Big Paws Only Dog Forums
Mountain Dogs => Bernese Mountain Dog Discussions => : anniemae May 05, 2005, 09:04:53 PM
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Hi everyone!
I will be getting our first big dog, a berner..very excited! I do have a question...??? The pup I picked out has one very dark blue eye. The breeder said he would of been the pick..until she noticed one eye blue. I asked if it would turn brown, she didn't think so..I had talked to another berner breeder that I have known for a long time about the pup in concern the eye would be a "glassed eye" (ice blue) He said : a glassed eye is from birth, a dark blue eye will not turn ice because it does have a dark factor in it. He thinks there is a good chance the eye can turn, he is still young..5 1/2 weeks. This breeder has a beautiful boy that had two dark blue eyes until he was 8-10 weeks old and they are now brown. Have any of you ever experienced this?? Love to hear from you!
Thanks!
Ann Marie
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I don't know anything about this, but i have seen dogs with different colored eyes and I think it looks very neat. Actually my husbands mother had two different colored eyes too!
Is this dog for shows or a companion only?
Vicki
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Hi Viki!
Thanks for your reply! This pup is beautiful, his eye is very dark blue..not ice blue. He is for pet, not show..I just don't like that ice blue eye..kind of freaks me out..the breeder told me it will not be light...
Your dog is gorgeous! great picture!
I'll keep you posted!
Ann Marie
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Yea, the ice blue eye thing is kinda creepy... I don't know what it is about it, but it is strangly disturbing! For some reason when I see it I always assume the dog is blind in that eye...
I asked about showing simply because if you were looking for a show dog the eye color would matter, but if you were into showing dogs I'm sure you would have already known that and there for I needn't have asked it anyway!
I can't wait to see pics of the little guy if you get him. How exciting!
Vicki
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Hi Again Vicki!
I am a little nervous. Thats why I figured I'd start a post on it. There is a berner e-mailing list, but I am sure the breeder reads it, and don't want to up set her with my investigating this a little more. She is a great person and a wonderful breeder, this her first pup ever with a blue eye...so she really doesn't know too much about it. She knows I have a lot of questions , but she is not God and can't give me many answers to my questions. He is adorable..perf ect really except that eye. Dark blue, I can handle..ice blue..I can't. I was hoping someone on here had experienced it and can give me feed back. I know others reading this must be thinking..she is so worried..why just get another puppy?? Answer: I have waited 6 years to get a berner,,,he is from exceptional lines..healthy and great temperment..mo vement etc. just want to know if dark blue turns ice blue..if so I may wait for the next litter. Some people tell me I am crazy after waiting so long to consider this..some people tell me if he's healthy and a good dog..so what about the eye..I'll love him for him. I am in the middle, just trying to learn more about this...thats all!
I will keep you posted..and I will post pictures when we get him home!
Chat soon
Ann Marie
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Hi Ann Marie,
Our girl McKinley has a blue eye. We love her more than anything and find the eye to make her special. It's always a topic of conversation when we meet people in the park. alot ask if she's blind in that eye. ( she's not) We sometimes tell people that she forgot to put in a contact this morning. We have fun with it. Unless you are looking for a show dog I wouldn't worry about it. You'll love your new puppy no matter what color her eyes are.
Good Luck with your new puppy,
Barry
McKinley & Ted
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Hi there,
Day-z has one partially blue eye, it is Persistent Pupillary membrane and she would have been a show dog without this. Her parents both are, but with this she can't be. Initially the breeder told me she would not experience any issues with this and that nothing can be done. I accepted that for a while, but my vet has referred me to an eye specialist.
Before i got my Day-z, the breeder had her eye checked out and she can see through it, maybe not as well as through the other, but well enough and since she has been like this since birth she is fine. As she grows, the amount of blue stays the same, and the rest of her eye is brown and clear.
The eye specialist has said to me that we could consider laser surgery to break up the blue a little, but when we saw him she had just been spayed and i did not want to put her through something new. Now, i am thinking about it. But, she is not in the least bit bothered by it and is very active. I am not sure who i would be doing the operation for.
What do you guys think.....
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Hi Barry!
Oh she is beautiful!! Thanks for sharing her picture! Did she start off with a very dark blue eye? Did it get lighter as she became older?? Your right..I am not showing..he will be part of our family..God made him special.. I will post a picture when we get him home..but if you can answer the above questions it will be appreciated!
Thanks..
Ann Marie
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Oh Day-z is just gorgeous!!!!!
Don't do the operation, she is healthy and beautiful just as she is..you can't even see it in the picture. My little guy is from Ch. show parents...ch.'s in pedigree's going way back. Truly exceptional lines and all health clearances done and clear (a huge plus) . He would have been the pick of the litter, but with the one blue eye, he can’t be bred or shown. So now he is coming home to us..3-4 more weeks to go.. I’ll keep you posted!
Ann Marie
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Oh Day-z is just gorgeous!!!!!
