All the Siberian Husky Colors and Patterns (With Pictures!)
Siberian Huskies are medium-sized, hard-working dogs. They're friendly, intelligent, and (quite often) a little mischievous. These pups are popular family dogs for those with an active lifestyle and they're also one of the most attractive dogs around.
Husky colors range from pure white to jet black and all of them have a thick, double coat. One of the most beautiful things about Huskies is their eye color. These pups can have hazel or blue eyes – or one of each.
Not only can these dogs have a wide range of coat colors, but there are also a number of possible coat patterns. Here's what you need to know about all the Husky colors and what the different kennel clubs say.
Is color important when adopting a pup?
There are lots of things to think about when you adopt a dog and many of them are much more important than coat color. Huskies are very active dogs that need a lot of room to play in and regular physical and mental exercise. They won't be happy in a small apartment or with just one short walk a day.
These dogs were bred to pull light loads for miles over icy terrain so they seemingly have a never-ending amount of energy. They need lots of toys to play with, time running around with you, and dates in the doggy park. Only those with an active, outdoor lifestyle should consider adopting a Husky.
Huskies also need early socialization and lots of interactive and engaging training sessions. This breed is intelligent and doesn't mind using its intelligence to get up to no good! Keep them entertained with lots of outdoor fun and a yard to play in.
If you don't have the lifestyle to look after a Siberian Husky, it's best to adopt another breed.
Is color ever important?
For some people, color is important because they want to enter their dog into a canine show or competition. If this is the case, then you need to make sure your dog is one of the accepted Husky colors as mentioned by the American Kennel Club (or the organizing kennel club). Siberian Huskies that aren't a standard color won't be able to enter.
Does color affect the health of a Siberian Husky?
Most Huskies are healthy dogs and the coat color shouldn't affect their health. As with any breed, however, it's really important you research a respectable breeder. The American Kennel Club has various AKC-registered Husky breeders on its website.
This ensures you're getting a healthy dog from a breeder that really cares about the welfare of the breed and the litter. Unethical breeders may breed specifically for a more popular color which could result in inbreeding and create health problems for the dogs.
Siberian Husky or Alaskan Husky?
Just to be clear, in this blog we're talking about Siberian Huskies. Siberian Huskies are purebred dogs that were first bred in northeastern Asia by the Chukchi people and primarily kept as companion dogs that could keep up with the group's nomadic lifestyle.
The Alaskan Husky, however, is a mixed-breed dog that has Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, Salukis, and other spitz-type dogs in its blood. Just like the Siberian Husky, these dogs are popular sledding pups.
Medium coat Husky vs wooly coat Husky
There are two types of Husky coats – the medium-length one and the wooly one.
Medium-length coats are common and have a soft undercoat with a longer and coarser outer coat. These doggos may have longer hair around their toes and will have short hair on their faces.
Wooly Huskies also have softer undercoats but they have longer, sometimes wavy outer coats. This makes them look a lot fluffier than medium-coat Huskies!
Standard Husky Coat Colors
According to the American Kennel Club, there are 9 standard coat colors of Siberian Husky. These are:
- Agouti and white
- Black
- Black and white
- Black, tan and white
- Brown and white
- Gray and white
- Red and white
- Sable and white
- White
They also allow saddle-back markings and piebald is allowed but not desired.
What does the Siberian Husky Club of America say?
The Siberian Husky Club allows all colors from black to white. They also note that a number of different markings on the head are common.
All the wonderful Siberian Husky colors
Here is an in-depth look at each of the coat colors set out by the American Kennel Club with pictures of these beautiful dogs!
Agouti and white Husky
Do you want to adopt a dog that looks like a wolf? Then an agouti Husky might be the next best thing! These pups are pretty rare and have a unique coat coloring that's described as being ‘wild' or ‘wolf-like'.
An Agouti Husky has banded hairs, meaning the base and the tip are dark (normally charcoal or black) and there's a different color in the middle. This color is often red or tan.
Agouti Huskies have cream-colored markings and might have a dark mask which can be very distinctive. The undercoat of an Agouti Husky is normally very dark and the outer coat can have a number of different coat colors. The points (the rim of the eyes, paw pads, and nose) are black.
Black Husky
Black Huskies are particularly striking. These midnight-colored pups can have white markings (often on their chest). Black Huskies have a dark undercoat and a black overcoat.
Black and white Husky
Black and white pups are one of the most common of all the Husky colors. The black color can vary and be very dark or even a more silvery gray. The undercoat might be a number of different coat colors including white, beige, or charcoal. They can also be salt and pepper dogs which makes them look more gray than black!
Some black and white Huskies develop a red tint which is called ‘grizzled'. It's a rare color and develops when a black Husky has been exposed to the sun for a long time. It's quite common for a coat color to change as the pup blows its coat.
Black, tan, and white Siberian Husky
This tri-color combination is beautiful on these wonderful dogs. The tan markings can be small or cover larger areas of the dog's body. They may mix in with the black and white hairs or be separate.
Brown and white Husky
These doggos have similar coats to black and white Huskies except – you guessed it – they have brown markings! The brown color can vary from a very dark, chocolaty color to lighter, copper tones.
