Why Does My Goldendoodle Have A Pink Nose? (Explained!)
Does your Goldendoodle have a pink nose? Maybe it has always been a cute feature on your dog’s face, or maybe something recently changed. Either way, you may be wondering just why it is that exact color. Read on through the article below for all the possible reasons and causes for pink noses on Goldendoodles.
Why Does My Goldendoodle Have A Pink Nose?
A Goldendoodle may either be born with a pink nose or develop one at some point in its life. Goldendoodle’s born with the liver gene or genes for parti coloring, for example, will have partially or fully pink-looking noses. Otherwise, if a Goldendoodle develops nose pinkness, it could be due to a medical condition, trauma, or aging.
Why Does My Goldendoodle Puppy Have A Pink Nose? Dog Nose Color Genetics
Why Does My Goldendoodle Puppy Have A Pink Nose? Dog Nose Color Genetics Many genes play a part in the coloration of a Goldendoodle, including that of its nose. Due to its parentage, the Goldendoodle coat and nose color/pattern possibilities are numerous. Some Goldendoodles, therefore, express genes for either partially pink noses or completely pink-seeming noses.
Goldendoodle Colors
The color of a Goldendoodle’s nose is at least partially determined and limited by its overall genetics of coat color and patterns. In spite of the name, Goldendoodles come in a stunning array of coat colors, the most common of which is actually black.
Here are the possible colors a Goldendoodle might appear to be:
- Apricot
- Red
- Dark Brown/Chocolate
- Black
- Gray
- Silver (might start off black or be mistaken for gray)
- Blue (faded black to gray)
- White
- Cream
Goldendoodles receive genetic coding for apricot, red, and cream color from both Golden Retrievers and Poodles, but all of the other color variations are passed down from the Poodle parent.
Goldendoodle Coat Patterns
Part of a Goldendoodle’s coloration is expressed and defined by pattern. Patterned coloring may also have an impact on a Goldedoodle’s or any other dog’s nose color, including whether it has a pink nose and what kind. Goldendoodles can be:
Solid: This is usually the coat pattern we see when we imagine a Goldendoodle in our mind’s eye. A “solid” Goldendoodle may have only one color all over. Or, if it has white patches, they cover less than 50% of its body.
Parti: Parti describes a coat pattern with significant white patches, usually covering more than 50% of the dog’s body.
Merle: Merle’s display a mixture of several colors. The dog that most often comes to mind with this coloration is the Australian Shepherd, however, Goldendoodles may be merle as well.
Phantom: Phantom coloring consists of a solid background with markings of a different color on certain parts of the body, including the side of the chest and muzzle, above the eyes, under the tail, and/or inside of the legs.
Brindle: Brindle is another coat color more commonly associated with other breeds (like greyhounds or boxers), but it is also possible in Goldendoodles.
Goldendoodle Nose Colors
A black nose or black points (points include nose, lips, and skin around eyes) are the most prevalent skin color for all dogs.
However, depending on the genes they inherit and the relative dominance of those genes, Goldendoodles may have other nose colors and patterns. These frequently relate to their coat colors though not always.
Liver Noses: Dogs with liver coloring have two copies of the recessive liver gene (bb). Their nose color ranges from dark brown to light pink.
We most often think of liver dogs as being apricot, red, or chocolate-colored, but they are only truly considered to have that coloring if they have the liver points as well. This is because dogs with this genetic makeup are incapable of having a black or blue nose.
There is a dilute version of the liver nose called the isabella or isabella liver (isabella, dd). It can be hard to tell the two apart visually although the isabella nose sometimes is characterized by a purplish tint.
Blue Noses Blue-colored dogs including Goldendoodles carry the dilute (and also recessive) gene for blue coloring (dd). Their noses can appear grayish to almost black and can be difficult to distinguish from those of black/grey dogs without the blue gene.
Butterfly Nose/ Parti Nose: This nose pattern is characterized by bright pink patches mixed randomly in with a dog’s otherwise different-colored nose. The color pink is usually associated with a loss of pigment, as is the case with this nose. The butterfly nose pattern is mostly seen in dogs with merle coat patterns but not exclusively.
The parts of the nose that are not pink/depigmented may be blue, liver, or even isabella. However, the lighter the color, the harder it is to see that the dog has a butterfly nose. For example, it is difficult to tell when the discoloration is mixed in with very light liver or isabella coloring.
Why Did My Goldendoodle’s Nose Become Pink? Changes in Dog Nose Color
Why Did My Goldendoodle’s Nose Become Pink? Changes in Dog Nose Color A Goldendoodle’s or any dog’s nose may become pink/pinker due to a loss of pigment, which may have many possible causes. Illness, genetic conditions, injury, age, or even weather can play a part in turning a Goldendoodle’s nose (more) pink.
Varieties of (Changed) Nose Color
Dudley Nose
Dog noses that have
The loss of pigment starts in the middle of the nose and spreads outwards, but it is never
The presence of a Dudley Nose is common and most obvious in dogs who start with black noses. Although those with liver or blue noses may exhibit this condition as well, it is usually harder to detect due to the already light coloring.
Snow Nose/ Winter Nose
Sometimes, a dog’s nose will start to pinken/ lose pigment in its center, but the change is not permanent. This occurs most noticeably in the winter and the skin can then darken again in the spring. A pink spotting or stripe pattern like this is referred to as Snow Nose or Winter Nose.
Reasons for Changes In Nose Color
Sun Damage/ Sunburn/ Skin Cancer: Sun damage can cause a loss of pigment on your Goldendoodle’s nose, but just like human sunburn, there may be other symptoms that accompany it such as crusting and flaking.
Dogs might also develop melanomas or other types of skin cancer on the nose as a result of overexposure to sunlight, which can have the same effects. Noses that are light in color originally are most susceptible to this type of damage.
Age: Dogs who normally have a very melanistic (dark) nose might develop a Dudley Nose simply as a consequence of aging. As your Goldendoodle ages, many bodily functions begin to decline, including melanin production. This process is responsible for graying hair and sometimes pinkening noses.
Allergies or Bacterial Infection Various assorted health issues might also lead to melanin loss. Allergies or an infection are likely examples. As with sunburns, there will likely be other symptoms to alert you to the problem.
If your dog has a runny or crusty nose, is acting sick, sneezing a lot, etc. in addition to a sudden loss of color, contact your veterinarian.
Injury Just as we scar and suffer from discoloration from wounds, so do dog noses. A normally dark nose with a relatively recent injury will become discolored (pink) wherever it is very damaged.
Healing injuries to the nose will likely recover some color over time, but, if it is bad enough, there will be permanent scarring and the nose color may not return to normal completely.
Vitiligo Vitiligo is a condition you might have heard of in humans, but it turns out that dogs can get it too. If your Goldendoodle had vitiligo, it would cause a sudden onset of random, patchy pigment loss in the nose (bright pink) but no other symptoms. Aside from pigment loss, vitiligo is otherwise harmless.
Summary
Phew! I bet you never thought there could be such a long answer to an innocuous musing like “why does my Goldendoodle have a pink nose?”!
Nevertheless, several fascinating genetic factors could be responsible for your pup’s pink snout. Or, perhaps, something could have caused it to become pink when it was not before.
If you think that your Goldendoodle’s nose is developing abnormal pinkness that does not go away and/or accompanies other symptoms, you should strongly consider going to a vet to have them checked out.
But, if they were born with it or it is clear that a lightening nose has a benign cause, just enjoy and appreciate that sweet, pink-nosed face!