Colors and Personality Traits

Pigment and Personality
Poodle, by Bruce Fogle, DVM

Results of a survey completed by poodle breeders report on the link between coat color and temperament.  This link is probably the color pigment melanin, which is similar to chemicals that act as trasmitters in the brain.  The Poodle's personality is also influenced by size, breedling line, and early learning experiences.

Blue Poodle is similar to black in personality and temperament. 
(According to this book/article, Hilde is a blue [a light black] and Grace is a silver and I do agree with that)


Playfullness with Other Dogs
The survey shows that black poodles are most willing to play with other dogs.  Whites are also more playful than average.  Apricots and browns are less likely to initiate play.

Wariness of Unknown People
Black and brown standard poodles are most at ease when meeting unknown people.  Whites are typical of the Poodle average, while apricots are little less sure of themselves.

Destructiveness at Home
Poodles are less destructive at home than almost any other breed.  Within the breed, blacks are least likely to chew furniture; browns and apricots are the most likely. 

Trainablity/Obedience
Black Standards are better than average at responding to obedience training.  Browns and whites are average for the breed, while apricots require a little more patience.

Black poodles were reported to be more obedient and easier to house train than poodles with other coat colors, while apricots were found to be more likely to be disobedient and more difficult to house train than average. (Be careful not to let the house training scare you off with your preferred color. Our puppies are raised with the Potty Park that we encourage you to continue when you bring your puppy home.  Please consider ordering your Potty Park now for your puppy.)

Whining for Attention
Poodles seldom whine for attention, but, within the breed, blacks are least likely to moan.  Apricots are most likely to make noise to gain attention.
(now this one makes me giggle with Joaquin and his sister Mitzi, they demand attention and whining is only one way to get it.  Comparitively, Hilde never whins for attention and Eveard always whins for attention but less than Joaquin.)

Need for Physical Activity
All Poodles thrive on physical activity.  However, apricot and white standards demand slightly less activity than average, while blacks require more physical exercise.

A note about blue and silver puppies:  See our website http://www.barefootpudels.com/ with "Hilde" on the Klein Pudel page.  You can see that she has a mahogony hue to her black coat.  When puppies are about three weeks, they will change to the mahogony hue which will tell us for sure which are blacks and which are blue or silver.

We can make an observation with our guys on this subject:  Everad, Hilde and Darlin, they all need to run full out a couple times a day, they smile their faces off when they can just hall out and run.  Comparitively, Tigre' as a small puppy really didn't want to run much, but to keep up with Hilde, her friend, she has sped up and now has a stronger, quicker body due to Hilde's influence.  If Hilde didn't encouage her to run fast and play, Tigre' would be much different in her level of physical activity and how she know carries herself.  Joaquin and Tigre' will lay and just rassle with a toy and roll around on the floor, where Hilde will just look at them and wonder why they are not up on their feet running. 

Ages have a lot to do with the above too:
Momma Grace will be three October 14th
Everad will be two November 24th
Tigre' will be one January 20th
Joaquin will be one May 14th
Darlin will be one June 5th
Hilde will be two August 4th