Undercoat

The hairs of the undercoat are shorter, finer and softer than the guard hairs and usually make up the bulk of a Husky's coat.

The wooly texture of the undercoat provides insulation against both cold and heat, and Huskies can withstand Arctic temperatures as low as -60 degrees C and tropical temperatures as high as 40 degrees C. The colder the climate, the thicker the undercoat will grow, although the coat still remains bulky even in temperate climates.

Depending on the colour genetics of the Husky, the undercoat hairs may range in colour from black to pure white, though this colour is almost always completely obscured from view by the guard hairs.

Undercoat is best groomed using an undercoat rake that has a single row of solid metal tines around one or two inches long that can pass through the guard hairs to brush the underlying coat.

Without occasional grooming the undercoat can become matted and tangled.

Guard Hairs

A Husky's guard hairs are generally long, straight and bristly, and are there to provide a layer of protection for the insulating undercoat underneath.

Most of the colour seen in a Husky's coat is due to the pigment in the guard hairs, the tips of these hairs extend past the undercoat layer and are often strongly coloured. Along its length a single guard hair may vary from white at its base to dark red or black at its end, while other guard hairs, particularly on the belly, can be completely white in colour.

Guard hairs are best groomed with a slicker brush or latex brush such as a Zoom Groom. Guard hairs don't normally mat and in fact repel most dirt and stains.

Although dirt and mud may stick to a Husky's coat when it's wet, the dirt normally drops completely off the slippery guard hairs once they are dry.

Siberian Husky Club of America - Coat Color Identification Guidelines