Which Husky Has Blue Eyes?
Paths to Baby Blue – Blue eyes are found in a number of dog breeds, including Old English sheepdogs, border collies, and Welsh and Pembroke corgis, Irizarrypoints out. But for these breeds the blue-eyed trait is inherited as a recessive trait, meaning that two mutated copies of the gene are required for the blue eyes to occur.
In humans, he says, blue eyes are caused by a genetic variation between a pair of genes called HERC2 and OCA2 in the human genome. According to Irizarry, the mutation of the ALX4 gene in Siberian huskies seems to result in decreased pigment production in the eye. The lack of pigment causes the eye to appear blue.
“There’s no blue pigment. It’s about the way the light enters and exits the eye, creating the appearance of blue, the same way the sky looks blue but outer space is not blue,” says Irizarry. The type of mutation found in the study—in this case, the duplication of a snippet of genetic information—is also how tri-colored Australian shepherds sometimes end up with blue eyes, a phenomenon unexplained before this study, says one of its authors,Embark Veterinary, Inc.
What breed is a Husky with blue eyes?
Yasser Alghofily/Flickr At-home DNA kits have become a popular way to learn more about one’s ancestry and genetic makeup—and the handy tests aren’t just for humans, either. Dog owners who want to delve into their fluffy friends’ family history and uncover the risks of possible diseases can choose from a number of services that screen doggie DNA.
As Kitson Jazynka reports for National Geographic, one of these services, Embark Veterinary, Inc., recently analyzed user data to unlock an enduring canine mystery: How did Siberian huskies get their brilliant blue eyes? Piercing peepers are a defining trait of this beautiful doggo. According to the new study, published in PLOS Genetics, breeders report that blue eyes are a common and dominant trait among Siberian huskies, but appear to be rare and recessive in other breeds, like Pembroke Welsh corgis, old English sheepdogs and border collies.
In some breeds, like Australian shepherds, blue eyes have been linked to patchy coat patterns known as “merle” and “piebald,” which are caused by certain genetic mutations. But it was not clear why other dogs—chief among them the Siberian husky—frequently wind up with blue eyes.
- Hoping to crack this genetic conundrum, researchers at Embark studied the DNA of more than 6,000 pooches, whose owners had taken their dogs’ saliva samples and submitted them to the company for testing.
- The owners also took part in an online survey and uploaded photos of their dogs.
- According to the study authors, their research marked “the first consumer genomics study ever conducted in a non-human model and the largest canine genome-wide association study to date.” The expansive analysis revealed that blue eyes in Siberian huskies appear to be associated with a duplication on what is known as canine chromosome 18, which is located near a gene called ALX4.
This gene plays an important role in mammalian eye development, leading the researchers to suspect that the duplication “may alter expression of ALX4, which may lead to repression of genes involved in eye pigmentation,” Aaron Sams of Embark tells Inverse ‘s Sarah Sloat.
The genetic variation was also linked to blue eyes in non-merle Australian shepherds. Just one copy of the mutated sequence was enough to give dogs either two blue eyes, or one blue and one brown eye, a phenomenon known as “heterochromia.” It would seem, however, that duplication on chromosome 18 is not the only factor influencing blue eye color: Some dogs that had the mutation did not have blue eyes.
More research into this topic is needed to understand the genetic mechanisms at work when it comes to blue-eyed dogs. But the study shows how at-home DNA kits can be highly valuable to scientists, providing them with a wealth of genetic samples to study.
“With 6,000 people getting DNA samples from their dogs and mailing them to a centralized location and then filling out a website form detailing all the traits of their dog—that’s a game-changer for how genetics is being done in the 21st century,” Kristopher Irizarry, a geneticist with the College of Veterinary Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences, tells National Geographic ‘s Jazynka.
The benefits of having access to such huge troves of data go further than uncovering nifty insights into our canine companions. Scientists are also teaming up with at-home DNA test companies to learn more about human genetics and behavior. DNA Dogs Genetics New Research Recommended Videos
Does all Husky have blue eyes?
Huskies are a medium-sized, thick-furred sled dog breed largely associated with polar regions, They’re as known for their blue eyes as they are for their triangle ears and distinctive, wolflike markings. Though it’s one of their most distinguishing and celebrated features, not all huskies have blue eyes.
- They have just as much chance of being brown-eyed and a smaller chance of having bi-colored eyes (also called heterochromia) or parti-colored (blue mixed with brown) eyes.
- Very rarely, they can even have green irises.
- Huskies’ eye color boils down to genetics.
- More specifically, it’s a result of a mutation that reduces their eye pigmentation.
Learn more about the science behind huskies’ characteristic blue eye color.
What is the rarest eye color for a Husky?
Huskies Can Have 1 or 2 Blue Eyes – Having eyes of two different colors is known as heterochromia. It is extremely rare in humans but occurs frequently in certain dog breeds, such as Huskies – but also Australian Shepherds and Border Collies, Parents with two blue eyes can produce offspring with mismatched eyes, or eyes that both have the same color. 
How many huskies have blue eyes?
No Blue In Their “Blue” Eyes – Siberian huskies do not have blue eyes, despite what some may believe. This doesn’t mean your whole life is a lie. Just this part is. Technically, their eyes lack pigment, which is the cause of their striking blue appearance. 
