What Color Are Blue Heeler Puppies When They Are Born
Have you ever heard that Blue Heelers change colors and wondered if that is true? Well, if you have this article is for you. We will answer those questions and a few others regarding the coloring of a Blue Heeler.
Blue Heelers do change colors from white at birth to different shades of blue which begins around four weeks of age. They will also gradually develop their own unique fur coat with tan on their legs, and black on their head area.
Some Blue Heelers will have a single or double black colored patch over one or both eyes that can be thought of as a mask. The coloring they will have will be more defined by six or seven weeks of age.
When they begin to shed their puppy coat in favor of the upcoming adult coat, it is not unheard of for their adult coat to have a different shade of blue than their puppy coat did.
Whatever color they eventually turn into, the Blue and Red can have two distinct coat types, the speckled and the mottled, which can add to their uniqueness as adult dogs.
Australian Cattle Dogs which is another name for the Blue Heeler comes in two distinct colors, Blue and Red. Both their fur coats start out white and begin to change at four weeks old.
When they begin to shed their puppy coat at around twelve weeks or older, it can change again in adulthood. This will completely develop by the time they are around fourteen to twenty-four months old.
What makes this breed blue color unique serves to help them go undetected at night while driving the cattle. This helped so they didn't startle the cattle and get injured.
What is the difference between the mottled and speckled design of a Blue Heelers fur coat?
The difference between the mottled and speckled design of a Blue Heelers fur coat is the size of the spots. Think of those speckled candy eggs that we find in stores during Easter or spring holiday. The mottled are a series of larger spots, perhaps the size of a penny.
With either pattern, the desired effect is an even placement of speckles or mottled spots. In either case, the coloring of the speckles or mottled fur is white that shines throughout the black fur. This is the base of the Blue Heeler coloring.
If there is white popping through, the coloring of the Blue Heeler will appear more light and greyish-silver blue. The happy intermingling of the two colors, the black and the white, make this dog's final characteristic blue coloring.
In either speckled or mottled coloring, the tan is usually seen on the legs and their throat area.
Are the show quality Blue Heelers the same in appearance?
Yes, the Blue Heelers that are bred for being show dogs are the same. They have the same characteristic fur traits, like being speckled or mottled. They have a black fur background with white specks popping through.
The only difference in this arena is that the rules are stricter and will not allow for a show-quality dog. What is meant by this is the way the speckles or mottled fur appears.
In none show quality Blue Heelers to not have evenly dispersed speckles would be okay as it doesn't affect the dog's abilities, overall health, safety, or personality.
However, the disbursement for dogs in the show ring shows superior quality and breeding in appearance and physical character.
For instance, the breed standard for the Blue Heeler Australian Cattle Dog is a certain appearance. The coloring should be blue, blue mottled, or speckled with or without markings of black, blue, or tan.
The markings should only be on the head and must be evenly dispersed. Black markings on the body are undesirable.
They set the standard for all other dogs of this type, but this doesn't mean any Blue Heeler that does not show quality is not a quality dog.
When it relates to traits, the less perfect non-show quality Blue Heelers might have more to offer in that department in some cases.
In a nutshell, the show quality is more stringent on their standards and what is acceptable, while those dogs that are not may or may not look the same.
Does the speckled or mottled Blue Heeler cost more?
Both designs of coat are popular and common. Therefore, their pricing will be comparably around the same. Other factors can drive the price for one or the other up or down.
More popular colorings will make the price for that design go up and potentially drive the price for the other down.
Other factors like how the design is dispersed throughout the fur coat will affect pricing up or down. Other things will be factors like gender, age, health, personality, and overall breeding, to name a few.
What can also drive the price up or down is the actual color. The deeper blue color is less noticeable outside at night. This can be handy for working outdoors and make these dogs more desirable for specific uses.
It is said that some dogs of this breed have a characteristic star or mark of white hairs on their forehead that can make a big or small mark or star.
This mark or star is called the Bentley Star or Mark. It is believed that dogs that have that marking were descendants of an Australian Cattle Dog owned and bred by Thomas Bentley from Australia. Dogs with this marking may cost more money.
In Conclusion
Changing fur colors happens to quite a few dog breeds. While this process can be surprising to pet parents its normal and lends itself to some excitingly unique fur coats for a dog.
The Blue Heeler goes from white to an eventual blue color, with a few variations. However, their color does change from birth to adulthood. Blue Heelers are one breed of dogs with a lot to offer anyone who has work to do!
What Color Are Blue Heeler Puppies When They Are Born
Source: https://emborapets.com/do-blue-heelers-change-colors/