Facts About the Siberian Husky: An Excellent Dog Breed
Red Siberian Husky

Huskys are Great with Kids

The Siberian Husky
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!
Huskys Love the Snow


Origination and History
The Siberian Husky is a medium size, dense coat, working breed dog that originally came from north-eastern Siberia. It is best believe that the Siberian Husky originated from the Chukchi tribe off the eastern Siberian peninsula.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. Due to their smaller size, quicker speed and longer endurance, they became the favorite breed for sled dogs.
In 1925, Siberian Huskies were the favored dogs to deliver the serum that would save many lives from a diphtheria epidemic in Nome, Alaska. The first attempt to deliver the serum was by plane, but due to severe weather conditions, the plane was not able to fly. It was then decided to use a series of dog team sleds. These sled dogs traveled more than 600 miles through near white out conditions to get the medicine to Nome. A Siberian Husky named Balto was instrumental in this run known as "The Great Race of Mercy". The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race commemorates this heroic delivery and in honor of Balto's heroic efforts a bronze statue of him has been erected in Central Park in New York City.
Siberian Husky at Snowy Pond

Characteristics
Male Siberian Huskies will range from about 50-75 pounds and the females from 35-60 pounds. They stand approximately 20-23 inches high. They have a white facial mask, white legs and a white tip on their tail. Their colors range from black and white, gray and white, copper/red and white and solid white.
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. During their shedding season, they will lose their undercoat. Get ready, because when a husky sheds, they lose a lot of hair and I mean a lot! If you cannot tolerate dog hair in your house, you don't want a Husky. They need to be brushed weekly when not in their "shedding season" and I would recommend daily brushing during. You will also want to brush them outside. I would recommend brushing them with a soft wire type brush to get down to the undercoat. I will say that I would not recommend owning a husky if you live in a hot, humid climate as they do not tolerate extreme heat well.
Beautiful Blue Eyes

Beautiful Eyes
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 Husky Puppy

Litters and Life Span
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.
Meisha and Her Pal Sadie

Behavior
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 labrador retriever , but now the are best of friends. Huskies still carry some of the traits of their forebearers, the wolf, and will tend to roam, if not kept in a fenced in yard. They do need lots of room to move around and play as they are very energetic and become bored easily. Huskies love to dig and you may find some holes in your yard until they find their favorite spot to lie in.
Huskys are Playful

