Summary of Nose Pigment in AKC Breeds by - Chow Club

Summary of Nose Pigment in AKC Breeds by
Group

Few standards specifically allow a pink or flesh colored nose. When a
standard called for a red dog or a light colored dog with a self colored nose
with out describing the nose color, the breed was listed under the section for a
pink of flesh colored nose. Some of the breeds that are listed under flesh
colored noses probably have brown, liver or red colored noses rather than the
pinkish, flesh color of the cream chow nose.

Many standards call for “solid” or “complete pigmentation” making it clear
that partially pigmented noses are not desirable.
A review of the disqualifications and serious faults evidences the strong prejudice
against noses that are completely or partially lacking in pigment.

Some AKC standards do not specify a nose color. The failure to describe
the desired nose color does not mean any color nose is permissible but further
investigation would be required to determine what nose colors are acceptable in
those breeds.

HOUND GROUP (25 BREEDS)

1. Color of nose and eye rim pigment is not described. Nine (9) breeds:
American Foxhound, Beagle, Bloodhound, English Foxhound, Greyhound,
Harrier, Norwegian Elkhound, Saluki, Ibizian Hound

2. Color on nose is required to be black, brown liver or blue or dark in
accordance with the coat color of the dog: Fifteen (15) breeds: Afghan, Basenji,
Basset, Black & Tan Coonhound, Blue Tick Coonhound, Borzoi, Dachshund,
Irish Wolfhound, Otterhound, PBGV, Plott, Redbone, Rhodesian Ridgeback,
Scottish Deerhound and Whippet.

3. Color of nose may be pink or flesh. One (1) breed.
Pharaoh Hound - Flesh colored blending with the color of the coat

which is a tan or red.

4. Disqualifications or faults listed with regard to nose color:
PBGV - a butterfly nose is a fault.

SPORTING GROUP (28 BREEDS)

1. Color of nose and eye rim pigment is not described. Two (2) breeds:
Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, Red & White Irish Setters

Summary of Nose Pigment Requirements in AKC breeds 1

2. Color on nose is required to be black, brown liver or blue gray or dark in
accordance with the coat color of the dog. Twenty (20) breeds: Am. Water
Spaniel, Boykin Spaniel, Cocker Spaniel, Curly Coated Retriever, English Cocker
Spaniel, English Setter, English Springer Spaniel, Field Spaniel, Flat Coated
Retriever, German Short Haired Pointer, German Wire Haired Pointer, Golden
Retriever, Gordon Setter, Irish Setter, Irish Water Spaniel, Labrador Retriever,
Sussex Spaniel, Welsh Springer Spaniel and Wire Haired Pointing Griffon.

3. Color of nose may be pink or flesh. Six (6) breeds:
Brittany – Fawn, tan, shades of brown or deep pink.
Clumber Spaniel – shades of brown which include beige, rose and
cherry. .Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever – color should blend with that
of the
coat (which is any shade of red) or be black,
Pointer - In darker colors, the nose should be black or brown; in the
lighter shades, it may be lighter or flesh colored.
Spinone Italiano - flesh colored in white dogs, darker in white and
orange dogs, brown in brown or brown roan dogs.
Vizla – nose is self colored.
.

4. Disqualifications or faults listed with regard to nose color:
Brittany – a black nose is a DQ (because black in the coat is a DQ)
A two tone or butterfly nose should be penalized
German Shorthaired Pointer – a flesh colored nose disqualifies
German Wirehaired Pointer – a spotted or flesh colored nose is to be
penalized
Golden Retriever – pink nose or one seriously lacking in pigmentation
is to be faulted
Labrador Retriever – nose fading to a lighter shade is not a fault. A
thoroughly pink nose or one lacking in any pigment is a
disqualification.
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever – Disqualification – butterfly nose
Fault – bright pink nose
Spinone Italiano – Disqualification – Any pigment other than described
of incomplete pigment of the nose.
Vizla – A partially or completely black nose is a disqualification
Welsh Springer Spaniel – a pink nose is to be severely penalized
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon – Any other color (than brown) is a disqualify-
cation.

TOY GROUP (21 BREEDS)

1. Color of nose and eye rim pigment is not described. Two breeds: Pug
and Silky Terrier

Summary of Nose Pigment Requirements in AKC breeds 2

2. Color on nose is required to be black, brown, chocolate, liver, blue or
dark in accordance with the coat color of the dog. Sixteen (16) breeds:
Affenpinschers, Brussels Griffon, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, English Toy
Spaniels, Havanese, Italian Greyhound, Maltese, Manchester Terrier, Miniature
Pinscher, Papillon, Pekingese, Poodle, Pomeranian, Shih Tzu, Toy Fox Terrier,
Yorkshire Terrier.

