Husky dog ​​colors

The popularity of husky dogs is undeniable - even people far from cynology are ready to get cute puppies with blue eyes. But how to understand how the pet complies with the breed standard, what color are huskies with blue and brown eyes?

A variety of guard hair color options allows each owner to choose an animal with the desired phenotype. Black and white and gray, agouti and fawn, wolf and other colors of the dog - how to understand their differences? Will the coat color change with age? Only by studying in detail all the subtleties of this topic can you easily navigate the peculiarities of the colors of the husky breed and understand how the animal will look as it grows and develops.

The Siberian Husky dog ​​has a magnificent coat, fluffy undercoat and expressive eyes. The genetics of these animals is closely related to the aboriginal breeds of the North, which originate from the wolf.Huskies inherited from their ancestors good health, high adaptability to different climatic conditions, and the ability to perform hard and strenuous work.

A distinctive feature of the breed is the absolute uniqueness of the coat pattern. Already newborn puppies acquire their own, unique coat pattern. It is impossible to find two dogs with identical external data. In total, there are more than two dozen color variations, but the official standard includes only the following:

• pure white - usually combined with the brown tone of the iris;
• gray with white;
• white-brown;
• black and white.

With a blue iris tone, puppies and adult dogs of various colors can be found. But in combination with a white shade of wool, it can be seen extremely rarely. And also in animals, heterochromia is found - a genetic feature in which one eye is colored differently than the other. The Husky has a thick cortical layer that protects the outer part of the guard hair. It visually brightens the hair pigment. The rarest color combinations are pure white, marble, black, sable.

The nature of the husky's coat also has its own characteristics. It has a medium length, fluffy and dense undercoat, capable of maintaining optimal body temperature even when atmospheric temperatures drop to -60 degrees Celsius. The presence of a fatty coat protects the wool from getting wet, helps it dry quickly after getting wet. The color of the coat of husky dogs is formed by combining two main components - pheomelanin (yellow) and aumelanin (black). Mixing and diluting them gives a variety of colors and shades.

Each husky color has its own characteristic. There are rare types of shades and names that are well known to every dog ​​handler or amateur dog breeder. Certain coat tones are denoted by several naming options - light red is often referred to as peach in the pedigree, while copper is considered a chocolate (deep brown) version.

It is worth considering what colors and colors can actually be found in puppies and adult huskies.

• White. A pure snow-white coat is considered atypical for husky dogs. It is quite rare. It is characterized by the complete absence of other color blotches, yellowness. Most often, the color is found in working - sledding breed lines, in Siberia. But at home, breeders do not appreciate him too much - the dog is poorly visible in the snow, which makes it difficult for the driver to work with it.

• Gray with white. This color is often confused with silver, but experienced breeders can easily explain the difference. The shade of the undercoat in gray and white dogs is brighter. On the back, tail, in the area of ​​the ears, you can notice pronounced stripes. When a significant part of the back is overlapped with spots, the color is referred to as black-and-back.

• Silver-white. Gray huskies with a silvery undercoat look especially decorative. Unlike their snow-white counterparts, they already have a pronounced mask on the muzzle, there is an arrow on the frontal groove. Representatives of the silvery-white color are characterized by the presence of a contrasting, dark rim of the eyes.

• Black and white. The beautiful black and white shade of the husky's coat, which is popular with amateurs, is characterized by a dark base background and a contrasting light tone of the paws, chest, abdomen, muzzle.The inner part of the ears is also lightened, there is a mask on the face, the pigmentation on the body is black. Almost any shade of the undercoat is allowed, but the eyes are always blue or brown, heterochromia is found.

• Agouti. This is a rare color, combined with an equally original eye color - olive green. Agouti coloration is typical for animals obtained from breeding racing and working lines of the husky breed. The main tone of the coat is created from a mixture of red and dark, in the color of one hair light, black, red and again black shades replace each other. The mask on the muzzle is well defined, the tail has a darkened end, there may be pronounced stripes on the body.

