How do you tell if a puppy’s eyes will stay blue? Here’s the Answer

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Puppies may be born with blue eyes but experience a color change a few weeks later.

Puppies’ eyes are closed for up to the first two weeks of their lives.

Dark brown is the most common eye color in dogs.

Some breeds of dogs have blue eyes for life, such as the Siberian Husky.

Puppies’ eyesight matures within about 3-4 weeks so they begin seeing more clearly then.

Blue-eyed puppies are striking to say the least, but how long will the blueish tinge last? Not long, as the eye usually changes to its permanent coloration several weeks down the line. It takes a while to uncover puppies’ “true” eye colors, which can range from brown to amber to the rare permanent blue color.

What about Puppies Whose Eyes Stay Blue?

Some breeds, like Huskies and Australian Shepherds, are famous for their blue eyes. While handsome, this isn’t usual.

Interestingly, the gene behind your dog’s atypical eye color is not the same one responsible for dilute coats.

Researchers found that while the Merle gene was behind the Australian Sheepdog’s coat, it was the ALX4 gene on chromosome 18 that determined whether dogs, like Huskies, had blue eyes.

But having the gene isn’t enough to give dogs blue eyes. As with people, blue eyes in dogs are recessive. That means that if they carry ALX4 and a gene for a more dominant eye color, like green or brown, your puppy’s eye color changes to brown or green at the maturation point.

Only dogs with duplicate copies of the appropriate recessive gene demonstrate blue eyes, making them unique from their canine contemporaries.

Besides Australian Shepherds and Huskies, other dogs that can inherit blue eyes include

Welsh Corgi

Border Collies

English Sheepdog

At First Sight

Puppies’ eyes are closed for the first 8 to 14 days of their lives. Their eyes only begin to reveal themselves — and slowly open after that point. This is the time to enjoy the blue-eyed stage where their eyes are blue and wholly uniform in color, meaning there is no change from the irises to the pupils.

When Do Puppies Eyes Change Color From Blue

A lot of people think that if they get a blue-eyed puppy from a known and reputable breeder, their puppy will automatically have blue eyes. However, this isn‘t always the case. If you do a quick search online, you’ll be surprised to know that dogs can develop different eye colors as they grow older.

Your puppy eyes will begin to change from color blue when they are 9-12 weeks old. Within this period, the hue will start to change and gradually take a permanent color. While this transition usually happens in most dogs in the 9th week, it might take up to 12 weeks for some puppies to fully transition.