Siberian Husky, the Domesticated Wolf Dog

Although the Siberian husky has absolutely no wolf blood in him, some people might think different just because of the fierce look this dog can have.

The Siberian husky is thought to be one of the oldest breeds of dog; they are considered to be relatives of the Samoyed breed. It was the Chukchi people who lived in the northeastern part of Siberia that first started to selectively breed the Siberian husky as a sled dog and as a dog that could herd reindeer. It was not until 1909 that the dogs were taken to Alaska to compete in a race and that’s when people really started to wake up and realize what great dogs the Siberian Husky’s were and what a good job they did when it came to pulling the sled.

The people of New England were the ones that took over the selective breeding of the Siberian husky and in the 1930’s they got official recognition for the breed by the AKC; a few years later they started the first Siberian Husky Club of America.

The Siberian husky is not a large dog, he is of medium size with a thick dense coat, a direct result of where he came from, to say the least, winter was kind of cold in Siberia. The color of the Siberian husky’s coat can be in a variety of colors, it can be black and white, grey and white, red and white or just plain white.

Something else that is seen in the Siberian husky are the breed’s glass eyes, they are such an intense color of light blue that it looks like they were made out of glass. Although that is not the only color their eyes come in, the Siberian husky can have brown eyes, amber, hazel and green…but my favorites are the Siberian husky’s that have the glass eyes. In the Show ring, the dog can have any eye color because the Siberian husky was made to pull a sled not to particularly be pretty.

The coat of the Siberian husky is very thick and because of this, it needs to be brushed regularly, especially around the back legs. If the dog likes to play in the water a lot then make sure that he gets completely dry, because all kinds of nasty things can happen if the undercoat does not get the chance to dry out like it should.

The Siberian husky is a nice dog that has a good temperament and because of their history, they have a lot of energy and these dogs love to be able to run and explore their environment. Huskies are not good watch dogs because they do not like to bark and they are so affectionate that an intruder will probably be greeted like an old family friend.

They are not to be trusted around other house pets such as birds and rodents, although the puppy is taught to behave from when he is tiny, a compromise might occur anytime.

The Siberian husky is not a dog for the first time dog owner, they have a strong, stubborn, independent way of thinking and many times they will want to know what is in it for them, rather then obey just because it will make their owner happy.

Do not trust a Siberian husky off the leash because he will most likely run away and realize too late that his owner is not with him, they have been known to jump over fences that were four to five feet tall and they have also been known to dig under fences, these were dogs that were born and bred to pull sleds; so, it is a good idea to either work your Siberian husky or take him to a good obedience training school because he will need it.

The Siberian husky is a healthy dog that can live to be fifteen years or more, the most common problems that an older dog can have is allergies and cancer. The Siberian husky’s were bred to be able to pull a sled all day and at night get only one miserable fish; because of this "diet", they have very able bodies that do better on less food than any other breed of their size could. However, ignorant owners can end up with obese dogs.

The Siberian husky is a beautiful dog that will bring a lot of joy to whoever has the courage to take him in.