Intelligent and Playful
Huskies are very intelligent and excel in obedience training as they learn very 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.
What size of dog breed do you prefer?
General
Huskies rarely bark, but they will “talk” to you. They make a howling type of sound when they want your attention. They are not aggressive towards strangers, but will let you know when a stranger is about. However, strangers are a bit concerned about them, as they look similar to the wolf. When someone new comes to our house, they rarely get out of their vehicles once they see 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!
Questions & Answers
Comments
We have a black and white Husky mix. Probably a bit of German Shepherd. We got her as a rescue dog, so it is hard to know.
What's the best food for a husky we are new to the breed an pick up our bundle off joy 29th
Great hub! I love huskies!!
love huskys
Hi Sheila
These are gorgeous and sweet dogs. At least in my limited experience. I have only been around one. My friend had one and it was my first introduction to this dog. I have been fearful of dogs that I do not know most of my life even though we had dogs as I was growing up. So when I went to her house and this large dog greeted me I was a bit nervous.
But quickly I got over that and fell in love with her Gretchen.
I love love to watch the AKC's dog competitions on television as I get to see a wide variety of lovely creatures including the husky. Thanks for sharing. Angels are on the way ps
Beautiful. I love Siberian huskies.
I have never owned a Siberian Husky, but we have owned other breeds of medium size dogs. I think we would enjoy having a Husky one day. Great information about them. Voted UP!
All of lovely dogs. Excellent hub. thanks
I have never heard of this breed of dogs, may be because I come from New Delhi where temp can go up to 115 F in summers. But this breed is breath taking beautiful. Voting it up, awesome, interesting and sharing here and on twitter.
I haven't owned a dog since I was a child (that's at least a couple of years ago), but I enjoyed reading this hub. I never knew anything about Siberian Huskies; now I do. Thanks.
Excellent article - I couldn't agree more with your dog choice. Our Siberian Husky will be 9 years old in April, and we couldn't love him any more than we do. He is very loyal and a wonderful family dog. Although he does suffer from canine epilepsy, it's a mild case that doesn't seem to take the wind out of his sails for long. He loves our daughters and even loves his little Bichon "brother". Anakin is our first attempt at a larger breed of dog, and I'm so happy we got him. He's ornery, and we love that about him. He's a howler/talker, and the Bichon tries to imitate him. He's got quite the personality - I'm sure that he was the happiest of all of us when we moved to Vermont!!
sgbrown,
I agree that huskies must have been multi=purpose dogs for the first nation / Inuits and others. A dog that pulled a sled only wouldn't be economical at all.
I was wondering if giving/playing with the dog with a fake small furry toy would help the dog not chase my cats. I have two cats and really want a husky, but I don't want the dog to terrorize them. Is there away they can cohabitate?
I had one of these as a kid, amazingly energetic dogs! It was hard to keep up with and they are very powerful as well so as a kid he would knock me down a bunch ! lol
He ended up running away unfortunately :(
As a dog person, I love all breeds of dogs, cross breeds and mutts. I like huskies too. A husky would have made a good hiking partner for me, except that I also wanted a hiker for colder climates, who is a guard dog with low prey drive. Huskies are good hiking partners, but they have high prey drive without having a guarding instinct.
I follow those teams in dog sled racing (Yukon Quest, Iditarod, etc.) that have Siberian Huskies pulling them. I like Alaskan Huskies too, but a sled being pulled by Siberian huskies, malamutes, or Canadian Eskimo Dogs is a treat to watch.
Thank you for sharing this hub.
I really loved this hub. It was very informative.
I don't have the room for a big dog right now, but I'm hoping in the next year or two once I have a bigger place, I'll be able to get a husky. They are my favourite breeds of dog... (them and german shepards) ... I love the siberians, as well as the malamutes. They're both so beautiful... I've been torn between those two, as well as getting a husky that's half wolf but I've recently learned huskies that are bred with wolves have to be kept tied up most of the time and I wouldn't want that.
I loved how you combined informative facts, as well as personal tips in this hub. I found it very insightful as well as helpful and I'll definitely come back to it when it's time to purchase my puppy.
I liked the info you included about using the sled dogs to bring medicine to the people of Nome. I'm a bit of an info junkie, so it was a nice treat to add an extra piece of trivia to my aresenal.
Great job!
Cheers!
I've never had a Husky, though I've had many dogs as companions. It's a breed I've always considered, but for one reason or another, never ended up with. I currently have both a Kuvatz and a Jack Russel. Talk about a size differential! Not that the Russel thinks there is.
Great Hub, thanks again for reminding me of another noble breed.
Beautiful dogs! I would have one if I didn't live in a condo! I just don't have enough space...you provide lots of great information!
Hi sgbrown, I came back to revisit. I absolutely love the Siberian Husky in this shade of color. I have seen them in white. How cute! I want one. lol.
I love these dogs. I had a malamute many years ago when my boys were young. She watched over them. We would go to the lake and the kids went in to see if they could get her to swim. This dog would go in the water, swim to the kids, and try to pull them back to shore by their pants. She was worried about them. The brown and red husky is beautiful! Enjoyable hub!
I think everyone is intrigued by Huskys because they are such beautiful and noble looking animals. Of course, the mystique of their blue eyes just adds to their appeal.
You've provided a lot of helpful information about the breed and your photos are great!
Voted up, useful, and interesting.
Always loved huskies. Lots of good information here to help people decide if this is the pet for them.
Dogs can be so silly when the first snow arrives and they love to play in it!
The fluffy little puppy in the picture is so cute, too!
When I lived in WI, I used to wear fluffy slipper booties around the house. When I was done with them, I would give them to my dog, a mutt, partly German Shepherd, partly who knows what? He would have a great time playing with them and of course the yard would then be covered with pink (or blue) fur from the slippers and I would have to go and rake it up. We lived out in the country so it didn't bother the nearest neighbors a quarter mile away. The photo of your puppy playing with that slipper made me think of it.
Voted up, BAUI, and will share!
I have a female husky that's one year
I can relate with all that you have written here. My daughter has a pet Siberian husky. It's really very good looking and gentle. I will tell her about this hub.
