While most dogs have brown eyes, huskies can have much greater variation in their eye colors.
Husky eyes can range from blue to brown to green, with bi and parti-colored color combinations possible as well. Some huskies can have eyes that appear black or white as well, depending on the intensity of their pigment.
Stay tuned for a full rundown of the eight possible husky eye colors, as well as which ones are the rarest and much more.
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Husky Eye Color Explained
Before we learn more about the eye colors a husky can have, let’s take a moment to understand how husky eye colors work.
Dogs can have eyes that are any shade of brown, amber, or yellow. These are the standard eye colors produced by eumelanin, which is also responsible for black and gray coat pigment.
The amount of pigment a dog produces is determined by their genes. When a dog produces a little less pigment than usual, this causes their eyes to appear green or greenish-yellow.
If they produce none or minimal pigment in their eyes, their eyes will appear blue. No pigment causes blue or green eyes in dogs.
In reality, it’s an optical illusion. Some light bounces off the tissues of the iris, while some is absorbed by pigment granules within the eye.
Blue light has a shorter wavelength than other colors on the spectrum. The shorter wavelength causes the blue light to scatter and reflect back rather than being absorbed by the eye.
When we look at our dogs’ eyes, we see this reflected light as the color of their eyes. This is why they appear blue if there’s no pigment.
If there’s a slight amount of pigment, the pigment within the eye blends with the blue light and creates eyes that appear green.
Eyes And Coat Color
In most breeds of dogs, eye color and coat color are connected.
Dogs with a white, merle, or piebald coat pattern are likelier to have blue eyes. Albino or partial albino pooches, and those with a gray or Isabella coat, can also sport baby blues.
These coat colors lead to blue eyes because these colors result from a gene that prevents pigment from being expressed. This causes white or diluted pigment in areas of their coat. When this happens in the eyes, it leads to blue eyes.
In huskies, there’s no connection between coat and eye color. A white and black husky could have brown eyes, while a black husky can have bright blue eyes.
8 Types Of Husky Eye Color Explained
Despite being so well known for having blue eyes, this isn’t the only color they can sport.
Huskies can have different eye colors, including brown, blue, and, rarely, green. Heterochroma, which means each eye is a different color, and parti-colored, which means they have two colors within the same eye, can also occur.
1. Blue Eyes
40% of huskies have a pair of blue eyes, compared to 5% of all dogs.
As we mentioned previously, blue isn’t actually a color in dogs. Instead, it’s a lack of pigment. In huskies, this is caused by a gene mutation. Researchers have discovered a mutation in the ALX4 gene. Unlike most causes of blue eyes, which are recessive, the ALX4 mutation is dominant.
This means that if a husky inherits one copy of the gene, they will have blue eyes. If a husky has one parent with blue eyes, they can inherit blue eyes. pending on
Blue eyes range in shade from pale blue to deep sky blue, depending on whether there is a small amount of pigment or none at all.
2. Brown Eyes
Brown eyes are the second most common eye color in huskies. Brown eyes are caused by eumelanin, which is also responsible for many coat colors, including brown and black. Brown eyes are dominant, and 40% of huskies have brown eyes.
However, since both brown and blue eyes are considered dominant in huskies, their eye color can be unpredictable unless both parents have brown or blue eyes.
This can also lead to heterochromia or parti-colored eyes, which we’ll look at closer in a moment.
3. Amber Eyes
Certain shades of brown husky eyes may appear amber, especially those that are lighter and more golden.
4. Black Eyes
If the brown pigment is particularly dark, some huskies can have eyes that appear black but, in reality, are very brown.
This is similar to huskies that have very pale blue eyes that can sometimes appear white (more on this soon).
5. Green Eyes
When you look at green eyes, they seem very different from both blue and brown. However, they are actually a middle ground between green and blue eyes.
All huskies begin life with blue eyes. If a husky will have brown eyes, this occurs as they age.
It’s unclear why, but some dogs seem to stop in the middle of the transition from blue to brown. This creates some pigment, but not enough to make their eyes brown, which results in green eyes.
Their eyes may be closer to blue or brown or bright emerald green.
6. Bi-Color Eyes
Bi-color eyes, technically known as heterochromia, are relatively common in huskies.
Around 15% of them have different colored eyes. Typically, one eye will be blue and the other brown. Bi-colored eyes can occur in many animals, including other dogs and humans, but it’s extremely rare.
Heterochromia causes the eyes to produce different amounts of melanin.
One eye will produce enough melanin to make the eye brown, while the other produces little or no melanin, resulting in a blue eye.
7. Parti-Colored Eyes
Parti-colored eyes are an extremely rare husky eye color. Rather than having each eye a different color, parti-colored eyes mean two colors are within the same eye.
A husky can have two parti-colored eyes or just one. Like bi-color eyes, the eyes will feature both blue and brown.
8. White Eyes
Some people think that their husky has white eyes when in reality, this is caused by their eyes being very, very light blue.
It’s easy to see where this misunderstanding comes from, though – from certain angles, a husky with light blue eyes can easily be mistaken for having white eyes.
What Is The Rarest Husky Eye Color?
Parti-colored or green eyes are the rarest husky eye colors, with less than 5% of huskies having these types of eye colors.
In fact, green eyes are the only husky eye color that is not found on the Siberian Husky Club breed standard.
Bi-colored eyes are the next rarest, followed by brown and then blue. In the vast majority of cases, you’ll see huskies with blue eyes or brown eyes.
Can Husky Puppies Eye Color Change?
Yes, all puppies are born with blue eyes. They are also born with their eyes closed. By the time they open their eyes, some dogs will have already begun changing their eye color to brown because melanin has begun to be produced in the eyes.
Most pooches will begin to change their eye color, if they are going to change, between 5 to 8 weeks old. However, it will be some time before you can be sure that your pooch’s eye color is set.
The process is usually gradual. In fact, you may not notice their eyes are changing for days or even weeks. Then suddenly, your four-legged family member has brown eyes rather than blue!
When Do Husky Eye Colors Stop Changing?
Most huskies will have their eye color set when they reach four months or 16 weeks old. However, this isn’t always the case. Some huskies will change their eye color later, up to 6 months old.
If your husky’s eyes change after they’re six months old, you’ll need to visit your vet. Eye color changes late in life can indicate an eye disease, like cataracts, a common issue for huskies.
Can A Husky’s Eyes Change From Brown To Blue?
When we talk about a husky’s eye color changing, we typically talk about a change from blue to brown. Can the reverse happen as well?
It’s possible but can be a sign of a health problem.
Conditions like cataracts can cause the eyes to go from brown to blue because they form a cloudy film over the eye. Glaucoma, which causes increased eye pressure, can also cause the eyes to change from dark to light.
There are a few anecdotal stories about the eyes shifting from brown to blue naturally, but this hasn’t been proven.
Husky Eye Color FAQs
Do Blue Eyes Cause Eye Issues?
For some breeds, blue eyes are linked to health issues due to the merle or piebald gene. However, not all dogs with blue eyes have these genes.
In huskies, there’s no link between blue eyes and health issues.
Are Brown-Eyed Huskies Purebred?
Yes, a purebred husky can have any of the eye colors mentioned above.
There was a myth that brown-eyed huskies were not purebred. In fact, the AKC released a statement making it clear that the brown hue is accepted as part of the breed standard.
The only eye color not mentioned in the standard is green; all others are accepted.
Do Other Breeds Have Eyes Like Huskies?
Australian Shepherds and border collies can also have blue or bi-colored eyes.
Like huskies, parti-colored eyes are also possible in these breeds.
