Siberian Husky

All you need to know about the Siberian Husky

Having a Siberian Husky as your pet is the closest you can get to having a pet wolf! They are fun-loving dogs that adore staying active.

These dogs originated in northeastern Siberia, and they belong to the Spitz family. Despite not being Wolf-Dog hybrids, it is hard to deny how much these pups resemble wolves. 

These dogs were used to pull sleds over extremely long distances. However, their beauty made them popular pets nowadays. Their gorgeous, sickle tail, triangular ears, piercing eyes, and distinctive markings on the coat make for a unique look.

Many families opt to get a Husky as their pet. If your family is one of those, but you desperately search for more info, you’re in the right place. Read on to learn everything you will need to know about Siberian Husky!

Fast Facts

Group - Working dog

Weight - 35-60 Pounds (male) 35-50 Pounds (female)

Height - 21-23,5 Inches (male) 20-22 Inches (female)

Hair Length - Long

Shedding - Heavy

Lifespan - 11-13 Years

The Appearance of the Siberian Husky

It is hard not to be mesmerized by the striking beauty of the Siberian Husky. These dogs truly resemble wolves, and it is a major part of what makes them so unique and popular.

The eyes of a Siberian Husky are piercing and bright, shaped like an almond, and can come in various colors. These include blue, brown, and amber.

However, the eyes of a Husky can also be bi-colored. This means that one eye can be brown, and the other blue, or whichever other combination you can think of. This truly gives them a unique look.

Huskies have an elongated snout and white face. Their expression is always focused and alert, making them seem highly intelligent. Some people might be too intimidated to approach a Siberian Husky due to its fierce look. However, these pups love to show their sweet side as well and have a large natural smile!

Siberian Huskies have a double-layered coat that is thicker than most. It provides them with amazing protection against the cold. The outside of the coat is thick and straight, while the underneath is downy and soft.

Siberian Huskies are built for endurance and are capable of running at large speeds. They are compact and evenly proportioned. These pups are muscular and have slightly angled hindquarters. These help the dog achieve faster speeds while running.

The tail of a Husky is super bushy and furred. It curves upwards when the dog’s interest is piqued! The tail is then shaped similarly to a sickle. These pups are known to often curl up when tired and cover their faces with a tail. They do this to provide extra warmth for their nose.

What colors does a Siberian Husky come in?

According to the breed standard, all colors are allowed. These can range from white to black but will always have markings. These dogs can have some striking patterns on their head, unlike in any other breed. Some of the most common colors are:

• White
• Black
• Copper-red
• Grey

All of these colors have white patterns over the coat, which gives the Husky its distinctive look. Facial markings, the tip of the tail, paws, and legs are usually always white. Some individuals can also have blondish or piebald spotting.

Another unique coat is the “saddleback” pattern. This is best described as having black-tipped hairs restricted only to the saddle area of the body. The head and the shoulders are then either white or light red. This is just one unique pattern, but there are others!

Huskies have a wide variety of different facial markings. These can appear as gorgeous masks or spectacles on these pups’ faces and can look really gorgeous! 

All about the Siberian Husky personality

Siberian Huskies have a playful personality, which might not be what you’d expect when you see their wolf-like appearance! Still, their attitude is eager and curious, and they will join you in any sort of adventure.

You can make these dogs do practically anything! Husky will play with your children, go on jogs with you or even go hiking in the snow! Their adventurous spirit is always ready for action!

Huskies are friendly and outgoing, and they will greet all visitors with a sniff and a smile. They truly make for wonderful pets and hosts, making everyone feel welcome. This means that they are not the best guard dogs, so if you’re looking for that, you might want to skip this breed.

These dogs do not bark a lot, but they can be described as talkative. They will try to get your attention by making noises best described as moaning and whining. They will ask for praise this way, especially if they feel like they did something that deserves it. 

From time to time, you can expect your Husky to express itself through howling. This howl can last long but is quite melodic. They will do this if they ever hear sirens or other Huskies howling nearby or simply to greet you.

While most will agree that this howling sounds lovely, and it should not be an issue to anyone, you might want to train your Husky to quiet it at your command. This is best reinforced by a gentle pat on the head and some treats. 

Siberian Huskies have a pack mentality, and it shows in how they behave. They love socializing and doing all sorts of tasks.

Husky doesn’t like being left alone for long periods of time. This might make it start behaving destructively, so watch out for that. Always make sure that someone is watching your Husky if you will be away for the entire day.

Is a Siberian Husky easy to train?

Training consistency is crucial when it comes to Huskies. You should always make sure that you reward their good behavior as well. This will make a living with these pups a lot easier.

It is advised that you find a good trainer who will know how to handle these dogs. They are not the easiest to train and have an independent spirit. A trainer will help you with some behaviors you want to avoid, such as mouthing, door bolting, jumping on people, and stress chewing.

Naturally, early socialization will help you avoid a lot of behavioral issues that may pop up later on! By exposing your Siberian Husky to other dogs and people from an early age, you are helping it develop into a wonderful pet!

