Why Are Most Dogs Eyes Brown?
Why do some dogs have green eyes? – You probably remember the Punnett Square from middle school. Well, it’s time to reconsider it, because a dog’s eye color—just like yours—is all about genetics. It turns out, most dog’s eyes are various shades of brown because all dogs carry a gene that produces a brown pigment in the iris called eumelanin.
- It requires the presence of a second gene, such as the merle gene, for a dog to have blue, green, or amber eyes; the merle gene creates patches with reduced eumelanin.
- Dogs with green eyes have a small amount of eumelanin while dogs with blue eyes have none.
- The merle gene is common in several popular dog breeds such as border collies, Australian sheepdogs, chihuahuas, and more.
However, many carriers of the gene simply have blue eyes, not green. The merle gene also impacts a dog’s coat color. Many dogs with the merle gene have brindle or patchy coats.
Do so all dogs have brown eyes?
It’s common knowledge that dogs have brown eyes. Some dogs, like Australian Shepherds or Huskies will have blue ones. But on average, all dogs have brown eyes. And they’re quite pretty too. My dad never liked to admit it, but once or twice we’d catch him singing Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” to my dog whenever the song was on the radio.
- She, like many other dogs, had adorable brown eyes.
- But there are occasions when nature will take over and give our dogs something really special.
- On rare occasions, you’ll find dogs who have both blue and brown eyes together.
- Not only are these really pretty combinations, but they’re also rare.
- The condition that causes one eye to be blue and one eye to be brown is a condition known as heterochromia.
The two-toned eyes can occur in both humans as well as canines. But it doesn’t just stop there. Cats can have it too, as well as some horses. Who would’ve known? The disorder is inherited from both the mother and the father. Most of the time heterochromia is an inherited genetic occurrence, but occasionally it can be a result of an injury.
- If your dog sustains an injury to their eye, or they develop a disease of the eye, they can sometimes experience a change in their eye color.
- But it’s really rare and heterochromia is usually the main cause for two different eye colors.
- Heterochromia can happen in any dog, but there are breeds that tend to have a higher rate of it happening than others.
Some of these breeds who are more likely to have two different eye colors are Australian Shepherds, Catahoula Leopard Dogs, Great Danes, Dalmatians, and Huskies. However, when Dalmatians have one or two blue eyes it could actually be a result of them being deaf as well – for some reason blue eyes in these dogs are linked to deafness in the breed.
While two-toned eyes are certainly striking, there is no need to be alarmed. The condition is genetic and there is generally no need to worry. But dogs with heterochromia might also be linked to glaucoma, so if you suspect that there might be something wrong, definitely talk to your vet about all concerns.
Does your dog have heterochromia? Let us know!
Can dogs get black eyes?
Can Dogs Get a Black Eye? – The short answer is yes. Black eyes are essentially just bruises caused by impact to the nose or eye area. Once the blood vessels in the face rupture, blood begins to pool under the skin. This pooling is visible through the skin, causing darkened coloration.
Do any dogs have white eyes?
Canine Body Language: Whale Eyes Whale eye refers to a body language signal where the dog shows the whites of his eyes. This is a warning signal and is often accompanied by hard eyes, freezing, stiffening up, and/or growling. Obviously, this is somewhat breed specific.
Many brachycephalic (short-nosed) dogs, such as Pugs and Shih Tzus, will naturally have the whites of their eyes exposed due to the structure of their skull. However, if they begin to show more white than normal or if you notice other warning signals, they are likely displaying whale eyes. Layla tells a friend’s adolescent Shorthair puppy to back off when he gets too rowdy.
Photo by A Dog Spot. If you see your dog displaying this body language, back off and figure out what prompted it. Was your dog guarding something? Was he uncomfortable with how you were touching or interacting with him? Is he sore or experiencing pain? Photo by Megan Nelson Whatever you do, make sure you,
Why are dogs eyes just black?
What Colors Do Dogs See? – Dogs’ eyes only have 2 types of cones (just 20 percent of the cones in human eyes). Because of this, a dog’s color spectrum is limited to shades of gray, brown, yellow and blue. This is called dichromatic vision, which is similar to humans who experience red-green color blindness.
- Some colors—like hues of red and orange—may show up as another color to dogs, like brown.
- Greens may appear blue.
- Dogs may also struggle to notice the difference between hues of the same color, like light blue and dark blue.
- Eep this in mind if your dog struggles to find toys or treats.
- It’s not that he’s not interested—he likely can’t see what you’re trying to give him.
The next time you’re shopping for dog toys, try something blue or yellow that will stand out better for your dog.