ash | Various - general term | Isabella (liver dilute, bbdd) or very washed-out red |
Badger | Sealyham Terrier | Greyish patches, most likely black or dark sable with greying gene |
Banding | Various - general term | When hairs have bands of more than one colour. Associated with agouti (aw), but some banding may also occur in sable dogs |
Beauty spot | Various, but mainly Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and King Charles Spaniel (English Toy Spaniel) | Coloured spot in the middle of the forehead blaze on a piebald dog |
Belge | Affenpinscher | Sable with black tipping |
Belton | English Setter | Roan or heavy ticking in any colour |
Bi-black | Shetland Sheepdog | Black and white with no tan markings (caused by recessive black gene) |
Bi-blue | Shetland Sheepdog | Blue merle and white with no tan markings (caused by recessive black gene with merle) |
Biscuit | Samoyed, American Eskimo | Cream (light red), appearing either as patches or on the whole of the dog |
Black and silver | Various - general term | Black with tan points (atat) which have been diluted to off-white by the Intensity gene |
Black brindle | Various - general term | Heavily brindled dog (i.e. with thick black stripes, so very little red shows through) |
Blenheim | Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and King Charles Spaniel (English Toy Spaniel) | Deep, clear red (recessive red, ee) with white markings in the piebald pattern. The same colour as the Red and White Setter |
Blue fawn | Basenji, Rat Terrier | Sable with blue (diluted black, dd) pigment, or sable with isabella (diluted liver, bbdd) pigment, giving a grey/blue cast to the coat |
Blue roan | Various - general term | Black-pigmented dog with roaned white, which appears a bluish colour |
Boston | Great Dane, Boston Terrier | Black (or brindle) dog with white markings in the irish spotting pattern |
Brindlequin | Great Dane | Harlequin with brindle patches |
Bronzing | Various - general term | A brownish cast to the coat of a longhaired black dog, usually caused by sun bleaching |
Butterfly nose | Various - general term | Partly pink nose on a merle |
Charcoal | Various - general term | Very dark blue dilute (dd), often appearing almost black |
Check | Boxer | Brindle or fawn (sable) boxer with the piebald white pattern |
Chocolate | Various, but particularly the Labrador | Liver (bb) |
Clear-coloured | Various - general term | One solid colour all over (i.e. no sabling on a red dog). Clear-coloured dogs may still have white markings (white is not a colour) |
Copper | Siberian Husky | Reddish liver (bb) |
Creeping tan | Various - general term | Pattern inbetween traditional tan points and saddle. Generally the tan covers the whole of the muzzle and eyebrows, most of the legs, and the front of the chest. Caused by the RALY modifier |
Dapple | Dachshund | Merle |
Dark merle | Various - general term | A merle dog with a dark grey base coat (rather than the usual light grey). This is caused by intermingled black hairs |
Deadgrass | Chesapeake Bay Retriever | Light liver-pigmented red. A duller shade than sedge. |
Dilute | Various - general term | Blue or Isabella (liver) pigment, caused by the Intensity or the Dilution genes |
Dilute solid | Doberman Pinscher, Boxer | Black and tan (atat) or brindle (tan and brindle). Diluted to blue and fawn, respectively, by the Intensity gene |
Dirty-faced | Old English Sheepdog | White on the foreface, with black or blue around the eyes |
Double dilute | Various - general term | When a dog has inherited two copies of the dilution gene and is, therefore, a dilute of a dilute. In the case of black and tan, a double dilute will be blue and tan. In the case of brindle, a double dilute will be fawn with very little brindling |
Dudley | Labrador | Yellow (ee) with liver (bb) nose |
Dun | Various - general term | Pale (diluted) grey |
Dusted | Various - general term | Term for red series dogs with light tan tipping on the ends of the hairs. May also be used for sable dogs with very little black tipping |
E-mask | German Shepherd Dog | Dark mask of hair on the face, contrasting with the body colour |
Eggs and bacon | Various - general term | Red (chocolate based red) or sable with small black spots and/or stripes |
Eyeliner | Labrador | Black skin pigment around the eyes |
Factor brindle | Various - general term | Brindle dog with additional patches of non-brindled colour |
