Coat colour and eyelids

[Katwillow]

Hi,
We are looking forward to getting a new pup this year.  Although I know it is not the most important issue I would prefer to avoid the pink rim inside the bottom lid which looking at other posts I see is caused by lack of pigment.  Are there any coat colours more or less likely to show this rim ( or ectropion lids)?

I have found this forum to be a mine of useful information already and look forward to following it further.  I'm sure our pup-to-be will generate more queries!!!

[Cazzie]

Not sure about cockers but in the Lab world this kind of pigment occurs in poor breeding 

[Jane S]

Unpigmented eyelids aren't at all a sign of poor breeding in Cockers - they crop up because Cockers have the spotting gene so they are more likely in particolours but you also see them in solids too (particularly if they have parti ancestry somewhere in the background). Unpigmented eyelids are not related to ectropion (saggy eyelids) which can occur in any colour.

Breeders can tell whether a pup has pigmented eyelids pretty much as soon as the eyes open so if you have a preference for a pup with fully pigmented lids, you'll have to tell your chosen breeder and they will be able to bear this in mind when allocating a pup to you.

[Jeanette]

Jane, are the saggy eyelids (bottom ones), hereditary and can you tell when choosing a puppy if they've already got this or does it get more pronounced as they get older?  Just curious to know incase we ever picked another puppy - would want to have the non saggy eyes again. 

[MegandMolly]

I was going to ask about saggy eyes, but didn't know what the condition was called. 
Ruby 'the unwanted cocker' who has snook in and has he feet firmly under the table (I'd make a useless foster parent - I'd keep them all!) has this condition. 
Would a breeder chose not use a bitch that had this condition? I ask because apparently Ruby's breeder refused to take her back when her previous owner wanted to rehome her - I wondered if it was because the breeder wouldn't be able to breed from her and would have to rehome her or keep her.

[Jane S]

Yes saggy eyelids (ectropion) are hereditary & you can usually see it at a fairly age. Some pups go through a stage where any sagginess looks much worse than it actually is (during teething) and while it's certainly not desirable in a working Spaniel, a slightly loose eyelid is not the end of the world (entropion is far worse). Some breeds have saggy lids as part of their "look" eg Clumber Spaniels (it's not meant to be excessive according to their Standard but some Clumbers do have really baggy lids )

I doubt Ruby's breeder didn't want her back because of her eyes - she/he is probably just one of those breeders who don't care about their pups once they've sold them (and there are plenty like this out there, more than the good ones who do take their dogs back)

[Katwillow]

Many thanks for replies, I know a bit more now and it will help when we get to the next stage of PICKING THE PUP