Maybe Ive just not noticed before,but Jess,my collie(4 in february)has a sprinkling of white hairs on her black muzzle.Its as if she going grey already!I know dogs can start going grey from about seven,but shes not 4 yet!Could it be a diet deficiency(shes raw fed),or her headcollar causing it?Just wondered if anyone else has experience of this.Thanks.

When I read title I thought for a moment you meant  yourself !!Having had 3 solid black dogs two different breeds I found they although not brooke yet at 20months all had a sprinking of greyish hairs early onn. Whisp is 5 and I would say has had odd ones in his tail and underbelly for a year or two alos asmall pathchh on the side of his face. Josie previous flat oat around her nose. Can't remebr when but certainly not old and she was kibble fed. She also had a white strip down her leg but that was caused by radiio therapy.   As for me just getting old !!!

Many black/dark dogs will start to show grey in their muzzles before they are out of puppy, while toehrs don't seem to ahve hardly any into advanced old age.

There is an early greying gene in some breeds like borzois and silken windhounds, my 15 month old silken already has grey patches around his nose and my 3 year old has a completely grey muzzle. The gene for this has been identified and some people are trying to breed it out. I haven't noticed it in my collies though but my current 2 have white muzzles.

I have a 2 year old going grey.

Whereas my black lab only has a very few grey hairs under her muzzle at 10 + years! :-)

My cousins' 5 yr old ginger dog has a grey muzzle.  She has loads of grey hair!

A touch of grey can look very distinguished. Dark haired people tend to get grey hair showing early.
One reason I started to have streaks, and then went a lighter shade.
Don't you just hate the badger look, women who still die thair hair balck, but have a grey/white streak down the parting LOL !!!

My Sasha (GSD) started at about 3 with a greying muzzle, now at 9 the inside of her ears and quite a bit of her muzzle are grey.  Her grandsire was the same - I suppose they must be the same as us, some go grey earlier than others (I found my first grey hair at 21 - though obviously haven't found any more because I dye my hair before they can be found!!)

I have dark blond with reddish hints hair and still looking for the first grey hair, it's supposed to denote wisdom you know ;)

thanks for replies,everyone(yes Chris,I shouldve put
"white hairs on DOGS face"-didnt think,giggle!) Looks like Jess is pretty normal then,just me trying to find something else to worry about.Id read "somewhere"once that taking pantothenic acid -at least,i think it was- can help restore colour to grey hair,which is why i wondered if it might be a diet deficiency.

My red collie looked about 10 years old at 4 :p yours is definitely not alone!

My Golden Retriever has been white in the muzzle since the age of 4.

I have red hair and have no grey hairs yet ( age 61)

My m-I-l is 80 next year and has only found her first grey hair in the last year!!!!  She's got red hair too.

Not fair!!

My mum is 85 with no grey hairs, and I don't have any either, so got to be genetic I reckon.  She's a quite light mousy brown, and I'm a dark brown with reddish tints.

I have a 4 year old red sable Long Coat Chihuahua male who has started getting a lot of grey hairs around his muzzle.

So not one rule for all!  :-)