Will My Maltipoo’s Hair Change Color With Age?

Bringing home your adorable new Maltipoo puppy is such a wonderful feeling. They may truly be the cutest puppy of all, but as you fall in love with the personality and looks of your new Maltipoo, you may find yourself wondering if they will remain that same color forever.

Does a Maltipoo’s hair color change?

A Maltipoos hair can change.   The Maltipoos’ hair will change color about three times in their life, and these changes happen during the early phases of their life. When Maltipoos are puppies from birth until adulthood, their hair can change colors a few times.

Not every Maltipoo will change their hair color during these growth phases, some do, and others do not. It depends on their individual genetics from their pure-bred parents and other factors.

Maltipoos’ hair changes in another way too. Maltipoos hair will grow and change as they go from one stage of puppyhood to adulthood. The hair will begin as soft fuzzy puppy hair and eventually grow into the adult Maltipoo hair they will have for the rest of their lives.

Every Maltipoo puppy will undergo this phase of change, which is part of their growth from puppy to adult. The process is gradual and sometimes subtle. Some Maltipoo puppies will go through this phase quicker than others, while some will develop slower.

Should a Maltipoo puppy’s hair change color, it is not as drastic as imagined. The process will have the puppy’s fur becoming slightly lighter or darker.   Due to their genetic background, many Maltipoos will pass through this phase and develop a lighter or darker hair color in adulthood. This often happens because of age, but there are other factors in this process.

For example, the Apricot-colored Maltipoo often change into a lighter creamer color and hardly ever go darker due to their genetics.   The same can be said for the Dark Red colored Maltipoos; they lighten instead of darken too.

The seasons, weather, and other things can affect the color of the Maltipoo and what it develops into during adulthood or even at various stages of life. Dog hair color changes can be unpredictable at best, making the Maltipoo appear like a chameleon.

Since the Maltipoo is a cross-bred dog with the Poodle and the Maltese as parents, it can be hard to determine exactly what the color change will be if they change. Each of the pure breed parents has their own unique breed qualities that will be different in each dog.

This is why a litter of Maltipoo puppies can be very different from the other. One puppy might be characteristically Black, another Apricot, and yet another still a very rare Brown. Each develops from puppy to adulthood in their own way based on their individual genetics.

How will I know if my Maltipoo will change color?

You won’t know if your Maltipoo will change color once or more during its life. The color change is based on genetics, breeding, and background. Environment, diet, and health can also play a role in color-changing hair, but this is less common.

As noted above, certain common color changes are based on the original hair color at birth. These don’t guarantee that your Maltipoo puppy will end up the same way. Still, they are a guideline to help pet parents possibly determine the hair color outcome.

The only way to know is as you go through the phases of your Maltipoo puppy life with them. Each color change or lack thereof will surprise you both and can be celebrated whatever the outcome.

Will the Maltipoo grooming affect the hair and color change?

The Maltipoo grooming will not affect the hair and color change. Grooming can affect the texture and health of the hair and skin beneath, but it doesn’t affect the color.

It doesn’t matter how or how often you brush a Maltipoo; they will be whatever color they will be. Regardless of how much bathing or the time of day you comb them, the Maltipoo hair color is what it is.

How do I stop this color change from happening to my Maltipoo puppy?

There is no way to stop this color change from happening to your Maltipoo puppy. Suppose their hair is genetically predisposed to change colors due to their breeding and familial background. In that case, there is nothing you will do to stop it.

Short of attempting to dye the Maltipoos hair, it is the color they have been blessed with due to genetics and breeding, much as our own hair is the same. It is best to love them as they are, no matter how hard it may be to accept the color they are blessed with if it’s not what we want.

Do Dark Maltipoos always get lighter?

Most often, darker Maltipoos will have hair that lightens in color, but there be some instances where the color darkens, but this is rare.

The lightening will happen over a time that isn’t limited to the puppy phase and becoming an adult. As an adult Maltipoo ages from adulthood to senior or older, the hair can also lighten. This is particularly true on their face and around their muzzle.

What colors are Maltipoos?

Maltipoos come in a variety of colors and some patterns.  They get their coloring from their breed background which is Poodle and Maltese.

Maltipoos cane come in Black, Brown, White, Tan, Red, Silver, Apricot and Light Brown or Coffee Color.  They can also come in the popular Cream color, but Brown is possibly the rarest color for a Maltipoo, but it does happen.

There are also variations of the colors, patterns that add to the color scheme of their hair. These include Merle and Parti design.  Some colors and patterns are more expensive than others.

Closing Points

Color-changing dogs sound like some exciting magic trick that happens at trendy groomers and the circus. The process is less obvious and more subtle than that.

While it can be exciting to guess what a parent will get when their puppy grows into an adult dog, it doesn’t happen for every Maltipoo.

Whether or not it happens, each Maltipoo deserves love and affection. If they are a color you didn’t hope for, there is always the groomer!