While many of us have clear ideas on what a Husky should look like, there are more coat colors and variations than many expect.
One of the more interesting is the idea of an agouti Siberian, But what does it actually mean to be an agouti Husky?
In this guide to the agouti Husky dog we will look at some of the most important agouti Husky information to help you understand this interesting type of Husky.
We will take a closer look at the make up of the agouti Husky coat and the reason for the agouti Husky color.
This means a trip back to the primal genetics of the dog and a some of odd quirks that make this dog so appealing.
Table of Contents
What color is agouti?
This is a difficult question to answer in a straightforward way as there are complexities to the agouti color.
Let’s start with some of the characteristics in agouti coat.
This is a much darker dog than some Husky lovers are used to. The coat has much darker tones and the lighter parts are “dirtier”.
Image Source: husky-owners.com
Some hopeful owners may ask about the possibility of an agouti and white Husky, but the lighter markings are usually a darker cream rather than the brilliant white of black and white Huskies.
If you look at a picture of an agouti dog you will see that the mask of the face is often dark, which some refer to as being a “dirty face”.
Some Husky lovers will also ask about the possibility of agouti Husky blue eyes, but most tend to have darker eyes.
How does this happen? What is an agouti gene?
When we ask the question what is agouti, we need to look closer at agouti hair.
The secret to the interesting tone and darker colors of agouti dog comes from the make up of the individual hairs. Each hair is banded from root to tip with a series of colors and tones.
The darker base can be black or dark grey, there is often a paler creamy white segment and a brown or yellow. This can lead to a brindle look, but it is the difference in the hairs that separates a brindle Husky from agouti ones.
It is all a case of their genetics. This curious gene for hair color and construction is rare compared to the more typical coats, but it is not a cause for concern.
It is just part of the old wild dog coming through. This is clear from the fact that we tend to see this coat coloration in working lines rather than those that show.
The show dogs have been bred to see the bright coat and favorable markings while the working sled dogs are closer to their ancestors.
There are other interesting traits with this gene.
Many owners will find that an agouti Husky puppy is usually darker than an adult agouti Siberian Husky, as the coat fade.
Also, while the gene does restrict the banding to certain areas, the coloration does extend further down the body and legs than other Husky dogs.
Image source: Aimee/Pinterest
Many see these animals as being an agouti Husky wolf dog, and with good reason
This idea of the agouti Husky pup being closer to the wild dog is interesting. There is no doubt of this because many agouti images show a wolf like appearance and the gene does originate there.
This is why the agouti gene is also seen more commonly on other breeds that are closely descended from these animals. They include Czech Wolfdogs, Saarloos Wolfhonds and Northern spitz-type dogs like the Keeshond, Elkhound.
It is no wonder that many owners want to give this dog agouti Husky names that are more wild and wolf-like than the cuter names of show dogs.
On a related note it is interesting to look at the prevalence of agouti in the wild. It is not just wolves that are seen with this banding and coloration to their coat. Many other wild animals, like rabbits, deer and rodents, also have this trait. For them, it is all about camouflage.
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Long haired agouti husky
Does this wolf-like trait mean that they are different dogs with a different nature?
A Siberian Husky agouti may look much more like a wild animal and a wolf dog than the show dogs, but this should have little impact on the agouti Husky temperament and their behavior.
It is just a genetic trait in the coat. They may be a little stronger and better workers if they come from a line of working dogs, but there is the chance that they will share many of the same pros and cons in their personality as black and white show dogs.
What do Husky lovers need to know about getting one of these dogs?
If you have grown to love the idea of a Husky that looks more like a wolf than a typical dog, you may want to look into how to find agouti Husky puppies.
There are sure to be agouti Siberian Husky breeders out there that deliberately breed agouti dogs in order to maintain this interesting genetic trait.
Image Source: Samantha Bobrik/Pinterest
As with all Husky pups, it is important to see the dogs and the parents to learn as much as possible about the animal.
A personal inspection of the pups will also show you if they really have an agouti Husky for sale or are just trying to pass off a brindle dogs as something more interesting. This is a concern to keep in mind when thinking about the agouti Husky price.
Alternatively, you might want to look into agouti Husky adoption.
There is a good chance that shelters may have adult dogs in need of a good home because owners felt they weren’t “cute” enough.
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What have we learned about the agouti Husky?
While the agouti Siberian Husky is an interesting and attractive dog that is very different to the show dog in appearance, it really is just this agouti Husky coat trait that separates the animals.
This wild banding helps to create an interesting look and wolf-like appearance that many will love, but that doesn’t mean that they are wilder, difficult dogs.
In the end, this is just another of the many Husky colors out there and there is no reason to overlook agouti Husky puppies in favor of black and white ones.
Featured Image: Pinterest
