Fido facts | Siberian Husky

Beautiful and exuberant: But more than meets the eye

The Siberian Husky is classified as a working dog. An elegant, graceful, crafty and loyal breed that needs considerable exercise and moderate grooming, known for commonly having the heterochromia trait (each eye a different colour), and also carrying the demeanour of being dubbed “The Escape Dog” or “Houdini” as they tend to not like being confined and try to manoeuvre their way out to go exploring. This high spirited breed would be a great addition to any family.

Origin

Siberian Huskies are a very ancient breed that has slowly grown in popularity and prominence over the years to extend away from its native country, Siberia. The Siberian Husky were originally used by the nomadic Arctic people, or the “Chukchi” who were known for residing at the bottom of the Cherski Mountains and in the basin of the Kolyma River. Siberian Huskies are also influential figures in dog sledding races all around the world.

Appearance

Male Siberian Huskies can range in size from 53-60cm in height and 20-27kg in weight. While females are slightly smaller and range from 51-56cm in height and 16-23kg in weight.

Siberian Huskies commonly have one eye that is brown and one eye that is blue, but there have been cases of Siberian Huskies having green and even yellow eyes. It should be noted that their eyes tend to change colour at about 6-7 weeks old.

Siberian Huskies also have a very thick, medium length, soft coat, which commonly comes in the colours of black and white, silver, grey or copper. One to two times a year they will do what is called ‘blowing their coat’ and shed their entire undercoat.

Health and wellbeing

Siberian Huskies are generally very healthy dogs, but can be prone to conditions such as hip and elbow dysplasia, so it is important to request medical checks on not only the puppy but on its parents as well, before purchasing or for breeding purposes, in order to try and avoid these conditions later in life.

It is also advised to get checks on the puppy’s eyes as they are the other known potential problematic weakness in Siberian Huskies, as they can be prone to diseases such as cataracts, progressive retinal atrophy or corneal dystrophy.

Being a very active breed, Siberian Huskies should be exercised for roughly 30-60 minutes a day. A good tip would be to include them in any physical activities you might enjoy doing. It is also important to put your dog through obedience training to help strengthen the bond between you, and teach them the importance of different commands, before letting them off the leash.

Grooming and hair care

Siberian Huskies are a very clean dog and unlike most dogs tend to clean themselves a lot like a cat would, so it is unnecessary to constantly bathe them, but on the odd occasion that you do, use a dog shampoo of your choosing.

Another positive is they also don’t typically release that ‘doggy odour’. A Siberian Husky should be brushed at least once a week, in order to maintain their medium length coat and daily during the times when it is time for them to blow their coat.

Other general tips for grooming your dog is to make sure you trim their nails a couple times a month, and brush their teeth every few days. When it comes to food, Siberian Huskies only eat small amounts a couple times a day, as it is more than enough to sustain them for long periods of time. It should also be noted that they tend to like a bit of variety in the foods they eat, as they can easily get bored of eating the same food every day.

Temperament and personality

Siberian Huskies are very active and gentle in nature and are friendly around everybody, ergo they don’t make very good guard dogs. They are also a very quiet dog and don’t tend to bark, but can be notorious for howling.

Siberian Huskies need to be trained well, otherwise they can be stubborn and try to exuberate dominance over their owners. It is important to release their high energy levels every day through exercising, otherwise they can be destructive with digging and running amok around your home. It is also important to expose him to other people, in order to improve his social skills.

Fun facts

• Siberian Huskies are thought to be over 3,000 years old, easily making it one of the oldest breeds of dog in the world.
• Siberian Huskies have the ability to run between 20-30mph.
• Siberian Huskies can survive in cold weather climates to the extremity of -56 degrees celsius.

This blog was written by the furry family at Petcover Pet Insurance specialises in animal and animal industry insurance. Our practices keep the role that pet insurance plays in responsible pet ownership and the health of the pet at the forefront. For tips to keep your pet healthy, make sure you follow us on Facebook.