Blue Eye German Shepherd (11 Interesting Facts)

The article will cover all the information about blue eye German shepherds, the cause of blue eyes, and other variations of blue eyes along with other dogs having blue eyes.

Blue eye German Shepherd

The blue eye German shepherd has some genetic abnormality as stated by most of the breeders. Some of the dog owners find it very attractive to have a german shepherd with blue eyes.

Most German shepherds have brown eyes with black, brown, or blonde coats. The baby German Shepherd having blue eyes is cute.

Color variation of blue eye german shepherd

There are normally three variations of blue eye german shepherd, that is blue and dark brown also known as sable, blue and tan, and blue and black color variation. The blue and black are like bluish-grey or black grey.

The cause of this variation in eye color of blue eye german shepherds is a recessive gene known as “double blue gene” or “liver recessive gene”.

This gene causes the eye color to change from blue to pale brown and yellow. This gene also causes the coat of black to appear bluish or silver.

Normal purebred German Shepherd eye colors

The normal colors of a purebred german shepherd are brown, green, grey, and hazel in color. A study shows that amino acid “melanin” is responsible for the darker and lighter shades of german shepherd eye colors.

Not only the eye color but also the darker patches of coat appear blue or silver rather than dark black or brown.

You have probably studied in your biology classes about the trait and Mendel’s genetics. If you have studied that you can understand why it happens.

Can we call a Blue-eyed German Shepherd, purebred?

First, we need to clarify which dog is termed as purebred. It is defined by Kennel clubs as:

Registered in studbook
Registered as pure pedigree
A successor of a purebred dog.

If your dog fulfills these criteria, he is a purebred dog. Owning the purebred German Shepherd has a high cost but also you can charge a high breeding cost.

Here lies the concept of cross-breeding. One of the common examples of cross-breeds is the Siberian Husky breed which also has blue eyes.

Another thing is multiple breeds such as the malinois Belgian breed which is considered a single breed but has four distinct breeds.

There is a high number of fake breeding of purebred dogs through puppy mills. Puppy mills are farms of dog breeding. There is quick breeding but poor condition.

1-Characteristics of a purebred german shepherd:

Here are the traits of a purebred german shepherd:

Susceptible to genetically acquired diseases.
Are well socialized
Are acceptable by Kennel clubs for dog shows.

2-Characteristics of a mixed-breed German shepherd:

Following are the traits of a mixed-breed German shepherd:

Prone to infectious diseases
Have behavior problems
Are more hardy than purebred german shepherds.

Powder blue german shepherd Vs Steel blue german shepherd

1-Powder blue german shepherd:

There is a drastic change during the first year of the powder blue german shepherd. When the baby is born it has a silver sheen on the tip of its fur. This sheen turns into blue or grey after one or two weeks of age.

2-Steel blue german shepherd:

The important part is, it is so difficult to differentiate between a black-colored german shepherd and a steel blue color as the latter is much darker than the powder ones.

The difference can be spotted by standing them side-by-side and observing the color of the lips, eyes, rims, and footpads.

White German shepherds

It is to be noted that the white german shepherds are an individual breed but not a mixed breed. They are also known as white shepherds.

If you are concerned regarding the cause of your blue eye german shepherd with a white coat, you should probably be seeing a vet. and testing your pet for any mutation.

Difference between an albino and white german shepherd

The genetics of white german shepherds is not still fully understood, but it is said that a specific gene controls the color of the coat.

The gene that controls the coat color has two alleles. The first one is white recessive and the second one is non-white which affects coat color. The recessive gene is acquired from both the parents of a puppy.

It is to be noted that this gene doesn’t affect eye color. The albino gene affects both eye color and coat color.

Now you know the difference between an albino german shepherd and a white coat or white german shepherd. Your german shepherd may have a white coat and brown color of eyes which is normal.

Why does the german shepherd’s eye color change over time?

As it is said earlier it is due to the amino acid melanin. Melanin takes time to produce so the color of the eyes of the german shepherd changes over time. It is quite normal for other breeds to have blue eyes due to melanin.

Certain diseases can change the color of the eyes. For instance, cataracts are an eye disease in which the color of eyes becomes cloudy and it should not be confused with the milky blue eyes of a german shepherd.

Another eye color disease is entropion in which the eyelid of the dog folds inward. It is a painful eye disease and due to scratching of the eyelid, the eye loses its color.

