12 Dog Breeds With Striking Blue Eyes, From Huskies to Great Danes

There's nothing more striking than seeing a dog with piercing blue eyes. Siberian Huskies are usually the dogs that come to mind right away. So why is it that they have blue eyes? A study from a few years ago found that this happens when the 18th chromosome is duplicated, which is unique to Huskies and is not the case with other blue-eyed canines. However, the authors of the study also believe the same duplication causes blue eyes in Australian shepherd dogs as well.

From breed to breed, dogs have varying characteristics and reputations — some real and some of myth. Take Pitbulls for instance, a breed that often gets a bad rap for being tough or ferocious, but are often quite the opposite. Chihuahuas, though small and unassuming, have big personalities that are difficult to train.

Beyond breeds, people can be picky when choosing a dog for a pet. Long hair or short hair? Small or big? But eye color?

While we might not think of eye color as being a big part of a dog's identity, for some dog breeds it's what makes them stand out from the pack.

Beyond Siberian Huskies and Australian Shepherds, here's a closer look at dog breeds born with blue eyes.

Siberian Husky

Siberian Huskies are already quite striking to look at with their thick fur with different markings, and add in hypnotizing blue eyes they are simply stunning. These dogs look right out of the movie Snow Dogs with their white and grey coats and they can also have two different colored eyes. In these dogs, their blue eyes are caused by the duplication of their 18th chromosome.

Australian Shepherd

These pups are cute to begin with, but what makes them unique is they are one of the few breeds that often have two different colored eyes, according to the American Kennel Club. The condition is called heterochromia and leads to a combination of blue, brown, hazel, green or amber eyes. Of course, sometimes the dogs will end up with two of the same color and that can be blue.

Weimaraner

Weimaraner's faces are slightly reminiscent of a Labrador, but this German breed is often born with light blue eyes. Though, like humans, their eyes often change color with age.

German Shepherd

The occurrence of blue eyes in German Shepherds is pretty rare. When it does happen though, it can also correspond with unique markings on the dog's coat. As is the case in humans of course, blue eyes are caused by a particular gene, so this affects more than just eye color.

Cardigan Welsh Corgi

If you know anything about the Queen of England, you know she loves corgis. It turns out that corgis are part of the group of dogs that can be born adorned with blue eyes. The American Kennel Club has different qualifications for what can disqualify a pup from one of their shows and one of those things can be eye color. In these dogs, if they have a blue merle coat, meaning a black and grey marbled design, blue eyes fit the bill — any other coat and they're a no-go.

Great Dane

Like humans, most Great Danes are born with blue eyes and then change to brown as they get older. Though in the Harlequin Great Danes — one of the largest breeds of dogs — their eyes can remain blue throughout their adult lives.

Dachshund

The hot dog-dog can have blue eyes too. They can either have an occurrence of one blue eye and one of another color as we've seen in many breeds or both eyes can end up blue as well.

Dalmatians

While it gives the dogs a unique look matched with their spotted coat, the occurrence of blue eyes in a Dalmatian can mean more than just striking eyes. As is the case with all dogs, according to the American Kennel Club, the combination of a white coat and blue eyes often is associated with deafness.

Springer Spaniel

Just like a Cocker Spaniel, which can on rare occasion also have blue eyes, Springer Spaniels have those classic floppy ears. Like we've seen in other dogs, Springer Spaniels can be born with blue eyes but they often change to darker colors after infancy.

Alaskan Klee Kai

These dogs, which look similar to Siberian Huskies, can be born with brown or blue eyes. Even in instances of eye color change in these dogs, they can sometimes simply change shade of blue rather than completely to brown as is the case in some other breeds.

Border Collie

Just like in other breeds, the eye color of the pup is caused by the certain gene makeup of each dog. The same goes for border collies. The pigmentation in their coat carries over into their eye color as well.

Pomsky

A mix between a Husky and a Pomeranian, these pups can often have striking blue eyes. Like many breeds, a Pomsky is the result of the breeding of two different types of dogs and the result is a very fluffy, often-mini canine.