Don't do the operation, she is healthy and beautiful just as she is..you can't even see it in the picture. My little guy is from Ch. show parents...ch.'s in pedigree's going way back. Truly exceptional lines and all health clearances done and clear (a huge plus) . He would have been the pick of the litter, but with the one blue eye, he can’t be bred or shown. So now he is coming home to us..3-4 more weeks to go.. I’ll keep you posted!
Ann Marie
Thanks for this. I am thinking that if the eye becomes a problem we will deal with it then. She doesn't know anything about it and i hate making her go through surgery etc unless she needs it. I slept next to her the night before she went in to be speyed (in her room, not mine) and cried like a baby when i dropped her off. So, i have completely lost all logic where this dog is concerned.
Today, she is at doggy day care, i am going away next weekend and do not want her to stay somewhere that she is caged. And, so, she has gone for her 6hr interview to see how she gets on without me, and assuming all well then she will go there next weekend. Is just the best place, they all play together, go for walks etc and someone is always there with them. I so, hope she likes it.
I get more work done when she is not here, but it just is not the same.
Am sure you will love your boy how i love her.
Have a good weekend.
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Her eye has stayed a consistant color since she was a pup.
I've heard a unique term for it. An elderly man at the park once called it a watch eye. Anybody ever heard of that before?
Barry
McKinley & Ted
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Barry.
They use the term watch eye usually with horses. A light blue eye is also know an a glassed eye.
Is her eye light blue?? Don't know if the picture shows real color.
How old is she now??
When I get a picture, I post it...
Ann Marie
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Yeah, it's a light blue. It really stands out against the black.
I always loved the Aussies with two different colored eyes, I guess it's why it hasn't been an issue with me.
Barry
McKinley & Ted
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my aussie, Rocko had beautiful blue eyes when he was a pup, but they turned a marbled white and brown color - they are freaky, but I love them!
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I know a Berner in my area with one blue eye. I wouldn't worry about it if your pooch is a pet. You won't get far showing though ;)
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I know there isn't being actively discussed now, but I just had to comment as someone who raises Berners. I find it absolutely unbelievable that your breeder, assuming she is a reputable one, isn't discussing blue eye in Berners with you. It is very common and considered a fault for show purposes so it disqualifies them in the ring. I do not believe any breeder who says she has never had one, unless she has had less than 3 litters. I don't personally know a breeder who has never had a blue eye.
So onto the blue eye - there is absolutely nothing wrong with the functionality of the eye. It is simply a recessive trait - just like in us humans. It takes the gene in each parent to create it. Some Berners have one blue eye, and some even have two. The blue is typically a light, bright blue, just like the Aussie eye. If the pup is going to have a blue eye, you know it by 6 weeks of age. If a blue eye is there, it is not going to change.
If you are not going to show or breed the dog, and it will be a companion animal instead, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a blue eye in the Berner - it is unique after all.
I strongly encourage Berner owners to join the Berner-L or NaturalBerners discussion groups on Yahoo Groups. There is a lot about the breed that requires experience and knowledge, so these lists are very helpful.
Good luck
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Well, we've had 10 litters of Berners in our years of involvement with them and have never had a blue eye. The gene is not common in the lines we've worked with. We also have darker faces (less white). The more white and blue eyes often are seen together.
Most babies that will end up with brown eyes are born with dark blue eyes that gradually turn. We did have one litter that we thought we might have blue eyes in, because the eyes were grayer than usual. They ended up a lighter brown. A blue eye is bright blue, almost from the time the eyes open, or so I've been told.
There is nothing wrong with a blue eye, other than it can't be shown. It comes down to personal preference as to whether or not you like it.
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I am sure it is a DQ in the ring but in over all health NO...if you arent planning on showing or breeding then i dont see a problem in taking the pup...
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Its probably a moot point by now since this was asked in May, but I figured I'd share this site anyways. :D
http://www.ashgi.org/color/aussie_eye_color.htm
Yes it talks about aussie eye color, but it explains wonderfully about the different colors. Its also a great site about colors and genetics. ;D
My red tri aussie, Mojo had blue eyes until he was around 4 months or so. Hard to remember the exact age since it was 9yrs ago. lol But it was longer than most puppies keep their baby blue eyes. His ended up being a light amber color, not yellow or dark brown but in between.
My two deaf dogs both have blue eyes. A common misconception is that blue eyed dogs/cats are all deaf. However its actually almost the opposite. The reason that most deaf dogs have blue eyes is because of lack of pigment in the inner year. If their is no pigment in the inner ear, the nerve endings atrophy and die off. Usually if their is a lack of pigment there, it also extends to the eyes causing them to be blue. :)
~moni
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I think that site belongs to one of our members! I remember seeing it before when I was checking out her aussies.
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I've always liked blue eyes in dogs, and was really hoping to get a blue eyed husky mix out of my friend's litter. No such luck. Three had odd eyes, the other two had brown eyes. I picked out the prettiest of the bunch, and am always getting comments on her eyes, mostly if she is blind in that eye. Which I think is a funny question b/c I've never met a blue eyed dog that is blind. The only blind dogs I know have cataracts, which makes their eyes white, not blue. :-\
It's an especially funny question since so many huskies have blue, odd eyes, or bi-eyes. I haven't met one yet that was blind.