Can Sheepadoodles Have Blue Eyes? (Quick Facts)

Sheepadoodle is a mixed breed dog that comes from the Old English Sheepdog and Poodle. This teddy bear-like dog is friendly and they are known to be great companions.

Sheepadoodles inherit their traits from their parent breeds and a lot of their physical appearance depends on their parents. Let’s dig deeper to know more about them.

Can sheepadoodles have blue eyes?

Sheepadoodles generally have oval-shaped eyes that are brown or dark brown in color. However, they might inherit one or two blue eyes from their parent breed, the Old English Sheepdog. The color of the eyes largely depends on the parent dogs and the color the parent dogs’ eyes were.

Do sheepadoodles have blue eyes?

There aren’t many variations when it comes to the color of the sheepadoodles eyes. Certain sheepadoodle dogs can have two blue eyes. But having only one blue eye is also common among this breed of dogs.

Sheepadoodles inherit the blue eyes from the Old English Sheepdog. If any of the parents of the sheepadoodle had blue eyes then chances are high that the newborn would also have blue eyes.

Generally, the most common eye color in the sheepadoodle breed is brown. You will find many different variations of brown eyes in sheepadoodles but mostly are either brown or dark brown.

The entirety of eye color trait depends on a few factors including genes, pigmentation, and sometimes health issues that can cause the dog’s color to alter.

Are all sheepadoodle puppies born with blue eyes?

All sheepadoodle puppies are born with blue eyes because of the underdeveloped pigment melanin in their iris. This deficiency in melanin at an early age causes their eyes to appear blue.

However, the puppies have a clear eye color that seems blue because of light reflection and refraction.

Only the sheepadoodle puppies that have inherited the blue eyes from their parents have the same blue eyes when they become adults. Others turn into a darker colored eye when the pigment melanin starts developing.

But even then due to health issues the eyes of the sheepadoodle puppies might remain blue with growing age.

The color of the eyes depends on the melanin. If the melanin in their eyes remains underdeveloped, the sheepadoodles will have a light-colored eye. And the opposite will happen if the melanin develops normally.

Do sheepadoodle puppies with blue eyes stay blue?

Only the sheepadoodle puppies whose parents have blue eyes will inherit the blue eye color and they will remain blue even when the sheepadoodle becomes an adult.

Some sheepadoodle puppies get their blue eyes because of the inherited genes while others have it because of health issues.

The sheepadoodles inherit their blue eyes from the Old English Sheepdog. But when they are puppies almost all the pups seem to have blue eyes because of underdeveloped pigments in the eye. As they start to grow the color starts turning darker.

Another considerable factor is the merle gene. If your sheepadoodle pup has the merle gene then it would retain the blue-colored eye even after maturing.

Are blue eyes dominant in sheepadoodle?

Blue eyes aren’t dominant in sheepadoodle dogs. It is a recessive trait which means two mutated copies of the genes are required for the blue-colored eyes to exist. The dominant color among the sheepadoodle breed is brown and dark brown.

Sheepadoodle dogs that have blue eyes inherit it. However, as scientists put it, it’s not blue, rather it’s a clear color that reflects light and creates a blue aura like the sky. As sheepadoodle puppies start to grow up, the pigments start developing.

When the pigments develop, some sheepadoodles lose their blue eye color and it turns into a dark brown color. And that’s the dominant color for the sheepadoodle breed.

What color eyes do Sheepadoodles have?

The dominant eye colors of Sheepadoodles are brown or dark brown. But due to some issues it can be blue or clear as well.

Brown:

Brown-colored eyes are a dominant trait for sheepadoodles. Most sheepadoodles grow into this color. As they start to mature their clear eyes start producing pigment melanin and their eyes turn to brown.

Blue:

Some sheepadoodles have blue eyes even as an adult. They can sometimes have one blue eye while the other one is of a different color.

A similar type of trait is in with the husky breed and the parent of the sheepadoodles, the Old English sheepdog.

When the sheepadoodles are young their eyes also appear to be blue but they soon start losing the color.

Dark Brown:

This shade of brown is also common for the sheepadoodle breed. The dark brown color depends on how much melanin the eye pigments have.

If the melanin is less then they’ll have a lighter shade of brown but if the melanin develops entirely then the eye color would be much darker.

