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As your collie grows, it is not uncommon for their nose to change color.
Some collie puppies are born with a light colored nose that will gradually fade to black or dark brown, often the same color as their coat. Some collies have a pink patch on their nose which usually disappears when they are fully grown at around 18 months of age, although brown or pink patches can remain in some dogs.
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In this article we’ll look at the different collie nose color patterns, and find out about how, when, and why collie noses change color.
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Will my collie’s nose change color?
If your collie puppy has a splotchy nose that is both pink and black it is highly likely your puppy will end up with a black nose as they grow. If its splotchy with liver and pink, its unlikely to turn black and will remain liver colored.
Only time will really tell if your collies nose will change color, but it should be fairly obvious by 12 weeks if the pigment in their nose is becoming darker. The nose can take several months to change color, but the color will be permanent when your collie stops growing at around 18 months old.
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How will i know if it will change?
You should be able to tell if your collie’s nose will change color early on. If it’s splotchy with pink and black, it’s highly likely that the pigment will darken and it will almost be fully black by the time they are an adult.
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One way to know if your collie’s nose will change color is by looking at your collie’s genetics. If your collie puppy’s parents both have a black nose, it’s likely that your collie will inherit a pure black nose too.
If your collie’s nose hasn’t changed color when they are a year old, it’s unlikely to change color later in life.
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Why do collies nose change color?
There are different reasons why your collies nose may change color.
Collie nose colors may develop over the course of their lives either as a natural part of their development, or because of medical or environmental reasons.
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Collie Nose Color Types Explained
1: Butterfly Nose
A butterfly nose is a pink and black splotchy nose. Although most collie puppies noses will darken and lose their splotches, occasionally some retain a mixture of pink and black. This is known as a butterfly nose as the splotches resemble the spots and patterns of butterflies.
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2: Snow Nose
Snow nose is also known as winter nose and as the name alludes to, this nose type is commonly seen in winter and is a temporary change to a dogs nose color.
Dogs who have a snow nose often lose their pigmentation in the middle of the nose leaving a light colored strip up the center.
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When the seasons change into summer months, a dogs snow nose will disappear as their pigmentation returns and their nose darkens again.
3: Liver Nose
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Liver nose is also known as a pink nose. This is when your collie puppy keeps their pink nose color for their full lives.
Liver nose is mainly down to inheritance and genetics so if your pups mom and dad had pink noses, chances are your pup will too.
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4: Dudley Nose
A dudley nose is identical to a liver nose but its used to describe collies who were not specifically bred to have a pink nose. A dudley nose is usually seen as poor breeding and in monetary terms has no value.
The term dudley nose comes from the word ‘dud’ which literally means ‘of little or no worth’ which relates to the nose being seen as a worthless breeding fault in the dog.
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The term has also been traced back to the town of Dudley in the West Midlands of England where bulldogs were bred with pink colored noses. Then the term ‘dudley’ was carried on to describe other dog breeds with unexpected pink colored noses.
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How long until my collie puppy’s nose changes color?
You may notice your collie pups nose beginning to darken quite quickly. Usually by 12 weeks a splotchy pink nose will begin to fade to black or dark brown.
On rare occasions, it can take up to 2 years for your collie’s nose to change color as this is when their nose is fully developed.
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How long will it take for my collie’s nose to change color?
Your collie’s nose can take up to two years to change color, but it’s more likely to change color within the first 12 weeks of their life. The pigment darkens and splotchy pink noses almost always become black or dark brown to match their coat color.
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On rare occasions, it can take up to 24 months for your collie’s final nose color to be permanent as this is when their nose stops growing and has developed fully.