A very good presentation. I found this hub useful and informative. Meisha is gorgeous! Her eyes are beautiful and I love the fact that she is a brown Siberian Husky. I want to adopt her. Lol. Are they expensive dogs? Voted up beautiful!
This dog not only has beautiful eyes as you said but is very beautiful.I can see in your pictures that they live in snow as this is first time I am reading about this breed. They look strong and cute. voting it up and sharing on facebook.
I love Huskies even though I never have owned one, but our neighbor had one who visited us (ha,ha). He was gorgeous and he would come into the house unannounced (we had the door open for our dog). He would stand there silently until I noticed. First time it happened I almost had a heart attack :).
He was so gentle taking a complimentary dog biscuit ever so delicately and my dog looked loved him going completely nuts when he was around. She would try to keep up with him as he loped around the yard his several bounds being matched by her running full tilt in crazy circles.
Hello SG. I love your phrase "designated digging area". Years ago, a girl dog named Buckwheat used to dig narrow, deep holes that were like land mines in the yard. I fell into a few. Later when we had a load of sand brought in all three dogs would dig down to the wet sand and lie in it. We discovered this "digging area" by accident and it cured the issue of land mines in the yard.
I always enjoy your stories about dogs and helpful information to prospective pet owners. People need to match their personalities to the type of dogs they adopt. Thanks again for an enjoyable read. Up all the way.
I voted this article as "awesome" ! I think I forgot to vote at all when I first read it so I came back,
:)
I am fascinated by this kind of dog. They are real close to relationship in wolf genealogy - more than most other dogs right ? I saw a few in the back of truck parked somewhere - they started howling like wolves and it was the most beautiful sound. Goosebumps !
Wonderful hub about your experience with having Husky dogs. Really enjoyed seeing your photos. It must have been heartbreaking to lose your 3 male dogs never knowing for sure what happened to them. Hopefully you will have your Meisha for a good long time. Up and interesting votes.
i love husky eyes blue color
Great hub. We owned a Siberian Husky , and she lived out her entire life with us. We bought it for our two year old daughter. We took a million pictures of Becky, and her dog. GBY dear heart.
Great hub. I loved the pictures and I love the husky dog breed. I owned one but he was stolen from my yard. He was a wonderful companion to my grand baby..he was very protective of her. I hope to one day have another one.
Meisha is beautiful. I've always loved the blue eyes of Husky's. I enjoy reading about all the different dog breeds. Great Hub and loved your pictures.
Hi sgbrown,
What a lovely hub on a fabulous breed of dog! Your photos are wonderful, your first one of Meisha is stunning!! I have always loved this breed and have noticed quite a few being walked out and about.Great info and if I can persuade Mike then I would love a husky pup! Voted up, useful, awesome, interesting and sharing!!
Huskies are such wonderful dogs! I love the photos you've included in your hub. I didn't know that they were one of the oldest dog breeds or about the origin of their name. Great hub!
huskys are beautiful. i was watching animal cops and a sibarian husky was abused it made me so angry i saw red for the whole day and woudn't calm down till the afternoon the next day. why do people do that to animals they should go to jail for the rest of there life. it is inexcusible for them to do that.
We have a Siberian Husky from a rescue group.She is black and white with blue eyes.Our previous dog was a Siberian and German Shepherd mix. A bit bigger than the dog we have now.Nice hub.
Hi! I would just like to ask if huskies can survive in a tropical country like Philippines? I mean, we barely experience cold weather and we don't experience snow. (haha) so is it okay for me to actually raise a husky? thank you, hope to get a feedback from you. :)
Voted up, useful, awesome, and interesting Sgbrown. I am actually working on a tattoo hub on the Siberia husky. Many people don't realize that they have that redish/brown color. Great job listing everything. I love these dogs. Mine was very loyal and playful. We named him Zoey. With those baby blue eyes, he was absolutely beautiful. Awesome article.
They are beautiful dogs. I love those starling blue eyes. I never had a Husky but my sister Lisa did and your Hub makes me want to tell you a story about "Joe."
My sister's husband was at the bar getting drunk with a good friend of his. The friend starting bragging about how he could walk up to any dog and calm it down and none would bite him because he knew how to handle dogs. My sister's husband said, "You cannot pet Joe."
Things escalated until a $20 bet was placed as to whether the guy could walk right up to Joe and pet him.
Well, the man's entire lower lip was bit off and couldn't be put back on. He has lived with no bottom lip ever since.
I never tried to pet Joe. :D
Thanks for writing this hub. I see many of these traits in my girl. She is a good girl, but I have not been able to stop her from digging where ever she wants. This is an OK trade off for me though as she is a great member of the family.
I am always drawn to animal articles - really enjoyed learning about the Siberian Husky - anyone seeing that puppy picture will be hooked - good hub - B.
Awesome article! I really enjoyed reading this!
I love the eyes of Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes. They also love to "work" and in the northeast they get so excited at the prospect of pulling a sled. Wonderful breed.
What GORGEOUS dogs! They have such stunning eyes! Very well written! :) Voted up and awesome!
I love anything to do with animals/nature etc and this one was indeed a rare treat.
What beautiful dogs and this hub was also wonderfully written.
I have to vote up uo and away and look forward to reading many more by you.
Take care and enjoy your day .
Eddy.
Our baby will soon be 2 years old... how time flies! She's an English Mastiff (the original Great Dane). Actually it was a choice between the Siberian Husky and the English Mastiff and the extra large breed won us over. No doubt the Huskies have the most beautiful eyes! Again, loved your Hub :)
Thank you Diana Lee! I appreciate your vote up! :)
Thanks for the comment, fayx24! The red Huskies are not as common as the black and gray. It looks like you have a Great Dane? We like the larger breed dogs as they are just more fun to us. Luckily we have 2 farm ponds, so when the weather gets hot, she does like to jump in and cool off. Have a great day! :)
Nice hub! I've never seen a brown/red Siberian Husky before - absolutely beautiful! I love larger breeds, but mine is extra large... like you, I feel for the larger breeds in summer, especially those with thick coats.
I love dogs. This is a very informative hub. Voted up.
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