Agouti Husky

The agouti Husky is an usual color type found in the Husky breed. Where does this coloring come from? How do you care for an agouti Husky? Are they hard to find?

Let’s dive in and learn all about this cool breed!

Table of Contents

agouti husky

Origin

Huskies originally came from a type of wolf (called the taymyr wolf) found in northern Asia and Russia.

They were first domesticated and bred by a people named the Chukchi, who used the dogs both as working sled dogs and as companion animals.

In 1930 the Husky was recognized by the AKC. The breed standard allows a variety of colors: black, brown, grey, sable, red – and also agouti.

Agouti Huskies are primarily found in working and sled dog lines – they are not common in the show ring and rarely part of litters whelped by conformation breeders.

All About The Agouti Husky

The agouti color gene

Agouti is a gene occurring in multiple different types of animals, such as horses, mice and also dogs. It is responsible for the amount and distribution of melanin (causing black/dark coloring).

In dogs, there are different representations of the gene, which can cause a dog to look fawn or sable (like in German Shepherds or King Shepherds), have tan points or a coloring of the wild-type.

“Agouti Husky” refers to a Husky with a wild-type coloring, which is also called wolf sable. Each individual hair of a wild-type colored dog has several bands alternating in black and tan color. This gives the dog the characteristic “dark” color that can be hard to pinpoint.

agouti husky in the snow

Appearance

Each hair of the agouti Husky is banded – essentially striped in black and brown. Agouti Huskies can have some white markings. The majority of their body however appears very dark.

Their eyes can either be brown or have the typical blue Husky eye color.

Are agouti Huskies rare?

Yes – they are very rare. You are unlikely to find an agouti Husky from show/conformation lines. If you want to get an agouti Husky, contacting breeders of working/sled-dog racing lines is your best bet.

But watch out! You should never get a dog based on looks alone (this also applies to getting a Husky solely because of their eye color).

Huskies of all colors (agouti and others) are high-energy working dogs hardwired to run for long distances. They are not a good fit for most families who are looking to simply get a pet and companion animal. Unless you have a lot of space and adequate ability to let your Husky run every day, do not decide for one.

Behavior & destructiveness

Huskies are generally very friendly and outgoing dogs. They love to run and play and don’t typically show reactivity towards people.

Huskies will not bite unless provoked and get along very well with humans and dogs. Their social butterfly temperament however does not mean that they are an easy-going family dog.

Huskies require a lot of physical exercise. If you can’t provide your Husky with at least 1.5 hours of off-leash running every day, do not get one. A bored agouti Husky can become highly destructive and cause a lot of damage to his owner’s home. Due to the dark color of these dogs it is highly advisable to have them wear a high-visibility collar.

Huskies that do not have sufficient mental and physical outlets for their energy can tear apart your couch, scratch holes in your doorframes and walls and eat everything they find.

Many adolescent Huskies are surrendered to shelters because of their intense need for activity and tendency to do significant damage.

 Are agouti Huskies easily trainable?

In general it cannot be said that agouti Huskies are the easiest dogs to train (in fact, the opposite is true).

Whenever we are accessing how easy or difficult a dog is to train, we need to consider his original breed purpose. Huskies were bred to race with sleds in extreme weather conditions, over extensive distances without showing signs of exhaustion. They are made to just run.

Huskies do not work together as closely with their humans as e.g. herding dogs such as the Border Collie or Australian Shepherd. While a sled dog handler would give the lead dog directions and instructions, most of the time the majority of the team “just runs”.

This means that in developing the breed, there was no focus on will to please. Agouti Huskies are very independent dogs that will not always pay attention to what you are asking them to do. 

Most Huskies can never safely be off-leash in an unfenced area – it can be extremely difficult to teach them to not run away.

Buying an agouti Husky

Once more – a Husky is not the right breed for ever dog owner. Only if you are certain that you are:

  • able to provide at least 1.5 hours of exercise for your Husky every day
  • willing to deal with the intense shedding, especially when your Husky blows his coat twice a year
  • ready to brush your Husky religiously
  • ok with the fact that your Husky might never be able to be off-leash in an unenclosed area
  • ready to spend some time looking for breeder for your agouti Husky

you should start to search for the perfect puppy for you.

Since agouti coloring is rare in conformation/show lines, it is best to get in touch with a breeder of racing sled dogs. 

You might not be able to buy a puppy right away and be put on a puppy waitlist. This is a common practice for all dogs that are rare or in high demand and not a sign that your breeder doesn’t want to help you. Even though the wait might seem long, it will be worth it once you hold your very own agouti Husky puppy in your arms!

How much is an agouti Husky?

An agouti Husky will cost you around $1,000. You are unlikely to find one for under $700; and prices may go up to $3,000 for dogs from exceptional blood lines and highly desired breedings. (For costs of more common Husky colors, check out article here)

Can I rescue an agouti Husky?

Chances are that you will not be able to find these dogs in a rescue very easily. As mentioned, the coloring primarily occurs in racing lines. These dogs are very unlikely to end up surrendered to a shelter. 

Even though rescuing is always a great idea and should be considered as an alternative to buying a pure-bred dog, in the case of agouti Huskies you will probably not find any.