Coat color is black on puppies but fades to a slate-blue by about the age of eighteen months. Darker or black coat may appear on the adult muzzle, head, ears, tail and feet. Coat on the muzzle is longer than on the rest of the head, forming a bushy beard. Coats of Kerry Blues being shown in Ireland may not be trimmed. Elsewhere, the dogs are exhibited with a sculptured, scissored coat.
Average weight is between thirty and forty pounds.