Last Updated on October 19, 2021 by Marco
When we think of the Siberian Husky, most of us will picture one that is agouti and white. This is one of the most common, and visually striking, coat colors to be found on a husky.
Huskies are known for their thick double coats, which have a soft undercoat for warmth and a longer, shiny guard coat to keep out the damp and cold. A Siberian Husky has to have what is called a ‘plush’ coat to be considered at standard. Other coat lengths, which are not at standard, are short, and woolly.
If you combine the coat thickness, along with a very long list of recognized coat colors, not to mention a wide variety of markings, then you end up with many, many Siberian Husky coat types!
Read on to find out more about Siberian Husky coat types and colors.
Siberian Husky Coat Types
There are three coat types associated with the Siberian Husky – 1) plush – which is medium in length, 2) short, and 3) woolly. Of these three, only the plush-coated husky is considered breed standard. The woolly husky is disqualified because its coat, which is thicker and longer than the plush, hides the lines of the dog’s body, which need to be seen in the show ring to ascertain form.
Siberian Husky Coat Colors
There Is A Wide Variety Of Husky Shades and Patterns, All Of Them Beautiful.
One of the most common and well-known husky colors is white and agouti. Agouti is a type of fur coloration in which each strand of hair has bands of more than one color. Gray is the most likely outcome of this banding. And there are certainly plenty of gray huskies in the world! Some people describe agouti as looking like the dog has a ‘dirty’ face, as if it has been digging! Agouti and white huskies certainly have a stunning wolfish look about them.
Other common husky colors are black, red, or sable (sable is lighter hair such as brown or tan at the root that graduates to darker hair at the tip.)
Red huskies are not all that rare (surprisingly), but they certainly are striking, particularly when they have blue eyes.
All-black huskies are considered rare, though many of them have a splotch of white here or there. For a Siberian Husky to be considered black, it’s coat must be at least 75 percent black.
Merle Coat Color in Huskies
Some huskies are merle, which is not actually a color in itself but a genetic variation in which the color is diluted. Therefore, merle huskies have coats that have a blue-ish tinge, because white is diluting the gray in their coat. Merle is associated with health problems in animals.
The Siberian Husky Club of America has a breed standard which allows for certain coat colors. Merle is not one of them. The SHCA does not support the breeding of merle dogs because they can be prone to certain health problems, such as eye disorders, deafness, and immune disorders. If two merle dogs are crossed, double merle pups in this litter are at risk of being born blind and deaf.
Those Good Ol’ Wolf Genes…
Siberian Huskies are descended from the ancient Siberian Wolf, and their coat colors are a throwback to this – from 40,000 years ago! Modern-day huskies have coats that look similar to those of modern-day wolves.
The ‘Siberian Rainbow’ of Husky Coat Colors
Now, let’s look at the ‘Siberian Rainbow’ – there are so many husky colors that they do make a rainbow! These colors are all accepted as being at breed standard for the Siberian Husky with the American Kennel Club (AKC):
- Black and white
- Gray and white
- Agouti and white
- Red and white
- Sable and white
- White
There’s a lot of white in there. Huskies which are bi-colored will have darker fur on their heads, ears, backs, and tails, with white fur on their faces, legs, underbellies, and tail tips.
Less Common Husky Coat Types
The American Kennel Club does recognize other coat colors in the Siberian Husky, but they are not considered ‘standard’. These colors are:
- Tan
- Black and tan
- Black and gray
- White and tan
- Copper and white
- Brown
- Brown and white
- Black, gray, and white
- Black, brown, and white
Other Husky Coat Information
Markings that are recognized but not standard are black points (the points are the ears, nose, feet, and tail tip), pinto (also known as the ‘Siberian Husky Color Splash’), and piebald.
The AKC states that it is normal for there to be a wide variety of markings and patterns on a Siberian Husky’s head.
So as you can see, there is a huge variety of color and pattern combinations in the Siberian Rainbow, that are not only beautiful but also acceptable.
Meet SeQuoi Tenk, A Rare Brown Husky With Blue Eyes
This stunning boy, known as ‘Quoi’ for short, is quite a hit on Instagram, where he is touted as one of the most beautiful dogs on Insta. Quoi lives in America with his ‘mom’, Nikki, where they enjoy a nomadic lifestyle.
Quoi is entirely brown (chocolate brown, to be precise), and his eyes are a piercing blue. He is 100 percent pure Siberian Husky.
Quoi gets his name from the sequoia tree, which his owner says is big and strong like he is, and the Japanese word (Tenk) for ‘fox’, which also suits his reddish coat and pointed ears and snout.
Apart from a white spot on his chest, Quoi is all brown. This is very rare in Siberian Huskies. Nikki gets asked all the time what breed her dog is, and people can hardly believe that he is indeed a purebred Husky!
Siberian Husky Coat and Color Conclusion
So, what’s your favorite color in the husky rainbow? Are you mesmerized by a rare chocolate brown husky, or do you prefer the classic agouti and white coat that we all associate with the breed? And what about length? Do you love a plush-coated dog, or are you a fan of the woolly husky?
When it comes to the Siberian Husky, variety certainly is the spice of life!
Read more about: Is A Wooly Husky A Siberian Husky?
