Siberian Facts
Are you interested in buying a Siberian Husky? Then, you've already heard how marvelous they are. We think you should also be told that they do have their shortcomings, and may not make the ideal pet for everyone who is attracted to them.
Siberians are a gregarious lot and need the company of other dogs or of people at all times. If you work all day, or have room for only one dog.........don't buy a Siberian.
While capable of strong affection for his family, the Siberian Husky is also very friendly with strangers. So, if you want the fierce loyalty of a one-man dog . . . . . don't buy a Siberian.
The Siberian Husky is not a watch dog, although those ignorant of his true nature may be frightened by his appearance. If you want a dog with aggressive guard-dog instincts......... don't buy a Siberian.
At least once a year, Siberians shed their coats. If you like fur all over the house and in the very air you breathe, then fine. If, however, you value neatness at all times, then . . . . don't buy a Siberian.
Siberian Huskies have a natural proclivity for digging holes in backyards. If you take great pride in your landscaping efforts......... don't buy a Siberian.
Of all the shortcomings to be found in Siberians, the most dangerous to the pet owner is their tremendous desire to RUN. But the very first dash that a puppy makes across the road could be his last run, anywhere. A Siberian, for his own protection, should be kept confined or under control at all times. If you are one of those people who think it is cruel to kennel a dog, or keep him confined to his own backyard......... don't buy a Siberian.
We just happen to believe that any dog is better off in a proper kennel than running loose all over the countryside. Yes, a kennel dog is missing a lot in life: the chance to be hit by a car; the fun of being dirty, full of burrs, and loaded with worms; the opportunity of being attacked by other dogs; the joy of being sick on garbage infested with disease; the pleasure of being tormented by mean kids; the thrill of being shot in a farmyard; and finally the great comfort of never knowing where he belongs or how to behave. We don't want to see any Siberian become a TRAMP.
If you have read this far, honestly feel that you qualify on all counts, and are still determined to own a Siberian, then we take great pleasure in welcoming you to the fold. Join the rest of us in the smug complacency of knowing that we own the most beautiful, the smartest, the most nearly ideal dog in the world......... the SIBERIAN HUSKY!
Prepared by the Siberian Husky Club of America
Q: Do Siberian Huskies shed a lot?
Siberian Huskies have a dense undercoat that is completely shed out approximately twice a year. This shed, called blowing coat, can last for two weeks before the new undercoat begins to come in. Hot baths and daily brushing with a slicker brush or a rake speeds up the process. Some Siberians lose a little hair in between their sheds, but generally this is not any more than other breeds.
Q: Can I take my Siberian Husky off leash?
Siberian Huskies can NEVER be trusted off leash. While no dog should be allowed to run free and endanger himself or other an imals, this holds especially true with the Siberian. Siberian Huskies have an innate desire to run and will not readily heed commands to come. This desire is essential for the work they were bred to do, and is a trait that is vital to retain in the breed. It is the owner's responsibility then to ensure the dog's safety by keeping him on leash at all times and not permitting him to run loose unless it is in a well-secured, fenced area. While obedience training is useful in building communication between the dog and his owner, the Siberian Husky is an independent thinker, and is not completely reliable even when obedience trained. It must be remembered that when the Siberian makes his own decisions, he is not being bad or disobedient, but he is using his highly developed problem solving abilities and exerting the independence that is crucial for his survival as a sled dog.
Q: Is the Siberian Husky good with other dogs and animals?
Siberian Huskies are generally good with other dogs and do not go out of their way to pick fights. They are playful by nature and enjoy the company of other dogs. Siberian Huskies are a very primitive breed however, and are not reliable with cats or other small animals. If a Siberian puppy is raised with a cat and his owner is diligent in training him to respect the cat, it is a possibility that he will grow up being able to cohabit with the cat under supervision.
Q: Are Siberian Huskies good with children?
Siberian Huskies are very people-oriented and enjoy being around children. They are very tolerant, but as with any dog, regardless of the breed, children must be taught to respect the dog and treat him kindly. It is unfair to allow a child to roughly handle a dog and then not expect the dog to defend himself.
The Siberian Husky originated in eastern Siberia by the Chukchi people as a far-ranging, low-energy-consuming sled dog. The dog was crucial to the survival of this stone age culture. The Chukchi kept no written records. What information we have about these dogs came from tales of early explorers and traders.
