Shih Tzu Color Changes
Overview
It is very common, and just about expected, for Shih Tzu dogs to change colors as they mature. This can take first time owners off guard and it often results in some Shih Tzu having a different color than what is listed on their registration papers.
Let's take a look at some fun facts about how Shih Tzu puppies and dogs change colors and then we'll have a peek at some great examples.
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Color Change Facts
1) Color is predetermined genetically.
What you see when a Shih Tzu is a newborn and then a young puppy is not their final genetic color.
2) Most of the time, final color will be in place at about the 1 year mark;
though smaller less dramatic changes may still take place over the years. In some rare cases, surprise changes can take place much
later, well into the adult years.
4) Not every Shih Tzu will have a color change, but most will.
It can range from very slight such as a patch of color darkening to extremely dramatic such as completely new colors coming in or a certain color or marking fading away to be replaced by another.
5) Color changes can take place during the newborn phase
and for this reason the AKC allows a breeder
to make changes to a dog's color listing on his/her AKC registration up to 3 times.
6) Just about any color change can take place.
Colors can lighten (many do and in fact even a dark color like black markings can completely fade away), darken (not common, but possible), just a few hairs can turn into much larger patches, a certain color on a double color coat or a tri color coat can completely fade away, etc. In many cases, brindle (a pattern of stripes) decreases as a Shih Tzu matures. The only limits on what cannot occur would be colors genetically ruled out (not in the dog's bloodline).
7) There is nothing that can be done to stop a color change, so do
know this if you fall in love with a certain color on a Shih Tzu puppy, most likely he or she will indeed look different as they mature. The good news is that all Shih Tzu look just as beautiful as before or even more so!
8) Aside from natural color changes with this breed, there are also other elements that can cause the coat to become tinted differently. The most common cause is excessive UV rays. With dark coats, too much sun exposure can cause a 'sun burning' that can cause hairs to take on a red tint. Also, the sun can cause colors to lighten. In some cases, tones will change seasonally, with slight differences seen from winter to summer and back again. This may be minor and only noticed when looking back at photos.
To help prevent tinting changes due to sunlight, you can use a quality leave-in coat spray like Chris Christensen Ice on Ice Conditioner with Sunscreen
. Aside from protecting the coat from the sun, it has the added benefits of preventing tangles and controlling static and contact friction which can lead to split ends.
. Aside from protecting the coat from the sun, it has the added benefits of preventing tangles and controlling static and contact friction which can lead to split ends.And if you want to liven your Shih Tzu's colors up a bit, a shampoo like Earthbath All Natural Coat Brightener Shampoo
can bring out natural colors that faded down a bit, adding depth and shine. Note that this is not a dye, it's an all-natural product that's healthy for the coat.
can bring out natural colors that faded down a bit, adding depth and shine. Note that this is not a dye, it's an all-natural product that's healthy for the coat. Examples of Color Changes
Now that we've gone over some color changing facts, let's take a look at some adorable examples of how a Shih Tzu's coat can change over time.
New patches of color can come in:
Here we see an amazing example of how another color can come in, completely changing the coat. This is Sophie; as a newborn she had a mostly white body, with chocolate brown
on her head. Then jump ahead one year and this Shih Tzu now has a gorgeous brown spread over her saddle and down her flanks.
Photos courtesy of Donna Kirkpatrick
The entire coat can change:
Next is a great example of how drastically the coat can change; in this case to a much lighter color. Kierks is a liver (this can be seen by the liver (brown) nose, paw pads, eye rims, and lips) and livers
have coat colors that are in the brown family (from light cream to a deep dark chocolate); this can either be solid or parti such as tan/brown and white.
As a young pup of 8 weeks old, this Shih Tzu was a rich chocolate brown (first photo below); though there were some highlights in his coat, you'd never suspect that he would have such a transition (unless, of course, you were the breeder and expected this coat change based on the sire and dam).
In the second photo, Kierks is a new dog! The coat is now a lovely light gold and even his liver (brown) nose has lightened.
Photo courtesy of Katie
Changes can be dramatic and then take a huge turn at a later age:
You'll love this amazing color transformation. Below is Molly over the course of 6 years. As you can see, at 6 months old she was a dark brindle. At 9 months and then 1 year old the brindle
lightened up quite a bit and she still had her black mask.
At 3 years old, though the sun is shining on her in this photo, her coat had indeed lightened even more. In most cases, this would be the end of the color change. But, what happened? You may wonder if this really is the same dog and we can assure you that it is. At 6 years old, Molly is now a dark brown. Most of the brindling has grown off. The lighter hues are gone.
Magician? Quick change artist? Nope; it's just the awesome color changes that can happen with the Shih Tzu breed.
6 months
9 months
1year
3 years
6 years
Photos courtesy of Rickey Ward
Brindle can change from brown to gray: While the previous Shih Tzu showed amazing coat changes, here's another great example of how brindle can change; in this case from browns to grays.
First, here we see Riley as a young pup, snuggling with his mother. His base color is brown and he has brindling all over the coat:
Photos courtesy of Christine Wyman
Next, we see Riley at 16 month old with a grey and white-based coat. Isn't this amazing?
Dark colors can lighten dramatically: Next is a color change that may make it hard to believe this is the same dog.
Below is Shin Jan, seen at the young age of 9 months. You probably are thinking that this cutie is a black and white Shih Tzu. But not so fast! This boy's coat changed colors in a remarkable way as he matured...
Below is Shin Jan again at 5 years old. His once black patches are gone. Dark hairs remain on his ears, but his main body now has red patches. This Shih Tzu, genetically is a red, despite what he looked like as a pup.
Photo of Shin Jan courtesy of Wade Barnes
Colors lightening can run in the family: Here we see sisters Laizy (left) and Gorda (right).
This is a wonderful example of how color is predetermined and genetic. These siblings have dark bands of color as newborns.
Jump ahead 5 months to the photos below, and both of these Shih Tzu have had similar changes, with those dark colors transitioning to a lighter color.
Photos courtesy of Ruth Quinones
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