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siberian husky

Siberian Husky information, characteristics, pictures, and facts

When it comes to finding a family pet to bring into your home, few dogs come with quite the same mystery intrigue as the Siberian Husky. These gorgeous animals are among the most in-demand dogs in the world, though they can be a real challenge to raise without pristine conditions to do so. With that in mind, you might want to read through our quick guide to the Siberian Husky so that you understand what you are actually taking on here in terms of a pet.

So, if you were to get a Siberian Husky, what would you be getting? What kind of experience could you expect as a pet owner to find in this exciting, energetic breed of dog that is becoming increasingly in-demand across the world?

The basics of a Siberian Husky

So, the Siberian Husky is a particular breed of dog which is noted for its cleanliness, intelligence, and gorgeous look. They are medium-sized dogs that have remarkable strength for their size and are suited to working in groups. They are typically associated with a lifestyle of pulling light loads across long frozen temperatures, but there is far more to the Siberian Husky than simply being a carthorse.

They are intelligent, dignified dogs that have a long history of being noted for their power mixed with highly impressive balance and agility. How, though, does a Siberian Husky develop?

  • In terms of height, they can reach anything from 20-22” in a female, and 21-23.5” in a male, so expect them to be relatively tall dogs for what is considered to be a medium-size breed.
  • In terms of weight, you should expect your average Siberian Husky to reach a weight of anything from 35-50lbs in a female, and up to 45-60lbs in a male, making them sturdy dogs.
  • In terms of age, you should expect the Siberian Husky to live for around 12 to 14 years, though this really does come down to how they are bred, and the lifestyle that they get to lead.

Keeping the above in mind should make it easier for you to raise a Siberian Husky at home in a way that is going to be conducive to their long-term health and physical condition. The main thing to remember, though, is that Siberian Huskies are medium-sized dogs that come with highly impressive levels of athleticism and stamina.

Siberian Huskies around others

The one thing that more or less anyone can tell you about a Siberian Husky is that they are extremely intelligent canines. Put one in a tough situation and they have a better chance than most dogs of deducing a solution. However, what are they like around people and dogs?

  • If you have other dogs, you should have no problem at all. These are extremely confident dogs, so they have no problem spending time around other canines; they are entirely comfortable with who they are, so they never seem to be pompous or arrogant to other dogs.
  • If you have a family, then you can relax as the Siberian Husky is the kind of dog that really has no problem getting along with everyone. So long as it is introduced to everyone accordingly, you should find that a Siberian Husky gets on with more or less anyone at home.
  • If you have children, they are excellent for kids. These are intelligent canines that know their own power, so you never need to worry about this kind of dog getting a bit too aggressive with someone and thus putting them at risk of being hurt. Very important to consider.

The thing with a Siberian Husky in terms of a ‘negative’ though is they would make pretty poor watchdogs. They are very calm around strangers, so they would not really react with any kind of aggression or ferocity to an invader. That is good in that you could easily take your Siberian Husky to new places for walks etc. and it would not react to strangers aggressively at all. They love people and dogs, to the point where it might not be the best dog to put in charge of watching your place at night.

Despite their background of being physically demanding dogs, though, this is a dog that can adapt to just about any kind of lifestyle. They can handle a routine that is put together on the hop, but they expect you – or other family members – to make plenty of time for regular and consistent exercise. Don’t forget about taking out that Siberian Husky to make sure that it can get plenty of the physical assistance that it needs.

How does a Siberian Husky grow physically?

Speaking of physicality, over the years you can expect your Siberian Husky to adjust accordingly. One thing they are more or less never willing to acquiesce over, though, is physical activity. From a young age until the day they pass, Siberian Huskies will, health allowing, want to be busy and physically active. Though they can adapt to a routine, they do expect all of their days to be filled with at least some kind of physical movement.

They are quite self-willed dogs, though, so you shouldn’t expect a Siberian Husky to be up doing tricks just to get some praise from their owner. They also need to be busy, so expect your Sib to get pretty annoyed or frustrated if you have it sitting around the house all day. If you or someone else at home cannot offer your Siberian Husky some kind of meaningful exercise on a regular basis, then you might have to consider whether or not this is the dog for you.

They are highly energetic dogs from youth ‘til their final days, so don’t expect any letup. After all, these are bred for long-distance journeys, so they are used to expending huge sums of energy on a daily basis. This makes them quite hard to get along with if you are not busy enough.

