# Black Nose Pigment



## JonandPhyllis (Jun 10, 2015)

Hi everyone,

Can anyone tell me how to keep a Golden's beautiful dark black nose from turning pink? I've owned 3 goldens in the past whose noses all eventually turned pink. I'm picking up my new Golden puppy tomorrow and want to do everything in my power to keep his black nose black! I see plenty of photos of adult Golden's with black noses...so, tell me...what's the secret?


We live in Florida so the winter nose thing won't be an issue. We lived in Missouri with all of our other Golden's though...maybe I'll get lucky with this one and living in Florida?


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## Daisy123 (Jan 26, 2009)

Honestly I think it mostly has to do with genetics. Daisy had very dark pigment as a puppy and over the years it has faded a bit.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Genetics, nutrition, and exposure to chemicals and or environmental irritants. 

Also hold your breath until age 3. ☺ if still black after 3, better chances of the nose staying black.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

I believe it is genetics followed up by chemical influences if it changes. Look for a black toned belly, black eye rims, black nails. That nose will stay black unless you expose it to the chemical ruiners.


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## JonandPhyllis (Jun 10, 2015)

What are the "chemical ruiners?" 

We just brought our baby home yesterday and I pray for the black nose to stay black. Purchased our bitty bundle from KaraGold Golden's in Brandon, Florida.


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## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

Why is it so important to you your dogs nose stays black?


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## DanaRuns (Sep 29, 2012)

Perhaps it's best to try to avoid all chemicals. But lawn chemicals have been known to cause lightening of the nose.

One indicator of the genetics of nose blackness can be seen in newborn or near-newborn puppies. Puppies with deep pigment have noses that tend to stay black (absent chemical or environmental factors). This puppy was just born an hour before this photo. Look at how dark his pigment is.










Contrast that with this newborn a couple days old.










All other things being equal, the puppy in the top photo is statistically more likely to retain deep nose pigment as he ages than is the puppy in the second photo.

Here is the puppy from the first photo, grown.










Here is the puppy from the second photo, grown.










Of course, sometimes frustratingly, nothing in dogs is 100% reliable, so there are no guarantees.


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## Jamm (Mar 28, 2010)

Totally genetics.. Joeys nose has stayed dark since he was a pup. Only one winter it started to fade a littttleee bit.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

My Finn is almost 13, and his nose is still pitch black along with his flews & pads, and eye rims. My Tally ( true love dog) had his fade a but after 2 every year- it seems genetic.


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## BuddyinFrance (May 20, 2015)

My dogs' noses have always turned pinky/patchy in winter when it gets real cold and then back to a lovely black in Spring... I never questioned it before I thought it happened to all dogs lol!


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## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

To answer your question other than my previous post as to ask why you find it important I will say my 2 cents.

Genetics, nothing else. The lawn chemicals along with the myth of eating out of plastic bowls I think bunk. Anyone proves such beyond any doubt to me I will shut up. They can't and hopefully won't pester me with what they find on the internet 

I know a line that has "pink" and grow well into their late teens. Other lines with black bellied pups live long lives too 

The wax and wane of the pink brings a change of season IMO. Their nose is like a calender. I get sunburned in the summer and stay white in the winter, I correspond in a way to the Golden nose.

If you have a well pigmented dog that grows old you might see a touch of pink  If I live long enough I might get a tan


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

GoldenCamper said:


> Genetics, nothing else. The lawn chemicals along with the myth of eating out of plastic bowls I think bunk.


I would believe that, but having the advantage of owning dogs whose littermates are known to me and I get to see them through their lives... you can't always blame fading pigment (meaning those dogs whose noses go brown or pink around age 3-4) on genetics. There has to be another factor - and usually it has something to do with lifestyles of the dog. Cleaning chemicals in the house, lawn chemicals, exposure to sun, nutrition in food, etc....

It's shallow of me, btw... but I really prefer black noses on dogs. Like everyone else - I'd do anything possible to keep the noses black.


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## Tennyson (Mar 26, 2011)

A few years back I was at a dog show outside of Harrisburg, PA. In the grooming area I saw either an owner, handler or groomer applying black dog shoe paste to their dog's nose.
Must be important to some. 
I could care less what color nose Deaglan has.


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## JonandPhyllis (Jun 10, 2015)

BuddyinFrance said:


> My dogs' noses have always turned pinky/patchy in winter when it gets real cold and then back to a lovely black in Spring... I never questioned it before I thought it happened to all dogs lol!


I had read about the noses losing pigment in the winter time being very normal which is why I mentioned we live in Florida where winter isn't as long or as cold as most of the rest of the US. This will be our first puppy being raised in Florida so I'm curious how it'll turn out.


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## JonandPhyllis (Jun 10, 2015)

GoldenCamper said:


> Why is it so important to you your dogs nose stays black?


I just think it looks more natural. Like, when it turns pink, something went wrong. I don't know, I can't really explain it. I love my dogs regardless of the color of their noses of course but I was just asking if there was any way to keep them black.


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

I use no lawn chemicals, I use water and vinegar to clean because of my ferrets, and my dogs drink out of stainless steel bowls at home and at doggy day care. Yet Max's nose turned brown. So did the rims around his eyes. The change started at about a year. 

I have read breeder descriptions that describe the nose as nonfading black. This is right along with descriptions of the dog like dentition, weight, height, etc. if it were an environmental issue, why add it to the dog's genetic and physical attributes?

I love my MaxyMax. Brown nose or black.


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## Brandiann (Jul 24, 2011)

I don't use chemicals on my lawn (though I can't guarantee they don't at every park and lawn we cross), or chemical cleaners, I try to use natural things and my dog has glass dishes. and her nose is pinkish. I never thought about it before, but I'd guess it's mostly genetics.


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