Colors of Siberian Huskies

Unlike many breeds, the Siberian husky comes in an enormous range of coat colors and patterns. Below is an in depth look at the coat of colors that a Siberian can wear.

The undercoat of a black & white Siberian may be white, charcoal, beige, or a mixture of these three. The top coat can be a range from jet black, to a dilution known as a "salt & pepper", making the dog look almost grey. The dilution also gives the coat depth of color. A red tint is also allowed to the black, and sometimes gives the dog a "grizzled" look. This red hue is quite rare, and develope when a black dog is exposed to the sun for long periods of time. When blowing the coat, a black Siberian can appear grey.

 Siberian coats can come is three shades of grey. These are: Wolf Grey, Silver, and Medium/Dark Grey.

Wolf Grey is an allowance of the agouti gene which gives off a warm shade of grey with beige, tan, or red behind the ears, on the legs, and the back. Undercoat is beige. Pigment is restricted per individual hair. This coat gives off a rich color with lots of depth. Not to be confused to sable coated Siberians.

Silver is the complete opposite of a wolf grey. There is a complete restriction of the agouti gene. The coat comes off with a silvery or blue tone. There is no red, tan, or beige. The silver Siberian's undercoat is white. Black can often tip the hair. When a dilution factor is present the shade of silver can become even more blue, with pigment being slate colored.

Medium/Dark Grey is the most common of the grey colorings. It allows red or tan tones, but not to the fullest depth. The richness of the red or tan is reduced but not completely cut out. Undercoat is a mixture of beige and silver.

Pure white is perhaps the rarest coat color of Siberians. A white Siberian can have liver or black points(the color of the nose and skin around the eyes). This color, or lack thereof, is a result of the complete restriction of color pigments and extension of white over the dog's entire body. Undercoat is silver or white.

Agouti colored Siberians are equally rare. It is also called "wild coloring". Agouti siberians usually have special masks and markings. White markings are always cream. The mask is always dark, very heavy. (Dirty faced). Pigment extends far down on the dog's body. No dilution is present. Undercoat of agouti Siberians is charcoal. The outer coat can be a mixture of black, tan, red, or grey. The usual coloring is black on the root and tip of the hair, with red or tan in the middle. Points are black. Sometimes mistaken for sable or wolf grey. An agouti Siberian should look almost exactly like a wolf in coloring.

 Perhaps the most shade variation can be seen in the coats of Red & white Siberians.

Red & white Siberians always have liver points. Their undercoat can be copper, light red, or cream. Dilution factors can fade the coloring from dark to light across the body. Can be chocolate colored, to almost white.

An "orange" copper Siberian allows more than than red. The result is a red Siberian with a very light coat.

A "chocolate" copper (also called chocolate red) Siberian has a tone with full depth of color. A brown or liver undercoat is present. This is the darkest possible red coloration.

A "red" copper Siberian allows more red than tan. This brings out a bright color, and can sometimes give off an orange hue.

The Sable coated Siberian always has black points and black tipping on the fur. Undercoat is a shade of red, one of the three listed above, but never beige as in wolf-grey coats. Pigment is restricted with full allowance of color. Dilution factors never influence shade. Another very rare coat color. Some sables are born a wolf grey color, but the red tone deepens as time goes on. Sometimes called "black-nosed Reds". 

 The pinto is not a color, rather a pattern. A pinto siberian can be any of the above colors, except white. The pinto Siberian has an excess of white, usually over the shoulders and front legs.

 The piebald pattern is quite rare in Siberians. White is in excess of 30%. This breaks up the coloration of the Siberian, giving the Siberian spots and unique markings. Piebalds can have mostly color, of can be all white except for a singular spot.

 A dirty faced Siberian (also known as dark faced), is one that is heavily marked. There is an absense of white, both on the face and the body of the dog. This can create a "wolf-like" appearance.

 Not only does the Siberian's coat come in a large range of colors, but so do their eyes!

Blue eyes: What people commonly think of when they imagine a Siberian.

Brown eyes: A deep, rich brown color.

Amber eyes: Usually present in red & white or pure white Siberians. A very light brown coloration of the iris.

Bi-eyed: The eyes are different colors. Examples are one blue and one brown, one brown and one amber, and so on.

Split eyed: The iris is split in half. One half is one color, the other is another. Example: top half blue, bottom half brown or left half brown, right half blue. Can occur in only one eye or both eyes.

Parti eyes: A parti eyed Siberian is quite rare. The eye is one color with "spots" of another color mixed in. Example: A blue eye with brown spots.