# grey muzzle young dog?



## supaflyz (Jul 28, 2006)

I didn't notice there were some grey on the muzzle of my dog until some lady at the park mention it. She asked if she was around 5 or 6 years old. Someone on another forum also mention that she's at least 2 or 3. However, my cousin the original owner of Yula, told me she's only 1 1/2 years old. After that lady told me, I took a closer look and did notice that she has a little grey on her muzzle. Is it normal for such a young dog to have grey on their muzzle? I read a thread on here http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/take-poll/111460-white-grey-muzzles-anyone-2.html
Do they lack proteins or vitamins that could cause this or it just depends on some dogs. I have been feeding her raw and boiled eggs and raw deer neck bones.


----------



## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

i know some dogs grey early and then there are the dogs who grey early because of stress/anxiety. It could also be a lack in their diet but i've not personally heard of that one. I know Riley is 6 years old and started greying when he was about 4. Zena was grey when we adopted her she was about 3 or 4 years old. Shelby is a year and a half and i've noticed some grey on her muzzle. I'm not sure how i would explain it. Like some people grey early, some dogs do to.


----------



## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

Pretty common in some lines of German Shepherds.


----------



## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

I can see just a few white hairs on the very end of Niko's muzzle, around his mouth. He's about a year and a half old (very well fed, not stressed out).


----------



## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

Rorie started going grey when she was 2 and Anja is 10 and not grey-just like some people go grey early -I think


----------



## Stogey (Jun 29, 2010)

DJ will be 4 in February and his muzzle is turning gray. He then has a gray skunk stripe down the middle of his saddle which I under stand maybe due to being neutered at an early age.


----------



## ZebsMommy (Dec 4, 2010)

Zeb has a little gotee of grey and he's only 2 1/2. Like ZKoppa said, just like people, smoe dogs prolly just grey early.


----------



## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

I have seen a number of them have some graying by 2 years old.


----------



## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

Not uncommon. Some dogs go more gray than others, and I think it works like others have said- genetics or sometimes stress. 

My 3 year old is pretty gray on the muzzle. He started going gray at about 1.5 years. He also has a pretty dark mask so it shows up pretty strongly. I have other dogs that are related to him although they are younger and they all started showing some gray around 1.5-2years. 









His Dad had a lot of gray too.

My 8 year old on the other hand has very little gray.


----------



## AgileGSD (Jan 17, 2006)

One of my GSDs started graying at 1 to 2 years old and is fairly gray as an old dog. The other one is the same age and barely has any gray on her at all. It's a genetic trait and nothing to be concerned over - doesn't mean they are aging rapidly or anything


----------



## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

I used to have a GSD, JR, who was completely gray when I got him at 5-1/2 years old. The friend who gave him to me also gave me one of his sons and daughters. Ringer was starting to get gray on his muzzle when he was about a year old, Honey started turning gray before she was two. I have one of JR's great/great/great grandsons and Slider didn't start to gray until just before his 8th birthday.


----------



## valb (Sep 2, 2004)

Tamsen started getting a little bit of gray at around 2...
but take heart, she lived 14 years 3 months, her last almost 4
years as a tripawd!

:wub:


----------



## Lesley1905 (Aug 25, 2010)

My other dog has a little grey chin! She's only 4..sounds like this is pretty common!


----------



## supaflyz (Jul 28, 2006)

Thank you guys, that made me feel much better. I'm guessing she's adjusting to my place, so she is a little bit stress out.


----------



## Moon.lei (May 16, 2011)

I'm so glad this seems to be a common occurrence, I have adopted a working dog and have been trying to work out how old he is, obviously the grey muzzle is nothing to go on lol


----------



## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

My puppy that I got at 7 weeks already had a white spot on his chin. See it right below his tongue? His father has it too. It will probably spread as he ages.


----------



## Sue Smart (Jul 12, 2002)

Kayleigh is also grey on the muzzle. She was about 6 months old when I got her and already had signs of grey appearing.


----------



## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

Stogey said:


> DJ will be 4 in February and his muzzle is turning gray. He then has a gray skunk stripe down the middle of his saddle which I under stand maybe due to being neutered at an early age.


Gray skunk stripe is common, has nothing to do with neutering. 
Mine has had the stripe and a gray chin since puppyhood.


----------



## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

My dog is 2 and he has a little bit of grey on his muzzle. Thanks for starting a thread on this, because I was wondering if he was too young to be starting that to.


----------



## ozzymama (Jan 17, 2005)

Ozzy started about 2, but he's a mutt. My collie didn't start to grey around her muzzle until 13 years old.


----------



## Moon.lei (May 16, 2011)

PS Sue, your Kayleigh is a beautiful girl ^_^


----------



## mssandslinger (Sep 21, 2010)

my black lab Sadie is almost 2 and she started greying at 6 months lol


----------



## Daz20005 (Nov 3, 2010)

Hi guys, somebody was saying it may be stress related?....My boy is 1.5 yrs old and he has a couple of grey hairs that have appeared on his muzzle that weren't there last week...he's staying at a kennels during the week due to me being away at college (Home at weekends) for the last month and he seems to like it there as he's in good form. He's eating well and his coat is nice and shiny...I'm just hoping its not stress related...anyone know how would I know if it was stress??


----------



## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Daz20005 said:


> Hi guys, somebody was saying it may be stress related?....My boy is 1.5 yrs old and he has a couple of grey hairs that have appeared on his muzzle that weren't there last week...he's staying at a kennels during the week due to me being away at college (Home at weekends) for the last month and he seems to like it there as he's in good form. He's eating well and his coat is nice and shiny...I'm just hoping its not stress related...anyone know how would I know if it was stress??


You wouldn't see stress-related grey within a week. Chances are it's just normal greying--as the others said, some dogs will start turning grey as early as 1 year of age--it's mostly genetic. If it were stress, you'd see behavioral changes long before grey hair.


----------



## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Bianca has some grey in her muzzle, she's 7 years old but most people we meet assume she's a puppy! Either they will ask if she's a puppy, or they will ask how old she is. When I say "7" they say "Oh, 7 months?"


----------



## Daz20005 (Nov 3, 2010)

Ah thats a relief anyway thanks!


----------



## juliejujubean (May 4, 2011)

I personally love the gray. It looks so distinguished  Like you have a dog that has seen a thing or two. plus it is sophisticated, I saw a sable with a grey "moustache" the other day, (MP on base/k9) and the dog was just beautiful.. It really compliments the sable coloring!


----------

