Silver Lab With Blue Eyes: Beginners Guide 101

Silver Labs are as loving as other Labradors, but it’s their appearance that makes silver lab the chosen ones. The Striking Silver-Greyish Coat, muscular but lean body, and those prepossessing Blue eyes make Silver Labradors truly attractive.

Yes, for the unknowns, Silver Labradors have captivating Blue colored eyes. This eye color isn’t common in Labradors (in general), but the Silver Labs are separately blessed with this feature. Usually, Labradors have hazel or brown colored eyes. Chocolate Labradors perhaps get hazel or brown eye color, whereas the Black and Yellow Labradors have predominately brown colored eyes. Some of them might even have black or grey eyes, but that’s totally an exception and very rare.

 

Why do Silver Labradors have Blue eyes?

The unique Blue eyes in Silver Labradors are a result of recessive genes and a low melanin level which also correlates with their coat’s color.

Originally Silver Labradors were Chocolate Labradors but the ones with recessive genes or ‘dilute (dd) gene.’ Chocolate Labradors who inherit two copies of recessive genes turn out to be Silver Labradors, the very rare ones. And though Chocolate Labradors have a lot of differences in appearance from Silver Labs, they are quite similar in terms of eyes.

Do Silver Labradors keep their Blue eyes?

Silver Labradors are born with Blue eyes, but they do not keep their eye color the same for their entire life. Yes, the Blue eye color in Silver Labradors doesn’t stay forever, and it turns brown as the dog grows. It is likely possible but very rare for some Silver Labradors to keep their eye color Blue for their entire life.

DID YOU KNOW? Humans who are born with dominant genes have black or brown eyes, but the ones who carry recessive genes have Blue eyes. The biological fundaments are very similar between dogs and humans in terms of Blue eyes. 

Both Chocolate Labradors, as well as Silver Labradors are born with Blue eyes. However, the Blue color inevitably turns hazel or brown as the Labrador grows.

Do Blue eyes in Silver Labradors last forever?

Silver Labradors’ Blue eyes aren’t long-lasting, and as the dog grows, their eye color change to brown. Some Silver Labs may continue to maintain Blue eye color, but that’s one of the very rare occasions.

As a Silver Labrador turns 4 to 6 or 8 months, its eyes start turning Brown from Blue. The change happens gradually, but Silver Labradors’ eyes would turn completely Brown before they turn a year old. In some cases, Silver Labradors’ eye color would change even within the first few weeks of birth, and that is completely normal.

Until what age does Silver Labrador maintain Blue eyes?

During the initial days of birth, Silver and Chocolate Labradors have completely Blue eyes. Complete Blue eyes mean no visible/ virtual difference between ‘Iris’ and ‘Pupil.’ However, that remains only for 8 to 14 days (until their eyes are closed), or a maximum of 20 days.

As soon as the Labrador opens his eyes (the first time after birth), the surroundings of their eyes start turning hazy. And as the dog turns 8 to 10 weeks old, its eyes start to change to their permanent color.

However, if the eye color doesn’t even slightly change for the first few months, then the Labrador is likely to have those Blue/ Grey eyes for its entire life.

What determines a dog’s eye color?

Dogs have beautiful eyes and eyes that are highly vocal. Eyes can convey when a dog is in awe of you and when he is about to charge over you. And do you know dog eyes come in a range of colors?

Yes, dogs have nearly 8 to 10 eye colors (or maybe more), and each of them is fascinating enough. The color of a dog’s eyes is determined by the amount of ‘Melanin’ found in the ‘Iris.’

A higher concentration of Melanin means Brown and Black eyes, and a lesser concentration of Melanin means Grey or Blue eyes.

Different Eye Colors in Dogs

1. Brown Eyes: It is the most common eye color a dog can have. Brown eyes could be different shades of neutral browns and are more evident in purebred dogs.
2. Hazel Eyes: Hazel is the totally uncommon eye color dogs can have, and in fact, it is super rare. However, amongst dog breeds like Huskies, Greyhounds, Pitt Bulls, and Havanese, Hazel colored eyes are definitely possible.
3. Blue Eyes: Another rare eye color, Blue eyes are undoubtedly the most beautiful you can have in dogs. Blue-colored eyes with different patterns are often a result of a merle gene. However, merle genes mean the dog would possibly run into a range of health complications throughout its life.
4. Amber Eye: Amber is another common eye color that can show up in several breeds, including different Hounds, Clumber Spaniels, and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers.
5. Complete Heterochromia Eye: Not common and not even rare, Heterochromia eyes are there in dogs. Wondering what Heterochromia is? Well, it is a condition where a dog would have two different colored eyes. Heterochromia is usually hereditary and is a result of low or no pigmentation in one eye. It is perhaps a birth defect that remains for a lifetime.
6. Segmental Heterochromia Eye: Segmental Heterochromia is when the dog has two separate Iris colors instead of two completely different eyes.
7. Green Eye: Green is another very rare and perhaps the scarcest eye color of all. Green eye color is the result of the same merle gene that leads to Blue eyes. However, dog breeds with green eyes tend to face a lot of health complications.

Do All Silver Labs Have Blue Eyes?

Yes, all Silver Labrador puppies are born with Blue Eyes. In fact, not all but a lot of Chocolate Labradors too have Blue eyes during the time of birth. However, both Silver and Chocolate Labradors (who fall under a similar category) get brown-colored eyes as they grow.

The Blue eye color is a result of a recessive ‘dilute’ gene, and that is why all Silver Labs and a few Chocolate Labs have Blue eyes initially.

Are Blue-eyed Silver Labradors rare?

Silver Labradors are undoubtedly very rare, but Blue-eyed Silver Labradors aren’t. Possibly, all Silver Labradors are born with Blue eyes, and there are no recorded instances where a Silver Labrador would have been born with different eye colors.

However, it is rare and very unlikely for Silver Labradors to have blue eyes as adults. Some Silver Labs might have green eye color as adults, but that, again, is very rare.

Do Blue eyes in dogs associated with any health issues?

Having Blue eyes isn’t a health problem or complication in itself. However, according to some experts, dogs with Blue eyes (who have blue eyes as adults as well) can likely suffer from Cochleosaccular deafness, Interstitial keratitis, Nuclear sclerosis, Canine infectious hepatitis, and Sight problems. However, each of these conditions is treatable.

Wrapping up…

Every Silver Labrador is born with Blue eyes, and as they grow, the eye color changes to brown. No (or very rare) Silver Labradors get to maintain the Blue colored eyes for a lifetime. Therefore, if a breeder claims a Lab puppy will have Blue eyes for life, he is probably lying.

No one at birth or during the first few months of birth can estimate whether the dog will keep the same eye color for life or not.