Basic obedience training is also a must, and it will help your Husky learn good manners. If you want to work your dog in a harness, it will take a lot of time, so patience and dedication are a must!

The most important thing about training with your Husky is to aim to make every part of the training fun for the dog and yourself as well. These pups are extremely social and need the company of others. They also love running. If you implement this into their training regime, it will become much easier!

How much Grooming does a Siberian Husky need?

On the subject of grooming, first of all, Siberian Husky is incredibly clean. You will only need to bathe them a few times per year.

They are self-cleaning dogs, and this will make life easier for you unless you take your dog to competitions. In those cases, you will need to bathe your Husky more often. They don’t emit any sort of odor and are generally exceptionally clean pups!

On the subject of shedding tough, expect a lot of work. These dogs have medium-length hair, and you will have to deal with large amounts of it being around your house. Huskies constantly shed but do so especially twice a year, during Spring and Fall.

You will need a working vacuum cleaner to get rid of all the hair around the house when these pups start shedding! Try to brush the hair of your dog at least once a week. However, you may want to do it every day during shedding season. 

Since Siberian Huskies do shed quite a bit, they are not hypoallergenic dogs. 

Always make sure your dog’s nails are trimmed as well. If you can hear the nails clicking on the floor, that means they are too long.

Also, always check the ears of your Husky and wipe them out using a cotton ball. If you get your pup used to this while it is still young, you won’t have issues while doing this later on!

The Living Environment of the Siberian Husky

If you make sure that your Husky is constantly busy and active, it will get used to any type of environment. These dogs were bred to travel thousands of miles and explore the wilderness, which is something you should never forget. 

Having a large yard with a fence would be ideal, but naturally, not everyone has access to this. For those that don’t, make sure that you take your Husky out for walks regularly. 

Combine the walks with different activities, such as going to the forest or the beach. Your Husky can then dig there to its heart’s content! 

Husky will always try to lead you when they are on a leash or in a harness. Always try to take advantage of these traits when spending time with your pup. Go through new trails or woodland paths, anything to keep it busy!

Huskies are known to be talented escape artists and can find a way to run away from basically any type of containment if they so desire. They are diligent and will always do their best to succeed in their escape plans! Keeping your dog active is the easiest way to stop it from doing this!

Huskies also love digging. This is in their genes, and Husky will always try to excavate something. An easy solution for this is to build a sandpit in your yard. You can hide things there and reward your pet if it manages to find them!

The Health and Nutrition of the Siberian Husky

If you feed them correctly with a nutritious diet and give them plenty of exercises, Husky will remain relatively healthy throughout their lives. 

There are two conditions you should be wary of. One of those is hip dysplasia. It can occur genetically or appear over time. If the thigh bone won’t fit correctly in the hip socket, or the cartilage between the bones wears away, this condition will appear. It can cause painful arthritis and might require surgery.

The other type of condition that is quite common with Siberian Huskies is connected to various eye problems. These are juvenile cataracts, corneal dystrophy, and progressive retinal atrophy. They can cause blindness and deserve your attention. 

All of these conditions can end up being quite serious, and you should visit your veterinarian often to make sure your dog is healthy. Also, make sure you get your pup from a reputable breeder.

Where does the Siberian Husky come from?

It is believed that the Siberian husky can be traced back to a wolf ancestor that is over 35,000 years old! According to some researchers, Siberian Taimyr wolves were responsible for some of the indigenous Chukchi people’s bloodline when developing the Siberian Husky.

The Chukchi needed dogs that would work for them. This means that they needed to be good companions and family and haul sleds while traversing the dangerous frozen terrain. 

The dogs developed by these people are ancestors of the Siberian Huskies. Huskies became more famous in 1925 when they led teams that were delivering a recovery serum to Nome, Alaska, where a dangerous epidemic was plaguing the people. They managed to go over 650 miles in less than six days.

Siberian Husky Mixes you would like to know about*

Dog crossbreeds or mixes are sometimes called designer dogs. The name fits since you are “designing” a new dog by mating two purebred dogs. It has become popular in recent times, and more and more breeds have several noteworthy crosses we could write about.

The thing with mixed puppies is that it is hard to know which characteristics they will inherit from their parents. You should research as much info as possible on the parent breeds to understand what you can expect. This way, you will find a mix that has all of the characteristics you want and love.

Read on to see the most popular Siberian Husky mixes:

• Gerberian Shepsky - Siberian Husky & German Shepherd mix
• Pomsky - Siberian Husky & Pomeranian mix
• Labsky - Siberian Husky & Lab mix
• Pitsky - Siberian Husky& Pit Bull Terrier mix
• Siberian Retriever - Siberian Husky & Golden Retriever mix
• Huskita - Siberian Husky & Akita mix
• Rottsky - Siberian Husky & Rottweiler mix
• Husky Inu - Siberian Husky & Shiba Inu mix
• Boxsky - Siberian Husky & Boxer mix

*Not all breed mixes are equal in quality! Pets4you.com neither condones nor endorses any example of unethical and unhealthy crossbreeding. We encourage everyone to research in detail before they choose to get a crossbreed.