3. Color of nose may be pink or flesh. Three (3) breeds:
Chihuahua - self colored in blond types or black. In moles, blues and
chocolates, they are self colored. In blond types, pink noses are
permissible.
Chinese Crested - dark in dark colored dogs, may be lighter in lighter
colored dogs. Pigment is solid.
Japanese Chin - nose is black in black and white and black and white
with tan points, and is self colored or black in red (which includes
lemon) and white.

4. Disqualifications or faults listed with regard to nose color:
Brussels Griffon – Disqualification – dudley or butterfly nose
Havanese – Disqualification – complete absence of black (or chocolate
in the chocolate dog) pigmentation on the eye rims, nose or lips.
Italian Greyhound – a light or partially pigmented nose is a fault
Papillon - fault nose not black shall be severely penalized
Poodle – major fault – color of nose, lips or eye rims incomplete or
of wrong color for the color of the dog
Shih Tzu – Fault – pink on nose, lips or eye rims.
Toy Fox Terrier - Disqualification – dudley nose

TERRIERS (27 BREEDS)

1. Color of nose and eye rim pigment is not described. Two breeds:
Miniature Schnauzer, Norfolk Terrier

2. Color on nose is required to be black, brown, liver, blue or dark in
accordance with the coat color of the dog. The remaining 25 breeds.

3. Color of nose may be pink or flesh. None

4. Disqualifications or faults listed with regard to nose color:
Lakeland Terrier – “winter” nose with faded pigment is permitted but not
desired. Liver colored noses and lips are permissible on liver
coated dogs only. A pink or distinctly spotted nose is very
undesirable
Sealyham Terrier – White cherry or butterfly bad faults
Skye Terrier – a dudley, flesh colored or brown nose shall disqualify.

Summary of Nose Pigment Requirements in AKC breeds 3

Smooth Fox Terrier - nose white, cherry or spotted to a considerable
extent with either of these colors.

Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier - major fault – any nose color other than
solid black

Staffordshire Bull Terrier – Pink (dudley) nose to be considered a serious
fault.

West Highland White Terrier – Fault – nose color other than black
Wire Fox Terrier – Disqualification – nose white, cherry or spotted to a

considerable extent with either of these colors.

WORKING BREEDS (28 BREEDS)

1. Color of nose and eye rim pigment is not described. Two Breeds:
Great Pyrenees, Newfoundland

2. Color on nose is required to be black, brown, liver, blue or dark in
accordance with the coat color of the dog. Twenty-two (22) breeds: Akita (lighter
colored nose with or without shading of black or gray tone is acceptable),
Alaskan Malamute (lighter streaked snow nose is acceptable), Anatolian
Shepherd, Bernese Mountain Dog, Black Russian Terrier, Boxer, Bullmastiff,
Cane Corso, Doberman, German Pinscher, Giant Schnauzer, Great Dane
(except Harlequin which may have black spotted nose), Greater Swiss Mountain
Dog, Komodor, Kuvasz, Leonberger, Mastiff, Portuguese Water Dog, Rottweiler,
Saint Bernard, Standard Schnauzer, Tibetan Mastiff

3. Color of nose may be pink or flesh. Four (4) breeds
Dogue de Bordeaux - nose self colored according to the mask. Black

mask – nose and eye rims will be black. Brown mask, nose and eye rims will be
brown. No mask – coat is fawn, skin appears red and nose is then reddish or
pink

Neapolitan Mastiff - nose is same color as the coat. Coats are gray
(blue), black, mahogany and tawny, and the lighter and darker shades of these
colors. Some brindling allowed in all colors as described and some limited areas
of white are allowed as described. Further inquiry will be required to see if this
breed allows flesh colored noses in the lighter colors.

Samoyed – nose- black for preference but brown, liver or dudley nose not
penalized. Color of nose may change with age and weather.

Siberian Husky – nose black in gray, tan or black dogs; liver in copper
dogs, may be flesh colored in pure white dogs. The pink-streaked “snow nose” is
acceptable.

