Spectacular appearance, incredible beauty of the eye, stamina, strength and friendliness. It seems that the Siberian husky is an ideal dog, however, everything is not so simple. Before buying a puppy, you need to understand what the features of the breed are.
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Origin history
The name of the breed in translation from English means "hoarse" or "dog with a hoarse voice."
Registered for the first time by American dog handlers in the 30s of the last century, a breed of husky appeared in Russia.
Her age is about 4 thousand years. The dog was brought by the Chukchi of the north-eastern part of Siberia. The ancestors of the husky were the indigenous dogs of Anadyr, Kamchatka and Kolyma. The breed belongs to the oldest, its genotype is as close as possible to the wolf.
Husky became famous for the fact that in 1925 they saved sick children from death by delivering antiphtheria serum in time to the city of Nome, which was brought in by a snowstorm. For this, grateful Americans erected a monument to the dogs.
In the Soviet Union, husky breeding was prohibited, dogs did not receive breed status. Popularity came to them at the beginning of the twentieth century in Alaska, it was here that riding sport appeared. The first sports track ran between Nome and Kendal, its length was more than 600 km, and the level of difficulty exceeded many modern tracks. Husky brought to these competitions the Russian merchant Gusak. The dogs were small, and few believed in their victory. But the team came to the finish line third, and this was only the beginning.
In Russia, the first sled dog race took place in 1995. Now such competitions are popular in all countries of the world.Most athletes use husky dogs for racing because it is the fastest sled dog.
Description and characteristics of the breed
Husky are able to control their metabolism - to accelerate or slow down the metabolism, due to this they are very hardy, and can travel huge distances in sled teams.
Modern dog breeders do not use huskies to transport goods, they engage in sledding with a dog. In winter, she will be able to drag a sled, in the summer - three or four-wheeled bicycle.
Some lovers start several huskies at once to participate in competitions, hire a musher. A good musher (the manager of the team) knows everyone from the dogs in the team by name, controls them with the help of his voice.
Dogs are slightly stubborn, willful and independent, this is laid down in them by the centuries-old history of breeding. Husky howl, because they are pack animals, and being alone, they begin to get bored. Subject to long active walks, they live well in an apartment, but it is more convenient to keep dogs in their house, in a spacious aviary. A husky enclosure should be strong, as they dig holes and run away, and when free, they can eat neighboring rabbits and ducks.
The purpose and nature of the dog
These are very good-natured dogs, it is impossible to achieve aggression from them. They treat other animals well, they will never offend children. The females of this breed are very kind and affectionate, and the males are proud. It is impossible to use these dogs for protection; an attempt to anger the animal makes it uncontrollable and has a bad effect on the dog psyche.
Husky can be a great companion for hiking in the mountains or forest. Due to endurance, the dog does not get tired on long routes and feels great in winter in cold weather.
All huskies are distinguished by high intelligence, they are able to independently analyze the current situation and make decisions. The refusal to obey is not stupidity on their part or a lack of upbringing, just the dogs will not obey the order if they do not see the point in it.
Husky needs a special approach, the dog needs to be interested, understand what she likes to do. The stubbornness of a pet can be overcome only by cunning, it is impossible to force him to obey. Sometimes a dog does things that are bewildering, so you can’t let it dominate. Education should be done as soon as the puppy gets into the house.
Breed standard and puppy selection
Husky is a medium-sized, well-built dogs that can walk long distances in a harness. The average speed of their movement is 40 km / h.
Description of the husky dog breed, standard requirements:
- small ears protruding;
- well marked transition from forehead to muzzle;
- oblique set eyes of an oblong shape;
- strong muscles;
- well developed legs;
- fluffy tail down, does not touch the back;
- wool with thick undercoat, self-cleaning;
- a healthy dog never smells.
- maximum weight for males - 28 kg, for bitches - 23 kg;
- growth at the withers - 50-60 cm.
Husky can have blue, green, brown or multi-colored eyes. The color of the dog is black and white, white or black, red, fawn, agouti.
