Hearts Melt Over How Goldendoodle With the ‘Color Fading Gene’ Changes

A young dog’s fur transformation from dark to light went viral on TikTok, shocking the millions who watched.

TikTok user @burky_boo shared in a March 23 video how their goldendoodle, Burky, transformed with age. When the owner first brought home Burky, he rocked curly, black fur. The dark fur covered the dog’s entire body. But slowly, the owner started to notice that the color was fading.

The dog’s fur looked like the ink had run low on the printer. Instead of being jet-black, his fur lightened and transformed into a grayish tint. The final clip of the TikTok showed how he looks now, with his fur showing a blend of all the colors. His ears and around his nose stayed dark, while the top of his head and paws looked almost white.

The owner posted the video to give non-goldendoodle owners a glimpse into what it is like having a dog with the “color fading gene,” which can happen with certain dog breeds.

Newsweek previously reported several reasons behind this hair-changing phenomenon, including a dog’s age. A canine’s coat might fade and look dull, with gray hairs appearing around its face and body.

A dog’s saliva could be the culprit, as it contains porphyrin, a natural pigment that can lead to a rust-red color on those dogs with lighter color coats. Other reasons include nutritional deficiencies, hypothyroidism, parasites, exposure to sunlight, post-trauma healing or cancer. The fading colors could also be due to the dog having poodle genetics.

Knowing this could happen with goldendoodles, the rapid transformation still took the owner by surprise, as the caption pointed out, because Burky is only 2 years old.

Newsweek reached out to @burky_boo via TikTok for additional information.

The TikTok video amassed over 2.5 million views and 191,300 likes as of Tuesday, with many viewers marveling with the dog owner over the color change.

“Adorable in all colors,” said a viewer.

Stunned, a second person wrote: “Wait what!!! That’s a thing??? Still adorable as ever!”

Several shared how their dogs’ fur also changed. Some went from red to white, while others said they’ve noticed chocolate fur starting to look “a little ashy.”

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.