Full white siberian husky

A Complete Guide To The Beautiful Siberian Husky Colors

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The Siberian Husky is a popular dog known for its big fluffy coat. The Husky coat can come in a lot of colors.

According to the AKC, the standard Siberian Husky colors include black, white, gray, agouti, red, and more. All in all, there are 9 officially accepted colors, but there are some rare Husky colors that are not officially accepted.

The Beautiful Husky Coat

Huskies are known for their medium-sized double coat that has been perfected to protect them against the harsh colds of Siberia. The double coat has two parts – an undercoat, and a top coat.

The undercoat is short and dense, and its function is to preserve the heat. The top coat is long and its function is to protect the skin and the coat from any kind of damage. Due to such a good coat, Huskies can withstand cold temperatures and thrive in the coldest regions on Earth.

History And Genetics Of The Husky Coat

The Siberian Husky has ancient origins and was used by the Chukchi people of Siberia as a working sled dog. There are studies showing the close link between the Husky and the ancient Siberian wolf that lived 35000 years ago.

During that time, a lot of color types of Huskies were developed and are still maintained in the modern days. Some of them are the same as the ancient Siberian wolf. All coat colors depend on the inherited genes and experienced breeders can breed specific colored Huskies if needed.

What Is The Rarest Siberian Husky Color?

One of the rarest colors of Siberian Huskies is the Full White color. Besides the full white color, Agouti-colored Huskies are also very rare. Other rare Husky colors include Sable, Piebald, Tri-Color, and others.

Agouti And White

This rare coat color of Husky gives them a wolf-like appearance which is also called “wild coloring”. A gene referred to as “Ag” is responsible for this color. The hairs of this coat are usually darker at the tip and root, and lighter in the middle. The undercoat is charcoal. 

There is no dilution and the pigments reach down the entire body of the Husky. These dogs also have special Husky markings and masks, with the masks being darker colored.

Black

All-black Huskies, or Jet Black Huskies, are a beautiful variation of a Husky with a full black colored coat. To be considered all-black, the Husky should have at least 75% of its coat to be black. This should also include its nose, eye rims, and lips. Sometimes the normal dog testicle color will also be black.

The black color can vary from dark black to a more dilute and lighter black. This dog unfortunately can be a victim of  “Black Dog Syndrome”. It is an occurrence where people are falsely believing that black dogs are more aggressive and leave them in shelters. That is of course untrue.

Black And White

Another one of the standard colors of Huskies is the black and white combination. This is also one of the most common Husy colors. The undercoat is white, charcoal, or beige, while the top coat has black color. A red tint is also possible for the black.

The black color can vary in its intensity. Usually, two variations are possible: jet black, and diluted black. Usually, the white markings are placed as a white blaze on the chest, and white markings on the feet, tail, and face.

Brown And White

The brown and white coat can be mistaken for the black and white or the red and white coat for its similarities. It is presented as a main brown color with white markings, usually on the face, chest, and feet.

Besides this bi-color version, there is a variation where the Husky is born with a full brown coat. This coat can either be described as brown or chocolate brown. Of course, there may be some slight white markings that are less noticeable.

Black Tan And White

The black and tan Siberian Husky dogs are often mistaken to be a mixed breed. Due to their color, they have a big resemblance to the Husky and Rottweiler mix. This is quite a rare color compared to the other coat colors. Some breeders specialize in breeding this color and charge a bit more than the usual Husky price.

Usually, the body of the Husky is black, and it has tan and white markings on its face, chest, abdomen, legs, and paws. The black will vary from jet black to dilute black.

Gray And White

This common Husky color is typically made by a white undercoat and a gray outer coat. More often, gray is the main color, while white appears as markings. One variation on these dogs is the black, gray, and white colored coat.

The gray color can be different according to its shade. We describe three possible shades: wolf-gray, silver, and darker shades of gray. This is a relatively common color and will make you mistake the Husky for a wolf.

Red And White

Another one of the officially accepted Husky coat types is the red and white coated Husky. The red color can come in a few shades described as dilute red, red, and dark red or copper. Their main color is red combined with the white patches on the chest, face, legs, and around their triangular ears. They are also described to have a total absence of black hair.

These dogs are also described to have pinkish noses and lack any markings around their eyes. This color is quite rare, compared to the other color variations.