The dogs of a Siberian Husky sled team have striking blue eyes. About 40% of all Siberian Huskies have blue eyes. ©iStock.com/8213erika
Why doesn’t my Husky have blue eyes?
Siberian Huskies Don’t Actually Have Blue Eyes – Do all huskies have blue eyes? According to Geneticist Kristopher Irizarry of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences, huskies don’t have blue eyes. The ALX4 gene mutation in Siberian huskies seems to result in decreased pigment production in the eye.
Can Alaskan Husky have blue eyes?
Do Alaskan Huskies have blue eyes? – There are different types of Huskies including mixes. The most common breeds are the Alaskan Husky and Siberian Husky, Do Alaskan Huskies have blue eyes? Alaskan Huskies commonly have brown eyes, The Siberian Husky blue eyes really stands apart from the different types of Huskies because it is a dominant trait, which is not common for other breeds or types of dogs.
Do huskies have wolf DNA?
Siberian Huskies and Greenland slad dogs ratain DNA from the ancient, now extinct, Tianyr wolf from Siberia Photo Credit: Radio-Canada archives By [email protected] Posted: Friday, May 22, 2015 15:08 Last Updated: Friday, May 22, 2015 15:19 If you think that Arctic Huskies have a bit of wolf in them, you’re right. 
Skoglund et al. recovered the genomesequence of a 35,000-year-old Siberianwolf. Calibration of the molecular clocksuggests that the ancestors of moderndogs formed a distinct lineage prior to thepeak of the last ice age. Siberian huskiesand other northern dog breeds trace apart of their ancestry to the ancientSiberian wolf population © Pontus Skoglund, Erik Ersmark, The DNA study examined an ancient tib from a Taimyr wolf which as a species, split from the common ancestry of canids close to the time when grey wolves and domestic dogs split, although the Taimyr wolf was genetically closer to present day grey wolves.
- Thus all three split into separate species close to the same time according to Pontus Skoglund, an expert in ancient DNA at the Harvard Medical School and the Broad Institute.
- This changes the time line somewhat as this new study places the domestic dog split at around 27,000 years ago, as opposed to what had previously been calculated at only 16,000 years ago.
It means that “dogs” began to separate from the lineage prior to the last ice-age. The study also showed that the high Arctic dogs retained anywhere from 1.4 percent Taimyr wolf genes to over 27 percent. 
Present day Grey wolves. Many domestic dogs retain some DNA from a variety of regional wolf population from thousands of years ago. High Arctic Huskies retain from 1.5 to 17 percent DNA from and ancient extinct Siberian wolf © Jeff Turner-CBC The study further shows that other domestic breeds contain DNA from a variety of regional grey wolf species over the millennia, while the high-arctic dogs retain more of the Taimyr wolf DNA.
Is Husky A smart dog?
Personality: – Siberian huskies are classic northern dogs. They are intelligent but somewhat independent and stubborn. They thrive on human company, but need firm, gentle training right from puppy hood. These are dogs bred to run, and their love of running may overcome their love for their guardians at times.
- Siberian huskies tend to be friendly with people, including children.
- Most Siberian huskies are good with other dogs, especially ones they are raised with.
- They have a high prey drive and may chase cats and livestock.
- Siberian huskies can be diggers, particularly in warm weather, because they like to create cool places to lie in.
They don’t tend to bark as a rule but they do howl.
Is A Husky a good family dog?
The Husky: Family Dog and Loving Playmate – Huskies are very sociable, loving dogs that love to play and bounce around every chance that they get. Your kids will be absolutely delighted at the Husky’s desire to play and run around all day, but keep in mind that a dog with this much energy needs to be properly stimulated and trained from a very early age.
A Husky is very sociable and loves to be around all people. A Husky is very loyal and pack-oriented, so he loves being a member of a family. A Husky is even-keeled when it comes to his temperament, and is not known for being aggressive, which makes him a great fit for homes with kids. A Husky loves to play as much as possible. A Husky has a LOT of energy, so he will be eager and willing to run around with your children and be their constant playmate. A Husky is not possessive, but he will look out for your children, after all, they are members of the same pack. A Husky is not a big barker, which could be a good fit for homes with babies and very small children, although this pup does like to howl. A Husky tends to have a pretty predictable temperament, which is always a plus if you have young children in the home.
Do Siberian Huskies bite?
Siberian huskies have been known to attack and bite, and strangers should always approach with caution.
What’s the difference between an Alaskan Husky and a Siberian Husky?
Alaskan Husky vs Siberian Husky: Eye Color – Another difference between Alaskan huskies and Siberian huskies is their eye coloring. While both of these husky breeds tend to have heterochromia, Siberian huskies are known for having more eye colors overall, while Alaskan huskies typically only have brown eyes.
While this isn’t an absolute and can be a subtle difference that you may not notice, it is something to keep in mind when comparing these two dog breeds. Given the purebred status of Siberian huskies, more colors and variety have been introduced into their breeding, both in their coats and their eyes.
Alaskan huskies are simplistic in their appearance since they have only been bred for work. 
Siberian huskies have been bred for different uses over the decades, while Alaskan huskies were originally intended as working dogs and were bred for such work. ©ANURAK PONGPATIMET/Shutterstock.com