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A working dog breed that originated in eastern Siberia, the Siberian Husky is a wolf-like, medium-sized dog, 35 to 60 pounds (16 to 27 kg) in weight, 20 to 23.5 inches (51 to 60 cm) in height, originally bred by the Chukchi tribes for use as a village dog, herding the reindeer, pulling sledges, and keeping the children warm.
Appearance: Siberians have a dense double-layer coat
that comes in a variety of colors and patterns, usually with
white feet and legs, facial markings, and tail tip. The most
common colors are black and white, gray and white, copper-red
and white, and pure white, though many individuals have brown,
reddish, or biscuit shadings and some are piebald spotted.
Striking masks, spectacles, and other facial markings occur in
wide variety. They have a wolf-like appearance, albeit smaller
and with less shaggy fur.
Eyes: The dogs eyes are brown, hazel, or blue. Light
blue eye colour is characteristic but not completely dominant.
The breed may have one eye brown or hazel and the other blue,
or may have blue and another colour mixed in the iris of one
or both eyes; this latter trait, heterochromia, is sometimes
called "bi-eyed, or parti-eyed" by Siberian
enthusiasts. This is one of the few breeds for which
different-colored eyes are allowed in the show ring. The
Siberian Husky is one of the few dog breeds where blue eyes
are common. Most dogs have brown eyes.
Ears & tail: Its ears are triangular,
well-furred, medium-sized, and erect; its fox-like brush tail
is carried in a sickle curve over the back.
Coat: The Siberian Husky's coat consists of two
layers, a dense, cashmere-like undercoat and a longer coarser
topcoat consisting of straight guard hairs. Siberians usually
shed their undercoat once or twice a year, producing
prodigious quantities of fur; the process is commonly referred
to as blowing their coat. Dogs that live primarily indoors
often shed year round, so the shedding is less profuse but
constant.
Therefore, an owner might have a Siberian that sheds
lightly all year, or a Siberian that blows its complete coat
twice a year. A strong steel comb helps in removing the dense
handfuls of hair that come loose while the dog is blowing its
coat. Otherwise, grooming is minimal; bathing is normally
unnecessary as the coat sheds dirt. Also, it is not uncommon
for a dog of this breed to groom itself carefully in much the
same way one might expect of cats. Well and healthy Siberians
have little odor. Their ears are amazingly soft and they have
a very good hearing.
Temperament: Popular as family pets and as show dogs
due to their striking appearance and gentle temperament,
Siberians have certain drawbacks. Huskies can be extremely
affectionate, curious, and welcoming to people, which means
they rarely hurt humans, making them poor guard dogs. Properly
socialized Siberians are often quite gentle with children,
although no dog, including Siberians, should be left
unsupervised with small children.
Normally quite tractable, affectionate, and docile with
people, they nonetheless have a strong hunting drive and are
known to kill (and even eat) cats, rabbits, chickens,
squirrels, and other small animals. They have even been known
to savage sheep on occasion, which is one of the many reasons
why they are believed to be closely related to the wolf. If
the Husky is raised with a small animal such as a cat, it is
less likely to hurt that animal. However, their prey drive can
eventually develop.
Siberian Huskies should be kept in secure fenced enclosures
at least six feet in height as they will not always come to
call and will often disappear on long hunting trips. Thus,
they cannot be allowed to run loose. They should be kept
leashed. Siberians are also accomplished escape artists, so
enclosures should be checked frequently for any potential
escape routes. The dogs are good diggers, able to tunnel under
fences with shallow foundations. Huskies are trainable to a
certain degree, but require patience. They are independent in
nature and not given to blind obedience to every command.
Health: Siberians are normally rather healthy dogs,
living typically from eleven to fifteen years of age. Health
issues in the breed are eye troubles (cataracts, glaucoma, and
corneal dystrophy among others), allergies, and cancer in
older animals. Hip dysplasia occurs but is not a major concern
in the breed. This breed needs a high-quality diet with high
levels of protein and fat, particularly when used for
dogsledding. That said, Siberian Huskies are fuel-efficient
dogs, consuming less food than other dogs of similar size and
activity level. The diet must be adjusted to their level of
work and exercise; obesity can be a problem for
underexercised, overfed pets.
History: The Siberian Husky is widely believed to
have originated exclusively with the Coastal Chukchi tribes of
the east-Siberian peninsula. There is evidence, however, that
Siberian dogs were also imported from the Koryak and Kamchadal
tribes. Recent DNA analysis confirms that this is one of the
oldest breeds of dog.
Dogs from the Anadyr River and surrounding regions were
imported into Alaska from 1908 (and for the next two decades)
during the gold rush for use as sleddogs, especially in the
All-Alaska Sweepstakes (AAS), a 408 mile (657 km) distance
dogsled race from Nome to Candle and back. Smaller, faster and
more enduring than the 100 to 120 pound (45 to 54 kg)
freighting dogs then in general use, they immediately
dominated the Nome Sweepstakes.
Leonhard Seppala, a Norwegian fisherman turned gold miner,
became involved with Siberian dogs when he was asked by his
employer to train a group of females and pups for the 1914
AAS. After a poor start his first year, Seppala dominated the
races thereafter. In 1925 he was a key figure in the 1925
serum run to Nome which delivered diphtheria serum from Nenana
by dogsled after the city was stricken by an epidemic. The
Iditarod trail race commemorates this famous delivery. The
following year two groups of Seppala’s dogs toured the USA,
starting a mania for sleddogs and dogsled racing, particularly
in the New England states.
In 1930 the last Siberians were exported as the Soviet
government closed the borders of Siberia to external trade.
The same year saw recognition of the Siberian Husky by the
American Kennel Club. Nine years later the breed was first
registered in Canada. Today’s Siberian Huskies registered in
North America are largely the descendants of the 1930 Siberia
imports and of Leonhard Seppala’s dogs.
Dogsled racing: Siberians are still used
occasionally as sleddogs in dogsled racing but have been
widely replaced by the more popular Alaskan Husky and
hound-type crossbreds that are specially bred and selected for
speed and have less heavy coats. Siberian Huskies were
designed to pull a light load over long distances at a medium
pace, and simply can't keep up with their faster counterparts.
Siberians are still popular in races restricted to purebreds
and are faster than other pure sleddog breeds such as the
Samoyed and Alaskan Malamute. Today the breed tends to divide
along lines of “racing” Siberians versus “show”
Siberians.
Apart from dogsled racing, they are very popular for
recreational mushing and are also used for skijoring (one to
three dogs pulling a skier) and European ski-pulka. A few
owners use them for dog-packing and hiking. They have also
seen use as therapy dogs.
Famous Huskies:
Togo (dog), Leonhard Seppala's famous leader.
"Exile" from Road Rovers
Balto (Although there is some dispute over whether Balto
was a Siberian Husky or part Wolf or possibly a hybrid of
the two.)
The sled team from the Disney movie Snow Dogs
Diefenbaker from the hit television series Due South
The sled team from the Disney movie Eight Below (two of
which were Malamutes)
Jenna from Balto, Balto 2: Wolf Quest, & Balto 3:
Wings of Change
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