Occasionally puppies are born “liver-nose”. This is a unique difference to the more common black-nose Ridgeback, and has a light-brown nose.
This is because the liver-nose gene is recessive, both parents must carry it, even though they may be black-nose themselves. If both parents are liver-nose, all offspring will be liver-nosed (double recessive).
Liver-nose Ridgebacks are within the breed specification but tend to have these physical variations from black-nose:
- Liver nose (instead of a black nose)
- “Clear” muzzle (brown) (instead of blackened muzzle)
- Amber eyes (instead of black eyes)
- Tan toenails (instead of black)
- Usually less white hair blazes (instead of typically white toes, and a white blaze on chest)
Their temperament is said to be a little more friendly and trusting, compared to black-nose dogs. Most breeders agree that adult liver-nose ridgebacks are more outgoing, boisterous, and playful.
Selecting a liver-nose is a matter of choice, but it’s often that people who meet the dog in the street will identify the dog as a Hungarian Vizler, which do indeed share similar colouring and general shape (but are different in many other ways). Some owners might find this annoying!
