Senior dog--question

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    Senior dog--question

    I guess I'm just full of questions tonight.
     
    I'm noticing Willow is getting gray whiskers.  Now, she's blue so she's always had a gray muzzle.  But, now the whiskers.  Is this a sign of aging.  At what age do dogs normally start to show gray?
     
    We have estimated her between 6-9 years old.
     
    Thanks!
    Lori
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    Awwww! Gray whiskers are sweet. Some dogs gray very young. My friend has a four year old GSD who has been graying for a smidge over a year. Teenie is ten, and barely has about the same amount of gray. It varies, just like in people.
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    Every dog is different.  Chyna is 9 years old, & she's had gray in her muzzle since she was 3.
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    I think my dog started turning grey around 9. Just in the last few months though (she's 14 in May) the grey has really started to dominate.
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    Max is a solid black (very black) mix 26 months old - who 6 months ago started showing a gew scatterings of gray/white hair on his body and muzzle is getting a lighter color toward brown
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    It's pretty individual.  An old friend who had a Chow Chow did not grey until she was 14 right when her health declined, unfortunately (she was the only Chow to date that I met that I liked....no offense to the breed I've just been unfortunate in the ones I've met).  A black lab I used to groom started greying around 4 or 5 years old!  
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    Thanks for the replies everyone.
    Sharon, no offense taken.  Willow usually wins people over but not dogs.  And, Willow's from Vermont too!
    Lori
    [:)]
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    Wolfgang started turning gray at two. We've always said it was the stress of living with Tasha.
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    A long, long time ago... my parents had a small, short haired dog named Sam who was mostly brown w/a little black & white mixed in.  His eyebrows & muzzle turned more gray and then it seemed to spread all over.  Sam was an old man tho... think he was around 18 when he passed away.
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    Dutchess is about 4 and is starting to have some white on the underside of her chin.Sammy is 10 and still has no grey so its very individual.
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    Thanks everyone.
    I was starting to think maybe she was closer to 9.  But, I guess I can't really go by this. 
    [:)]
     
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    My black Lab mix, Beauty, started to get a little gray on her chin at about 18 months.  The gray has spread very slowly, and now at age 7, it's still only on the end of her muzzle.
    • Bronze
    Ben started to turn gray in the muzzle at 1.5 years old. He is now 9 with a distinguished mask. He's the guy sleeping soundly in the pic below. My family and friends always said that Ben takes after me, we both grew gray prematurely!

    Molly, who is 8 now wasn't showing any gray til a year ago. She's the one that's yawning.



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    Tookey had grey in his muzzle when I found him, and he was estimated at around 3.