One of the most unique and striking dog coat colors is blue. When it comes to several dog breeds, blue is undoubtedly the most popular color. However, in the dog world, “blue” doesn’t mean a crazy bright blue. You won’t be seeing blue dogs walking around in the real world anytime soon.
In the dog world, “blue” means a deep bluish color ranging from smoky gray to light silver, although the actual color range is much wider, with some dogs being paler than others and some having an icy or steely appearance.
Why is Blue Dog so popular?
As well as being attractive and eye-catching, blue-furred dogs are also popular due to their rarity: not all dog breeds are capable of producing blue-furred puppies, and even those that do have the colour, which is usually caused by a recessive mutation and can be difficult to breed.
There are some breeds that only have blue fur and no other colors, which makes them less rare but still intriguing.
In most cases, blue dogs are more expensive as puppies than their colored siblings.
What causes the blue color?
Simply put, a dog’s blue color is caused by a mutation in a gene that dilutes black. Without this mutation, the same dog would be a deep black color instead of this interesting blue color. Depending on the individual dog, the dilute gene may affect the dog’s entire body or just part of it, giving it a smoky appearance instead of a solid color, or it may only affect the tail, ears, or one or two legs.
Other influences can also be factors, and like any coat color, blue can change over time – lightening or darkening due to seasonal changes, shedding, or simply as the dog ages.
10 blue-coated dogs
There are many dog breeds that have blue fur, either as standard or a variation, but here are 10 popular dog breeds with blue fur that you may not have heard of, or at least didn’t know they could have blue fur.
Blue Heeler
First on our list, the Blue Heeler is one of the few dog breeds that only have a blue coat color, but it’s not actually a breed in its own right. The Blue Heeler is actually an Australian Cattle Dog, but dogs with this coat color are affectionately called Blue Heelers. This means that all Blue Heelers are Australian Cattle Dogs, but not all Australian Cattle Dogs are Blue Heelers.
The Blue Heeler’s fur is speckled or mottled, with some black showing through, giving it a bluish-grey appearance.
In some ways, this breed has recently risen to stardom thanks to the TV show “Bluey” (a TV show about a family of Blue Heelers). If you have kids, you know exactly what I mean.
Weimaraner
The Weimaraner is a German dog breed that was originally used for hunting large game. Its coat is short, smooth, almost shiny, and can be silver, grey, black, or blue in colour.
Blue is a very common color for Weimaraners, and although the AKC recognizes them as purebreds, they are not eligible to show. Many people believe that the only “true” color for Weimaraners is silver-gray.
Blue Bay Shepherd
A new hybrid designer dog breed that has emerged in the last decade is the Blue Bay Shepherd. Originally developed in Florida, this breed resembles a German Shepherd with strong wolf-like characteristics, which makes sense considering it’s a wolf hybrid.
But their most notable feature is their beautiful blue fur, which they were purposefully bred for. The Blue Bay Shepherd is a beautiful dog that has taken the social media world by storm, but if you’re interested in owning this wolf hybrid dog, check your local laws first.
Neapolitan Mastiff
The Neapolitan Mastiff is a large dog that was originally used as a military dog in the Roman army, and later, after the fall of the Roman Empire, became a guardian dog for the territories of ancient Italy.
Unlike the Neapolitan Ice Cream, the Neapolitan Mastiff’s coat is almost always solid colored, with blue being fairly common in this breed. There are several coat colors, including black, blue, gray, brown, and various shades of these, and even the occasional striped coat.
poodle
Poodles are well known for coming in a variety of colors, including blue. In fact, the AKC recognizes at least nine different colors, not including various shades. The main requirement is that the coat be a solid color.
There is some debate as to which is the rarest color for a poodle, but it is generally considered to be either blue or apricot. Either way, a blue poodle is sure to attract some special attention.
Chow Chow
Chow Chows come in several coat colors, but the most common are black and red. Blue is considered the rarest Chow Chow color, but it is also the one with the most interesting history. Blue Chow Chows are considered the most beautiful looking Chow Chows and became a favorite of the ancient Chinese and Mongolians.
Buddhist monks in Manchuria and Mongolia have kept and bred these blue Chow Chows in their temples for centuries, but they were rarely seen by outsiders. At the time, foreigners were forbidden from entering Buddhist temples, so the dog was a closely guarded secret.
Today, anyone can enter Buddhist temples as long as they respect the rules and customs. In some temples, the monks continue to breed Chow Chows to this day, and you may even spot a beautiful blue Chow Chow.
Great Dane
Blue Great Danes are considered a rare breed because the gene needed to produce the color is recessive. However, there are many breeders who breed specifically for “blues,” so it’s not too hard to find one if you want one. You might have to get on a waiting list, though.
Blue is the official Great Dane color, meaning they can be registered and shown as purebreds. The AKC standard states the color requirements as “The color shall be pure steel blue.”
Italian Greyhound
Blue Italian Greyhounds have become more common thanks to breeders deliberately controlling their color, but their genetics are still considered rare.
When it comes to Italian Greyhounds, the blue coat color has skyrocketed in popularity and is now, according to many sources, the most popular coat color worldwide. In some cases, the coat color may appear more of a pure grey rather than a greyish blue, but this depends on how much the genetics have diluted the color.
German Shepherd
Perhaps the most shocking breed on this list is the German Shepherd, most of which are black and tan, solid black, or black and red (like my dog), but there are also a few other colors, including blue.
Blue-coated German Shepherds are quite rare for two reasons: according to major breed associations, a blue coat is considered a major flaw in the breed, and the color never caught on like it has in many other breeds.
I have found a few breeders in Europe who specialize in this color, but not in the U.S. In most cases, blue German Shepherd puppies are born by chance.
French Bulldog
French Bulldogs have been getting a lot of attention lately, not only taking the number one spot as America’s most popular dog, but they’re also the latest celebrity dog. Both Hugh Jackman (Wolverine) and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson have been spotted showing off their French Bulldogs, and they’re just a few of the celebrities who own the breed.
There are a number of reasons for this popularity, but I believe the variety of coat colors plays a key role in providing options for prospective owners. French Bulldogs come in standard colors such as red, black, white, and cream, but also in a number of unusual colors such as blue, lilac (Isabella), liver, platinum, and chocolate. When you add in combinations and patterns, the possibilities are nearly endless.
In terms of rarity, blue French bulldogs are rare, it is even rarer to see a lilac or blue fawn French bulldog, and blue merle French bulldogs are probably the rarest of all.
