7 Vet-Verified Types of Dog Eye Colors & Their Rarity (With Pictures)

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Dr. Marta Vidal-Abarca

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Chances are that you have seen a few dogs with some pretty nifty eye colors. Some are vibrant while others blend in neutrally. When you get into specific breed types, you can really start noticing just how outstanding some of them are. Genetically, a dog’s eye color is determined before birth, though at birth most are blue or grayish, just like human babies.

But do dogs have the same amount of color choices as us? Let’s find out how many eye colors dogs can have and how hard they are to come by.

What Determines Eye Color in Dogs?

Eye color, or iris color in dogs is determined in the same way as in humans, depending on the amount of melanin present in the iris. Melanin is the pigment that gives hair, skin, and eyes its definitive color. If you have a purebred dog, some breeds have specific eye colors based on their genetics, which also influences their coat color.

The most common eye color for dogs is brown, while the rarest is green, but it depends on the genetic makeup of both parents. Many dogs of the same breed can have different eye colors strictly based on what traits take hold.

The 7 Dog Eye Colors and Their Rarity

1. Brown Eye Color

Brown is the most common eye color in dogs. It is the result of the greatest amounts of melanin in the iris, and it produces different shades of neutral browns. Higher levels of melanin make eyes darker.

Because dogs’ genetics carry the high melanin levels so well, many dog breeds display brown eyes, including most mixed breeds. Some purebreds are more prone to brown eyes than others.

While these dogs have brown eyes most often, it can still show up in virtually any dog breed.

2. Amber Eye Color

Amber is a golden honey color that can show up in many breeds. Amber comes from diluted eumelanin.

Most dogs who have a liver-colored coat have amber eyes. They’re also common among isabella, blue, rust, and gray-coated dogs.

While amber eyes can show up in lots of coat or breed variations, it can be a disqualifying factor for certain breeds if you plan to show your dog.

3. Blue Eye Color

There are several ways by which a dog can have blue eyes as an adult. The merle, piebald, and dilution genes can play a significant role.

Merle patterns consist of splatters of different colors and patterns. When you breed merle-patterned dogs, you might run into more health issues than most. This fact is especially true when both parents carry the gene. Responsible breeders don’t breed merle to merle to avoid puppies from suffering from hearing and vision problems.

Siberian Huskies have a different genetic basis for blue eyes, and they are not at risk of developing health problems related to the merle gene.

Leucistic dogs have a significant reduction of melanin, resulting in an icy blue color, regardless of the breed.

4. Hazel Eye Color

Many dog breeds that can have blue eyes can also have hazel eyes. Hazel is even rarer, but it’s definitely a possibility. Many times, owners will think that their pup’s eyes are staying blue when they start to turn into a complex mixture of beautiful colors.

It might spontaneously show up in some other breeds, though it might be considered a flaw.

5. Green Eye Color

Green eyes are a rare sight to behold in the dog world, being the scarcest color of all. Green-colored eyes have more melanin in the iris than blue eyes, but less than hazel eyes.

Many mixed dogs can wind up with this eye color, but it isn’t a breed standard for purebreds. Pit Bulls are the only mentionable dog breed that has green eyes over others.

Maybe it’s the rarity that makes green eyes so beautiful.

6. Complete Heterochromia Eye Colors

While you might not recognize the word, heterochromia is where the dog has two different colored eyes. Heterochromia is seen in several breeds. This condition is caused by differences in pigmentation between eyes, and it’s considered normal and hereditary if they are born with it.

However, if your dog develops heterochromia later in life, is it usually due to illness and an urgent vet visit is needed.

This condition is sure to get compliments, as it creates quite a stunning contrast.

7. Segmental or Partial Heterochromia

Rather than having two completely different eye colors, segmental heterochromia happens when two different colors can be found in one iris. This occurs because one part of the iris has more pigment than the other.

This condition causes the iris to look split. Any dog that carries the merle gene has the potential to have segmental heterochromia.

Health Issues Associated With Eye Color

There have been rumors over the years that a dog’s eye color can mean they have certain health conditions, and it’s partially true. Blue-eyed dogs have been linked to suffering from blindness or deafness. This can be true in double merle dogs (dogs with two merle parents), which can potentially be blind and deaf.

Dalmatians have the highest percentage of deafness in a single breed, making up over 5% bilaterally and 15-30% unilaterally, which should not be ignored. Luckily, responsible breeding is helping to reduce these numbers.

If you believe your dog’s eye color is changing to blue, this might signal a problem. With uveitis, glaucoma, and cataracts, the eye may take on a cloudy blue hue.

Get your dog to the vet right away if this has started since going untreated can cause eventual blindness.

Final Thoughts

Even though brown is the most common color, all of our dogs’ eyes are unique and special. It’s intriguing how coat color plays such a big factor in eye color. Remember that even if your newborn puppy has stunning blue eyes, that might start changing at around 2 months.

If you have an adult dog and you think their eyes are changing color, it’s important to get them to the vet, as that could signal other health issues. It’s better to play it safe.

Featured Image Credit: Reimar, Shutterstock