Dogs are very attractive and cute animals. And if it also happens that the dog has blue eyes, then it becomes even more charming. It is worth understanding that the breed in no way affects the color of the iris, it all depends on the gene, which is recessive, that is, not as strong as the dominant one. But sometimes, even if a puppy has blue eyes at birth, as they grow older they can change their shade.
The color blue is not limited to just one breed of dog.
What color eyes can a dog have?
What color dogs' eyes are is of interest to many, because it can vary. In most cases, four-legged creatures have brown eyes, although the shade can vary from light golden to dark brown. But sometimes you come across unusual specimens when their eyes are blue.
Even more interesting cases are found in the world related to the color of the iris of dogs. Some pets have different iris colors, which is called heterochromia. This is the case when the colors of both are radically different.
There are such variations as: blue with brown, blue with brick color and so on. Dogs with such a distinctive feature are in great demand among amateurs and masters of extraordinary cases.
How does a dog perceive colors?
However, a dog's vision is similar to that of a colorblind person. A dog doesn't perceive rainbows the way we do. She cannot distinguish red from green and both colors from yellow and orange. This means that if your dog's favorite yellow ball lands on green grass, the dog may not find it because the yellow ball will blend in with the green background of the grass for the dog. But a dog will not confuse a blue ball with grass or with any other object of any color.
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Blue eyes - do they exist?
Undoubtedly, pets with blue eyes are rare and exotic. Many people treat such animals with great attention because they look unusually beautiful. When a dog with sky-colored eyes is mentioned, many people immediately think of a husky, but to assume that this breed is always born with only this color would be an erroneous judgment.
There are many four-legged friends of man who have black or another coat color, another breed, but they also boast the depth of eyes, a shade of sea blue.
Additional Information! Huskies are not always born with blue eyes. some of them are brown-eyed, and sometimes with heterochromia.
Cause of color blindness
By the way, many people also cannot distinguish between all colors. 6 boys and men out of 100 do not distinguish the color green. Women almost never have such problems. Color vision problems are passed on to offspring with the same genes that make boys boys. The cause of color vision impairment may be due to damage to the retina, the thin layer of cells that lines the inside of the eyeball.
Structure of the eye
Some of these cells are called cones; they perceive the color of light falling on the retina and send information about this to the brain. Cones contain pigments, chemicals that absorb light of different wavelengths, that is, different colors.
In humans, cone pigments are sensitive to the three primary colors: red, green and blue. Light is absorbed, impulses are excited in the cones, which are transmitted to the brain along the optic nerve. Somehow the brain deciphers this information, and we perceive the world in multicolored colors. Some patients suffering from impaired color discrimination see only yellow or blue; everything else is perceived in gray, black and white. Some people distinguish between red and green well, but do not see yellow and blue; others, fortunately there are few of them, see the world in shades of black, white and gray.
In most cases, impairment in color discrimination is a congenital disease and is inherited. But there are cases of color vision impairment caused by disease of the optic nerve or damage to the areas of the brain responsible for vision.
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Dogs do not have red-sensitive cones. Therefore, they do not perceive the difference between yellow-green and orange-red colors - it is similar to how colorblind people see. And what you and I perceive as blue-green may appear white to a dog. But these animals distinguish shades of gray much better than humans. And it’s not just that there are more rods in the retina of a dog’s eye - light-sensitive cells responsible for vision in the twilight. Most likely, their rods themselves are more sensitive than those of humans. This is why dogs have good night vision.
Interesting fact: dogs do not distinguish green from red and confuse both of these colors with yellow or orange.
Jacobe says no one knows exactly what a dog sees when it perceives color. A dog's cones are sensitive only to the colors red and blue, so an orange, a banana, and an apple all look the same red to a dog. The only thing we can say is that the dog’s world is much more picturesque than we imagined.
Description of dog breeds with blue eyes
The type of color does not affect the color of the iris.
Various factors influence whether a dog will have blue eyes at birth. But the most common sign noticed by researchers is at least partial presence of white hair in the head area. This happens especially often with those dogs that have white spotted areas around the eyes.
Those same white islands of fur on the head and in close proximity to the eyes mean that color pigment cannot be produced in the pet’s body. A similar unusual feature can be found not only in huskies, but also in such breeds as in the list:
- collie;
- chihuahua;
- Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Cardigan;
- Dalmatian;
- bobtail;
- Cane Carso;
- Australian Shepherd;
- Kerry Blue Terrier;
- dachshund.
Husky
The most famous dog breed associated with the blue hue is the husky. This is a sled breed that was originally bred in the northern regions of the globe. Therefore, in most cases, blue-eyed huskies are used for sledding dogs.
