Dog color
Chocolate
A rich dark brown from brown eumelanin: chocolate Labradors, cats, rabbits and ducks; also the very dark shell of Marans eggs.
37 Dog breeds list Chocolate. It is in a club standard for 26 breeds. At least one club disqualifies it in 10 breeds.
Breeds whose standards accept Chocolate
| Breed | AKC | UKC | FCI | KUSA | KC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Hairless Terrier | Standard (“Chocolate”) | Standard (“chocolate (ranging from dark liver to light chocolate) (Coated Variety)”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| American Hairless TerrierSkin and scales | Standard (“Chocolate”) | Standard (“Any skin color is acceptable (Hairless Variety)”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| American Hairless TerrierHairless · Skin and scales | Standard (“Chocolate”) | Standard (“Any skin color is acceptable (Hairless Variety)”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Australian Kelpie | Standard (“Chocolate”) | Standard (“red ranging from chocolate to light red”) | Standard (“chocolate”) | Standard (“chocolate”) | No ruling |
| Catahoula Leopard Dog | Standard (“Chocolate”) | Standard (“an endless variety of coat colors”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Chihuahua | Standard (“Chocolate”) | Standard (“All colors in all shades and combinations are acceptable”) | Standard (“All colours in all possible shades and combinations are admitted”) | Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”) | Standard (“Chocolate”) |
| Chinese Crested | Standard (“Chocolate”) | Standard (“Any color, or combination of colors, is acceptable”) | Standard (“Any colour or combination of colours”) | Standard (“Any colour or combination of colours”) | Standard (“Brown”) |
| Chinese CrestedSkin and scales | Standard (“Pink & Chocolate”) | Standard (“Any color, or combination of colors, is acceptable”) | Standard (“Any colour or combination of colours”) | Standard (“Any colour or combination of colours”) | Standard (“Any colour or combination of colours”) |
| Chinese CrestedHairless · Skin and scales | Standard (“Pink & Chocolate”) | Standard (“Any color, or combination of colors, is acceptable”) | Standard (“Any colour or combination of colours”) | Standard (“Any colour or combination of colours”) | Standard (“Any colour or combination of colours”) |
| Chinese Shar-Pei | Standard (“Chocolate Dilute”) | Standard (“any solid color”) | Standard (“All solid colours acceptable”) | Standard (“All solid colours acceptable”) | Standard (“Chocolate Dilute”) |
| Dachshund | Standard (“Chocolate & Tan”) | Standard (“chocolate”) | Standard (“brown”) | Standard (“chocolate”) | Standard (“chocolate”) |
| DachshundSmooth | Standard (“Chocolate & Tan”) | Standard (“chocolate”) | Standard (“brown”) | Standard (“chocolate”) | Standard (“chocolate”) |
| DachshundWirehaired | Standard (“Chocolate & Tan”) | Standard (“chocolate”) | Standard (“brown”) | Standard (“chocolate”) | Standard (“chocolate”) |
| DachshundLonghaired | Standard (“Chocolate & Tan”) | Standard (“chocolate”) | Standard (“brown”) | Standard (“chocolate”) | Standard (“chocolate”) |
| Havanese | Standard (“Chocolate”) | Standard (“true chocolate-coated dogs”) | Standard (“havana-brown, tobacco colour, reddish-brown”) | Standard (“havana-brown, tobacco colour, reddish-brown”) | Standard (“Chocolate”) |
| Icelandic Sheepdog | Standard (“Chocolate & White”) | Standard (“chocolate brown”) | Standard (“chocolate brown”) | No ruling | Standard (“chocolate brown”) |
| Italian Greyhound | Standard (“Chocolate”) | Standard (“All colors and markings are acceptable”) | Not recognized | Not recognized | Standard (“Liver”) |
| Labrador Retriever | Standard (“Chocolate”) | Standard (“any solid shade of chocolate”) | Standard (“liver/chocolate”) | Standard (“liver/chocolate”) | Standard (“liver/chocolate”) |
| Miniature Pinscher | Standard (“Chocolate & Rust”) | Standard (“Chocolate, with rust-red markings”) | Not recognized | Standard (“chocolate, with sharply defined tan markings”) | Standard (“Chocolate & Tan”) |
| Polish Lowland Sheepdog | Standard (“Brown”) | No ruling | Standard (“all colours and patches are acceptable”) | Standard (“all colours and patches are acceptable”) | Standard (“Chocolate”) |
| Rat Terrier | Standard (“White & Chocolate”) | Standard (“chocolate (ranging from dark liver to light chocolate)”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Rater Valenciá | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“chocolate-tan, and chocolate-white”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Saluki | Standard (“Chocolate”) | Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is permissible”) | Standard (“Any colour or combination of colours is permissible”) | Standard (“Any colour or combination of colours permissible”) | Standard (“Chocolate & Tan”) |
| Teddy Roosevelt Terrier | Standard (“Chocolate & White”) | Standard (“any variety of colors”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Tibetan Terrier | Standard (“Brown”) | Standard (“Any color or combination of colors, including white, are acceptable”) | Not recognized (“any colour except chocolate, liver or merle permissible”) | Not recognized (“any colour except chocolate, liver or merle permissible”) | Not recognized (“chocolate, liver or merle, which are unacceptable”) |
| Toy Fox Terrier | Standard (“White, Chocolate & Tan”) | Disqualifying (“Maltese (Blue/Grey) or chocolate markings”) | No ruling | Standard (“White, chocolate and tan”) | No ruling |
Breeds where Chocolate is a fault
| Breed | AKC | UKC | FCI | KUSA | KC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | Disqualifying | Fault | Fault | Not recognized | Not recognized (“Chocolate & Tan”) |
| Dogue de Bordeaux | Disqualifying | Disqualifying | Disqualifying (“solid brown called “chocolate” (each hair being entirely brown)”) | Disqualifying (“solid brown called “chocolate” (each hair being entirely brown)”) | Fault (“Chocolate highly undesirable”) |
Breeds where Chocolate is disqualified or not accepted
| Breed | AKC | UKC | FCI | KUSA | KC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biewer Terrier | Disqualifying (“Chocolate Tan & White”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Boston Terrier | Disqualifying | No ruling | Not recognized | Not recognized | Not recognized |
| Bulldog | Disqualifying | No ruling | No ruling | Not recognized | Not recognized |
| French Bulldog | Disqualifying | No ruling | Disqualifying | Disqualifying | Not recognized |
| Great Dane | Disqualifying (“Chocolate”) | Disqualifying | Not recognized | Not recognized | Not recognized |
| Pug | Disqualifying | Not recognized | Not recognized | Not recognized | Not recognized |
| Yorkshire Terrier | Disqualifying | Disqualifying (“chocolate and tan”) | No ruling | Not recognized | Not recognized |
| Beagle | No ruling | No ruling | Not recognized | Not recognized | Not recognized |
| Chow Chow | Not recognized | Not recognized | Not recognized | Not recognized | Not recognized (“Chocolate”) |