The Cockapoo, a beautiful, tiny dog with the attitude of a funny class clown, is possibly the earliest of the “designer dogs” (dogs that are not purebred).
They can be dated as far back as the 1960s rather than the other mixed breeds that are only a few years old. Cockapoos come from the Cocker Spaniel and the Poodle.
Cockapoos inherit their physical traits from the Poodle and Cocker Spaniel. But a common query among cockapoo lovers is, what can be their physical attributes? It’s time to find out.
Can cockapoos have blue eyes?
When cockapoos are young puppies, they have blue eyes. However, as they start to get mature the blue color starts deteriorating and a darker shade comes through because of melanin formation. Having said that, cockapoos that have the merle gene can have blue eyes even when they become adults.
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All puppies, when they are born have blue eyes or at least it seems so. The underdeveloped melanin pigment in their eyes combined with the light’s refraction and reflection causes their eyes to look blue. But in reality, their eyes are clear and don’t have any color pigments.
Adult cockapoos that have blue eyes are usually the carrier of the merle gene. Merle cockapoos lack color pigments in their coats and visible grey patches cover the body. Blue merle cockapoos can have either one or two blue eyes depending on the inherited gene.
Why does my cockapoo have blue eyes?
You might have a cockapoo with blue eyes. While the blue eyes may be dreamy, you should know the reason behind your cockapoo’s blue eyes. This will allow you to safeguard your cockapoo better.
The Merle Gene:
The word ‘merle’ refers to a coat pattern in which the color is mottled and seems ‘faded’ in spots. This is known as a dapple pattern in some breeds, and it offers a better sense of how the coat will look.
Merle dogs have areas of solid color typically black, tan, or white interspersed with a lighter color either light red or grey.
The pale color is caused by a deficiency in the gene that creates that coat color. This merle gene also causes cockapoos to have one or sometimes two blue eyes.
Blue-eyed cockapoo puppy:
All cockapoo puppies are born with blue eyes. When the cockapoos are young, the melanin in their eyes isn’t formed properly. This creates an illusion that their eyes are blue whereas they are actually clear.
The pigment in the iris is called melanin. It is generated by cockapoo eyes that progressively alter the color of the dog’s eyes from blue to brown.
Heterochromia:
Heterochromia is the condition of having two different colored eyes. This illness may infect different animals as well as humans. The Merle gene, pigmentation loss, or simply breed-specific genes can all cause this.
Further research needs to be conducted on the exact genetic issue that is causing the cockapoo to have blue eyes.
Breeding issues:
Certain breeding techniques might have caused the cockapoo to have blue eyes. Because with mixed breeds a lot of traits and characteristics get shifted to the younger generations.
There might have been a mutation that happened early in the evolution of the cockapoo breed. Because it is prevalent in a variety of herding breeds, they might have shared a common ancestor who got the mutation and passed it on to subsequent generations.
Will my cockapoos eyes stay blue?
Whether the eyes of your cockapoo will stay blue or not depends on the nature of the blue eyes. If your cockapoo has the merle gene, then its eyes will remain blue even as an adult.
However, as we know, all cockapoo puppies have blue eyes, and as they start to grow up their eye color changes to brown, hazel, or dark brown.
Because of the undeveloped melanin pigment in their iris, all cockapoo puppies are born with blue eyes. But once the melanin starts to develop, the blue disappears.
So, when your cockapoo is a newborn, you won’t be able to tell whether the blue eyes are permanent or not without proper diagnosis.
Only when the pup starts to grow up, you’ll find out if the blue eyes will stay blue. Mature cockapoos with blue eyes are known to be merle dogs. However, in some rare instances, blue eyes can be naturally inherited without any health risks.
Do cockapoos eyes change color?
Once the cockapoo puppies start to develop the melanin in their eyes then the color of their eyes starts to change. This gradual change takes time. You won’t see the change in eye color overnight.
As the cockapoos start to grow up gradually their clear bluish eyes start to transform. At first, they become cloudy, and soon after that their eyes start to develop color pigments. Noticeably, the prominent eye colors include hazel, brown, dark brown, and even green.
