Can Poodles Have Blue Eyes
Poodles are gorgeous dogs, and it’s fun to watch them play and romp about the house. The popularity of poodles as a designer dog breed for the home is without a doubt growing and for good cause.
Many people admire them for their loyalty, friendliness, and, let’s not forget, cuteness!
If poodles can have blue eyes, then we’ll discuss that topic here on the blog today. Interestingly, while blue eyes are widespread in many dog breeds, they aren’t found in poodles.
Dark-eyed poodles are highly sought after, whereas blue-eyed poodles are regarded a rarity.
Yes, that’s the quick response. Poodles are capable of having blue eyes, although this is not a typical occurrence in the poodle community.
If your poodles have blue eyes, you should take it as a warning indication that your dog is ill rather than a fun mutation.
Having an older poodle raises concerns since it might be an indication of an underlying eye health problem.
Since blue eyes are such an essential part of your dog’s overall look, it’s no surprise that everyone loves them. Even though it’s rare, having blue eyes in a poodle breed should compel you to investigate further.
When it comes to canine breeds like the husky, blue eyes are regarded to be particularly attractive.
They are visually appealing and appear to draw the attention of a large number of individuals when they are in view.
However, this is not the case with poodles, who might appear rather strange due to the fact that they are recognised to be unique.
We all adore poodles since they possess some of the greatest characteristics a dog could possibly possess.
Poodles have also managed to maintain their position on the list of the most popular dog breeds in the world for many years.
One of the most significant drawbacks associated with poodle popularity is the fact that they are regarded to be a favourite of amateur or backyard breeders, as well as breeding companies that are less than respectable.
Another disadvantage has been the rise in the number of designer breeds, which has resulted in a great deal of ambiguity when it comes to the features of the poodle breed to search for.
If you are merely searching for a dog to breed or show, the features of the breed will not matter because your decision-making process will take care of everything.
Although you may be looking to bring home a lively family dog, blue eyes in a poodle should raise red flags and be explored in detail before bringing a dog into your house from a shelter or breeder.
Is it possible for Poodles to inherit the Merle colour gene?
It is completely feasible for poodles to be born with the merle gene present in their DNA.
When it comes to the many varieties of merle colour patterns, there has been a great deal of misunderstanding among dog breeders in the past several years.
In fact, you have a breeder of Paris Poodles who has correctly indicated that merle is not always a hue.
This pattern, which is generated by pigment dilution and is peculiar to eumelanin, is referred to as a “black colour spectrum pattern.” Not only that, but the pigment also generates the black colour spectrum.
Merle has no effect on phaeomelanin, which is the pigment responsible for the production of the red-orange colour spectrum.
If you look closely, you’ll find that the merle has an effect solely on the regions of the poodle’s coat that generate hues that are close to black in colour.
It’s really difficult since even the terminology used to describe the poodle’s coat colour, which is claimed to be controlled by the gene, may be misleading at times because the gene is so complex.
Breeders differ in their classifications of merle poodles; some consider them to be black merles while others consider them to be blue merles, and so on.
In many ways, it’s comparable to when breeders refer to a brown merle puppy as a red merle puppy or the other way around.
You Should Know About Poodles with Blue Eyes
There are several characteristics of the poodle breed that are appealing. They are hypoallergenic in nature.
They don’t snort or drool. Poodles come in a variety of sizes, including standard, miniature, and toy. There is a poodle to suit every unique desire.
Poodles have been a major breed in the recent movement to establish designer dog breeds as a result of these attractive characteristics of the breed.
They’ve also managed to keep poodles around the top of the list of the most popular dog breeds in the United States for several decades.
One disadvantage of their widespread appeal is that poodles are a favourite of amateur or backyard breeders, as well as of breeding businesses with a poor reputation.
As a result of the proliferation of designer breeds, there is greater ambiguity about what qualities to look for in the poodle breed as a result of this trend.