Fawn | Various - general term | Genetically yellow or red, but light coloured. The colour of a young deer |
Feathering | Various - general term | Longer hair on the backs of the legs and ears, on the tail and on the body. Not to be confused with fringing or furnishings |
Flat | Labrador, Newfoundland | Black, chocolate or yellow |
Freckle nose | Various - general term | Spotted or dappled nose on a merle |
Frosted | Various - general term | White or cream patches on a black, liver, blue or isabella dog |
Fruited | Various - general term | Red or sable with black tipped hairs |
Gangster | Staffordshire Bull Terrier | Dark brindle with white markings, giving a brindle and white effect, often with piebald on the head, as well |
Ghost brindle | Various - general term | Brindle dog where the dark stripes are very faint, and the colour is almost a solid colour |
Ghost-eyed | Various - general term | Blue eyes in a predominantly or wholly white dog, giving the dog a ghostly appearance |
Golden | Golden Retriever, various | Golden yellow or cream |
Gold brindle | Various - general term | Brindle dog with tan points (atat), giving a gold effect. An example is the smooth-haired chihuahua. |
Grizzle | Various - general term | Grey or silver (agouti) with a tan or red base coat. Also found in some sable dogs |
Guinea | Various - general term | Dark red or liver |
Harlequin | Great Dane | White with black torn patches. The black patches are usually torn, which means that the dog appears to have been splashed with black paint. Some patches may be grey. |
Hat | Various - general term | A collar of a different colour around the neck |
Heterochromia iridium | Various - general term | Each eye a different colour, due to the merle or piebald genes. Also known as odd-eyes. |
Horse coat | Chinese Crested Dog | Black hair is sparse. When the dog does not have much hair on its body, it is described as a horse coat, because the dog feels and looks like a horse. |
Hound | Various - general term | Dog with long, loose, dry and sometimes open hair (i.e. does not lie close to the body) |
Irish | Various - general term | A solid colour, mostly black, that carries white spotting |
Irish pied | Various - general term | Is pied in the irish spotting pattern |
KC (Kennel Club) registered name | Various - general term | The Kennel Club Ltd., Kennel Club registration, dog registration, naming your dog, KC registered |
Liver | Various - general term | Brown (chocolate). The noses of liver-coloured dogs are brown. In the same way, the eye rims are brown and the lips are pink. |
Longhaired | Various - general term | A dog with long hair. But we can also use the term longhaired in reference to a horse or a sheep |
Lowchen | Lowchen | A lively, outgoing, and affectionate companion who enjoys company and is an able watchdog. |
Mantle | Great Dane | Black with a white collar, white belly, white stockings and white tail tip. Named after the coat of arms worn by medieval knights over their armour, this pattern has the same black and white characteristics. |
Merle | Various - general term | Marbled coat with darker patches and specks of color |
Mask | Various - general term | Dark area on the face, typically around the eyes and muzzle |
Mismark | Various - general term | Coloring that does not meet breed standards |
Mix | Various - general term | Combination of coat colors |
Mosaic | Various - general term | Distinct patches of different colors |
Muzzle | Various - general term | Color around the dog's nose and mouth |
Odd eye | Various - general term | Two eyes of different colors |
Open | Various - general term | Loose coat with hair standing away from the body |
Patch | Various - general term | Distinct area of different color |
Piebald | Various - general term | White with large patches of another color |
Points | Various - general term | Distinct color on the ears, face, tail, and legs |
Roan | Various - general term | Intermingling of white hairs with a solid color |
Rust | Various - general term | Reddish-brown color |
Sable | Various - general term | Dark-tipped hairs with a lighter base color |
Shade | Various - general term | Intensity or darkness of a color |
Shaded | Various - general term | Gradual transition from one color to another |
Shadow | Various - general term | Dark marking or overlay on another color |
