Siberian Husky Colors
Disclaimer: We do not claim to own all of the photos contained on this page; wherever a photo of one of our own dogs or puppies can be used, has been used. Siberian Huskies come in a variety of colors and patterns so it is impossible to only use photos of our own dogs at this point. Colors contained on this page are standard by the American Kennel Club (AKC).
Colors
Black and White
Black and White is probably the most commonly thought of color when people picture a Siberian Husky. Black and Whites have black monochrome guard hairs with white guard hairs mixed in and have a greyish undercoat. A Black and White coat in the Siberian Husky is considered recessive (at) and both parents must be a carrier in order to produce it (ay/at, aw/at, at/at or at/a). One of our grandpups, Nitro (left), is Black and White as well as our previous stud, Parker (right).
Photo property of Novel Siberians
Photo property of Novel Siberians
Black
Mostly Black, or just "Black" according to the AKC, is the most solid black color that a Husky can get. Blacks have black monochrome guard hairs with little to no white guard hairs and either black or charcoal undercoats; the extension of color usually covers their legs, tail, face, and underbelly in black, leaving white markings only on the tips of their feet, chest, and sometimes face. Siberian Huskies can be Black by one of two ways, the dominant version (Kb/Kb, Kb/Ky) or the recessive version (a/a). Neena (right) was Black as well as one of our past puppies, Loki (left).
Photo property of Novel Siberians
Photo property of Novel Siberians
Black Tan and White
Black Tan and Whites have monochromatic black guard hairs and either black or charcoal undercoats; their markings will appear tan rather than white. The tan color is most obvious on the legs and face and fades into white as it moves further from the black color on the rest of the coat. Black Tan and Whites are sometimes born looking Mostly Black but will begin fading, most noticeably on the cheeks, within weeks of being born, eventually resulting in the tan and white markings; they are sometimes heavily masked as adults. Layla (right) was a Black Tan and White and so is one of our past pups Franklin (left).
Photo property of Novel Siberians
Photo property of Novel Siberians
Grey and White
Grey and Whites have black-tipped guard hairs that are white at the root and will have whitish or tan undercoats. The amount of black-tipped guard hairs will determine how dark a shade of grey a Husky will appear; Grey and Whites come in all different kinds of shades and probably have the most variety of all Husky colors. Grey and White is a dominant color in Siberian Huskies (aw) and parents who only carry this dominant gene (aw/aw) will always produce puppies with banded coats (aw/aw, aw/at, aw/a). Jaci (left) is a very light Grey and White, what some might call Silver, and Tala (right) is darker Grey and White; even though their colors look very different from one another, they would both be registered as Grey and White.
Photo property of Novel Siberians
Property of Novel Siberians
Agouti and White
Agouti and Whites will have banded guard hairs (aw), with black on the root and tip and cream, tan, or red in the middle; the rule for Agouti guard hairs is the hair must be banded dark, light, dark; sometimes you will only see this triple banding in certain places on the coat, and not necessarily over the whole body. All of their white markings will appear more cream-colored than stark white. Most Agouti and Whites will have dirty faces (em) and color extending far down their legs, but this is not required; a black-tipped tail and dark nails are also common features. Psykhe (left) and Maeva (right) are Agouti and Whites.
Photo property of Novel Siberians
Photo property of Novel Siberians
Sable and White
Sable and Whites can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between Grey and White and Agouti and White as puppies, but the main difference is that Sable and Whites will have a lot more red in their coat than Grey and White and usually less black than Agouti and White. Red will be more apparent on the top of the head, the hocks of the legs, behind the ears, and throughout the body; there will also be some noticeable red on the face, usually around the eyes. Sable and Whites are sometimes referred to as "black-nosed reds" because of the amount of red in their coat. They have a copper, orange, or cream undercoat which contributes to their very red color. In Siberian Huskies, the Sable and White color is a banded coat and usually agouti genetically (aw/aw, aw/at or aw/a) with Intermediate Red Intensity (as opposed to Low Red Intensity like Grey and White would be), although genetically Sable and White Huskies do exist, but are more rare (ay/aw, ay/at, ay/a). Harlow (left) was Sable and White and Keme is Sable and White (right).
Photo property of Novel Siberians
Photo property of Novel Siberians
Red and White
Red and White is the complete absence of black pigment and is a recessive gene (b/b), meaning it can only be produced by two parents that both carry the Red gene (B/b or b/b). Red and Whites have red-tipped guard hairs and white, cream, or orange undercoats. Whether a Siberian Husky is banded (aw) or monochrome, or tan point in genetic terms (at), will help determine the shade of red a Red and White will appear. Red and Whites range in color and will appear almost white, strawberry blonde, orange, or red; since there are only two color classifications for red Siberians, Red and White and Brown and White, the term Red and White covers a large variation of shades. Sitsi (left) is darker shade of Red and White (at) and Rhea (right) is a lighter shade of Red and White (aw).
Photo property of Novel Siberians
Photo property of Novel Siberians
Brown and White
Copper and Whites, or Brown and White by AKC, are the deepest red that Huskies can be; as with Red and Whites, they have absolutely no black in their coat, and are also therefore recessive (b/b). Guard hairs for Brown and Whites are similar to Mostly Blacks in that the guard hairs are monochrome which gives them the appearance of being much darker than Red and Whites; they also have a copper undercoat that adds to the full dark color. The easiest way to tell if you have a Brown and White or just a dark Red and White is to part the hair near the skin, Brown and Whites will have red down to the skin and Red and Whites will have white near the skin. The extension of color varies for each Brown and White and most will appear to only have minimal white markings like Mostly Blacks. Also like Mostly Black, Brown and White can be achieved by one of two ways genetically, the dominant version (Kb/Kb, Kb/Ky) or the recessive version (a/a); the difference between Mostly Black and Brown and White is that Mostly Black carries the gene for black pigment (B/B, B/b) and Brown and White will not carry the gene for black pigment allowing the recessive red gene to show (b/b). Kenna (left) is Brown and White, as well as Takowa (right).