Glaucoma is a disease in which the color of the eye changes to blue and it causes blindness.

You need to be aware of the cause of the bluish eyes of your german shepherd.

Can a mixed breed of German Shepherd have blue eyes?

Mixed breeds of german shepherds can also have blue eyes for either their german shepherd parent or non-german shepherd parent.

For example, the breed Gerberian Shepsky is a cross between a German Shepherd and a Siberian husky. The Gerberian Shepsky has blue eyes. The Gerberian husky is also called German Huskies and often acquired the color of blue eyes from their husky parent.

Can an albino german shepherd have blue eyes?

The albino German shepherd appears healthy but is prone to skin diseases more likely than other german shepherds.

A dog star writer, Melvin Pena says that albino dogs are rare. Their fur appears white and their skin around their nose appears pink. Their eyes may appear blue or pinkish. The blue eye color is due to pigment and is pale blue not dark blue.

The pinkish color is due to the blood flowing in the skin. Albinism is due to a lack of pigment in the skin and the eyes.

Do blue eye german shepherds have health problems?

A writer for Playbarkrun website, Liam Barnes says, that some breeds of dogs have merle genes. Merle genes cause the skin of the dog to have white patches. You may think that it is beautiful, it appears beautiful but deadly also.

The dogs that have the merle gene from both parents have birth problems often blindness and deafness. It is not ethically correct to cross two breeds having a merle gene.

But you should be thankful that your adopted german shepherd doesn’t have that gene. The newborn mixed breed baby of the german shepherd may acquire this gene from his non-german shepherd parents such as The Collie, Australian shepherd, and the Great Dane.

Other dogs having blue eyes

1-Weimaraner

Weimaraner puppies have blue eyes but it changes over time. As we have discussed previously in the article that the changes in the color of the eyes over time are due to melanin production. The melanin production is low in puppies but high in adults.

2-Siberian Husky

The next breed having blue eyes is the Siberian Husky. They also have blue eyes. Their blue eyes are due to gene mutation that causes a decreased production of pigment.

A Geneticist Kristopher Irizarry of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences says that the blue eye color is not because of blue pigment but due to the light entering the eye. As the sky appears blue so do the eyes appear blue. This means your eyes are deceiving you.

A Siberian husky with blue eyes appears like a wolf and surly like ice.

3-Dalmation

The gene that is the cause of blue eyes in dalmatian is also the cause of deafness in them. Dalmation can have blue eyes or blue eyes due to their coat color.

4-Cardigan Welsh Corgi

Cardigan Welsh Corgi has blue eyes and merle coats. Some people think that if this dog doesn’t have a merle coat and still has blue eyes it is a defect in this dog breed.

5-Border Collie

Border collie with one blue eye is called “walleyed”. It is said that if the border collie is having a merle coat and blue eyes the deafness chances are more in it.

Usually, border collie has a black and white coat and full brown eyes, but blue eyes variation can also occur.

6-Australian Shepherd

Native Americans called the Australian German shepherd a ghost eye according to the American Kennel Club. They have their origin in the Basque region of Spain.

Conclusion

After reading this article about blue eye german shepherds enables the reader to know all the information about the german shepherd, especially the blue-eyed german shepherd.

Feel free to ask anything about the blue-eyed german shepherd in the comment section below.

FAQ; Blue eye German Shepherd

Frequently asked questions of Blue eye german shepherd

How rare is a blue German Shepherd?

According to the American Kennel Club, it is very rare that a blue-eyed german shepherd appears. It is a genetic mutation and so it is considered a fault for a dog show. The German Shepherd is in different colors.

What is the rarest color of the German Shepherd?

The rarest color of the german shepherd is Liver color. This liver color in other breeds is due to recessive genes. You can consider how beautiful it looks.

How much do blue German Shepherds cost?

Blue eye German Shepherd costs $1500. You have to pay a premium amount for blue-eyed German Shepherds. It is not that high as it is considered, although the blue eye German Shepherd is very rare.

Which is the best male or female German shepherd?

Males are more dominant than females. If you want a gentle, friendly german shepherd you should choose a female. Male is proud, enthusiastic, and curious than females.

How can you tell if a German Shepherd is purebred?

The obvious way to tell is to test your german shepherd. Brought a DNA kit from a reputable company. Take a swab from the cheeks of the german shepherd, and run a test to ensure that if he is a purebred or not.