Merle cockapoos have blue eyes throughout their lifespan. So, if your cockapoo is a merle dog then the blue color won’t change.
What color are cockapoos eyes?
There are a few variations of color that are widely seen among the cockapoo breeds. However not all the colors listed below are widely available. Some are more common than others.
Brown:
cockapoos have brown eyes as a prominent feature. The majority of cockapoos mature to this hue. Their clean eyes begin to produce pigment melanin as they develop, and their eyes become brown.
A point to be noted, you will find different shades of brown in this breed. So, one cockapoo would be a bit different than the other.
Hazel:
Hazel-colored eyes aren’t very common for the cockapoo breed. However, you will find a few if you look for it hard enough.
Green:
Cockapoos with hazel eyes are sometimes confused with green eyes. When the melanin develops to a darker shade, the hazel eyes turn green. Green is among the main two colors for the cockapoo breed and green-eyed cockapoos are truly beautiful.
Blue:
Even as adults, some cockapoos have blue eyes. They can occasionally have one blue eye and one of a different hue. When cockapoos are young, their eyes seem blue as well, but they quickly lose the hue.
The merle cockapoos keep the blue color in their eyes after growing up due to the merle gene.
No Color:
All the cockapoos have blue eyes due to undeveloped pigments as pups. But researchers say, their eyes are clear, and the only reason they seem blue is due to light refraction and reflection.
When they begin to create the melanin pigments, new hues begin to emerge.
Are blue-eyed cockapoos more likely to go blind?
Whether a blue-eyed dog is prone to blindness on not depends on the ancestral history. When it comes to the cockapoo breed, there’s a chance of the dog going blind if it’s a merle cockapoo.
Not all merle cockapoos are susceptible to eye diseases. Only a double merle cockapoo has the risk of going blind or deaf. When both the parents of a cockapoo are carriers of the merle gene and they pass it down to the offspring, that cockapoo is called a double merle.
If your dog isn’t a double merle then the risks are far less. However, it’s better to know about your cockapoo’s medical history so that in case of any concern comes up you can be prepared for it.
Do Cockapoos have eye problems?
Cockapoos can have a variety of eye problems, many of which are curable. Medication is often sufficient, although more severe cases may necessitate surgery at some time.
Of course, Cockapoos can have hereditary eye disorders including glaucoma and progressive retinal atrophy.
Weepy eyes, often known as tear staining, are a frequent optical problem among Cockapoos. This is more common in lighter-colored dogs, although it can occur in darker-colored dogs as well. Tear staining can be produced by a variety of factors, both benign and severe.
However, you can avoid these health issues of your cockapoos by choosing an expert breeder.
Do all cockapoo puppies have blue eyes at first?
Because of the undeveloped pigment melanin in their iris, all cockapoo puppies are born with blue eyes. Their eyes look blue due to a lack of melanin at a young age.
Melanin determines the color of the eyes. Cockapoos will have light-colored eyes if the melanin in their eyes stays undeveloped. The reverse will occur if melanin forms properly.
What is the rarest eye color for cockapoos?
The rarest eye color for a cockapoo is green. Green-eyed cockapoos are very hard to find and the green color often turns to hazel as the cockapoos start to get older.
Hazel-eyed cockapoos are also rare but since it’s just a lighter shade of brown people often get confused.
How do you tell what color eyes your cockapoo puppy will have?
To know what color your cockapoo puppy will have you will need to know the details of the pup’s parents. If the parents have brown eyes then the puppy will have a similar shade.
However, merle parents can cause your cockapoo to have blue-colored eyes.
Are blue eyes bad for cockapoo?
Only if your blue-eyed cockapoo is a double merle dog, then it may be bad for the cockapoo. Having said that, normal merle dogs can also be prone to certain eye diseases.
So, if your cockapoo has blue eyes, you should consult a vet and get a thorough diagnosis.
In conclusion, even though blue eyes appear to be lovely, there is always a health risk linked with them. So, for the sake of your cockapoo, you should always contact a vet.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Do Cockapoos Have Docked Tails?
Do Cockapoos Have Hair or Fur? Do They Shed?