Why do Australian shepherds have 2 different colored eyes?

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.

Is it common for Australian shepherds to have different colored eyes?

They often have two different colored eyes. 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.

What does it mean when a dog has two different colored eyes?

Heterochromia
Causes of Heterochromia in Dogs Heterochromia is caused by a lack of the pigment melanin in all or part of one 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.

Is it rare for dogs to have two colored eyes?

Heterochromia iridis is a rare (and often strikingly gorgeous) condition in which animals, including humans, have two different colored eyes. It’s particularly noticeable in dogs and cats. Heterochromia occurs as a result of excess or lack of melanin in one eye. It may be congenital, or develop over time.

Is having heterochromia bad?

Only a doctor can tell if the change in the heterochromia is associated with a disease. However, there is no reason to worry about heterochromia in most cases and it tends to be benign. This condition is generally not harmful, and it does not affect a person’s quality of life.

Are dogs with different colored eyes deaf?

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 …

How common is two different colored eyes?

The instance of a person having two differently colored eyes is pretty uncommon, just 11 out of every 1,000 Americans. This uncanny trait is caused by several factors, and can actually develop over time.

Are blue eyes bad in dogs?

Are Blue Eyes In A Dog Bad? Blue eyes in dogs are usually considered as completely normal and there are no linked health problems to them.

Are blue eyes rare in dogs?

Blue-eyed dogs are rare. This distinctive look in one or both eyes is caused by a lack of pigment around the eye area, albinism, or a number of other genetic factors. Check out our article about how dogs get blue eyes, and the Dog Genetics website has more information about the genes that affect eye color.

Is heterochromia caused by inbreeding?

It may be inherited, or caused by genetic mosaicism, chimerism, disease, or injury. Though common in some breeds of cats, dogs, cattle and horses, due to inbreeding, heterochromia is uncommon in humans, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the United States, and is not associated with lack of genetic diversity.