Why is Your Young Dog Going Grey?

We know that premature grey hair in people is a result of a variety of influences, and it’s fair to point accusing fingers at an obvious one: stress. Before-and-after pictures of world leaders show an astounding increase in grey hair after one, or even two terms. Many parents swear their kids are making them go grey, too.

My husband has solid evidence that the stress of parenting is the cause of grey hairs. His identical twin brother, who became a parent a few years before my husband did, started going grey soon after his kids were born. My husband also went grey soon after our kids were born; that can’t be a coincidence. A 2016 study on premature greying in dogs suggests that stress is a factor in our canine best friends, too.

Related article

How to Help an Anxious Dog Conquer Their Fears

Six animal behaviourists share pro tips for boosting the confidence of a fearful dog

The study on premature greying and stress in dogs

The study was of 400 dogs in the age range of 1–4 years who were recruited with flyers at veterinary clinics, dog shows and parks. Each dog was photographed from the front and from the side so that researchers could assess the degree of greying on the pups’ muzzles.

They were scored as follows: zero equals no grey; one equals frontal grey; two equals half grey; and three equals full grey. Additionally, the pup parents filled out a 42-question survey. From there, researchers collected data on anxious behaviours, impulsive behaviours, fears, size, age, sex, number of dogs and cats in the household, time spent unsupervised outdoors, whether they were spayed or neutered, medical issues and participation in organised sports or activities. 

Researchers found an association between greying on the muzzle and anxious behaviours, impulse behaviours and fear of loud noises, unfamiliar people and unfamiliar dogs. The extent of greyness was positively correlated with age, and female dogs were more grey than male dogs. There was no link found with size, being spayed or neutered, medical problems (which were rare in the sample), reactions to thunderstorms, fear of unfamiliar places, number of dogs or cats in the household, time spent outside unsupervised or being involved in organised activities.

Dogs were only included in the study if it was possible to determine how grey their muzzles were. (White dogs and those with merle colouring didn’t make the cut, causing 43 dogs to be excluded from the study.) The people who evaluated the photographs were not the same people who had any knowledge of the questionnaires, which prevents accidental bias in the assessment of the degree of greying. The survey was designed so that pet parents were unaware of the purpose of the study; they were simply told it was about dog lifestyle. 

Related article

8 Stress Toys For Dogs That Are Cheaper Than Therapy

The toys that’ll help your pup chill out after a long day of being a dog

How this info helps our stressed pups

This research adds to our understanding of premature greying in dogs, and what’s most exciting about that is the possibilities it opens for helping dogs. Being anxious or fearful and struggling with impulse control are hard on dogs, and any help dogs receive for these issues can be beneficial. 

If behaviourists, veterinarians, trainers and other dog professionals know that a grey muzzle in a young dog may indicate that the dog suffers from these issues, perhaps they will more thoroughly assess them or refer them to other people for evaluation. It’s just another way that people can potentially make life better and easier for many dogs.

It’s important that practitioners avoid jumping to the conclusion that a prematurely greying dog is necessarily stressed, fearful or has issues with impulsivity. Although these issues should be explored, they may not explain the grey hair because other factors may be at play.

Related article

Natural Remedies for Dry Skin: How to Help Dry Skin on Dogs

Spoiler: the ingredients are probably already in your cupboard

Other reasons dogs go grey

One genetic cause of going grey is the not-so-creatively named ‘greying gene’. The specifics of this gene have not been well-studied, but we do know that dogs expressing this gene have fur that gradually fades to grey. Dog fur colour comes from two different types of melanin: eumelanin, which gives fur black or brown colouring, and phaeomelanin, which gives fur shades of red or yellow colouring. 

The greying gene primarily affects eumelanin with only limited effects on phaeomelanin. Dogs who are grey because of the greying gene are born with full colouration, but gradually fade. New hairs are fully coloured, but the colour fades as it grows out. The hair tends to be darkest at the base but lighter towards the tips. 

Because the fading is progressive, these grey dogs tend to be dogs with long, continuously growing fur, such as wiry and curly coated dogs. Short-haired dogs, even if they have this greying gene, usually shed hairs before they have an opportunity to fade to grey. Black masks on dogs in which at least the muzzle – and sometimes the tips of the ears, the whole ears and the face are also dark – are not affected by the gradual greying gene even though the coloration comes from eumelanin. 

So, dogs with the greying gene may be grey on most of their body but dark on the face, which is the opposite of the dogs who are going grey because of stress. This gradual-greying gene is more common in some breeds than others. Breeds known for this gradual greying include Poodles, Bedlington Terriers, Dandie Dinmont Terriers, Irish Wolfhounds, Bearded Collies and Havanese.

Related article

Mange in Dogs: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment For Canine Skin Condition

Yeah, we know. Luckily there are some steps you can take

Other health issues that can cause grey fur

Disease can cause premature greying of the fur. There is evidence that thyroid issues, liver disease and kidney disease may all be associated with going grey early. A skin condition called vitiligo can cause a loss of pigment in patches on the face and body, leading to light fur in areas where it used to be darker. It may be an autoimmune disorder, and it’s possible that it has a genetic basis. There are other case studies of dogs going grey or white because of autoimmune issues that cause the body to attack its own melanocytes – the cells that produce melanin.

Dogs going grey at an early age may have health issues and need to see a vet. They may also have behavioural issues and need a behaviourist’s help, or they may just be a dog with adorable spectacles before their time.

References:

Eumelanin and Phaeomelanin Contents of Human Epidermis and Cultured Melanocytes