What Gives Huskies Their Piercing Blue Eye Color?

Have you ever wondered why huskies, border collies, and some shepherd dogs have those piercing blue eyes?

Consumer genetics, made popular by companies like 23andMe and Ancestry, may have provided an answer, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the canine DNA startup company Embark Veterinary, Inc.

The study was published in the journal PLOS Genetics and it’s the first of its kind to use consumer genomics with non-humans as well as the largest canine genome-wide association study ever conducted.

Consumer genetic testing has given people an unprecedented look at their DNA and genetic history.

This is all made possible thanks to large databases of genomic data, and now this new study shows how consumer genomics can shed light on animal traits that have yet eluded scientists, like the blue eyes of the Siberian Husky.

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David McCandless' New Book Knowledge is Beautiful, Ranks 87 Dog Breeds

This chart is from, from David McCandless' fascinating new book Knowledge is Beautiful, ranks 87 dog breeds and compares those rankings to the actual popularity of the breeds in the US.

The ranking is based on a number of factors: trainability, life expectancy, lifetime cost (including the price of food and grooming), and suitability for children, among others.

The result: Border Collies, according to McCandless, are the finest dog breed in existence. Labs, Beagles, and Golden Retrievers, while not at the very top, are other popular dogs (at the top right of the chart) that he rates highly.

On the other hand, the formula seems to penalize big dogs. German Shepherds, Great Danes, and Saint Bernards, all in the top left quadrant, are in McCandless' words, "inexplicably overrated." The formula also uncovers some overlooked breeds, at the bottom right, that should be more popular, like Border Terriers and Pointers.

Finally, on the bottom left, the chart shows the breeds that are unpopular and properly so: Old English Sheepdogs, Borzois, and Afghan Hounds.

To view larger image click here: Dog Chart

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Lamb Goes on Daily Walks and Wags Her Tail as She Thinks She is a Sheep Dog After Being 'Adopted' by Border Collies

Going on daily walks, wagging her tail and leaping about in the snow, this is the lamb who now thinks she is a sheep dog after being raised by Border Collies in the Scottish Highlands.

Hilarious footage shows 10-month-old lamb Pet adopting a bizarre running style as she tries to keep up with the pack of sheep dogs on her owners croft farm in Ullapool in Ross-shire.

Pet was taken under the wing of the Collies when owner Mairi Mackenzie brought the young sheep into the croft house after she struggled to survive following her birth in April last year.

To read more on this story, click here: Lamb Goes on Daily Walks and Wags Her Tail as She Thinks She is a Sheep Dog After Being 'Adopted' by Border Collies
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