Brown Maltipoos

A brown Maltipoo is rare. Why? Well, it is all about genetics. A puppy can receive half of genetic instructions from the dam and half from the sire, but in most cases, it will not be such an even split. Most Maltipoos are first generation and this is what gives the dog hybrid vigor…This mean that one parent will be a purebred Maltese and one parent will be a purebred Poodle.

2nd generation Maltipoos are not what a true Maltipoo is meant to be, these are puppies that are a result of breeding either 2 Maltipoos together or in some cases a Maltipoo and either a Poodle or a Maltese.

For this topic of a brown Maltipoo we will talk about 1st generation dogs.

Now, as many of you know, the Maltese is a solid color dog…while most people think that the breed is only found with a white coat, there are some that have a cream coat…although it is not preferable and most reputable breeders will not have the color as their goal.

Bowser, 2 and 1/2 years old Photo courtesy of Bobbie Vach

The Poodle, the toy variety, is used in this case, can be found in a wide range of colors…These vary from black to red to beige and just about every color in-between. So, what happens when the 2 different breeds are mated is that the white coat of the Maltese will “mix” with the strong colored coat of the Poodle. In many cases, genetics will come into play and the white will fade or lighten the darker, solid color.

This means that is the sire or dam is red, an apricot puppy is likely. If the sire or dam is black, a blue may be produced, since blue is a diluted black, or the coat may be more of a grey.

For a true, solid and strong brown Maltipoo to exist, luck plays a big role. When the fetus is developing, genetic instructions would need to pull the brown and either ignore or give very little attention to any white or cream colored coat.

In some cases, a breeder may dub a Maltipoo to be brown, when in fact the pup is a tan, beige or other watered down hue; though these colors - in their own right - are just as lovely.

A true brown will be a rich, deep, dark color similar to a chocolate bar. This color is created by a gene called bb…now the gene that causes a dog’s coat to be black is the BB gene. Therefore, this means that a true brown will not have any black pigmentation. The dog will have a brown nose and eye rims.

With all of this being said, it should be noted that since this breed is not yet recognized by the American Kennel Club and is considered to be a hybrid or designer breed (at least for now), that there are no official color standards.

This means that technically, a breeder can dub a pup to be brown and even have that color listed on their papers…even if the pup is tan, beige, etc. Much discretion is given to the breeder or owner of a newborn puppy to check off the appropriate color of the dog.

One should also keep in mind that with this breed due to genetics of the Poodle, fading can and often does occur. This means that the coat will steadily lighten and fade as the pup grows. Some owners find that using a color enhancing dog shampoo works well to keep the integrity of the color...It is not the same as dying the hairs, it simply enhances and deepens the natural coloring that already exists on the dog.

More Maltipoo Color Information

• Rich and interesting Maltipoo color information

• Color changes

• The 2 genes that affect the Maltipoo colors

• Care, Behavior, Training, Newborn to Senior...And Everything in Between!

• here is only 1 place to have all of this information and much more...in the PetMaltipoo eBook!

Names for Brown Maltipoos

It's always fun to name a puppy in regard to his coloring. And since the name you choose will be said an estimated 7,300 to 13,600 times throughout your dog's life, the one you choose will be important. Here's a list of popular names for dogs with a brown coat:

• Acorn

• Almond Joy

• Amaretto

• Autumn

• Bronze

• Brownie

• Brown Bear

• Buster Brown

• Cadbury

• Cappuccino

• Carmelo

• Charlie Brown

• Chestnut

• Choco

• Cinnamon

• Cocoa

• Coffee Bean

• Cola

• Cookie

• Espresso

• Hazel

• Hershey

• Hickory

• Java

• Kahlua

• Kodiak

• Mocha

• Molly Brown

• Nutmeg

• Peanut

• Pebbles

• Pecan

• Penny

• Reese

• Snickers

• Terra

• Tootsie Roll

• Truffles

• Twix

• Whiskey

A Tan Maltipoo, a pretty 'off-shoot' coloring of brown. Some tan Maltipoos may start of a medium brown and fade

to

tan. This lovely girl is Lily, 4 months Photo courtesy of Dottie Smith