The Australian Shepherd is one of a few dog breeds that commonly have two different colored eyes, called heterochromia. Aussies might have any combination of brown, blue, hazel, amber, or green eyes. Some Aussies even display more than one color within the same eye.
In dogs with heterochromia, the lack of melanin causes one of their eyes to appear blue or bluish-white. Heterochromia in dogs is often hereditary, meaning it is passed through their genetic makeup. But it can also be acquired later in life as the result of an eye injury or a health condition, points out Dogster.
What is it about Aussies that causes them to have heterochromia? It all comes down to genetics. Those two different eye colors, which is also known as wall eye, is one trait of many in dogs that their mother and father canine can pass down. With two parents, a puppy's gene copies double.
Green is the rarest Australian Shepherd's eye color. Just as in humans, green eyes are rare among dogs because they aren't green; they are a unique shade of brown that refracts light in such a manner as to appear green.
Pups that are destined to have eyes that are very dark, almost black, will have dark irises of a midnight blue color from the beginning. In a puppy with split or marbled eyes part of the iris is dark like this pup's eyes, and the blue area is pale. This female from the same litter has eyes that stayed blue.
Sometimes Australian Shepherds which are not merle will have blue eyes. Either or both eyes may be blue. Sometimes they are half blue/half pigmented. They are rarely flecked or marbled.
An Australian Shepherd puppy price can range anywhere from $700-$3,000. There are many factors that can affect the price, ranging from the breeder's reputation to even the dog's coat color.
Blue eyes are not more susceptible to eye defects and disease but they are more sensitive to bright light (just as they are in blue-eyed people.) There is no clear association of blue eyes to deafness in Aussies; deaf Aussies virtually always have too much white on the head or are double merle.
Aussies with blue and red merle coats tend to be more expensive than most of the other color variations. Although blue merles are the most common coats for Aussies, they're also one of the most highly sought after.
Blue eyes in Aussies: Having blue-eyes does not mean a dog is blind. Blue eyes or partially blue eyes can occur in any color dog. Eye defects caused by the merle gene are due to having two copies of the merle gene. Cataracts and distichiasis are the most common eye diseases in Aussies.
That said, the trait is still quite rare. In our DNA testing, we've found only about 5% of dogs to have the blue eye variant. Genetic variants may cause only one eye to be blue.
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.
While dogs with blue eyes may be more sensitive to light than dogs with green eyes or brown eyes, Dr. Robinson says that unless they are a “double-merle” carrier, these pups can almost always see just fine.
The Australian Shepherd is one of a few dog breeds that commonly have two different colored eyes, called heterochromia. Aussies might have any combination of brown, blue, hazel, amber, or green eyes. Some Aussies even display more than one color within the same eye.
However, the process occurs slowly and doesn't happen overnight. It often takes nine to 12 weeks, starting from this point, for a puppy's eye color to settle in and “stay.” The permanent eye color change can even happen as late as 16 weeks in age.
While blue eyes sounds like a desirable trait to reproduce, the Merle gene can have a dark side when breeding – which is known to cause a number of major health concerns . When two Merle carriers are bred their litter then becomes known as “double merle” and are at a much greater risk of health issues.
They have feathering on the back of the legs and a generous mane around the neck. Coat colors vary and might be blue or red merle or red or black tricolor, all with white and/or tan markings. Most Aussies have a naturally short tail, but sometimes tails are docked if longer than four inches.
Dogs with excess white markings, sometimes referred to as mismarks, or over-marked. Australian Shepherds with too much white are usually healthy(exceptions noted below). There are entire breeds that allow far more white than typical of Aussies.
Aussies are best suited for families with an active lifestyle and a large fenced yard. They need plenty of exercise and mental stimulation to prevent boredom. They can weigh between 35 and 70 pounds and have an average life span of 12-13 years.
Are blue eyes are related to deafness? Blue eyes may be associated with deafness, but not always. In some breeds, like the Dalmatian, the association is high. In Aussies it does not appear to be a significant factor.
Blue eyes, resulting from an absence of pigment in the iris, is common with pigment-associated deafness but is not, in and of itself, an indication of deafness or the presence of a deafness gene; however, in several breeds (Dalmatian, English Setter, English Cocker Spaniel, Bull Terrier), dogs (and cats) with blue eyes ...
Blue and light-colored eyed dogs commonly experience light sensitivity and a little shade can go a long way to make them more comfortable outdoors.
Australian Shepherd
Also known as the Aussie, the Australian Shepherd naturally carries the gene for blue eyes. A high-energy working breed, the Aussie is beloved for its unique coloring—and not just its eyes! Aussies come in merle, red merle, blue merle, black, black tricolor, red tricolor, and more.
Is a blue merle Australian Shepherd rare? While blue merle Australian Shepherds are undoubtedly beautiful, they're not particularly rare. The blue merle color pattern is surprisingly common in this breed, being more frequent than the red merle.
Adult Australian Shepherds need around 12 to 14 hours of sleep daily, depending on how much energy they burn during the day.