mik888 Posted December 13, 2003 Report Share Posted December 13, 2003 I have a one year old border collie. She is a classic border collie in looks and personality. She also has one unusual trait. She has one normal looking eye (Brown) and one bright blue grey eye. It is very distinctive looking and the Vet said it was healthy. I?m wondering how common this is and if it is a desirable trait among border collies. I wouldn?t want to get her fixed if this is a trait that some breeder would want to keep. Thanks Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillTerry Posted December 13, 2003 Report Share Posted December 13, 2003 Welcome to the boards. There is nothing wrong with a blue eye and a brown eye. It is not something that a breeder of border collies would favor. The reason has nothing to do with the eyes. The only criteria for breeding a border collie (and the only the only reason that you should breed one) is great livestock working ability. No one cares what the border collie looks like....just how well it works. If you are not going to work your dog on livestock and she will just be a pet, used in agility, etc. than spaying her would make it much easier for you and her. Again, I am not talking what some folks term as "instinct" but proven working ability. Just enjoy your dog. You really don't need to be a dog multiplier. Between you and me, you really won't make any money on the puppies by the time that you get eyes, hips, etc. checked, puppy shots, pay registrations fees, pay a stud fee and on and on. Also, people that are looking for a working dog will purchase a puppy from well-known breeders who have proven the working ability of their dogs either on a trial field or sometimes in a working ranch situation. Please don't take this the wrong way. Just enjoy your dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSnappy Posted December 13, 2003 Report Share Posted December 13, 2003 Originally posted by mik888:I?m wondering how common this is and if it is a desirable trait among border collies. I wouldn?t want to get her fixed if this is a trait that some breeder would want to keep. It's not unusual nor is it desirable or undesirable. It just is. We have rescued tons of dogs with one blue eye - or partial blue eye or eyes, or what have you. It's just an eye colour ... it does and says nothing about the quality of the dog. I would have her spayed and enjoy her. Some of our blue eyed rescues: A puppy: Her mother Wicked: Shiloh: Hollywood Lilly Luna Etc. RDM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike's Bitch Posted December 13, 2003 Report Share Posted December 13, 2003 I love those odd eyes. It's the only thing in the world that would have made Spike even cooler! RDM & Terry are spot on about the breeding, though. Liz & the Captain xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mik888 Posted December 13, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2003 Thanks, I had always planned on get her fixed. But someone saw her eyes and thought they were cool. They suggest that I let her have a litter of pups. I wasn't considering it very hard. In fact I am looking forward to her mellowing out a bit when fixed. It would be too hard to sale them. I would only sale to people that would use the dog for herding or for agility training, or at least have a big back yard and stayed at home alot. Any way thanks for the info. She's a great dog and we love he very much. Thanks Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted December 13, 2003 Report Share Posted December 13, 2003 I?d definitely go with the spaying. Lots of good reasons to do that, as I?m sure you know, and the others are right about the only reasons to breed. And apart from anything else, the blue eye seems to come ?right out of the blue? ? duh, sorry ? couldn?t resist that, so it certainly wouldn?t be any reason to breed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 Hi Mike, Nothing to add to his particular thread, but just wanted to say "Hi" because you're the first I've seen in my area! I'm in Omaha. Where did you get your rescue from? Betsy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mik888 Posted December 15, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 Hi Betsy, Oreo is not a rescue dog. We got her from a local farmer. Both her parents active herding dogs. She was a x-mas present for my ten year old son. We saw 2 border collies at the park one day and we both fell in love with the breed. The seemed like super dogs. The dogs were playing on the equipment going up and down slides. I talked with the guy and he showed us all the tricks that they did. Then he got out the Frisbees. That's when we really fell in love. We both wanted a dog that could do agility training and Frisbee catching. I know a lot of people think that border collies should just herd sheep but we work with our dog almost every day and she has a big yard to play in. Mike P.S. thanks for all the advice I have an appointment on Thursday to get her spayed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted December 16, 2003 Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 Hi Mike, Sorry for my incorrect thinking that Oreo was a rescue. I thought I had read that somewhere, but it must have been someone else. What breeder did you get her from? When we were looking for a puppy, we didn't find any in the area and had to go to Lovewell, Kansas to get him. Enjoy your pup! Betsy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheri McDonald Posted December 16, 2003 Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 Here's our Blue/Brown Baby. The only strange question we get is "How can she catch that ball so well when she is blind in one eye?" I tell them she sees perfect out of both eyes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mik888 Posted December 16, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 To Betsy, we got Oreo from a local farmer. I was painting someone's house and noticed they had a bc and ask them where the got him. He gave the number of the farmer and they had another litter. He uses his bc to herd cattle. To Cheri, When I first noticed Oreo's one blue eye I thought she might be blind in one eye. But the vet looked and say she was fine. Your dog is a cutie. I've had some kids that think the one blue is spooky. When she is in the sun the blue eye is so light that it's almost goust like. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codypup Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 Hey Betsy and Mik888, My own Cody pup comes from Nebraska! I have family out there. Parents are in Omaha and aunts and uncles south of Lincoln. Cody comes from a farmer in the Crete and Seward area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airbear Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 Originally posted by mik888:When she is in the sun the blue eye is so light that it's almost ghost like. You mean like this? My Bear dog has half a blue eye on the left side - you should see the double-takes THAT gets. Both of my dogs are rescues, have bobbed tails, and mismatched eyes. I've gotten used to: "Can they see?" or "Did you dock their tails so they would match?" or "Are they father and daughter?" Wasn't looking for those physical traits but it does make them kinda unique. Plus, right before either of them charges in on the sheep, the blue in their eye goes almost glossy white - it's such a give-away! Kristi, Bear and Wicked Bear's Page Wicked's Page Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jodi Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 I think the best one I've heard yet is, "Is that a contact in his eye?" Yeah, like I'm gonna pay for one of those! LOL Jodi M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK dog doc Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 I've never understood the thing about how blue-eyed dogs are defective. Are blue-eyed people defective? So what's the big deal? Sigh. We once had a dog come to the vet school for treatment that had ice blue eyes - very striking since the dog was otherwise pitch black, not a white hair to be found on him. He was just gorgeous, a GSD mix of some type. Several of the students (and these are VET students! Shame on them!) were afraid of him. They said he looked agressive and not sane. I just loved him. He was a nice dog, actually, though the owners maybe didn't help matters by naming him Plunder. I love all these photos - what pretty dogs! I personally have a weakness for blue-eyed dogs, maybe especially the mis-matched eyes, although one of the lovliest BCs I ever saw was a little black and white bitch with two blue eyes. The surrounding coat was black, so she was very striking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 Regarding the "not sane" thing, I used to say that about my border collie x aussie, who has a blue eye. Whenever I would correct him for something or he was doing something to pi$$ me off, he would roll that blue eye and I'd swear it was a possessed dog looking at me (the devil was in that blue eye!). I'd post his picture but I forgot my ID and password on the image hosting site I was using. He actually has a small spot of blue in his brown eye and vice versa. I too like the look of a blue eye in a dark face. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 Here's Indy, whose funny face and single blue eye were the reason I took him home even though I wasn't looking for a male dog.... J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'Elle Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 Jodi....you have a magnificently beautiful dog! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 Here's the last foster I had. It took me awhile to get used to looking at the two different eyes, I didn't think I would, but I did! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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