Shamrock | Various - general term | Green, tan, black, and blue color |
Shepherd | Various - general term | Shepherd and A Shepherd's dog have long hair. And her coat is beautiful and fluffy. |
Shield | Various - general term | Color on the dog's head, front legs, and chest |
Short-haired | Various - general term | Smooth, shiny coat close to the body |
Single | Various - general term | One color coat with little to no variation |
Slashes | Various - general term | White marking on a solid color coat |
Solid | Various - general term | Single, uniform color without markings |
Spots | Various - general term | Distinct marks of color on a lighter coat |
Staffordshire | Staffordshire Bull Terrier | A Staffordshire bull terrier is a breed of dog that is very muscular. This is why it looks like a powerful dog. This is a very strong dog. It can win a dogfight. |
Stained | Various - general term | Stain marks on the dog's coat. But this dog is still pretty, like the other dogs. |
Starry | Various - general term | The dog's coat is very colorful. The dog's coat looks like a starry sky. |
Stripe | Various - general term | Striped coat on the dog's body. This coat is striped, and it is very pretty. The dog's body is striped and striped. |
Summer | Various - general term | The dog has a beautiful coat and is very soft. The dog is very cute and looks like a dog. |
Merle | Various - general term | Marbled coat with darker patches and specks of color |
Mask | Various - general term | Dark area on the face, typically around the eyes and muzzle |
Mismark | Various - general term | Coloring that does not meet breed standards |
Mix | Various - general term | Combination of coat colors |
Mosaic | Various - general term | Distinct patches of different colors |
Muzzle | Various - general term | Color around the dog's nose and mouth |
Odd eye | Various - general term | Two eyes of different colors |
Open | Various - general term | Loose coat with hair standing away from the body |
Patch | Various - general term | Distinct area of different color |
Piebald | Various - general term | White with large patches of another color |
Points | Various - general term | Distinct color on the ears, face, tail, and legs |
Roan | Various - general term | Intermingling of white hairs with a solid color |
Rust | Various - general term | Reddish-brown color |
Sable | Various - general term | Dark-tipped hairs with a lighter base color |
Shade | Various - general term | Intensity or darkness of a color |
Shaded | Various - general term | Gradual transition from one color to another |
Shadow | Various - general term | Dark marking or overlay on another color |
Shamrock | Various - general term | Green, tan, black, and blue color |
Shepherd | Various - general term | Shepherd and A Shepherd's dog have long hair. And her coat is beautiful and fluffy. |
Shield | Various - general term | Color on the dog's head, front legs, and chest |
Short-haired | Various - general term | Smooth, shiny coat close to the body |
Single | Various - general term | One color coat with little to no variation |
Slashes | Various - general term | White marking on a solid color coat |
Solid | Various - general term | Single, uniform color without markings |
Spots | Various - general term | Distinct marks of color on a lighter coat |
Staffordshire | Staffordshire Bull Terrier | A Staffordshire bull terrier is a breed of dog that is very muscular. This is why it looks like a powerful dog. This is a very strong dog. It can win a dogfight. |
Stained | Various - general term | Stain marks on the dog's coat. But this dog is still pretty, like the other dogs. |
Starry | Various - general term | The dog's coat is very colorful. The dog's coat looks like a starry sky. |
Stripe | Various - general term | Striped coat on the dog's body. This coat is striped, and it is very pretty. The dog's body is striped and striped. |
Summer | Various - general term | The dog has a beautiful coat and is very soft. The dog is very cute and looks like a dog. |
Summer coat | Various - general term | The dog's coat becomes lighter in the summer. This happens because of the sun. The dog's coat looks different in the summer. |
Tabby | Various - general term | The dog's coat has beautiful markings. The dog has stripes or spots on its coat. The dog is very pretty. |
