These dogs do not always have blue eyes, but pale blue, “ghostly” eyes are common among the breed.
The Toy and Mini Aussie breed standard allow eyes of any pigment color or combination of pigment colors. Aussie eyes have been seen that are golden, lemon yellow, amber, light brown, dark brown, green, orange, and blue.
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. Sometimes, these genes conflict with one another.
Once a newborn puppy's eyes are open, they look blue. But as their eyesight develops, your puppy's eye color starts changing. This is when puppy eye color shifts from blue to brown or green. However, the change doesn't happen overnight, and it will take a while for the color to resolve itself.
As pets age, the fibers of the lens, located in the posterior chamber of the eye, become more compacted and scatter light in such a way to give it a bluish or cloudy appearance . The condition is known as lenticular or nuclear sclerosis and may be visible as early as 7 years of age in dogs and cats.
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.
Which Mini Aussie colors are the rarest? Solid black and red coats are the least common coats among Aussie dogs, with solid red being the absolute rarest. The red-colored gene is recessive in dogs, meaning red fur must be present in both parents to make a red-colored pup.
A blue iris does not absolutely indicate the presence of the Merle gene; it may also be expressed in dogs carrying the piebald gene, such as the Dalmatian. There is no adverse consequence of the presence of the blue iris alone. Conversely, the other effects of the Merle gene may result in devastating blindness.
All puppies have blue (or bluish) eyes when they first open them. But by the time they're about 16 weeks old, their eyes change to their true color—typically brown. So, if you've got a young, blue-eyed pup at home now, keep in mind their eye color may change.
Mini Aussies are full grown between 11 and 13 months of age. Around 9 months of age they will have reached their full adult height and for the remaining months will fill out and continue to build muscle mass.
Your pet's eye or eyes appear red in color due to increased inflammation. This inflammation can be on the eyelids themselves leading to the red appearance or even due to the blood vessels becoming enlarged on the whites of the eyes known as the sclera.
Miniature Australian Shepherds are incredibly smart. These dogs will typically catch on to new tricks and commands in no time. However, this also means that you should be mindful of what you teach your dog and if you slip them any table scraps because your Mini Aussie won't soon forget.
The Aussie's desire to cuddle
Some breeds are, by nature, more affectionate than others. While the Aussie will typically reserve cuddling for one person or a group of trusted people, sometimes he won't want to cuddle at all. Let's take a look at some reasons this might be the case. Their age.
Australian Shepherds are known for their fierce loyalty with one person, that doesn't mean every Shepherd will act like that. Some Shepherds might not build a particularly strong bond with any one family member. Others might like one of you more than another, but they don't sit on you to show it.
Aussies can be very clingy. They crave human companionship and love being included in pretty much everything you do, including being involved in all family activity. Since they require an active lifestyle, they will want to join in everything and anything that is going on around them.
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.
Legend has it that Native Americans called Australian Shepherds “ghost eye” and thought they were sacred. These dogs do not always have blue eyes, but pale blue, “ghostly” eyes are common among the breed.
A blue eye in dogs is not a common occurrence, but it can happen. In most cases, the blue eye is a result of corneal edema, or when there is excess water in the cornea secondary to a disease process. The blue eye may be accompanied by other symptoms, such as discharge from the eyes or excessive tearing.
There are no major personality differences between male and female. They both have great personalities to make grand companions and family members. This is an awesome breed. Male or female is often a personal preference.
North American breeders developed Miniature American Shepherds from a group of small Australian Shepherds. Their intention was to create a more compact version of the dog without sacrificing its dependable character and keen instincts.
Miniature Australian Shepherds are easygoing, perpetual puppies that love to play. Courageous, loyal and affectionate, they are excellent children's companions that are great with active children. A devoted friend and guardian.
Blue eyes in dogs are completely normal and aren't linked with any health problems. Certain breeds, such as Siberian husky, carry a gene for blue eyes and don't experience any vision defects because of it. However, eye diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma can change a dog's eye color to blue gradually.
This term refers to a puppy bred by two merle colored Aussie parents. Many people are unaware, but when two merles (of any breed) are bred together, each puppy has a 25% chance of being born as a double merle.
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.