If you’re searching for a dog to breed or show, the breed traits of the dog you choose will be important factors in your decision-making.
Although blue eyes in a poodle can be indicative of a variety of problems, it is important to be aware of these difficulties before adopting or purchasing a dog from a rescue or breeding facility.
What causes blue eyes in an adult poodle is unknown.
- Eye Diseases
- Merle Gene
- Heterochromia
Heterochromia in Poodles is a genetic condition.
There are several hues in the literal translation.
People, horses, cats, and dogs can all be affected by this disease. It is possible that the merle gene or other breed-specific genes are responsible for this condition in dogs.
While blue eyes in a poodle can be caused by this or other recessive genetic characteristics, this is a rare occurrence. When this is the underlying reason for blue eyes in a poodle, there is usually no need to be concerned about the dog’s overall health.
Poodles are prone to eye diseases.
In the past, we’ve talked about pups that have blue eyes that may gradually darken as they get older.
We’ve also talked about adult dogs who have always had blue eyes, which is another topic. What should you do if your adult poodle with dark eyes suddenly has a pigment change in one or both of his eyes?
If something like this happens, you should be quite concerned. It is usually a sign of an underlying eye condition.
Cataracts and glaucoma are the two most prevalent types of eye disease. In either case, you’ll want to take your dog to the veterinarian as soon as possible because they both have the potential to cause irreparable blindness in dogs.
Are the Poodles with the Merle gene at risk of developing health problems?
When dog owner notices the presence of the merle gene in their dog, they begin to be concerned about the health of the breed lineage as well as the health of the dog in general.
If the merle gene has been passed down from each of the dog’s parents, it can be extremely hazardous.
Consequently, these dogs are referred to as “double merle” when this is the case. Over time, these canines might become blind, deaf, or deformed to the point that they are no longer able to survive.
There is still a great deal to learn about the merle gene in and of itself. As previously stated, the merle can have a minor influence on the poodle’s coat and overall colour, depending on how it is bred.
What Causes Blue Eyes in a Poodle?
There are numerous ideas concerning this, but according to Dog Coat Color Genetics, there are four possibilities for a dog to have blue eyes.
According to reports, three of the four have a lot to do with the amount of pigmentation.
Another issue might arise if the dog receives a very uncommon gene that exclusively codes for blue eyes. This gene is quite uncommon in poodles; it is more prevalent in Siberian Huskies and Border Collies.
The other three causes of blue eyes in poodles have to do with pigmentation problems.
Merle Genetics
As I previously said, the merle colour pattern is thought to be related to blue eyes in dogs. Merle, without a doubt, causes colour dilution in a variety of ways. Because these patterns are ad hoc, they tend to impact not just the coat, but also the skin and eyes.
In certain cases, the merle genes have resulted in a trait known as hetero-chromia, which permits the dog to have two differently coated eyes, one brown and the other blue.
A large quantity of dilution might cause blue eyes in one or both eyes.
Albinism
Albinism is an extremely unusual condition that can occasionally be observed in contemporary dog breeds. This is claimed to be so uncommon that no completely albino dogs are known to exist.
According to PetMD‘s study, dogs can be partly albino when they inherit genes that generate a specific sort of coat patterns such as piebald or merle.
Irises that are white
When a dog is born with white irises, it may indicate a lack of melanin development in the eye’s surrounding region, causing the eye to be blue.
Not to mention that poodles are not known to be prone to this specific lack of pigmentation.
About the Author: Dog Behavioural Consultant
Jennifer W loves Pets! She is an animal lover. She loves caring for and sharing her knowledge of all kinds of pets.
Her Love for pets made her Join the pet paws hub Team, to share knowledge with the world.
Jennifer W – Dog Behavioural Consultant
References
- AVMA– Vet
- The Everything Poodle Book (2004) by J.Adams
- Poodle Clipping and Grooming: The International Reference (2001) by S. Kalstone