Sable And White

This is one of the rare Husky variations combined with the Sable pattern. The undercoat has a red or copper color, while the top hair starts as red and ends in a black tip. There are patches of white on the face, chest, and legs. Usually, dilution is not possible in this type of color.

Some Huskies born with genes for this coat, will have wolf-gray Husky colors, and then slowly change to red as time goes on. These Huskies are also known for their dark noses, often called “black-nosed reds”.

White

This is the rarest coat color of the Siberian Husky and is presented as a full-white coat. It results from a complete restriction of color pigments throughout the whole coat. Some white-colored Huskies have liver or black-colored points affecting the color of the nose or skin around the eyes.

Due to their rare occurrence, these Huskies can be confused for other white dog breeds like the Samoyed, White Alaskan Malamute, and Swiss Shepherd. Some Huskies with white coats may be like that due to albinism.

Husky Patterns And Markings

Besides the color of the coat, almost all Huskies have some distinct patterns and markings. Only two of these are officially accepted by the AKC, and those are the Saddle-Back and Piebald. The Agouti and Sable color patterns were already mentioned.

Piebald Or Pinto

This pattern is characterized by one dominant color, which most of the coat is covered with, and small markings made by two other colors. It usually has white as the dominant color covering most of the body. This rare pattern is accepted by the AKC.

Saddle-Back

The Saddle-Back is the other accepted pattern by the AKC. It is a very common pattern noticed in a lot of Husky. It is usually a white Husky with a saddle-like patch of color on its back. This makes the dog look like it has a saddle on its back, hence the name.

Bi-Color, Tri-Color, And Parti-Color

The Bi and Tri Colored Husky are basically any Husky that has two or three colors mixed in its coat. Parti-colored Huskies are basically Bi-colored Huskies that have to have at least 50% of white on their coat.

Merle

The Merle pattern is distinguished by its dark pigmented spots scattered on a light background of the same color. The most common colors are blue, black, red, or brown. This pattern is made by a specific gene, and due to its connection with a lot of diseases, it is banned by the AKC.

Which Husky Coat Colors To Avoid?

Some of these coat colors are made by genes that also carry some health issues. The most known of these is the Merle pattern. It is inherited by the M allele of the PMEL gene of which only one is needed to cause the coat change. 

Besides the interesting pattern, this color also causes deafness, blindness, and immune system dysfunction. Some Huskies may inherit two of these genes, which sometimes causes them to be stillborn, or have big developmental issues. Thus the Merle coat color is banned by the AKC and should be avoided at all costs.

What Eye Colors Do Huskies Have?

Besides their coat colors, Huskies can also have variable eye colors. For most people, the Husky is synonymous with a blue eyes dog. An interesting Husky fact is that they are much more commonly found with blue eyes compared to other dog breeds. Another common eye color is brown. It can come in a darker, lighter, or chocolate-like brown color.

Some rare Husky colors for their eyes include bi-eyed and party-eyed colors. Bi-eyed Huskies have one eye in one color, and the other is in another color. Parti-eyed Huskies have two eyes with more than one color. One color is a base, and another occurs in patches.

Other eye colors include green, amber, and split-eyed, where the iris is half one color, and half another color.

A red siberian husky in the snow

So Which Siberian Husky Colors Are Best?

Huskies are known as double-coated dogs with fuffy coats developed to keep them warm in the harsh colds of Siberia. Throughout the years, their coats developed different types of colors, some more common than others.

Some of the more common colors include mixes of gray, black, brown, and white. One of the rarest colors of Siberian Huskies includes Full-White, Agouti White, and Sable White. Huskies can also have a lot of different patterns. Piebald and Saddle-back are the only officially accepted ones, but other patterns like the Merle exist too.

No matter which one you find beautiful, make sure you avoid the Husky colors that are associated with genetic diseases. That means avoiding the Merle pattern at all costs.

FAQ

Do Husky puppies change color?

Yes. Husky puppies can sometimes change the color of their coat. This usually happens during the first shedding season when they replace their darker coat with a lighter one. Sun exposure can also cause a change in the coat.

When does a Husky coat stop changing color?

Huskies will usually stop changing their color at the age of 2 years. However, some still continue changing in color until they reach the age of 3 or 4 years.

What color of Husky is the most expensive?

The rarer the Siberian Husky colors, the more expensive they will be. According to that, a Full-White Husky will be the most expensive as it is the rarest color. Agouti and Sable Huskies will also have a higher price.

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