# Pigment question



## Orla (Jul 5, 2009)

Milo's nose is black, his eye rims are black, he has great halo's, pigment patches on his back but on his face - the parting on his snout theres only a little dot of black pigment and the rest is pink - I've had him out in the sun but it doesn't seem to be bringing the pigment in. Is it genetics? Will it ever go black?

As far as I can see, he has all the required pigment according to the breed standard but I'd like if he had pigment there aswell.


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

The entire face isn't usually pigmented. It's very common for the muzzle to be pink. Cosy has no black on her muzzle at all. It stops at her nose.


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## Orla (Jul 5, 2009)

Thanks for the reply Brit!
Glad to know that other malts have pink muzzles aswell


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## LJSquishy (Feb 27, 2008)

Brit is correct in that most Maltese don't have a black muzzle where the part is. London has pigment there about 1/4 of the way up, and Preston has pigment about 3/4 of the way up...maybe all the way (I can't remember, I'm not looking at him right now. lol).

London had pretty good pigment when she was a puppy, but it faded quite a bit as she got older. Preston has amazing pigment where almost his whole body is pigmented. He has some lemon coloring on his ears & a light patch on his body that never faded. It's more noticeable in a puppy cut but I know if I grew him out it would blend together better.


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## Kitkat (Mar 24, 2010)

I was actually wondering about this. What about their paws? I think I read in the within the standard requirements on here that they're supposed to be black as well? Does this come with age? My pup's so far are pink. He also has a little pink spot on his almost all black nose.


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

The standard calls for black paw pads (some judges check and some don't) but not necessary for a sweet pet. A pink spot on the nose is a lack of pigment usually from a bite or injury of some sort or just missing pigment from the genes.


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## lilygirl (Jul 7, 2010)

Cosy said:


> The standard calls for black paw pads (some judges check and some don't) but not necessary for a sweet pet. A pink spot on the nose is a lack of pigment usually from a bite or injury of some sort or just missing pigment from the genes.


Are the paw pads suppose to be completely black?


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## CloudClan (Jan 31, 2007)

lilygirl said:


> Are the paw pads suppose to be completely black?


In a show dog, yes. But no dog is perfect, and for someone's pet? I certainly wouldn't worry about a pink paw pad.


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## lilygirl (Jul 7, 2010)

does pigment darken with age. Lily's center of each little pad is black and the surrounds are still pink. Should we expect this to change?


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