Is grey hair an indication of age?

Tranceypoo

Dog number 1 has gotten really grey round his muzzle and the hair round his paw pads in the last year, I thought he might have been older than we first thought (5.5 / 6 years old) but he recently had a health check up at the vets (this is a new vet we're using) and he put his age at about 4 or 5, he judged this mainly on his teeth as he said they are great condition

So, just wondering, is grey hair on a dog any indication of their age, or, like people, do some of them just go a bit grey earlier than others?

andreac

Not necessarily. I know some dogs that are only 5 or 6 that are going grey on their chins and that wouldnt be old for some dogs.

Blueprint

My guy started out with a black face and now, at the grand old age of four and a half, he has the face of a grizzled old grandfather. People keep asking me if he's a very old dog, which he most certainly doesn't act like!

Themadhouse

My dog was black and has developed an almost White muzzle. Her eyebrow are turning White now. The lower half of her belly us full of grey hairs too. Everyone thinks she's ancient , she's 7 and has had bit of grey since I adopted her at a year and a half!

Themadhouse

Just looking at her from behind her now as we are walking and the backs of her front legs are White and her bum going half way down her back legs are White too! I reckon at some point I'll have an entirely White dog!

Tranceypoo

Well then, there goes my way of telling if a dog was 'young' or 'old'!! I suppose on black dogs you notice it sooner, like dark haired people, older dog is all black so there you go!

Cows Go µ

One of our dogs is from the pound and we don't know his age but the vet said that he was probably at least 4 judging from his teeth which would make him around 11 now. He's only just started going white around his muzzle and even then its still very little. I only really notice it because he likes to pretty much sit on top of me even though he's a really big dog.

Although another of our dogs is 9 and last year she we very grey around her nose, presumably because she ate something and got really really sick. Its only this summer that she seems back to being 100%. Maybe if there is a stresser, a dog will go grey earlier

aisher

No I dont think hair colour indicates an old dog. I had a dog years ago who had a black face as a puppy but within a year it had gone mostly grey.

TaraR

My boy is 3 and has already started to get a grey mush lol

Tranceypoo

Tara, that is a great picture of your handsome dog, what a giant head he's got!!! Gorgeous!!

Sigma Force

My 7 yr old dog has no greys (cute orange fluffly one in the pic) but my parents 7 year old dog (fat ugly one..hehe just kidding) is really grey around the eyes and muzzle. My collie is 12 and she has started to really grey, she started a couple of years back but it's only recently she's starting to look a bit like a badger.

TaraR

Tranceypoo wrote: »

Tara, that is a great picture of your handsome dog, what a giant head he's got!!! Gorgeous!!

Why thanks you! I'll pass on the complements to him lol