Today, the role of the husky has somewhat changed its direction. Now they have become pets. But it is not always possible to keep a husky on a leash, since this type of dog loves freedom, and sitting in one place becomes torture for them.
Huskies with blue eyes are not at all uncommon
Pembroke Welsh Corgi and Cardigan
The next purebred dogs that boast an unusual shade are the Pembroke Welsh Corgi and the Cardigan. Both breeds are very similar to each other, originating from the British Isles, but if the first breed is slightly older, the second is younger.
Important! The Pembroke Welsh Corgi and the Cardigan are different breeds. Many people confuse them, but there are distinctive features that will help you find the difference.
If you compare both breeds, you can note the following differences:
- Pembrokes have medium-sized ears, while Cardigans have slightly rounded ears.
- In the former, the shade of fur varies from red to black. The second ones have such shades as sable, deer, blue merle.
- The Pembroke has a short tail, while its cousin is long and bushy.
- Pembrokes are slightly smaller in size.
Cane Corso
Among the dog breeds with blue eyes, one can also note the Cane Carso, which are descendants of the ancient Roman fighting dogs. They are representatives of the Molosser group, they are distinguished by their strength and resilience, fearlessness, as a result of which artists and sculptors begin to pay special attention to them, depicting them on their canvases and sculptures.
The breed was practically lost, but thanks to volunteers, rare representatives were found, which helped increase the number.
Australian Shepherd or Aussie
Many people on the planet have been captivated by the beautiful Australian Shepherd, which is not only cute, but also intelligent.
Dogs are distinguished by loyalty and reliability, an endless stream of positivity. They love walks in parks and do not want to be alone. It is important for them to constantly be in good shape and take a walk every day. In addition, specimens with dove eyes sometimes appear, which further increases their value.
Aussie has become a favorite of many dog breeders
Collie long-haired and short-haired
Among the representatives of the collie breed, both long-haired and short-haired, blue-eyed individuals are distinguished. Four-legged collies are distinguished by their cheerfulness and love of new things.
Note! Collies were originally designed to help shepherds. Therefore, they have developed loyalty, unquestioning adherence to orders and love for the owner.
Shorthair and longhair have the following differences:
- representatives with long hair are drier in constitution, gracefully built;
- a narrow-eyed dog with long hair has a softer coat, while the second has a tougher coat that protects from cold and rain;
- longhairs have sable, blue merle, and tricolor colors, while shorthairs are most often merle, but are also found in sable and blue merle shades.
Chihuahua
The Chihuahua got its name from a Mexican state that has a similar name. This breed is considered decorative. They are very small in size. Many note that they are loyal to their owners and proud.
Dalmatian
Dalmatians first appeared on the territory of modern Croatia. Many recognize them due to their unusual color and harmonious physique.
The Dalmatian is a good watchdog and an excellent companion.
Bobtail
This breed comes from Old England. Initially, its purpose was protection, which can still be noted among modern representatives of the breed. She served as assistant shepherds. The character is calm.
Weimaraner
The Weimaraner, which is considered a pointing dog, was bred for hunting purposes. Dogs of this breed are extremely intelligent, attentive and always on the alert. In addition, they are distinguished by stubbornness.
Kerry Blue Terrier
Many will be interested to know that representatives of this breed also have blue eyes. The dog was first born in the United Kingdom. Her structure is harmonious, she is stately.
Dachshunds
The Dachshund is one of the most famous dog breeds, attracting attention with its extraordinary appearance. She is distinguished by intelligent eyes, which are sometimes blue, and loyalty. The dachshund is a friendly companion.
Details
But, nevertheless, the vision of a cat and a dog have a lot in common. Both cats and dogs are excellent at navigating in the dark. This happens because the retina of their eyes is designed in such a way that it is able to reflect light. It is this feature of the eye structure that often creates the feeling that their eyes glow in the dark. Therefore, both cats and dogs have excellent night vision.
This is due to evolution. After all, dogs are, first and foremost, predators. And to survive, they needed to clearly navigate in order to stay ahead of their prey. Although their vision is not very sharp, dogs nevertheless react very actively to any movement of an object.
This is due to highly developed binocular vision. Each dog's eye sees only part of the information, from a very wide angle. And the complete picture is formed in the back of the brain. This feature of the vision device in dogs allows one to very clearly determine the distance to an object.
Its shape and size. And also take into account the terrain and the entire surrounding space. Thanks to all these factors, the dog's ancestors survived in the wild.
Important! All these qualities are very developed in dogs of hunting and guard breeds.
Which is better developed in a dog's hearing or sense of smell? Can be determined by the anatomical structure of the ears. If a dog's ears stand up, it means they have better developed auditory perception. A classic example of this perception is shepherd dogs.
