Huskies are one of the most strikingly beautiful dogs, known for blue eyes and variations in their coats that can even resemble the wolf. They often have double-coat that includes very dark colors, while still having blue eyes. We’ll take a look at how this is possible.
Baby In Blue Genes
When the husky is born, if his eyes are blue, then he carries a specific gene that has been handed down to him from many ancestors. Huskies can have brown eyes, blue eyes, or one of each color. The color of blue can vary between light blue and darker, intense blue the color of the ocean.
The blue-eyed dogs have inherited a gene that is considered rare and only found among a handful of dog breeds. Merle-colored Australian shepherds and dachshunds, for example, may have blue eyes due to the genes that cause the merled coat and dilutes the color of the eyes as well.
The gene of the Siberian Husky is different and more specific. It impacts the eyes only, never the coat color. Therefore, they may have a dark, solid color and still have bright blue eyes. In fact, this combination tends to make blue eyes even more striking.
Just a few breeders believe that this is the identical gene that sometimes causes blue eyes in border collies but this hasn’t been proven. There are some who argue that the border collie blue eyes are the result of a recessive genetic flaw.
Huskies can have blue, brown, hazel, and amber-colored eyes. They may have one of these colors in either eye and combinations of any two of the aforementioned colors.
Husky puppies will always have blue eyes at birth. In fact, most puppies of any breed will have blue eyes when they first open their eyes at around the age of two weeks. If their eyes are going to turn brown, hazel, amber, or remain blue, you’ll note the changes that happen at roughly 4 to 6 weeks of age. By the time they are 8 weeks old, you’ll see their permanent eye color in all its glory.
There is no reason to be concerned about dogs with blue eyes. The blue eyes are not detrimental to their health, nor do they cause any particular issues for the dog as they age. They are simply gorgeous and should be considered totally normal in certain breeds, like the Siberian Husky.
Blue Eyes Researched
In a study reported by National Geographic, scientists conducted research that had never been done before. The DNA of more than six-thousand huskies was studied through data collected by kits designed to determine the breeding genetics of dogs for the owners.
Researchers discovered that the blue eyes were the result of a change, also considered and mutation, close to the canine chromosome 18. The gene in question is the ALX4. This combination and mutation are strongly associated with blue eyes in Siberian Huskies and dogs who are genetically linked to the breed.