When choosing a puppy, it is important to find a suitable kennel and a responsible breeder. Dogs are healthy, but can inherit cataracts or dysplasia. Manufacturers should not have hereditary diseases.
Choosing a litter that matches the goals will be helped by the achievements of the parents of the puppies - prizes at exhibitions or victories in sledding. How much does the Siberian husky cost, the breeder determines. In one litter, the price can be different - from 15 to 40 thousand rubles.
Siberian Husky Life Span
With proper care, active physical activity and balanced nutrition, the life of a husky is 12 - 15 years. They have good health, and the diseases they suffer from are often of a genetic nature.
Maintenance, care and feeding
Caring for a dog is simple: it needs to be raised, combed out during molting, regularly shown to the veterinarian and vaccinated every year. Husky must be treated against ticks and fleas. Dogs tolerate severe frosts well due to the thick coat, but the heat is dangerous for them. In case of overheating, heat stroke is possible, and in order to prevent this, in very hot weather the dogs' paws and nose are doused with cold water.
There are nutritional considerations to consider. Husky has a protein-fat metabolism, since the Chukchi have long fed these dogs high-calorie protein foods - raw fish or meat. At home, you do not need to do this, just buy high-quality dry feed with a high protein content.
Husky is located to fullness, nature has laid down that she should eat little. If you overfeed your dog regularly, you may experience obesity, heart problems, or a complete refusal to eat. She is not gluttonous, you can feed her once a day, for this you need 400 or 500 g of dry food (depending on the manufacturer's recommendations).
- The dog molts 2 times a year quite abundantly, because it has a thick undercoat. During molting, it is combed daily against the wool with a puncher or a special comb.
- After each walk, paws are washed. They bathe no more than twice a year.
- Walk the dog 2-3 times a day, 1 hour in the morning and 2 hours in the evening. If the husky does not give large loads, it will spoil the furniture. The dog is prone to research and travel. In the city it is impossible to walk without a leash. When she runs away, she forgets about the owner in excitement, she may be lost. Some huskies were found hundreds of kilometers from the place of loss. It is advisable to chip the pet - this will increase the likelihood of him returning home if he does escape.
Training and education of the Siberian Husky
This is a very active dog, which is difficult to train, it needs great physical activity. With a pet, teams begin to learn from 3 months, accustoming the puppy to harness and obedience.
If neglected at a young age, the dog will not obey when it grows up.
For the game, it is advisable not to give her plastic and rubber toys, they will be eaten, then stomach problems will begin. It’s better for fun to buy special bones and other edible goodies at the pet store.
A well-educated pet knows the basic commands, and first of all the command: “Come to me!”. The owner must be a leader in the family so that the dog obeys him and does not ignore the execution of orders.
With a young dog you need to do a lot - communicate for a long time, walk, be sure to run. Joint runs should be part of the life of the owner of the husky. Those who don’t like jogging will benefit from cycling or scooter skiing. Only with such a moving lifestyle, the pet will be happy. Every day it is advisable for the dog to run at least 3 km. She cannot be left alone in the house for a long time, she will gnaw at everything that she can, she will howl loudly.
Husky begin to accustom to sledding from 1 year, when they are fully physically stronger. Dogs are controlled by voice, teaching teams - “Right!”, “Left!”, “Stand!”, Etc. For a husky dog, running in a harness is a real holiday, love for it is in the blood. Riding equipment for an adult dog is ordered individually, taking measurements.
Advantages and disadvantages of the breed
Husky will never protect a person, this is a minus for those who are looking for a guard dog for themselves. The difficulty in training can also be attributed to shortcomings. The dog is not suitable for older people, because it needs intense loads, if you do not run with it daily, it will break furniture. Husky howls, she has an independent character, her hair actively shedding, and she often needs to be combed.
Pluses can be considered good naturedness, an exceptional mind, the ability to engage in dog-riding.
Husky has no aggression, she gets along well with young children and other pets, does not smell at all.
When buying a dog, one must not forget about its purpose. Husky is not suitable for a person who is busy all the time. She needs a leader who can provide her with the necessary physical activity.
