eye coloring

[jocoyn]

ok I am having a dog of a time with the search function.

The standard specifies that dark eyes are to be preferred. Does anyone know why that is and what, if any, problems are associated with light eyes?

Most of the GSDs I have seen light eyes on are dark sables, btw, who have light brown eyes. And who also have good pigment elsewhere - skin, nails, mouth, nose, pads.............

I know, a standard is a standard is a standard. I get it.
I am just asking why? Is it some frivolity or is there an underlying reason for it?

The discussion is on PDB but I think it will go south because people get defensive - I think the OP wa asking faults are faults but which faults are worse faults (The suggestion to look at the Breed Survey Rules was good because it defined that any fault kicks you down,at best, to KKL2

[Chris Wild]

The only thing I remember hearing or reading was somewhere in Max's book him saying dark eyes appeared more intelligent and less feral. I'd suspect it really came down mainly to personal preference on the part of the breed founders.

Possibly, part of the reasoning against light eyes was due to erroneous associations between light eyes and faulty pigmented dogs, similar to a misunderstanding between white and albino being a big part of why whites were disfavored. Blues and Livers have light eyes, so perhaps they though a light eyed dog carried the dilution genes?

Medium brown eyes are perhaps not ideal, but are quite accepted and not a major fault and isn't going to knock a dog down a rating. The eyes have to be pretty light, getting to the point of more yellow than brown, before it becomes a major issue.

[jocoyn]

Thanks for the insight.

[onyx'girl]

I have noticed that most of the longer/plush coats have a lighter eye coloring...anyone else see that too?

[WiscTiger]

Nope I have three coats and Lakota has the lightest eye which isn't that light at all.

I saw a picture once of really really light eyes on a very dark dog. The eyes were almost yellow, it was freaky looking.

[travis_gsd27]

My GSD has light eyes -they are pretty much yellow and very wolf like- [mind you he isnt the best bred GSD] and I have been told by a member on here that it is possible that he carries the dilute gene.

Is there a possibility that light eyes can infact be linked to dilution genes?

[jocoyn]

That is what I was wondering, but Grim has very dark pigment. His mouth is black inside, his skin is dark, nails, nose, etc. But his eyes are light. A lot of the other dogs like him have the lighter eyes. (Perhaps the Czechs did not care about that as much)

It is unsettling looking into them. I can gaze into the other dogs eyes his are more "intimidating" (but he isn't) - It is hard to be too intimidated by a dog walking around the hosue with a sock in his mouth.

[WiscTiger]

I saw the yellow eyes on a dark dog and the sire to one of my dogs was a black and had light eyes, not to the yellow, but with the black face it really stood out.

So I don't think there is a connection between eye color and dilution of coat color.

[WiscTiger]

Nancy, the eyes I saw were honestly yellow, I clicked to a website and those freaky eyes were what I saw on the page. It was spooky. The dog was for sale and I am sure was sold for breeding, but I would pass on that for a stud.

[jocoyn]

I don't think I've seen really yellow eyes on a GSD / just light brown - light enough to differentiate the pupil from the iris.