Also, please note that the Siberian Husky is a dog that will make plenty of noise. They are dogs that love to bark and have no problem just barking for the sake of barking. Keep that in mind, as many dogs of this type can become quite frustrated when you are either not around or nobody is there to take them for walks etc.

Over time, then, be sure to look at the physical demands of a Siberian Husky and determine if you can keep up to such lofty expectations.

Do Siberian Huskies need much exercise?

Exercise is crucial for any pet, but a Siberian Husky needs lots of physical engagement to avoid them from becoming frustrated. As such, you should look to get your Siberian Husky as much exercise as you can – they are very happy when you give them some kind of job to do about the place. Regular walks and bouts of exercise are vital as it builds a bond between you both and keeps the husky from feeling like it has to find a way of releasing that energy.

However, remember that these dogs do love to go for a run and thus you want to keep it on hardness as best you can. This is vital because they will get away from you without much issue without having some kind of control.

Daily walks, regular play sessions, and as much activity as you can fit into your outdoor areas are going to be vital to keeping a Siberian Husky motivated and generally in a positive mood. So, try and keep all of this in mind when it comes to having a Sib. They are demanding dogs, but the challenge soon becomes enjoyable once you realise how much fun you can both have on your walks and play sessions.

Do Siberian Huskies need training?

Like most dogs, the Siberian Husky is going to need some kind of training from a young age to help it become more obedient. However, basic mannerisms and intelligence is something that comes naturally to the Siberian Husky, so you should have little worries of having an absolute terror running around your home.

You should, though, be prepared for lots of patience when it comes to things like putting your husky on a harness. Most do not react to this well at first, and it can take a lot of encouragement and cooperation to try and find a happy halfway house here.

The idea for a Siberian Husky is to know that it needs training that actually stimulates it. Most of these dogs are very social creatures that need to be put in the company of others to feel satisfied and happy. Therefore, you should try and find a way to help your dog get plenty of training so that it gets used to being around others, and that gets used to finding ways to burn off that limitless natural energy in a way that is both productive and avoids any needless trails of destruction being created.

How healthy are Siberian Huskies?

When caring for any dog, the health of the animals should be paramount. And it should not be any different if you commit to having a Siberian Husky. Typically, this is a durable and relatively healthy dog breed so health problems are not as common as they can be in other husky breeds. So long as they are properly bred and well looked after in life, the likelihood of serious problems developing is not as likely as it might appear in other breeds.

However, you should definitely look to have your dog regularly checked for any signs of hip dysplasia. This is a common issue in many dogs, but energetic and physically active dogs like a Siberian Husky can be pretty susceptible to this problem in particular. You should regularly go for hip evaluations, then, to ensure that your Siberian Husky is capable of keeping up the pace of life that makes it happiest.

One of the most common problems in Siberian Huskies, too, are eye disorders. Again, you should look to get regular check-ups of their eyes if you notice your husky is having any problems at all with getting around or living life to the standard that it normally would.

This can become quite common in older Siberian Huskies, so be sure to keep an eye out for this. Since these are quite durable and self-reliant dogs it can be harder to notice clear signs of distress in a breed like this. Over time, though, that can change, and you can start to look for the little tell-tale signs that something is not quite right with your Siberian Husky.

Vigilance is key here, so try and make sure that you spend as much time as you can look into your Siberian Husky so that you can better understand what ails it.

What do Siberian Huskies eat?

Like any dog, you need to be smart with what you actually go and feed your Siberian Husky. These are dogs that often require quite a lot of food, but they can be bred very particularly thus creating bespoke dietary needs. As ever, you should sit down with a veterinarian and work out what your own Siberian Husky actually needs.

In the past, studies have shown a direct link between the lower quality of life in obese dogs. Therefore, ensuring it has a diet that avoids excessive bulking up is vital.

In conclusion

When you choose to raise a dog, committing to something as demanding as the Siberian Husky can be quite the challenge. As such, you should absolutely look to work out what kind of pet you would want to have; if you are willing to meet the challenge of having such a high-demanding dog in your house, you will not regret it.

However, your relationship together will be mostly determined by how active you both are. If you cannot give a Siberian Husky a happy and active life, it can make forming the relationship you want much more difficult.

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