Gray and white Siberian Husky
This is a fairly common color for Siberian Huskies and they quite often look pure gray. These pups have a yellow or beige undercoat and a white or gray outer coat.
You could also like: Gray and White Dog Breeds (With Pictures!)
Red and white Husky
Red and white Huskies are one of the most attractive Huskies – especially when they have bright blue eyes! The red color can range from a rich red/brown color to light copper. They usually don't have any black markings and have liver-colored eye rims, noses, and paw pads.
You might also find an orange copper Husky which has a much lighter coat with fewer copper tones. The yellow in its coat gives it a much paler coat (which is very beautiful)!
This article might interest you: Red and White Dog Breeds (With Pictures!)
Sable and white Husky
Sable dogs are often mistaken for agouti Huskies because they, too, have different colors on one hair. Sable dogs have a red or copper undercoat and the individual hairs are red at the base of the hair and black at the tip. This gives the dog a very unique and beautiful coat color.
White Siberian Husky
White Siberian Huskies are the ultimate snowy dog. It is, however, the rarest of all the Husky colors, so don't be surprised if you can't find one in your area. These pooches can be entirely white or they may have a yellowish tint to them. It's also possible that they have a couple of black guard hairs.
White Siberian Huskies can have liver-colored or black noses, eye rims, and pads.
Other Siberian Husky colors and patterns
Pinto Siberian Husky
Pinto isn't a coat color, but rather a pattern. Any of the above Siberian Husky colors that are combined with white (but not pure white) can be pinto. These pooches have an excess of white which usually appears on their front legs and around their shoulders.
Piebald Husky
It's rare to find a Husky with a piebald coat pattern. These pups have large spots of color on a predominantly colored coat. A wolf gray dog might have large black spots or a pup with a white coat can have spots of many different colors. Some may have a couple of large spots and others may just have one.
Brindle Siberian Husky
Brindle pooches inherit a specific gene that causes them to have darker tiger-like stripes on a lighter base coat. Brindle Huskies don't usually have the facial markings common in this dog breed and can be tri-colored (usually black and white with either tan, gray, or brown).
For many of the kennel clubs, brindle markings are not acceptable and will be disqualified.
Merle Siberian Husky
Merle dogs are particularly striking pups thanks to their unique marble patterned coat. The spots are irregular and vary in shades of color and size. It's likely that a merle doggo will have very pale eyes or bi-colored eyes (eyes of different colors).
Even though merle Huskies are very beautiful, there are a number of health conditions associated with this gene. The problems are even more likely if you have a double merle pup (a dog that has inherited the merle gene from both parents). They can suffer from eye problems, deafness, and a weaker immune system.
Because of the health risks associated with the merle gene in the Husky breed, these pups are not accepted by the kennel clubs and will be disqualified from any competition.
Dirty-face markings
Perhaps not the nicest coat pattern description, but a dirty-faced Siberian Husky is probably what you imagine. These doggos have very dark faces with nearly no white. It's also common for them not to have any white down their chests or on the front of their legs.
Pups with a ‘dirty face' look a lot like wolves.
Saddleback pattern
This, again, isn't a Husky color but a pattern commonly found in these wonderful dogs. Any of the standard colors (except pure white and black) can have saddleback markings. This is identified by a patch of colored fur on the dog's back and the rest of the body is white (so they look like they're wearing a saddle).
FAQs about Husky colors
What's the most popular Husky color?
Black and white is the most popular color for a Husky. The black may be diluted (and therefore much lighter) or jet black. This combination is fairly common in Huskies and is one of the ‘iconic' Husky looks.
Other popular colors include full-body colors. The main ones are all black, pure white, and variations of gray.
How do you know if your dog is a purebred Husky?
If you're after a certain Husky color, the risk is that unethical breeders may mix in other dog breeds to get that color. The best way to ensure you're adopting a purebred pup is to research your breeder well.
If you've adopted your pup from a shelter, a doggy DNA test can prove if they're purebred.
Do Huskies shed?
Yes! You can expect your Husky to shed moderately all year round and blow its coat twice per year. This will happen when the seasons change and the dog loses its old coat to make room for a warmer or lighter coat.
Your pup might even need daily brushing during this time to keep the worst of it under control.
You may also notice that your pup's coat color grows lighter or darker after they've blown it.
Husky colors – which is for you?
Before thinking about color, you really need to think about whether the Husky breed is right for you. Do you have an active lifestyle? Do you have space for your Husky to explore? Do you have the doggy experience to train an intelligent but mischievous breed? These are all really important things to consider.
You also need to get your pup from a shelter or from a reputable breeder you can trust. Regardless of which coat color your dog has, you'll be getting a fun-loving, affectionate, and high-energy dog that will love to be part of family adventures!
I’m Charlotte, a content and copywriter from the North of England and currently living in Berlin. Animals have always been a huge part of my life, so writing about dogs is a total pleasure! I love all kinds of dogs and their cheeky personalities, but I’d have to say Weimaraners are my favourite!
