Why do Nihon Ken have dark eyes?

Sangmort

I've always wondered! I know the standard is to have dark eyes, but I can't help but think how even more stunning a shikoku would be with amber or light brown eyes...like a wolf!


[ don't get me wrong, I love our precious nihon ken as they are, it was just a thought & was wondering if there's a specific reason behind the dark eyes ]~

Zinja

Was this question sparked by my post of the Akita with awesome blue eyes?

edit: I want to give Sasuke sharingan contacts.

Sangmort

Of course Joe!


LMFAO!!! That'd be SOOO fitting! Then he'd be the best "Sasuke" Cosplayer EVER haha You should get him a collar that looks like the ninja headband! ~

Zinja

I wonder if they have contacts for dogs.... lol

edit: speaking of which... are you going to megacon?

Sangmort

Yep, on Saturday! I'm not a big fan & haven't been in years, but I promised my kid sister if she got good grades I'd take her... I figure maybe I can pick up some Zoids models or something whilst I'm there. ~

Zinja

Lol, I was really, really close to going. We had the hotel booked and everything, but I finally saw the lineup... Not a big fan of Battlestar galactica and the other special guests they have this year... Last year and the year before that was good. My brother and I was just not as excited to go this year.

Back to your topic...

BradA1878

I think the answer to your question is "selective breeding".

dlroberts

Wow. I thought I was the resident geek....

maxwells

I am reminded of the comment – “I know why your eyes are brown, you’re full of S&*%!”

Well, I guess given some of the Nihon’s predilection for drama, games and being silly – maybe that’s why?

(big wink!)

Calia

I think other eye colors are just a mutation that never occurred in the breed, so thus is not to have anything else as that may entail possible mixing with another breed. Though it would be interesting to a shiba (or any nihonken) with the wolf yellow eyes

*EDIT* felt like adding a picture

Sangmort

Dave...I told you there's competition!


I'm just wondering...why dark? I think lighter colored eyes are a fault...


That's a good point Beth.~

Zinja

Well the Japanese did breed the dogs to have somewhat slanted eyes... maybe the dark eyes has something to do with the culture... O.o

Heidi

Yeah, they do kind of have Japanese-looking faces.

lingmorton

i always thought they kinda look like japanese people x)
living in japan, i see japanese ppl walking their nihon-kens, and sometimes i feel that theres a resemblance between the doggy and the owner x)

Sangmort

lol! ~

Nekopan

Dark brown is the default colour for dog eyes. Light brown or amber/yellow eyes are caused by a dilution or modification of eumelanin(black pigment). Dilutions are not found often in Nihon Ken, except possibly cream Shibas. Blue eyes are either caused by merle genes(think Australian Shepherd) which are non-existant in Nihon ken, albinism, or a seperate gene as found in Siberian Huskies.

Genetics on canine eye colour

Darwin67

One interesting thing I read about eye color (these kind of questions intrigue me and get me lookin) was the theory that europeans intentionally bred for dark eyes in order to veer away from the more ominous light amber/yellowish eyes that wolves posses, which tends to intimidate humans.

Leonberger

The Castro Laboreiro here in Portugal is bred to have quite a range in eye colour. It can go from amber/yellow eyes to black in the darker coloured dogs.

A Castro Laboreiro staring at you with yellow eyes is a vey impressive sight.

They're also LGDs and legend has it that some might have been bred with wolves.

Heidi

This reminds me of the time when someone thought I was making some kind of racist joke when I said Tojo was Japanese. They thought I was just saying that because he was yellowy-coloured with a roundish face and narrow, slanted eyes. Haha... nope, he really is just Japanese.