terborg Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 Hello BC boards! Excited to be here as I'm looking for a BC pup to be my new companion. My question is in regards to the coloring of a BC puppy and any health issues that may or may not arise. My first and only other BC had a completely different color pattern, and so this territory is new for me. The pup has a white face and chest, blue eyes, black ears, and what looks to be some light ticking on his face. He is almost 10 lbs at 6 weeks, the biggest of the litter. My concern is what I've read about BCs with white faces, and only one of his eyes has a partial black rim, the other is pink. He is 6 weeks old in the pics. Will his eye rims fill in? I have read info online that this could be a problem with his genetics? I am not looking to train him as a stock dog, however he will be roaming with me on a 300 acre ranch and I would like to do some agility training, so I am hoping these health concerns that are associated with white BC's won't be an issue. My apology if these questions are redundant or elementary, I certainly appreciate all responses and am happy to be here! Thank you, Kyle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 Welcome! There is a discussion going on right now about white factoring with recent contributions in the last page or two - http://www.bordercollie.org/boards/index.php?showtopic=5113&page=1 That might help give you some information and background. The issue with white (or lack of pigment) and hearing problems is if there is no pigment *inside* the ear (not inside the external part of the ear but deeper inside the ear where the hearing organs are located). With a pup, you may be able to "test" by making noise and seeing how the pup responds. Experienced people can often detect issues this way. A BAER test administered by a trained professional can detect deafness at a young age, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terborg Posted August 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 thank you, Sue. Is the deafness the main concern with the color like his? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 Did you read that topic, at least the last couple of pages with the more recent posts? There are many, many split-faced and white-faced dogs, and dogs with lots of white all over, that are perfectly fine. But if there is no pigment deep in the ear, the dog will be deaf. It happens with double-merle breedings (and that sort of irresponsible breeding also often produces eye defects/blindness) but it can also happen in otherwise normal-looking dogs - like a split-faced dog that can be deaf in the ear on the colored side of the head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YankeeDoodle Posted August 13, 2013 Report Share Posted August 13, 2013 Just my personal experience with my own dog, he is white faced with a blue eye and a half blue and half green eye. I brought up the same concerns to the vet. He also has an ear that is half white as well so hearing was also a concern for me. He hears just fine (besides the occasional selective hearing ). He also has ticking, the eye with the pink rim is ticked but still otherwise white. Just thought I'd let you know we had the same concerns with Yankee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted August 13, 2013 Report Share Posted August 13, 2013 Do you work Yankee on sheep? It's very hard to notice partial hearing loss unless you work your dog at great distances (many hundreds of yards). While the chance is low that a white faced, blue eyed pup is deaf, it certainly would be concerning enough to me to pass on the litter unless the pups BAER tested normal. In case you wonder if I am biased against white faced dogs, this is one of my trial dogs. His face and ears are almost entirely white. He BAER tested normal at 7 weeks and continues to test normal at nearly 7 years old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted August 13, 2013 Report Share Posted August 13, 2013 It's not always easy to find someone who can do BAER testing, but generally it's relatively inexpensive and could give you (anyone concerned about their dog's hearing) a definitive answer. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted August 13, 2013 Report Share Posted August 13, 2013 Generally, veterinary schools do them. Some neurologists in private practice can as well. It does require special equipment and some training. I've paid between $35 and $75 a dog for testing, though I do have multiple dogs checked at once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gideon's girl Posted August 14, 2013 Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 For us, it's $75 plus a 3 hour drive, but peace of mind is worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YankeeDoodle Posted August 14, 2013 Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 We do lessons right now, but we are still in a round pen at the moment We also do agility classes. I have recalled him from pretty far away though so I am not really worried (nor was our vet) with his hearing. Either way he is getting BAER and CERF tested for his first birthday. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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