4. Disqualifications or faults listed with regard to nose color:
Akita – Disqualification – partial or total lack of pigmentation on the nose
Surface
Anatolian Shepherd – incomplete pigmentation is a serious fault
Black Russian Terrier – Nose color other than black is a disqualification

Summary of Nose Pigment Requirements in AKC breeds 4

Great Dane – a pink colored nose is not desirable. A split nose is a
disqualification Note there has been a recent change to the
standard and nose pigment may or may not have changed

Great Pyrenees – fault – missing pigment on eye rims or lips.
Komodor – a flesh colored nose is a disqualification
Neapolitan Mastiff – severe fault incomplete pigmentation of the nose

NON-SPORTING GROUP (17 BREEDS)

1. Color of nose and eye rim pigment is not described. One Breed:
Keeshonden (calls for black eye rims and black lips but nose not described)

2. Color on nose is required to be black, brown, liver, blue or dark in
accordance with the coat color of the dog. Fourteen (14) breeds: American
Eskimo Dog, Bichon Frise, Boston Terrier, Bulldog, Chow Chow, Dalmatian,
Finnish Spitz, Lhasa Apso, Norwegian Lundehund, Poodle, Schipperke, Shiba
Inu, Tibetan Spaniel, Tibetan Terrier

3. Color of nose may be pink or flesh. Four (4) breeds:
Chinese Shar Pei – nose darkly pigmented, preferably black but any color
conforming to the general coat color of the dog is acceptable. In
dilute colors, the preferred nose is self-colored. Darkly pigmented
cream Shar-Pei may have some light pigment either in the center
of the nose or on the entire nose.
French Bulldog – Nose black. Nose other than black is a disqualification
except in the case of lighter colored dogs where a lighter colored
nose is acceptable but not desirable.
Lowchen – Coloration of pigment is in accordance with coat color. Nose
and eye rims are completely pigmented. (July 28, 2010 standard)
previous standard required pigment to be black or brown in
accordance with coat color. The requirement of “complete
pigmentation would seem to eliminate pink or flesh??
Xoloitzcuintli – Nose is dark on dark colored dogs, lighter on light colored
dogs.

4. Disqualifications or faults listed with regard to nose color:
American Eskimo Dog – fault pink nose pigment or pink lip pigment.
Boston Terrier – Disqualify – dudley nose
Bulldog – Any nose other than black is objectionable and a brown or liver
colored nose shall disqualify.
Chow Chow – Disqualification - Noses spotted or distinctly other color

than black except in blue Chows which may have a solid blue or slate nose.
Dalmatian – Incomplete nose pigmentation is a major fault
French Bulldog – Nose other than black is a disqualification, except in the
case of the lighter colored dogs, where a lighter nose is acceptable
but not desirable.

Summary of Nose Pigment Requirements in AKC breeds 5

Poodles – Major fault: color of nose, lips and eye-rims incomplete or
wrong color for the color of dog.

Tibetan Spaniel – Fault – liver or putty colored pigmentation.
Tibetan Terrier – Fault any color other than a black nose.

HERDING GROUP (24 Breeds)

1. Color of nose and eye rim pigment not is not described: One Breed:
Collie. There are seven breeds were the nose pigment is described but the eye
rim pigment is not described: Australian Cattle Dog, Beuceron, Belgian
Sheepdog, Belgian Tervuren, German Shepherd Dog, Old English Sheepdog. In
the Norwegian Buhund the eyes and lips are required to be black but the nose
pigment is not described.

2. Color on nose is required to be black, brown, liver, blue or dark in
accordance with the coat color of the dog. Twenty-one (21) breeds: Australian
Cattle Dog, Australian Shepherd, Bearded Collie, Beuceron, Belgian Malinois,
Belgian Sheepdog, Belgian Tervuren, Bouvier des Flandres, Briard, Canaan
Dog, Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Entlebucher Mountain Dog, German Shepherd
Dog, Icelandic Sheepdog, Old English Sheepdog, Pembroke Welsh Corgi,
Polish Lowland Sheepdog, Puli, Pyrenean Shepherd. Shetland Sheepdog,
Swedish Vallhund

3. Color of nose may be pink or flesh. Two (2) breeds:
Australian Shepherd - on merles it is permissible to have small pink spots;
however they should not exceed 25% of the nose on dogs over
one year of age, which is a serious fault.
Border Collie - nose color matches primary body color. Lack of eye rim
pigmentation or nose pigmentation is a fault according to the
degree

4. Disqualifications or faults listed with regard to nose color:
Beuceron – Disqualification: Split nose, nose color other than black or
with unpigmented areas
Bouvier des Flandres - a brown, pink or spotted nose is a serious fault
Briard – disqualify nose color other than black
Cardigan Welsh Corgi - in any color other than merle, a nose other than
solid black is a disqualification
German Shepherd Dog – a dog with a nose that is not predominantly
black must be disqualified
Polish Lowland Sheepdog – a pink nose or a nose partially lacking
pigment should be penalized
Pyrenean Shepherd – Disqualification – nose other than black

Summary of Nose Pigment Requirements in AKC breeds 6