Can Malamutes Have Blue Eyes?

Last Updated on October 13, 2021 by Marco

Nothing makes us do a double-take quite like an animal with blue eyes. They seem to have a mystical quality about them!

There are quite a few dog breeds which commonly have blue eyes.

Can Malamutes have blue eyes? And what other dog breeds are blue-eyed? Keep reading to find out.

A Blue-Eyed Malamute?

As beautiful as it sounds, there are no purebred Alaskan Malamutes with blue eyes. If you come across one, then it is not purebred. The American Kennel Club lists blue eyes as a disqualification from the breed standard. But if you are not fussy about bloodlines, then it is possible to have a part Malamute mixed breed dog with blue eyes (from the other parent, i.e. a Siberian Husky.)

If you have your heart set on owning a canine blue-eyed beauty, and you are open to considering different dog breeds, then here is a list of dog breeds with blue eyes. 

What Breed Of Dogs Have Blue Eyes?

Siberian Husky

Siberian Huskies are probably the most well-known dog breed to have blue eyes. This is because they have a mutant ALX4 gene. However, this gene does not cause the dog’s iris to be blue, rather, it causes a reduction of pigment in the iris.

Blue eyes are common in Siberian Huskies; 40 percent of this dog breed has blue eyes.

Many Siberian Huskies have heterochromia, which is when the dog has one blue eye and one brown eye. According to a Native American myth, dogs with eyes like this can see both heaven and earth.

Do All Huskies Have Blue Eyes?

No, they do not. 40 percent of Siberian Huskies have blue eyes, 40 percent have brown eyes, 15 percent have heterochromia, also called ‘bi-colored’, and 5 percent have what is called ‘parti-colored’ eyes, meaning that there are two colors in the one eye!

Alaskan Huskies With Blue Eyes

What do you get when you take a Siberian Husky and throw in some Pointer, Saluki, and Shepherd DNA for good measure? You get an Alaskan Husky.

And in case you were wondering, yes, these dogs can have beautiful blue eyes! They are not a purebred dog, but they retain enough Siberian Husky genes to make blue eyes a possibility. And they make superb sled-pulling dogs, which is why they have been developed over the past few decades.

Other Dog Breeds With Blue Eyes

Alaskan Klee Kai

The Alaskan Klee Klai was developed by breeders as a smaller companion dog for Siberian Husky lovers. The Alaskan Klee Klai can indeed have blue eyes, with some dogs of this breed having very vivid blue eyes that are a little darker than the blue eyes of the Siberian Husky. However, brown or hazel eyes are more common in this breed. They can also have bi-colored or parti-colored eyes.

Learn more about: Huskies That Stay Small Forever

Australian Shepherd 

Despite the name, the Australian Shepherd was bred in America! They have been around since the Gold Rush era of the 1840s and they were developed as sheep herders. This medium-sized working dog has a long coat which can be merle, red merle, and black tricolor. The Australian Shepherd can have blue eyes, or yellow, amber, or hazel eyes. Australian Shepherds do not have to be merle to have blue eyes.

Border Collie 

This medium-sized, long-coated working dog has a long coat that comes in black and white, chocolate brown and white, and merle. All of these coat colors can be accompanied by blue eyes, though brown and hazel are more common. A merle Border Collie with blue eyes can cost up to 4,500 dollars! This goes to show how rare they are. Border Collies are very beautiful-looking dogs, no matter what eye or coat color they have.

Cardigan Welsh Corgi 

This dog originated in Wales and it is one of the oldest dog breeds hailing from the British Isles. In fact, they are believed to have existed in Wales for 3,000 years! Once again, we have a dog breed that can have a variety of coat colors, one of these coat colors being merle. Subsequently, the Cardigan Welsh Corgi can have blue eyes. These small working dogs were used for herding cattle; they ‘nip’ at the cow’s heels to get them moving along.

Catahoula Leopard Dog 

This unusual-looking dog breed originated in Louisiana, USA. It gets its name from its spotted coat. This dog is medium to large in size’ ‘Catahoula’ is Choctaw for ‘sacred lake’. They are known for their varied coat and eye color, including blue eyes. They can be dominant if not trained from an early age.

Dachshund 

The adorable little ‘sausage dog’ of German origin was bred to go down holes to flush out badgers. They most commonly have a black and tan coat, but there are some which are born with the dilute gene which gives them a light coat and light eyes (hazel, blue, and bi-colored.)

Great Dane 

Great Danes are another dog with German origins which were used for hunting (in this case, deer, boar, and even bears.) Great Danes can have blue eyes or bi-colored eyes. Sometimes, they will have blue eyes at birth which darken by the time they are four months of age.

Weimaraner 

This beautiful German gun dog is admired for its shiny, lustrous coat that comes in many beautiful colors. This breed is sometimes called the ‘Silver Ghost’, thanks to its silvery coat. Add this to a pair of sparkling blue eyes and you have one beautiful hound.

Summary: Dog Breeds With Blue Eyes

As you can see, there are several dog breeds that can have blue eyes. This is due to a mutant gene, which causes the iris to lack pigment thus making the eyes appear blue. These dogs can be more expensive because of their beauty and rarity, depending on the breed.

Some dogs have merle coats because the merle gene dilutes the color of the coat. It is not uncommon to see dogs with merle coats with blue eyes.

It is very important to note that two dogs with merle genes should never breed because there is an increased risk of blindness in their offspring.

Read more about: Why Do Huskies Have Heterochromia?