Gray dog breeds and what makes them so special

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Gray is your color and a gray dog would be something you wish for? Then take a look at these dog breeds!

27.04.2022

All gray dog breeds at a glance

Gray is often an essential part of the coat for dog breeds that come in various colors. That's why there are numerous gray dog breeds. While you won't find a Golden Retriever with a gray coat, many other breeds, like the Poodle, are available in white, brown, black, and also gray.

Small gray dog breeds

Are you only interested in a →small dog breed with a gray coat? Luckily, there are quite a few:

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Medium-sized gray dog breeds

Knee-high is just the right size for your companion? Then take a look at these →medium-sized dog breeds with (almost completely) gray coats:

  • Australian Shepherd

  • Bull Terrier

  • Lagotto Romagnolo

  • Schnauzer

  • Standard Poodle

  • Whippet

graue hunderassen whippet

Large gray dog breeds

Among the →large four-legged friends you'll find some gray dog breeds. First and foremost, the Weimaraner is very well known and is highly valued not only by hunters for its beautiful coat.

  • Alaskan Malamute

  • Australian Cattle Dog

  • Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog

  • Bearded Collie

  • Bobtail

  • →Cane Corso

  • Deerhound

  • Great Dane

  • English Setter

  • Golden Doodle

  • Galgo Español

  • →Greyhound

  • Standard Poodle

  • Giant Schnauzer

  • Saarloos Wolfhound

  • Saluki

  • Siberian Husky

  • Weimaraner

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Silver and blue dogs

By now, almost every dog breed is available in gray, or more often referred to as "silver" or "blue". These coat colors are created by the dilution gene. It lightens the original color of the breed, which, for example, turns a brown Labrador into a gray or silver one. However, coat colors produced by the dilution gene can promote certain diseases.

Possible symptoms of disease in silver or blue dogs can include:

  • an immune deficiency

  • a lower life expectancy

  • liver or kidney failure

  • hair loss and/or skin eczema

  • various allergies

Only in very few breeds like the Weimaraner is the purely gray coat of natural origin and, despite the dilution gene, has no health consequences. It does occur in many other breeds, such as the Labrador, Frenchie, or Doberman, but the "blue breeding" in Dobermans is now banned and even falls under the ban on breeding for defects.

Undine Tackmann
Undine Tackmann