Why Do Huskies Have Blue Eyes?
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.
Is it rare for a Husky to have 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
Are huskies the only dogs with blue eyes?
The “blue eye” variant – Many people associate blue eyes with the Siberian Husky, And that’s not a coincidence. Huskies are more likely than most pups to carry a variant in the ALX4 gene that causes blue eyes. Because this is a dominant trait, dogs with just one copy of the variant may have blue eyes. 
Genetic variants may cause only one eye to be blue. Why do some dogs have only one blue eye? Genetic variants don’t always affect both eyes. As a result, dogs can end up with one blue eye and one eye of a different color. This trait is called heterochromia iridis, but it goes by many other names—including “odd eyes,” “split eyes,” and “broken glass eyes.”
What is the rarest Husky eye color?
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. 
Are Huskies dog or wolf?
The Siberian Husky is a medium-sized working sled dog breed. The breed belongs to the Spitz genetic family.
How smart is a Husky?
Many dog species excel in certain areas of intelligence over other dog breeds. But what about Siberian Huskies? According to Stanley Coren, a leading canine psychologist, huskies ranked 74th out of 138 dog breeds making them, according to Dr. Coren of average intelligence.
Do blue eyed Huskies go blind?
Are Blue Eyes In A Dog Bad? – Blue eyes in dogs are completely normal and aren’t linked with any health problems. Certain breeds, such as Siberian husky, carry a gene for blue eyes and don’t experience any vision defects because of it. However, eye diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma can change a dog’s eye color to blue gradually.
What is a group of Huskies called?
“A Grumble of Pugs” – 18 Perfect Names To Describe Groups Of Dog Breeds We all know that the collective noun for a group of dogs is a “pack.” Recently, it came to my attention that a group of Pugs is actually called a, After laughing my tail off for awhile at how perfect that was, I decided to put my creativity to the test. 3. A Puff of Pomeranians Self-explanatory. At first glance, a black Pomeranian may seem but a puff of smoke in the air. Upon further investigation, eyes and a nose may appear at which point you realize that there is an actual dog in there. 4. A Snuggle of Golden Retrievers Get a bunch of Goldens together and you’ve got yourself a snuggle. Basically, The Golden Girls, but with four paws each. 
5. A Sovereign of Schnauzers Schnauzers are so on top of the beard game, it makes them look like regal gentlemen. Get a group of them together, and you have a nice sovereign. 
6. A Rumple of Shar-Peis “That’s a huge Rumple of Shar Peis!” is something I wish I heard more often. This breed already looks like a folded towel, so throw a bundle of them in a pile, and you’ve just got a lot of wrinkles. (The good kind.) 
7. A Barrel of Pit Bulls They’re big. They’re lovable. They’re muscular. But most of all, they’re the biggest doofs of all the breeds. You just can’t help but love these swole sweethearts. 8. A Chatter of Chihuahuas Get a group of Chihuahuas in one room, and that chatter will have a whole lot to say. 
9. A Blizzherd of Samoyeds Don’t let the Blizzherd out in an actual blizzard, because you may lose them until the end of March. 
10. A Brouhaha of Hounds They’re loud. They’re proud. They’re a brouhaha of Hounds. Basically, the acapella group of dog breeds.11. A Kerfluffle of Sheepdogs These pups knows when to work, and when to be ridiculously goofy. 
12. A Flash of Greyhounds What was that?! You took too long to look, but it was a a quick flash of Greyhounds, making their way through.13. A Spunk of Dachshunds They may be small, but they got a lot of sass. You wouldn’t want to be caught in an alley with a spunk of Weenies, or they might just lick you to death. 14. A Fart of Bulldogs “Whoever smelt it, dealt it” doesn’t apply when you’re in a room with a fart of Bulldogs. Besides, it could have been any one of them. (Or all of them.)
15. A Wiggle of Corgis When you run into a wiggle of Corgis in the club, don’t even try to get in a dance-off with them, because they will twerk you right outta there.16. A Howl of Huskies
Ever heard a Husky talk?, it’s hilarious. Get a group of these Chatty Kathys together and you’re not going to get a word in edgewise.17. A Feist of Labs Known for being extremely lovable, Labs are always wearing their derpiest smile. The more derp, the merrier! 18.
What is the price of Husky blue eyes?
Due to their exotic nature, a Husky puppy in India costs between ₹60,000 to ₹80,000.