Clear Color:

When the sheepadoodles are brown they have underdeveloped pigments that make their eyes seem blue. However, in reality, their eyes are crystal clear, and only because of light’s reflection and reflection the eyes appear to be blue.

Once they start developing the pigment melanin different colors start to form

What causes sheepadoodle to have blue eyes?

Various aspects can cause the sheepadoodle to have blue eyes. Let’s get to know them.

The Merle Gene:

Do you have white spots of hair on your sheepadoodle’s body and face? A pink nose, either partially or completely? This is caused by cells that are unable to produce pigment, and it might result in vivid blue eyes.

The Merle gene causes random pigment dilution on the nose, irises, and coats, which is more pronounced in specific breeds. The more pigmentation dilution on their fur and skin, the more probable it is that they will have blue colored eyes

Specific Disease (Heterochromia):

Heterochromia is defined as having two distinct color eyes. Humans, cats, dogs, and horses are all susceptible to this disease. This can be caused by the Merle gene, pigmentation loss, or just breed-specific genes.

In certain situations, having two different colored eyes might indicate a health problem such as cataracts or glaucoma.

Lack of pigmentation on the face:

Blue eyes can also be created by white patches of fur around the face of the sheepadoodle. Their fur cannot generate melanin around some of these parts, and their nose, eyes, and skin are all impacted.

Essentially, any breed with prominent areas of white fur on its face has the potential to produce blue eyes.

Inherited Genes:

Sheepadoodles can also inherit blue eye genes from the Old English dog which is its parent dog. The same reasons that apply to the sheepadoodle also apply to the Old English dog.

But the inherited genes by the sheepadoodles are not harmful and they can live a happy-fun life.

Albinism:

Albino pups are sometimes referred to as the C-series. They hardly have any pigments on their entire body, resulting in vivid blue eyes and a pink nose.

There is no such thing as a “pure” albino dog, although the sheepadoodle breed has demonstrated considerable pigment loss, which produces white fur, blue eyes, and a pink nose.

Recessive Genes:

Blue eyes have been observed to emerge in any breed, even if their direct parents show no evidence of possessing those features. This is most frequent in a mixed breed when a husky or shepherd was perhaps introduced into the line.

However, because blue eyes are a recessive trait, they can appear in the sheepadoodle breed.

What does it mean when a sheepadoodle has blue eyes?

When a sheepadoodle has blue eyes it generally means mainly two things. Either they have inherited the gene or it is because of some sort of issue. However, having blue eyes isn’t a cause for concern as it can simply be a genetic cause.

Sheepadoodles sometimes have white patches on their face. This lack of pigmentation around the face can cause blue eyes to form. But if you’re unsure about your pal’s lineage then you can contact a vet for a diagnosis.

Are blue-eyed dogs healthy?

Whether a blue-eyed dog is healthy or not depends on the reason behind the blue eyes. If the dog inherited the blue eyes then the pup will be completely healthy. But if your dog is a ‘double-merle’ then your dog has the risk of going blind or deaf.

Some dark-eyed dogs might turn blue out of nowhere. This is often an indication that your dog has contracted an eye disease namely glaucoma or cataracts.

Are blue eyes bad for dogs?

This also depends on the dog’s nature of blue eyes. Often dogs with blue eyes have many health risks. On the other hand, this might simply be down to lack of pigmentation.

If you plan to get a blue-eyed dog, it’s always better to get hold of the medical records and run a full diagnosis of your new companion.

Do all blue-eyed dogs go blind?

Not all blue-eyed dogs will go blind. If your dog is a ‘double-merle’ then there’s a risk of blindness and deafness. Double-merle means when the offspring has two Merle carrier parents.

In other instances, diseases like cataracts and glaucoma can turn the eyes blue and cause blindness as well.

What dog breeds have bright blue eyes?

Certain pure-bred and even mixed breeds can have bright blue eyes. Here’s a list of the breeds:

Siberian Husky
Australian Shepherd
Daschund
Border Collie
Weimaraner
Cardigan Welsh Corgi
Alaskan Klee Klain
Great Dane
Pitbull
Catahoula Leopard Dog

To sum things up, while blue eyes may seem attractive and out of the ordinary to some, there’s always a bit of health risk associated with it. So for your loyal companion’s health safety, you should always consult a vet.