What do we know about Greybeards?

WrylyBrindle

Sage, my kai mix, is only 5 years old but he is really greying (actually turning white, but retaining his brindle stripes, just the "red" part of his face is turning white) about the muzzle/chin/cheeks (his beard) and over his eyes (like the dots some dogs have over their eyes.) Reilly is 8 and has a black muzzle (mask factor I think) and no greying in her face yet. This may be a question for Ann- does mask factor negate greying muzzles? Does greying only occur on red? Does Sage's sensitive/anxious nature make him more prone to greying or is that a myth? What do we know about greying dogs?

sunyata

Hmm. That is actually a really good question, and I am going to expand on it.

Bella has a very salt and pepper thing going on now. She will be 6 at the end of the month. This is actually not on her face, but on the top and back of her head and the back of her neck. If I remember, I will try and post a photo of it later this evening.

But to touch on Chrystal's point about the greying only on the red fur for Sage, the greying is on her black fur, not her red/tan fur.

ayk

I haven't been paying much attending to greying, but here's an example of a senior malinois that has grey into the mask.

tjbart17

All of Mei's red has now turned white. She will be three in the beginning of November. This is a very interesting question.

I thought it was a girl thing, but that wouldn't explain Sage. I guess I was wrong on that.

I too have wondered if Mei's early experiences/anxiety caused it or maybe nutrition, but then I noticed that she grayed after she came to me.

MirkaM

Ife has lots of grey in her muzzle and she looks so old! She has even more grey in muzzle than our 9 years old Schipperke .

shibamistress

Intriguing! I can't see it in my dogs yet, because Toby has the urajiro, which of course spreads as he gets older, so he's just white on his muzzle. Bel is the same, so any greying will be masked.

And Oskar's black muzzled but by far too young! But I'm super interested in the question!

Araks

Sevuk has a bit of grey on his "eyebrows" and a tiny bit on his muzzle and chin. He's almost 9 years old. Compared to the other min pins I've seen his age, he has the least grey. Sometimes I even think he's younger than the vet estimated.

BradA1878

Arrrgggg... Captain Greybeard! Sorry, sounds like a pirate name. lol

TheWalrus

Have seen gray around the mouth start coming in even in young Kai. Some lines seem predisposed to earlier graying I've been told...