Photo property of Novel Siberians
Photo property of Skyfall Siberians
White
Whites are the product of a dog basically having a whole body mask covering up their "true color," leaving their appearance as white; it is a recessive trait (e/) so both dogs must be a carrier in order to produce White offspring (Em/e, Ed/e, E/e, e/e). Whites have white undercoats and will have either black or liver points (eyelids, nose, mouth) depending on what their "true color" is underneath; Whites with black points carry the Black gene (B/B or B/b) and Whites with liver points carry the Red gene (b/b). Yuki (left) is White with black points and Poppy (right) is White with liver points.
Photo property of Novel Siberians
Photo property of Novel Siberians
Special Markings
Piebald
Piebalds, affectionately called "Pies", are covered with only about 30% of actual color pigmentation, usually leaving spots or patches of color throughout their body, mostly notably on the head, back and base of tail. Piebalds can come in any color that Siberian Huskies naturally come in, the only difference is the large amount of white; when registering Piebalds through AKC, you have to choose a color and then add a marking in order to indicate you have a Piebald and not a regularly marked Husky. The Piebald gene is recessive and a bit complicated, but both parents have to carry it in order to produce Piebald puppies. Mucca (left) is a Piebald and so is her daddy Kolby (right)!
Photo property of Novel Siberians
Photo courtesy of C & A Siberians
Wooly
Wooly Siberians have a longer coat than what is considered standard by the AKC. This is a recessive gene and both parents must carry it in order to produce Wooly puppies. This section explains Woollies in a bit more detail.
Woollies have feathering around the legs and britches and will also have a long, plumed tail; there is usually feathering around the ears and face as well. A Wooly coat is considered a fault in AKC standards, but those that love them are keeping this recessive gene alive and Woollies are becoming more popular and seen more often. Due to different gene modifiers, Woollies can appear to have different types of coats from one another; depending on the length, density, and texture of the fur; one Wooly may appear more or less fluffy than another, that's why you see such a variety in wooly coats! A Wooly will carry 2 pairs of the recessive long coat gene (l/l) in order to be wooly; otherwise there may be other genetic factors at play that make their coat appear longer than standard. Woollies require extra brushing to keep their coat from matting, so they can be a little more high maintenance than a standard coat. They can be any color and pattern that standard Siberian Huskies come in as well. Most of our dogs have a wooly coat and each of their coats is different from the next.
A wooly bred with a wooly will result in a litter of all Wooly puppies. If you breed 2 Woollies and get puppies that are not Wooly, it is possible one or both of your dogs are not “true” Woollies.
A Wooly bred with a Standard that carries the Wooly gene will result in a litter of half Woollies, half Standard puppies that carry the Wooly gene, statistically speaking; there’s always a chance there will be more of one or the other.
A Wooly bred with a Standard that does not carry the Wooly gene will result in a litter of all Standard puppies, but each puppy will carry the Wooly gene.
Two standards that carry the Wooly gene will result in a litter that is a mixture of Standards that do not carry the Wooly gene (25%), Standards that do carry the Wooly gene (50%), and Woollies (25%).
A standard that carries the Wooly gene bred with a Standard that does not carry the Wooly gene will result in a litter of all Standard puppies, half that will carry the Wooly gene and half that will not.
Two Standards that do not carry the Wooly gene will result in a litter of all Standard puppies that do not carry the Wooly gene.
Eye Colors
Blue - 2 Blue Eyes
Siberian Huskies are one of the few breeds known for having blue eyes. Siberian Huskies with blue eyes can produce offspring with any other colored eyes, they will not always be blue like the parents. Unlike some other breeds, blue eyes in Huskies are not a sign of blindness or any other issue and are completely healthy and normal! Blue eyes can be found on any color Siberian Husky!
Brown - 2 Brown Eyes
Brown eyes are also very common for Siberian Huskies. A lot of show dogs will have brown eyes because the almond shape eyes from the breed stadard are more easily seen on dark eyes, and blue eyes can sometimes give off the appearance of too much roundness in the eyes, which is a flaw. Brown eyes can be found on any genetically black Siberian Husky!
Amber - 2 Amber Eyes
Amber eyes are only found in genetically red Siberian Huskies, so you will only see them on Reds, Coppers, Red Piebalds, or Whites with liver points. They have the appearance of being green as young puppies but eventually turn into the golden brown color amber.
Bi-Eyes - 1 Blue Eye, 1 Brown or Amber Eye
Bi-eyes are a common occurrence in Siberian Huskies and are perfectly acceptable in the show ring. Bi eyes can be one blue eye and one brown eye, or one blue eye and one amber eye.
Parti-Eyes - 1 or 2 Eyes with Blue and Brown or Amber in the Same Eye
Parti-eyes are also acceptable in the show ring for Siberian Huskies and are just another one of their beautiful and unique traits! Parti-eyes are characterized by having blue and brown, or amber, in one or both of a Siberian Husky's eyes.