Significance of eye color in GSD's - Page 1

Folks,

Another piece of enlightenment I would like to achieve... can someone explain to me why the GSD should have dark brown eyes?  Light colored eyes are a show fault, right?  But does eye color affect a dog's vision?  Is this just a cosmetic thing, or is there some difference in how dogs see based on eye color?

Would love to hear the facts!  Thanks!

Yvette

I know on some breeds (Dalmatian, etc) blue eyes are linked blindness and deafness. Light eyes on a German Shepherd though tend to show poor pigment, though then the darker colored eyes.

I don't buy it. Some one once had a blue eyed dog, that happened to be deaf. Another guy had a light eyed dog with poor pigment, now they are all somehow linked. I just don't agree. I had a Dalmatian with a blue eye, yes a fault for show but the dog was perfectly marked, not deaf and had the best conformation I have seen an a Dal in person. Great dog. In a litter of 11, 1 male was deaf. The breeders kept him, he did not have a blue eye.

Deafness does affect a good number of Dals, like HD does the GSD. I don't attribute it to color, pattern of coat, eye color or any other general trait. It's in the genetic makeup of the dogs, but doesn't show in another outside way.

some GSDs with the darkest pigment have light brown or "yellowish" eyes - when they are presented to Koermeisters I hear "should have darker eyes" but they do not seem to be heavily faulted for it, as in not awarded the rating their conformation/structure/temperament/movement earns them just because their eyes are lighter than "ideal".  Of course we are not talking blue eyes here.  I prefer very dark "almost black" or chocolate eyes in GSDs.  But I have a dark bicolor with light brown eyes - because her face is so dark the eyes appear "wolfish" and no they are not ideal, not my favorite, but I've gotten used to them - very intense stare she can give you and does it very well, looks right through you.  Now I love her eyes, but still would choose a male with dark eyes to pair with her should I breed her.  She certainly does not have any health problems with her eyes and her eyesight is obviously very sharp.  I have seen dogs with bright yellow (not light brown at all) eyes, and they are not attractive at all to me. 

molly

Molly,  ya we have one that has very red and black pigment in coat,  but her eyes are lighter than the rest,  Same thing,  I wish they were darker, but I don't contribute light eyes to poor pigment,  She is the Redest dog we have.  and very Black saddle.  just lighter than desired eyes...

I would love to hear more about the WHY'S  ???   of the Dark eye prefference or the Light eye FAULT....  Anyone have a real good explanation for this ??   I really am interested in this  good ?? you posted SchBabe !

Lighter eyes attract more light at night when the dog is watching the shepherd and the flock. The eyes will glow more, although it could scare away the wolves, or other bad critter type, it limits the dogs' ability to cloak as it approaches the intruder. That is what an old shepherd from germany told me when I was a  youngster.

Simple really.  When those that started judging the GSD, way back when, had to address the structure, confirmation, character, colors, temperment, etc, etc, of the breed (anytime you are going to judge something, you have to have a standard), ("hence our laws for legal Judges), "they" had to address every aspect of the dog and decided for whatever reason, that darker eyes were more desired.  It could have been that they were aware that other breeds sometimes have vision problems that are associated with lighter eyes.  It could have been that they associated the lighter eyes with the wolfs eyes and wanted to shy away from association with the wolf (many grew up with calling the GSD the "police dog" or the "wolf dog").  There are a couple of other potential reason.  Boittom line is that it was either just for looks or based upon wrong assumptions,  It has nothing to do with vision I believe.

Having said that, in humans, it is a known that people with lighter colored eyes (light blue, light green) have more problems seeing in bright light, as in snow covered areas (that is one reason that Eskimo's, etc, never have blue or green eyes) (but is contradictory to the Siberian Husky's haviing one or two blue eyes, hmmm), and also seeing at night with bright headlights or streetlights in the background.  Another possibility, but I doubt it.

My educated guess, based upon the fact that later reprints of Capt. Stephanitz's book eliminated references to using a wolf in the creation of the GSD breed, is that "they" wanted to distant the breed from being considered as "part wolf".  Even though all breeds (at least most) trace back to the wolf.  Some I guess can be traced back to the fox or jackal.  I am not sure about that.

Hmmm:  I wonder if there is any info "out there" indicating if the lighter eyed dogs have more of a problem seeing in bright daylight.

One other note and question along the subject of the GSD's eyes.  I used to raise and race Homing Pigeons, and the "old timers" could look at a racing pigeons eyes and get a good idea if it was a "good one".  Sounds weird and possibly an old wife's tale, but I have seen it done.  I once had a bird that I had in a separate cage and was going to "cull" (you can't just turn a homing pigeon loose as they do what they do, and always come back home , and an older, more experienced man came over to view my birds and asked to see the several I had caged for culling.  He looked them all over, especially checking their "eye sign", and he picked out one that he said had the "eye sign look of a champion" and told me I should give it a chance at the big Memorial Race coming up then.  This particular bird (#2153), had never did anything in training that I considered good enought to pay twenty bucks to enter her into a race.  I did anyway and won 5 thousand for second place, in the biggest race of the year.

Does anyone with A LOT of GSD experience profess to be able to tell a "good one" for working ability, just from looking into their eyes?  Just wondering.

DeesWolf,  Cool,  now that truly makes some sense.  Thanks for the input,  I had always wondered what the deal was.

  The light eye color as a check for too much light seems to fail, when you consider Scandinavians, known for light hair and eyes and a whole lot of snow.     I also don't buy light eye color being related to night-blindness: my eyes are virtually black.   They are so dark that the opthalmologist  prescribes drops for me to put in them for 3 days prior to any appointment, because my pupils cannot be dilated enough for examination otherwise.  Yet, I have such night blindness that I avoid driving at night anywhere but in a well-lit city.  I simply cannot see well enough to even see sidewalk curbs walking, unless it is a very well-lit area. 

I, too, once had a gsd  (American lines) that was very dark.  Her face was black, but she had what the  rottie folks call '"Bird of Prey" eyes: they were so light brown that they were very nearly yellow.   She looked very spooky and intimidating.  Too bad she was so shy.... 

I don't think that eye color in gsds is anything other than cosmetic.   

Nice discussion guys and thanks for all these wonder pieces of info... and Yvette...you really are good in choosing topics... I hate it when its just all bashing and you cant get any useful info...      I think its both functional and cosmetic...     The Rittmeister woud definitely prefer dark eyes as Deeswolf shared  "To cloak in the dark as to avoid sheep from getting scared when they are herded back at late dusk (probably why the all black mutant GSD Roland was born plus his coat is shorter than normal coats, best for working all around and not just herding sheep)...To distinguish wether its a wolf or a GSD thats staring the sheep.... Cosmetic will be if they allow a lighter shaded eye if the face and mask is also light... a light shaded eye will just ruin a dark mask...I remember an S.V. judge commenting the eyes were to PIERCINGLY Light-colored when paired  with a very dark mask... of course, lack of pigment may contribute to light eyes but we are not only looking for colors right???  Light eyes goes well with a light mask... If you noticed why Yvettes Darksable is mistaken for a wolf ...its because the dark eyes are afloat on its light mask common in sables... the color change in sables are really opposite that of normal Blk and tans...