Beardies are born black, brown, blue, or fawn. You can determine this by the nose color and the coat color generally matches the nose at birth. As the puppies grow and change, the coats grey out to lighter shades. Coats can become very light, even appearing white. They then darken again to varying shades. Occasionally a beardie will stay black or stay brown without graying.
The dominant colors are black and brown. Blue and fawn are dilute to these colors and occur when the sire and dam both carry a dilute gene.
The traditional "Irish Patten" is desirable in a conformation Beardie which is what you see in the pictures to the left. There is no white beyond the shoulders and there is color surrounding both eyes. There is white on all four feet and white at the tip of the tail. Some Beardies are born with mismarks or more white than color. These puppies make wonderful pets, performers, and athletes but would not be considered for conformation.
Eyes, according to the standard, should tone with the coat so that the expression is soft and soulful. For instance, in conformation, a slate Beardie should have dark brown eyes but sometimes they are lighter. Browns ideally have brown eyes but some have yellower eyes. Blues and Fawns generally have eyes with soft, muted colors but some have a sharper color.
A Beardie is ALL Beardie regardless of eye color and markings. In the world of conformation it matters but it doesn't diminish a dog's ability to be a wonderful companion and/or athlete.
