A lot of people think that if they get a blue-eyed puppy from a known and reputable breeder, their puppy will automatically have blue eyes. However, this isn‘t always the case. If you do a quick search online, you’ll be surprised to know that dogs can develop different eye colors as they grow older.
Your puppy eyes will begin to change from color blue when they are 9-12 weeks old. Within this period, the hue will start to change and gradually take a permanent color. While this transition usually happens in most dogs in the 9th week, it might take up to 12 weeks for some puppies to fully transition.
Are All Puppies Born With Blue Eyes
Well, yes, all puppies are born with blue eyes or at least some tint of blue. A puppy’s eyes remain closed for the first few days, typically between 8-14 days. From week two, they begin to slowly but gradually open their eyes.
As a dog owner, you’ll notice that your puppy’s eyes are of some tinge of blue when they first open their peepers. This tone will remain until it starts transitioning to a permanent from week nine. Typically, a puppy will have blue eyes color from when they were born till they are 8 weeks old.
Why Are They Blue?
The answer to this question is simple: because they have no melanin in their iris at the time of birth.
Because of this, the eyes appear blue when they finally open them after the first few days. The melanin only starts developing as they grow older, explaining why the eye color change and gradually takes a more permanent hue from week 9.
When Do Puppies Lose Their Blue Eyes
It is not sudden but a gradual process. Puppies lose their blue eyes as they begin the melanin development in their irises; this typically occurs from 9-12 weeks.
In the first week of their life, puppies remain essentially blind and will feel their way around their surroundings. After they opened their eyes, which usually happens between the 2nd and 3rd week, it will take several weeks for the eyes to fully mature and take a permanent color.
The growth of melanin is primarily responsible for the color changes and partly determines the permanent hue will take. The amount of melanin produced will impact how dark the shade will be on your pup and vice versa.
When Can You Tell A Puppies Eye Color?
You can only tell a puppy’s eye color after it has fully matured. The eye color of your puppy will gradually change in the first three months after birth. Once the eyes are fully developed, typically after 12 weeks, you can tell the permanent eye color.
The permanent eye color may not emerge until after 21-28 days. From then on, you may start noticing that gets darker or more toned as the weeks pass by till they are fully matured.
However, if you still can’t tell the color of your dog’s eye, by the end of three months, you may need to check the Vet for a proper diagnosis.
Are there Dogs with Permanent Blue Eyes?
Yes, there are dogs with permanent blue eyes. Although is rare, it’s not uncommon to see it in some breeds. As you already know, breeds are not the same when it comes to coloring.
Some dogs like Border Collies, Australian Sheperd, Siberian Huskies, and Cardigan Welsh Corgi have permanent blue eye color.
There are different reasons why some breeds have blue eyes. These include:
- Genes: this is the primary factor that determines a dog’s eye color. Some breeds like Siberian Huskies and Border Collies have unique genes that create their permanent blue eyes. However, unlike Merle dogs (more on this below), they don’t have any health risks associated with their genes.
- The Merle Gene: Dogs with the Merle coat color are likely to have permanent blue eye color than those that don’t. The gene dilutes the fur, face, and eye pigmentation, which results in bright blue eyes. However, there are some health risks that surround the merle coat color in dogs. Check here for more information.
- White Patches: dogs that have white patches around the face are also likely to have blue eyes. In fact, the more dominant the patches are, the higher the potential.The white patches result from the inability to produce pigmentation around the face, including the eyes.
- Albinism: albinism causes excessive pigmentation loss that results in blue eyes, pink nose, and white skin.
- Heterochromia: this is a condition that causes dogs to have two different eye colors. Heterochromia can happen due to lack of pigmentation, their gene, or even health issues like glaucoma and cataracts. In such cases, the dog will have different colored eyes, most times, blue and brown.
What Is The Most Common Eye Color For A Dog?
Dark brown is the most common eye color for dogs. This can come in different shades of brown. Other common eye hues include:
- Amber eyes ( the lightest shade of brown)
- Hazel eyes ( a shade of brown)
- Gold eyes
- Speckled eyes
- Pale blue eyes
Should I worry If My Dog Has Blue eyes?
Most adult dogs have brown eyes color; however, it isn’t uncommon to find blue eyes randomly in the litter. If your adult dog has blue eyes, it doesn’t necessarily mean anything is wrong. It could be due to any of the factors listed above.
However, you shouldn‘t breed a Merle dog with another Merle, as this could pose serious health concerns. You should also worry if your dog suddenly starts developing cloudy blue eyes. This is usually indicative of eye problems such as Cataracts and Glaucoma.
Conclusion
A dog’s eye goes through several transitions in its lifetime. At birth, the eyes remain closed till about 8-14 days. Once they are two weeks old, they start opening their eyes. The color at this stage is blue or has some tints of blue. However, this stage doesn’t last long as they gradually transition to take a more permanent hue from week four.
This transition process varies from dog to dog but usually takes between 9-12 weeks. Now that you know why and when your puppy eye color change, you can also share with your friends so that they learn the amazing transformation their furry friends go through as they transition to adulthood.