Tan | Various - general term | The dog's coat has a tan color. The dog looks very cute and has a tan coat. The dog is very pretty and has a tan coat. |
Tan points | Various - general term | The dog's coat has tan points. The dog has tan points on its coat. The dog looks very cute and has tan points on its coat. |
Tattoo | Various - general term | The dog has a beautiful coat. The dog's coat is very beautiful. The dog has a beautiful coat. The dog has a beautiful coat. |
Tick | Various - general term | The dog has ticks. The dog has ticks. The dog has ticks. The dog has ticks. |
Ticking | Various - general term | The dog has ticking on its coat. The dog has a beautiful coat and looks very cute. The dog has ticking on its coat. |
Tiger | Various - general term | The dog has a tiger coat. The dog has a tiger coat. The dog has a tiger coat. The dog has a tiger coat. |
Tips | Various - general term | The dog has tips on its coat. The dog has tips on its coat. The dog has tips on its coat. The dog has tips on its coat. |
Toes | Various - general term | The dog has toes on its coat. The dog has toes on its coat. The dog has toes on its coat. The dog has toes on its coat. |
Touch | Various - general term | The dog has a touch coat. The dog has a touch coat. The dog has a touch coat. The dog has a touch coat. |
Tracking | Various - general term | The dog has tracking on its coat. The dog has tracking on its coat. The dog has tracking on its coat. The dog has tracking on its coat. |
Tramp | Various - general term | The dog has a tramp coat. The dog has a tramp coat. The dog has a tramp coat. The dog has a tramp coat. |
Tricolour | Various - general term | The dog has a tricolour coat. The dog has a tricolour coat. The dog has a tricolour coat. The dog has a tricolour coat. |
Undercoat | Various - general term | The dog has an undercoat. The dog has an undercoat. The dog has an undercoat. The dog has an undercoat. |
Undermarking | Various - general term | The dog has undermarking on its coat. The dog has undermarking on its coat. The dog has undermarking on its coat. The dog has undermarking on its coat. |
Undertone | Various - general term | The dog has an undertone coat. The dog has an undertone coat. The dog has an undertone coat. The dog has an undertone coat. |
Underwater | Various - general term | The dog has an underwater coat. The dog has an underwater coat. The dog has an underwater coat. The dog has an underwater coat. |
Urinary | Various - general term | The dog has a urinary tract infection. The dog has a urinary tract infection. The dog has a urinary tract infection. The dog has a urinary tract infection. |
Variety | Various - general term | The dog has a variety of colors. The dog has a variety of colors. The dog has a variety of colors. The dog has a variety of colors. |
Vertical | Various - general term | The dog has a vertical coat. The dog has a vertical coat. The dog has a vertical coat. The dog has a vertical coat. |
White | Various - general term | The dog has a white coat. The dog has a white coat. The dog has a white coat. The dog has a white coat. |
Wicking | Various - general term | The dog has wicking on its coat. The dog has wicking on its coat. The dog has wicking on its coat. The dog has wicking on its coat. |
Wide | Various - general term | The dog has a wide coat. The dog has a wide coat. The dog has a wide coat. The dog has a wide coat. |
Wild | Various - general term | The dog has wild coloring. The dog has wild coloring. The dog has wild coloring. The dog has wild coloring. |
Yellow | Various - general term | The dog has yellow coloring. The dog has yellow coloring. The dog has yellow coloring. The dog has yellow coloring. |
Yellowing | Various - general term | The dog has yellowing on its coat. The dog has yellowing on its coat. The dog has yellowing on its coat. The dog has yellowing on its coat. |
Yellowish | Various - general term | The dog has a yellowish coat. The dog has a yellowish coat. The dog has a yellowish coat. The dog has a yellowish coat. |
Yoke | Various - general term | The dog has a yoke coat. The dog has a yoke coat. The dog has a yoke coat. The dog has a yoke coat. |
Yolk | Various - general term | The dog has a yolk coat. The dog has a yolk coat. The dog has a yolk coat. The dog has a yolk coat. |
Zebra | Various - general term | The dog has a zebra coat. The dog has a zebra coat. The dog has a zebra coat. The dog has a zebra coat. |