There are a variety of coat colors a dog breed can come in. In Nintendogs + Cats, the player is able to choose between different categories of coat colors (including but not limited to Lemon & White, Bicolor, Tricolor, Sable & White, Agouti, etc.) depending on the breed. In Nintendogs, there is no option to choose between coat colors, however there are three* different color variations for each dog. The biggest difference between choosing coat colors in the games, is the addition of the Surprise Me! button in Nintendogs + Cats. This option will provide random coat color options from any of the existing categories, as well as special, rarer varieties.
* There are four color options for the Chihuahua, the fourth being a short-haired, tan option.
In Nintendogs[]
(Nintendogs) Coat color options for a Beagle
In Nintendogs, there are only three different color options per dog breed (however, there are four for the Chihuahua), and there are no sub-categories between coat color variations. There are no special or rare coat colors.
In Nintendogs + Cats[]
(Nintendogs + Cats) Coat color categories for a Siberian Husky
In Nintendogs + Cats, each dog breed has a wide range of coat colours, some being rarer than others. Once a player clicks on the breed a list of three options will come up, along with another option that says Surprise Me!. Cats, however, do not have a rarity hierarchy, but differences can be found in the undertone of their fur, as well as eye color. If a player clicks on the color they want their dog or cat to be, the kennel will show pets with varying coat patterns in that color. However, if the player clicks on Surprise Me!, the kennel will show pets ranging from coat colors within the pre-existing categories, but also special coats (such as pure white or pure black) that cannot be found outside of the Surprise Me! category.
The RoboPup only has the Surprise Me! option, however there are many different coat varieties based on a primary body color and a secondary color for the extremities and details (ear tips, feet, head stripe, tail base, shoulders, and hips).