• Wolf gray. This is the color variant closest to the natural, natural color of the husky ancestors, which suggests a great similarity between the animal and the wild wolf. The base cover is ashy. The undercoat can be cream, fawn, silver. A reddish tan can be observed on the tail, the back of the head, the border of the ears, and the back.

• Isabella. The isabella husky is characterized by a light main background with areas of the guard hair of a fawn or light red hue, reminiscent of the grapes of the corresponding variety. The appearance of the dog is noble and showy. There is a pronounced mask on the muzzle, stripes on the collar and withers, a colored blaze on the forehead.

• Piebald (pibold). The unusual and spectacular color of the pibold or pinto in the husky is not very common, therefore it is highly valued. On a white background, piebald spots of one or several colors, most often red, chocolate, are scattered. Bright blotches have a characteristic rounded shape, are located asymmetrically relative to each other. Pigmentation of exposed areas of the body - to match the spot.

• Sable. An exquisite sable shade combined with a thick husky coat looks incredibly impressive, especially in contrast with light eyes. The main color of the coat can be chocolate, copper, red, honey, with a light beige or a shade of coffee with milk undercoat. The color of the hair is uneven, at the root it is beige, towards the end it is gray, on the surface of the muzzle there are marks of a dark color. The nose and pigmentation are brown.

• Black-backed. The classic black-and-back color in huskies is quite common, especially among representatives of the Siberian branch or racing dogs. A saddlecloth refers to a dark-colored area of ​​the back that resembles a saddle. The main background of the wool is white.

• Chocolate (copper). Dogs with coats of milk chocolate or Irish coffee are often referred to as copper. Animals have guard hairs of deep and bright color, with a nose and other pigmentation to match or slightly lighter in color.

• Red and light red. Bright red and slightly more muted light red are the colors that give a dog with amber, brown or blue eyes a special charm. Against the background of snow, the wool shines and shimmers, it is clearly visible. The pronounced mask is complemented by a stripe on the muzzle, towards the nose, the ears are brightly bordered, on the neck there is a pronounced white collar encircling it.

• Pale yellow. This is a fairly noble outwardly color. The fawn tone of the coat is lighter than red, the shade of the undercoat is creamy, rather delicate and light. In comparison with red shades, it is lighter, less striking. Pigmentation is brown or flesh-colored. The mask is weak, the blaze in the forehead is white.

• Black. There is no completely black solid color in the husky. The breed genetically can have no more than 75% of this shade. Dogs are often also referred to as Afro-Husky.

• Splash. Externally, splash huskies look like piebald pibolds, but they have their own striking features. The wide white collar gives the dog a special elegance. Splash can be with a white background, brown, gray or red blotches. The pigmentation has a contrasting shade, is clearly visible. Dogs' eyes are most often blue.

• Marble. The rare variegated or marbled coat of the husky is usually presented in the form of a basic white background, on the surface of which blotches of black, dark and light gray are scattered. The spots have a regular rounded shape, located on the surface of the thighs, tail, back and head.

• Tricolor (black and tan). One of the rare variants of the husky color is the tricolor with a basic black background, white paws, chest and muzzle. Red markings are found near the eyes, on the limbs and on the body. The animal has a chocolate-red undercoat, which makes the main background more interesting and bright.

All existing husky colors go through a stage of change - re-blooming. When a puppy is just born, it can be quite difficult to determine its final color. There are also features that disappear completely over time. For example, the "glasses" that add charm to puppies' faces completely fade by 1–2 years of age. Does the color inscribed on the puppy card matter in this case, and how to predict the final color of the pet? In fact, it only defines the present and most pronounced shades.

An adult dog, after color change, will acquire its final color. And the first serious change of coat awaits the dog at the age of 6-10 months, the second - closer to the year. With age, the color lightens, becomes less bright.

For the colors of husky dogs, see the next video.