Siberian Huskies are a popular dog breed.
They’ve got charismatic personalities coupled with a striking appearance to make them much-loved dogs worldwide.
In the USA alone, the American Kennel Club writes that the Siberian Husky is the 14th most-popular dog breed.
A member of the AKC’s working group, these compact sled dogs have a breed standard that looks to achieve conformity within the breed.
Not to be confused with their more bulkier cousins called Alaskan Malamutes, Siberian Huskies are lean, sleek dogs that can come in a wide variety of coat colors.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at the acceptable coat colors for Siberian Huskies, as well as some coat colors that aren’t included in the AKC’S breed standard.
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What Is A Siberian Husky?
The Siberian Husky is a compact dog that can trace their history back to Russia.
They were originally bred in northeastern Asia by the Chukchi people as companion dogs and endurance sled dogs.
Having been introduced to the United States in the early 1900s, Siberian Huskies quickly became popular in Alaska.
The Siberian Husky was recognized as a breed by the American Kennel Club in 1930.
The AKC writes on their website that Siberian Huskies are quick and nimble-footed as well as being powerful.
With a high prey drive and high energy levels, Siberian Huskies will keep you on your toes!
Siberian Husky Appearance
Before we delve into the acceptable Siberian Husky coat colors, let’s take a look at their general appearance.
The AKC set out the following in the breed standard where Siberian Husky is concerned.
The Siberian Husky is a medium-sized working dog, quick and light on his feet and free and graceful in action. His moderately compact and well furred body, erect ears and brush tail suggest his Northern heritage. His characteristic gait is smooth and seemingly effortless. He performs his original function in harness most capably, carrying a light load at a moderate speed over great distances. His body proportions and form reflect this basic balance of power, speed and endurance.
Siberian Huskies are easily identifiable thanks to their striking eye colors and coat colors.
They can have almond-shaped brown eyes, blue eyes, bi-eyes and parti-color eyes.
Siberian Husky Breed Standard Colors
The breed standard does give quite a detailed explanation of the possible coat colors.
All ranges of the allowable colors which are black, gray, agouti, sable, red, and white. May be solid colored. May have multiple shades. May have white markings. A variety of symmetrical or asymmetrical markings and patterns are common, including piebald. No preference should be given to any allowable color, marking or pattern. Merle or Brindle patterns are not allowable and are to be disqualified.
So all shades of black, gray, agouti, sable, red and white are allowed but brindle and merle patterns aren’t acceptable.
Black And White
Siberian Husky originate in eastern peninsula of Russia (Photo: Adobe Stock)
A black and white pattern is perhaps the coat color that is most associated with a Siberian Husky. The black color tends to be the predominant color and they can have a striking facial mask.
Gray And White
Siberian Husky (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Another common coat color is gray and white. The gray can come in different shades so gray and white Siberian Huskies can all have their subtle differences whether it’s a dark gray or light gray.
Brown And White
Brown and white Siberian Husky (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Not as common as black and white, gray and white or red and white, the AKC does allow for brown and white Siberian Huskies under the code 063.
Red And White
Siberian Husky running in the snow (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Arguably the most charming of all the Siberian Husky colors, red and white Huskies are typically stereotyped as particularly talkative dogs. Like gray and white Siberian Huskies, the red can vary from a strong red color, to a light copper color.
White
Beautiful Siberian Husky with blue eyes in the forest on a sunny day (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Quite a rare coat color for Siberian Huskies, some members of the breed will have a white coat color. Their coat can be pure white or have a yellowish tint.
Black Tan And White
Black, tan and white Siberian Huskies (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Listed on the AKC’s website under the code 030, black, tan and white Siberian Huskies are notable for the elements of tan in their coat color as opposed to gray markings.
Sable And White
Sable Siberian Husky dog standing on top of mountain next to cliff (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Sable and white Siberian Huskies have a dark brown color with hints of red along with white markings.
Black Husky
Black Siberian Husky (Photo: Adobe Stock)
A rare Siberian Husky coat color is black. Their coat should be solid black which helps to highlight their striking eye color.
Agouti And White
Agouti Siberian Husky (Photo: Adobe Stock)
With over 400,000 results on Google, the Agouti Husky is a rare coat color for the Siberian Husky. They’ve got a coat color that resembles the color of a wolf. It’s sometimes dubbed wolf sable and involved a variation of colors including black and tan.
Non-Breed Standard Colors
• Black And Tan
• Brown
• Tan
• Brown And White
• Copper And White
Copper and white Siberian Husky (Photo: Adobe Stock)
• Tan And White
Tan and white Siberian Husky (Photo: Adobe Stock)
• Grey And Black
Black and grey Siberian Husky (Photo: Adobe Stock)
• Black, White And Grey
• Brown, Black And White
Anything Else To Consider
While the Siberian Husky can have a striking coat color, these sled dogs shed a lot.
It’s a good idea to invest in a deshedding brush and a versatile vacuum if you bring a Siberian Husky home.
They’ll usually have two shedding seasons in a year when their normal shedding increases at the changing of the seasons.
Wrapping Up – Our Final Thoughts
We’ve reached the end of our feature on Siberian Husky color.
As you’ll now know, there are 11 possible coat colors for Siberian Huskies that meet the American Kennel Club’s breed standard.
These include the common coat colors of black and white, gray and white and red and white.
However, you can still find Siberian Huskies that have coat colors that aren’t accepted by the AKC, such as copper and white.
