The Siberian Husky 

The Siberian Huskies are medium sized, graceful, tenacious and extremely strong sled dogs. They have a delightful temperament, affectionate but not fawning; they are alert, eager to please, and adaptable. While Huskies are an extremely intelligent and independent breed, they can be very stubborn and mischievous. Huskies have been bred to be able to pull light loads at moderate speeds for long distances. Eager working dogs will pull you at any time, never making easy walking.

A puppy at heart, they are clever, sociable and loving, easy-going and docile. However, even as puppies they have a lot of energy. Training Siberian Huskies can be a challenge, and one must be ready for the unexpected. Huskies are very intelligent and trainable, but they have a mind of their own and will only obey a command if they see the point. Training takes patience, consistency and understanding of the dog’s special character. Start training your dog when it is young. The dog will take advantage if he can. Establish the rules of the house early, and make sure that you or a member of your family is in charge, i.e. the 'leader of pack'. Do not allow the puppy to get away with habits that you don't want to see in the adult dog. Mistakes are easy made and sometimes difficult to fix with this remarkably intelligent and opportunistic breed. For example, if you don’t want your dog to sleep in your bed, don't let it in as a puppy. We made this mistake! A puppy is very cute and we literally dragged the dog onto our bed. I don't think I have to spell out the consequences…

The husky easily sense any uncertain or nervousness you may experiencing and quickly question your leadership ability. Every breed is guided to one degree or another by the pecking order, and while some breeds will submit more quickly to the will of his owner than others, the Siberian will insist you prove a good and reliable leader before he accepts your dominance. The Siberian will always give freely of his love and affection. However, his respect must be earned.

Huskies do share wolf like behaviors; they are very pack orientated. As for all northern breeds this is a typical behavior. The husky rarely barks, preferring to whine or moan, but when the mood is right your dogs will produce one of the most beautiful sounds in nature – the howl. Sometimes at rallies, all the dogs seem to start and stop simultaneously making our hairs on the back of our neck standing up. While this sound may be music to the ears of the owner, neighbors may feel otherwise. "These people are walking wolves" is a phrase we frequently hear when we exercise the dogs. Siberian Huskies sometimes mistaken for wolves, especially brown or agouti coloured dogs, which have a strong wolf appearance. However, they are today and have been for many years’ domesticated pure breeds, but are most certainly not wolves or part wolf.

 Keep in mind that the Siberian husky is not usually a one-man dog or a watch-dog. With his gregarious nature, and despite its impressive strength and somewhat wolfish appearance, he exhibits no fear or suspicion of strangers and is as likely to greet a thief as warmly as a trusted family member.

Siberians are great escape artists, and even the best cared for, best-kennelled husky may get loose. They can crawl through very small holes, jump up to 8-foot fences, break stakeout chains and slip collars very skillfully. Curiosity not only kills the cat, but many huskies as well. A nomad at heart, the husky has no homing instincts and no fear of cars or other hazards of our modern society. The desire to seek out that scent, to hunt, to chase, to discover the other side of the fence, is deeply inbred, and can become overwhelming at the most inappropriate moments.

The drive to discover may challenge you at any time. I can tell you, out of my own experience that I have wrapped my rig several times around a tree because the team decided to take the ‘scenic’ route trough the country site or to ‘follow’ the little squirrel/rabbit.

Huskies have a very strong prey-drive, and if they are not socialized to smaller animals as puppies, they will go after most small (and some bigger) animals they encounter. The drive to hunt can be a problem in living together with other animals. However, when socialized or carefully introduced to other pets they get along very well with each other. Two of our dogs grew up with our Siamese cat, whereas our third dog, Laska was nine month old when we took her on. As you see in the picture, all three of them are good friends with the cat (read the cats comments here).

The drive to hunt and especially the desire to run makes the husky different to many breeds of dogs. Thus, no Siberian husky should ever be allowed unrestrained freedom and be kept on a leash or in a large enclosure. As inconvenient as it is or cruel as it sounds, it is for the dogs own protection. If you don't agree with this then the Siberian husky may not be a breed for you.

Huskies get bored very easily! If you're not going to be around for a lengthy period of time you will have to provide them with toys or bones to keep themselves occupied. If you don't, that's when they start to get into mischief to keep themselves amused! Chewing and digging are favorite pastimes. The former is a habit that most puppies of all breeds acquire during the teething period, and it can be curbed or channeled in the right direction. Digging holes is a pastime that many Siberian Huskies have a special proclivity for. One glimpse into a huskies ‘crater’ is enough to realize how efficient digger the husky is. Remember, the compulsive desire to dig holes is an instinct developed centuries ago from the need to make shelter, and gather and store food. If your fenced-in garden is used as a dog run and you are very proud of your garden then the Siberian husky may not be the right dog for you.

Siberian Huskies are handsome. The eyes are almond shaped, moderately spaced and set a trifle obliquely. It is a common misconception that all Siberians have blue eyes. They can have eyes that are blue, brown, amber, or any combination thereof including eyes which are half blue and half brown, which are referred to as being split-eyed. Having one blue eye and one brown eye is referred to as being bi-eyed.

A variety of markings on the head are common, including many striking patterns not found in other breeds. All coat markings are accepted, the most notable being a pie-bald. These coat markings are similar to that of a pinto horse.

As for most natural beauties, the husky requires a minimal amount of care to look gorgeous. Scotland is known for its weather. Rain is common and often after a training run or a rally the dogs and I are quite covered in mud. Whereas I take a shower the huskies clean themselves like cats. They are by nature fastidiously clean and are typically free from body odor. Just run the comb through the coat once a week, bath the dog several times a year, and the husky will do the rest.

However, the bad news is, Siberians 'blow' their undercoats, that is, they shed their undercoats completely. It is a very intense shedding period that can last for three weeks or more. The good news is that this only happens twice a year. In contrast to smooth-coated breeds the remainder of the time, Siberians are relatively shed free. The hair comes out in large clumps and lots of vacuuming and brushing are necessary. If your dogs stay indoors and you are very house proud then the Siberian Husky may not be a breed for you. Interestingly, it has been reported, that people suffering from animal allergies cope much better with huskies than with most other dog breeds.

The Siberian husky is generally a very healthy, hardy breed, with an average lifespan of 13 to 15 years, however they are subject to hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy (a genetic eye disease), cataracts, corneal disorders, thyroid deficiency, and zinc-deficiency disease. Buyers should therefore select a breeder very carefully. Poor breeding can also cause temperament problems and poor physical specimens in Siberians.

It is very important to remember that the Siberian husky is a working breed; he must be given something to do. Exercise may be obtained on the leash, at play, and best of all, through mushing. Siberians also make wonderful hiking companions, and with a dog backpack, can carry food and water. But remember, keep your dog on a  leash all the time. Perhaps no other breed has done more to keep his owner in shape than the Siberian. How many hearty individuals are willing to trek through rain, mud or snow to exercise their Siberian? If you have a hectic live style and you can't find time for your dog or you a more 'indoor' type of person, then the Siberian husky may not be the right dog for you.

If you still consider acquiring a Siberian husky, my last warning is to be aware of the husky bug - a rare and as yet incurable malady that affects many Siberian owners. It usually starts with the desire to own just one special Siberian, and before long, that one Siberian has turned into two, five, or fifteen special Siberians.........

Once bitten by the bug, there is no return...............