Dogs with blue eyes are currently gaining traction among animal lovers for their distinct looks. This trait in canines was previously frowned upon by dog breeders due to its connection with underlying health issues like deafness, blindness, and so on.
But, with the availability of better health services to their pet companions, they realized Blue eyes in canines don't necessarily constitute bad health; it is a genetic mutation. Dogs with lower melanin levels are born with the said color eyes. We have listed 25 blue-eyed dog breeds that can melt anyone's heart.
The Alaskan Klee Kai is a dog breed commonly associated with blue eyes. These dogs are known for their vibrant blue eyes that, at one point, were compared to the eyes of the White Walkers from HBO's Game of Thrones.
While brown is this breed's most common eye color, other colors like hazel and green are also prevalent. The Alaskan Klee is a spitz-type dog breed native to the US. It is often considered the companion-sized version of the Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamute.
The Alaskan Malamute is not particularly known for its blue eyes as this breed rarely has the merle gene necessary for blue eyes. Meanwhile, Malamute crosses that were bred with Huskies show this trait more commonly.
Their eyes are mostly almond-shaped. The Malamute is a dog breed native to Alaska. It was initially bred to be a sled dog but eventually became famous as a household dog.
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Like many other breeds, the American Staffordshire Terrier newborns can have blue eyes due to lower levels of melanin. By the time the pups are 10 weeks old, most of them have darker-colored eyes as their bodies produce higher levels of melanin.
Adult Terriers can still have blue eyes but it is very rare. Dogs from its breed primarily have brown eyes. Meanwhile, eyes of lighter shades are considered a sign of a genetic defect by breeders. The American Staffordshire Terrier, often called AmStaff, is a less shedding short-coated dog native to the US.
Aussiedoodle, also known as Aussiepoo, can have light to marble-blue eyes depending on the amount of melanin. The characteristic is commonly connected to dogs with merle-patterned coats. However, non-merle dogs can also possess blue eyes.
Besides blue, Aussiedoodles can also have green or brown eyes in addition to eyes of different colors. The Aussiedoodle is a cross between a Poodle and an Australian Shepherd.
The Aussiedor has a recessive gene responsible for the split blue or blue eyes. This trait is not limited to mixed colored dogs as many solid colored canines also possess it.
The Aussiedor is not a pure breed. It is created by a cross between a Labrador Retriever and an Australian Shepherd. If both of its parents have blue eyes, there's a high possibility that the resultant offspring will also have blue eyes. Blue eyes can occur even if both of its parents are brown-eyed; however, the chances of it happening are slim.
The Australian Shepherd is more commonly associated with blue eyes than most other dog breeds. It is due to a genetic mutation that causes some of these dogs to have lower levels of melanin. Heterochromia is also more common in this breed than in many other breeds.
Besides blue, these dogs are found with other distinct colors of eyes, including amber, hazel, and green. These canines are believed to have descended from breeds like collies and other herding dogs.
Basset Hounds with blue eyes are pretty rare; nonetheless, they do exist. While most of these dogs born with the said color eyes eventually gain a darker shade, there are still some that don't change colors throughout their lives.
The blue eyes could be the result of a genetic mutation or a sign of an underlying health condition. Reportedly, Basset Hounds with blue eyes have a high chance of developing cataracts in the latter stages of their lives; however, it is yet to be scientifically proven.
Beagles can normally produce blue-eyed offspring when they are cross-bred with breeds like Siberian Husky, Australian Shepherd, and Dachshund, among others. Meanwhile, the chances of having a pure-bred Beagle with blue eyes is extremely rare, but not impossible.
The blue-eye mutation in pure-bred Beagles can occur as a result of the dilute gene, merle gene, albinism, or other factors. It can also be a sign of an undiagnosed eye disease.
As a mixed-breed dog, the Border Aussie has a higher probability of having blue eyes than pure breeds. Mostly, Aussies with the desired colored eyes have a merle-patterned coat.
Border Aussies are a cross between Australian Shepherds and Border Collies. If both of its parents have blue eyes, the chances of the offspring having blue eyes is increased significantly, When only one of its parents has the said color eyes, there is around 25% to 50% probability of their puppy possessing blue eyes.
The Shepherd-Collie cross can also be found in coats of different colors, including red, tan, liver, tricolor, and merle.
Border Collie pups are usually born with blue eyes. However, their eye color changes into darker shades by the time they are five months old.
This breed contains the recessive gene necessary to get eyes of lighter colors. A puppy produced by one parent with blue eyes has a 50% chance of inheriting the feature. If both of its parents have blue eyes, a puppy will almost always gain the same color.
The Boxer dog has around a 25% chance of having blue eyes at birth. Blue eyes are most commonly linked to Boxers with a white coat.
The white coat and blue eyes are both achieved as a result of low pigmentation. Although all Boxers have the recessive gene that results in blue eyes, not all Boxers are born with blue eyes. Even those born with it can change eye colors as a result of increasing pigmentation.
Cane Corsos with blue eyes are mostly available in grey or lighter coats. Dogs of this breed with the dominant coat of black rarely have blue eyes.
