Guy Is Shocked When His Black Labrador Suddenly Starts Changing Colors

Blaze has lived with his family in Finland for the past 10 years. For most of his life, everything remained the same for Blaze — including his monochromatic look. 
 
But when the dog entered his senior years, he started to go white around his muzzle, something his parents thought was just part of the natural aging process. 

Blaze’s graying face didn’t seem to slow him down one bit. The playful black Lab still loved running through the woods, jumping in the snow and swimming in the nearby lakes. But slowly, his parents noticed white patches of fur around his ears as well.

And they kept spreading ...

“At first, we thought it was just aging, but the white color started to come more and more month by month,” Santeri Frilander, Blaze’s dad, told The Dodo. “Other dogs in the same litter have remained one color.”
 
The white fur soon covered nearly all of Blaze’s face, spreading to his shoulders and legs. Frilander realized that it wasn't age changing Blaze’s coat — it was a skin condition called vitiligo.

When dogs and cats develop vitiligo, their skin loses some of its natural pigment, resulting in white patches of fur. The condition can be linked to other medical issues, but Blaze is perfectly healthy and doesn’t know he’s any different. 
 
His new black and white patchwork fur gives the pup a unique look that his parents love. “Vitiligo is just a cosmetic thing,” Frilander said. “Blaze is a good example of how difference is beautiful.”

Blaze loves to be the center of attention, and his beautiful coat has gained him fans both at home and abroad on social media. For Blaze, the more pets he receives, the happier the pup is.

"Blaze is very kind and gets along with everyone," Frilander said. "He is always happy and wants to be in the spot where something is going on."

Blaze's dramatic change hasn't altered the way his brother Punto sees him, either. The two pups still love hanging out together and playing around the house. "They're a funny couple," Frilander said. "Blaze weighs 74 pounds and Punto is 3 pounds — and Punto is a boss."

Blaze's family knows that he is beautiful inside and out, and they wouldn't change a thing about him.