Joker
Heterochromia - from the Greek, heteros (different) and chroma (pigmentation).
Having eyes of two different colors.
Yep, that's Seeing Double's boy Joker. He's running on Kristy's team this year. He's 5 years old and an Iditarod veteran, although his Iditarod trail experience came before the twins welcomed him to the family. He is a great wheel (directly in front of the sled) or team (in front of wheel, behind swing and team) dog and I know Kristy is excited to have him on the trail with her this year.
Back to his marvelous peepers. Joker has one brown and one crystal blue eye. This is called heterochromia and can be found in a variety of dogs, less frequently in cats and horses, and quite rarely in humans. Joker sees just fine out of both of them. His blue eye is courtesy of melanin, or rather a lack thereof, most likely a genetically inherited trait and not something caused by accident or injury. Melanin is a natural skin pigment and it dials in what you see in the mirror with respect to hair, eye, and skin color. Joker's specific type of heterochromia is considered complete or heterochromia iridis.
Joker may look a bit fearsome in the above pic, but he's a total sweetheart. Tail wagging, "pet-me-pet-me" wiggles. And when he realizes he's getting a harness and gets to go for a run with his pals? Both of those eyes light up even more!
Always remember - different isn't bad. It's just different!
Having eyes of two different colors.
Yep, that's Seeing Double's boy Joker. He's running on Kristy's team this year. He's 5 years old and an Iditarod veteran, although his Iditarod trail experience came before the twins welcomed him to the family. He is a great wheel (directly in front of the sled) or team (in front of wheel, behind swing and team) dog and I know Kristy is excited to have him on the trail with her this year.
Back to his marvelous peepers. Joker has one brown and one crystal blue eye. This is called heterochromia and can be found in a variety of dogs, less frequently in cats and horses, and quite rarely in humans. Joker sees just fine out of both of them. His blue eye is courtesy of melanin, or rather a lack thereof, most likely a genetically inherited trait and not something caused by accident or injury. Melanin is a natural skin pigment and it dials in what you see in the mirror with respect to hair, eye, and skin color. Joker's specific type of heterochromia is considered complete or heterochromia iridis.
Joker may look a bit fearsome in the above pic, but he's a total sweetheart. Tail wagging, "pet-me-pet-me" wiggles. And when he realizes he's getting a harness and gets to go for a run with his pals? Both of those eyes light up even more!
Always remember - different isn't bad. It's just different!
 |  |  |