And if the dog’s ears hang down (like a spaniel’s). This means that such a dog is guided mainly by smells. For such breeds, objects that have no odor and do not move may generally go unnoticed. That is why mainly breeds with good hearing have watchdog qualities.
And hunting breeds must have, first of all, an excellent sense of smell. The vision of these dogs is also significantly different. The wider the dog's muzzle, the wider the angle of its lateral vision. Therefore, breeds such as Caucasian Shepherds and mastiffs have excellent watchdog qualities.
On the contrary, dogs of hunting breeds have narrow muzzles and drooping ears. They work using their sense of smell, and they do not need a wide angle of coverage of the territory. For them, the movement of the object is enough. They look clearly ahead of them, chasing prey.
Like any animal, a dog's vision can deteriorate due to various circumstances. Various factors can affect your pet's visual acuity.
There are serious diseases that can lead to vision loss in dogs. For example, a disease such as distemper can lead to complete blindness of an animal. At the same time, outwardly, a dog’s eyes are no different from healthy ones, and dog owners often ask the question: “How to check a dog’s vision?”
First of all, pay your attention to how the dog navigates familiar places. Observe her behavior. Animals whose vision is not impaired can navigate quite freely and avoid all obstacles.
If they have problems with this, for example: they bump into corners, cannot get through the door or get around any obstacle. Most likely, the dog has vision problems.
There are several other ways to test vision in dogs.
- Bring your hand to your dog's eyes without touching the eyelashes. If the dog does not react to the absence of light. This means your dog’s vision is seriously impaired.
- Walk your dog a few meters away. And make movements that are familiar to her, such as “fetch”. If in this case the dog does not respond to your actions, this also indicates that the dog has lost his vision.
What symptoms may indicate vision problems and eye diseases in dogs?
- A common symptom of eye disease in dogs is discharge. The eyes begin to water. This is most often observed in puppies. However, in some dog breeds, this symptom is not a sign of disease.
- Swelling around the eyes or iris also indicates eye disease in your dog.
- Photophobia. The dog cannot look at the light and hides in dark places.
If your pet has lacrimation. First of all, the cause must be eliminated. There may be several reasons:
- Mechanical damage to the mucous membrane of the eye;
- Allergic reactions of the body;
- Inflammatory diseases caused by viruses or bacteria.
In any case, you need to rinse both eyes with any antibacterial solution. You can use decoctions of various herbs or regular tea leaves for these purposes. You need to wash your eyes several times a day.
If your dog's eyes are watery due to an allergic reaction. You need to find out what causes the allergy and try to eliminate this cause. Common causes of allergies in dogs can be common climatic conditions. Too high humidity or, conversely, hot and dry weather. This is especially common in guard dogs living on the street. In enclosures or regular booths.
Important! There are breeds of decorative dogs (pugs, terriers, lapdogs, Pekingese, chow-chows) in which lacrimation is due to a genetic predisposition. In this case, caring for the dog's eyes is a daily and integral ritual. Just like cutting and combing.
The symptom of an everted eyelid is quite common in puppies. The problem is that the eyelash part is turned inside the eye. And gradually mechanical damage occurs to the mucous membrane of the dog’s eye. This can subsequently lead to cataracts. Or even complete loss of vision. In this case, surgery cannot be avoided.
And perhaps the most common dog eye disease is conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis is usually caused by bacteria. Not everyone is susceptible to this disease. Without exception of dog breed.
Both those living in apartments and dogs that are kept on the street. Conjunctivitis is treated by rinsing the dog's affected eyes with antibiotics. Within a few days. It all depends on the degree of damage.
How to choose a healthy blue-eyed pet
It is almost impossible to determine whether a puppy will be healthy if its eyes are blue. If in doubt, you can opt for a husky. Sometimes, blue color can be inherited as an independent gene, which will not affect health.
Blue eye color is a beautiful feature that attracts many. Not only huskies become owners of this eye shade. Many other breeds can also boast such representatives. It is worth understanding that dogs with ordinary iris shades are no less loyal and friendly!
Cloudy eyes
The cause of clouding of the cornea of the eye can be undetected injuries, accumulation of cholesterol or calcium crystals in the cornea, germination of blood vessels, accumulation of fluid or purulent inclusions. This problem can also be caused by a number of diseases: keratitis, glaucoma, corneal erosion, as well as degenerative changes.
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It is worth noting that the concept of “pupil clouding” does not exist, since the pupil is a hole in the iris. That is, in this case we are talking more about clouding of the lens, which is located at the level of the pupil. The causes of the disease may be excess fluid or, conversely, drying out.