Like other breeds, darker eye colors are associated with better health of the canine. These dogs primarily have brown eyes but can also have light brown, amber, or even golden eyes, in some cases.
The Catahoula Leopard Dog is famous for its strikingly beautiful blue eyes. This breed has distinct glass eyes that reflect a pale blue shade.
Besides the adults, puppies are also born with blue eyes but achieve darker colors as a result of an increase in pigmentation. The probability of heterochromia in Catahoulas is significantly higher than in other regular breeds.
Chocolate Labs with blue eyes are currently in high demand due to their silky coat and beautiful eyes. However, blue eyes don't occur naturally in these dogs. Instead, this mutation can be credited to selective breeding.
The Chocolate Lab is a sub-breed of Labrador Retrievers. They are uniquely known for their brown, chocolate-like short coat. Although Labradors with brown fur were previously deemed as defectives, these dogs have successfully become one of the popular household breeds.
Blue eyes are common in Dachshund with dappled or merle genes. These genes also cause the dogs to have spotted or marked coats of hair.
Dachshunds with blue eyes are birthed by the breeding of two dappled dogs. However, this beautiful feature is also linked to health problems like deafness, blindness, or any other underlying disabilities. Non-dappled dogs of this breed rarely have blue eyes.
The genetic mutation that causes blue eyes is pretty rare in Dalmatians. Nonetheless, considering there are over 100 thousands of Dalmatians are over the world, the number of dogs with blue eyes is still in the thousands.
However, blue eyes in Dalmatians are often associated with deafness as it could be a sign of hearing loss. Meanwhile, the most common eye color in Dalmatians is brown.
Blue eyes in English Bulldogs is caused by a recessive genetic mutation. The mutation leads to extremely low pigmentation in their irises, giving a blue color to their eyes.
Similarly, many specimens of this breed are born with blue eyes. But, as they grow older, their eye color starts turning darker. Usually, by 10 weeks of their birth, these canines' eye color completely turns into dark brown. These dogs have coats of different colors, including fawn, fawn & white, red & white, brindle & white, red, red brindle, and white.
The Gerberian Shepsky has a 50% chance of having blue eyes at its birth. This trait leads to these dogs having slightly better night vision than other dogs with non-blue eyes.
The Gerberian Shepsky is a mixed breed dog created through the mating of a German Shepherd and a Siberian Husky. As both of its parents are known to have blue eyes, the characteristic is repeatedly inherited by Shepskies.
German Shepherds with blue eyes, also called Blue German Shepherds, have a recessive gene that causes their eye color to be blue. Unfortunately, it is not considered desirable by breeders; most GSDs with this feature are neutered and put up for adoption.
A blue-eyed GSD can be achieved by breeding two adult dogs with blue eyes. Similarly, breeding a brown-eyed German Shepherd with a blue-eyed counterpart has a 25% to 50% chance of gaining blue-eyed puppies.
Old English Sheepdogs are mostly available in brown eyes, blue eyes, and one of each color option. While the blue-eyed ones are mostly frowned upon by breeders, they are one of the most popular choices among dog breeders.
The blue eyes, or the lack of melanin, could be connected to an undiagnosed health problem. On the other hand, the sky-colored eyes in these adorable pets could simply be a rarity
Pitbulls with the merle gene have distinct blue eyes, although it is a rare trait like any other breed. Additionally, Pitbulls with lower melanin levels can also possess blue eyes.
This characteristic is common in young Pitbull puppies. But, as they grow up, their eyes get darkened due to increased melanin production. Pitbull is a term used to represent dogs with similar characteristics. It is not a specific breed and mostly includes dogs like the American Bully, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Bulldog, and American Pit Bull Terrier.
Pomsky dogs are normally available in blue and brown-eye options. As they are a mixed breed, blue eyes are neither a rarity nor a symptom of health problems. Heterochromia is also common in this breed.
Most dogs from this family will have at least one blue eye. Unlike other breeds, the blue-eye feature is considered an advantage in these dogs as they are normally higher-priced than darker-eye dogs. The Pomsky is a cross between a Siberian Husky and a Pomeranian. It is one of the newest breeds which was introduced only a decade ago in 2012.
The Saint Berhusky, also known as the Saint Bernard Siberian Husky Mix, is loved by dog lovers for its long furry coat and distinct blue eyes. These dogs have almond-shaped eyes that are primarily of brown color.
However, blue-eyed Berhusky are not rare and not associated with an eye condition either. At the same time, Berhuskies with different colored eyes are also common with one blue eye.
The Siberian Husky is the breed most likely to have blue eyes. This breed commonly possesses the merle and piebald genes associated with the desired color of eyes.
Huskies are also notable for heterochromia, which causes the dog to have different colored eyes; brown and blue eye combinations are a common characteristic among Huskies with heterochromia.
Weimaraners are mostly born with blue eyes due to the lack of melanin. However, their eyes start getting darker with the increase in melanin production as they grow. By six months, their eyes become significantly darker, turning into gray, blue-gray, or light amber.
Weimaraner is a large dog breed initially bred to be hunting dogs. These canines are extremely intelligent, energetic, loyal, and agile. They mostly come in three different coat colors, including silver-gray, silver, and mouse-gray.
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