Facts About the Siberian Husky - An Excellent Dog Breed for Anyone

If you are trying to choose what breed of dog you would like to own, here are some facts about the Siberian Husky I would like to share with you. I will give you some facts from the American Kennel Club as well as some personal information and opinions. If you are considering a medium size breed of dog, I would highly recommend the Siberian Husky. I have owned 4 Huskies over the last 20 years and they have been wonderful with children and extremely loyal. My current Husky’s name is Meisha. She is a female about 4 years old. She is a wonderful companion and my children and grandchildren love her!

The Siberian Husky is a medium size, dense coat, working breed dog that originally came from north-eastern Siberia. They were bred to pull heavy loads long distances through harsh conditions. They were later imported to Alaska during the gold rush and later spread into Canada and the lower United States. They quickly earned the status of family pets due to their wonderful nature. Meisha enjoys being outside in the fall and winter and loves playing in the snow. We do keep her inside as much as possible in the summer due to the hot temperatures here in Oklahoma. In the summer, she will find a spot in the shade and dig a hole to lie in. We have created her “designated” place to dig and she knows that is the only place she is allowed to dig her holes.

Male Siberian Huskies will range from about 50-75 pounds and the females from 35-60 pounds. They stand approximately 20-23 inches high. Their coat is thicker than most dogs and is comprised of two layers, a dense undercoat and a longer topcoat of short, straight hair. This double coat protects them against harsh Arctic winters and also reflects heat in the summer. Their colors range from black to white and brown/red in color. Their thick coats do need weekly grooming and in their shedding season, I would recommend brushing them every other day or so with a soft wire type brush to get down to the undercoat. Meisha loves being brushed, as the soft wire brush is similar to my scratching her all over!

The American Kennel Club describes the Husky’s eyes as almond shaped and may be ice-blue, dark blue, amber or brown. In some Huskies, one or both eyes may be partially colored or they may have one brown eye and one blue. All of these eye color combinations are considered acceptable by the AKC. Meisha’s eyes are both ice-blue and people comment all the time about how beautiful her eyes are. Blue-eyed dogs are more “light sensitive” than others, just as ours are.

Siberian Huskies normally have 6-8 puppies in a liter. They are very good mothers and will take excellent care of their puppies. Huskies have a life span of approximately 12-15 years. DNA analysis confirms that this is one of the oldest breeds of dogs. The name “Husky” comes from the nickname “Esky” which once applied to the Eskimo dogs.

Huskies are territorial and will challenge other dogs that come into their domain. They are not overly aggressive, but they will let them know who is boss. It took several weeks for Meisha to get used to Sadie, our yellow Lab our daughter brought home, but now the are best of friends. Huskies are "hunters" and tend to roam, if not kept in a fenced in yard. They do need lots of room to move around and play in. They love to play and are very energetic.

Huskies are very intelligent and learn quickly. In my experience they are very easy to house-train and prefer to “go” outside. They do not tend to jump up on people, which is good when you have children. They really love kids and are very patient with them. Huskies love to play and will find a favorite toy. This toy given as a reward to them will make it easy to train them. You will have many hours of fun playing with your Husky.

Huskies rarely bark, but they will “talk” to you. They tend to make a howling type of sound when they want your attention. It sounds like they are talking to you! The kids love this, and will ask me what she is saying! They are not aggressive towards strangers, but stangers are a bit concerned about them, as they look similar to the wolf. I'll bet that a burgler would think twice about coming to our house, seeing my "wolf dog".

Over all, the Siberian Husky is friendly, loyal and energetic. I would highly recommend the Siberian Husky for a wonderful addition to your family!

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