Apricot Maltipoos
Apricot Maltipoos
Apricots
There are many Maltipoo colors, both solid and parti (meaning a mix of 2 or more), however one of the most popular and sought after is the apricot Maltipoo. This is a gorgeous hue and it is no wonder why so many people love this.
It is a faded down red... and apricot Maltipoo puppies always look very soft and silky with this color.
Breeding for this is a lot easy than more rare colors such as red, black or blue. To achieve this, it is often down by pairing a red toy Poodle with a pure white Maltese. Since genes can show up from 5 generations back (and in some cases even further), unless one has the pedigrees of both dam and sire for that far back, the litter may not hold all apricot Maltipoos, but chances are good.
Genes determine everything about a puppy, from its size to its coat. Since this is a product of a red, a recessive f gene is present. It is the recessive f gene which causes an otherwise red to fade to this color. Interestingly, despite having the fading gene, an apricot can produce a red.
Some apricot Maltipoos are so light that they appear to be cream, however in order to be deemed this color, the pup should have an orange/red tint to the hair.
TangTang, 6 months old
Photo courtesy of Sarah
Cream Maltipoo with apricot ears
Misty Marie Heckman, 5 months old
Photo courtesy of Terri Heckman
A solid apricot will sometimes have some points (another color on the eyebrows, paws, tail, and chest). This can be cream, white
and in some cases that rare red.
If a Maltipoo is to have apricot as a secondary coloring, this most often occurs with cream coats.
As with all Maltipoo dogs, there can be some graying that is not due to age. If the puppy carries the "G locus" gene, graying can begin to happen at the age of 2 to 3 months old. It is a process that does not take too long, as there will be a steady change until the dog is 1 to 2 years of age.
Fading
The toy Poodle (as with all varieties) has a tendency to fade. This means that if a puppy
has a dark, solid coat, as that pup grows, the color will often lighten a shade or two...Apricot Maltipoos have a chance of fading to cream, but this does not mean that it will always happen.
It is a genetic trait and may or may not be in the bloodline. If it is to happen, it usually occurs in the time change from puppy to adult.... around age 1.
Boomer, 9 months old
Photo courtesy of Donna
Genes and the Role That They Play
A litter is the results of the dam and sire and the generations that came before them, up to 5 back. Size , temperament, body structure and so forth are influenced from at least 5 generations back.... This means the puppy's great-great-great grandparents.
It does not happen often, but there are times when a Throw Back takes place. What is this?
This is when a traits travels down a litter or even just one certain pup from 10, 20 or even more generations. Therefore, even with planned, selective breeding, one may still be very surprised at the results!
Terms
When a litter is born, the owner may write down any color (within reason) onto the papers. This means that one may call a cream puppy an apricot Maltipoo.... or a black one a blue and so forth.
Since this breed is not yet recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC), many breeders make up terms such as "orange peel', "strawberry apricot mix", etc. This means that many whites, creams, tans and beige pups will be deemed apricots when they are not.
Changes
Don't be surprised if you obtain an apricot Maltipoo puppy and he or she matures into a cream with apricot points. This is not uncommon and happens when the puppy coat falls out and is replaced by the adult coat. Less typical, but possible, would be a deepening. As the pup matures, if the apricot deepens and darkens - even just in some spots - this will most often classify him/her as a red.
Names
If you are planning on getting an apricot Maltipoo or already have one, you may be interested in popular names for dogs of this hue.... Here are the most popular:
Autumn
Buttercup
Butterscotch
Cheeto (As in Cheeto chips)
Chrysanthemum
Cinnamon
Citrus
Creamsickle
Crimson
Cuervo
Dandelion
Dorito
Forsythia
Muffin
Carmello
Ginger
Honey Bear
Julius – for "Orange Julius" that made delicious fruit drinks
Keegan - which is a Gaelic name meaning "descendant of fire".
Marmalade
Nutmeg
Paprika
Peaches
Pekoe (as in orange pekoe tea)
Penny
Pumpkin
Rusty
Saffron
Sherbert
Sunkist
Sunshine
Tang
Tiger Lily