The Chukchi people survived three hundred years of political pressure from Russian genocidal policies. This warfare strengthened their society and improved the qualities of the Chukchi sled dog by putting demands on it to withstand extended guerilla campaigns, over great distances, with very little food, in extremely harsh weather.
In 1837, a treaty was signed between the Russians and Chukchis guaranteeing complete political independence within the Russian Empire. As a result of this treaty, the Chukchi culture separated themselves from the influence of the Europeans and were left to hunt as they had for thousands of years.
Hunting conditions along the western side of the Bering Strait were poor because of climatic changes, causing the Chukchi to develop a culture based on a long-distance sled dog. The Chukchi sled dog is a distinct type of sled dog. They were the smallest of the native sled dogs. They were bred to pull light loads at a moderate speed over long distances on relatively little food. The Chukchi used large teams to minimize the load per dog of from sixteen to eighteen dogs. Double teams of more than twenty dogs were also used. The ancient Chukchi sled dog remained relatively unchanged for thousands of years until some of the last purebred descendants were imported to America early in this century.
In 1908, Goosak, a Russian fur buyer, brought a team of nine Siberian Huskies to Nome from Siberia to enter the All Alaska Sweepstake Race, a popular form of entertainment after gold was discovered in Alaska. These small dogs, weighing between 40 to 55 pounds, were not taken as serious contenders compared to the other longer legged, heavier dogs, by the people of Nome. Louis Thrustrup drove the team for Goosak and almost won the race, placing third.
The Honorable Fox Maule Ramsay, a Scotsman interested in mining in Nome was so taken with the Siberian dogs, that he went to Siberia and purchased sixty of the best dogs he could find. By the start of the third Sweepstakes in 1910, Ramsay had three teams entered in the race. One was driven by John Johnson, one by Charlie Johnson, and one driven by himself. The team driven by John Johnson, won the race in record time for the 408 miles, and Ramsay came in second. Suddenly these small dogs from Siberia were taken seriously and the popularity grew.
Roald Amundsen, a world famous Norwegian explorer, was planning an expedition to the North Pole using dogs. He contracted Jafet Lindenberg, a Nome miner, to buy and train the dogs. When Peary reached the pole first, Amundson abandoned his polar expedition, turning over the Siberians to Leonard Seppala, a Lindenberg employee, to race for Lindenberg.
In 1913, Leonard Seppala entered his first race and won. For the next fifteen years, the Siberian Huskies that Seppala bred and raced, won most of the racing titles in Alaska.
Seppala and his Siberians became world famous in 1925, as a result of their heroic efforts to get the badly needed diphtheria serum to Nome. The serum was taken from Nenana to Nome using relay dog teams. Of the 658 miles covered, Seppala and his team went 340 of it over the roughest terrain and in a blizzard, while the other teams made about 53 miles each.
Senator Dill from the state of Washington, was so impressed with the efforts of the dogs and drivers in averting the diphtheria epidemic, that he introduced a resolution in Congress to make the events of the serum run a part of the Congressional Record. The Iditarod Sled Dog Race that is run each year in Alaska, commemorates the Diphtheria Serum Run of 1925.
An American sled dog expert and trader, Olaf Swenson, brought out the last group of purebred Chukchi sled dogs from Siberian in 1929, and exported them to America. These dogs were to be used in Swenson's personal team. His dogs, Kreevanka, Tserko, Laika's Bilka and Velchok, were bred to Siberians at Elizabeth Ricker's Poland Spring Kennel in Maine and Harry Wheeler's Grey Rocks Inn north of Montreal. They were also interbred to Leonard Seppala's Siberians. This was the beginning of the AKC Siberian Husky pedigrees. The AKC recognized the breed in 1930, largely through the efforts of these pioneer fanciers.
The Siberian Husky of today retains some of the same characteristics of the ancient Chukchi sled dog. He is by nature friendly, gentle in temperament, independent, and very alert, but does not have the aggressive or protective qualities of a watch dog. He is very adaptable to all kinds of living conditions, but possesses a strong desire to roam, making it necessary to have him under control at all times. Siberians' intelligence, friendliness, versatility, and beauty have won them many devoted fanciers all over the world.
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