Know your breeds: the Siberian Husky

Legend says that Huskies are the sons born of a love between a wolf and the moon. What do you know about this legendary dog breed?

Origins

The Husky comes from remote areas of northeastern Siberia. The Chukchi, a tribe close to the Inuit, used them as a sled dog and guard-dog. By systematically eliminating aggressive dogs, they managed to produce a dog to match their needs: robust and dynamic enough to be able to pull sleds but also be gentle with children. This last point was very important for the Chukchi because dogs were part of the family.

This system of methodical selection allowed the breed to evolve and become the dog we know today.

It was not until the early 20th century that the Husky began to emerge from their native Siberia.

In 1909, William Goosak, a fur trader, participated in the All Alaska Sweepstakes, a 656 km sled race, with the first Huskies imported. His competitors made fun of him because the Huskies seemed frailer beside hounds such as the St. Bernard and the Newfoundland. Despite this, the team of William Goosak came 3rd in the race. Impressed, Maule Ramsey, a Scot, decided to import 61 Huskies to make 3 teams. He won the first three places in the All Alaska Sweepstakes in 1910.

Traits

The Husky is a dog of medium size. Their skull is rather rounded. their muzzle is medium in size, tapering at the nose. Contrary to what many people think, not all Huskies have blue eyes! They can be brown, amber and even one blue, one brown.

Their coat can be lots of different colors: white and brown, white and black, or white and gray. The Husky sheds 2 times a year and changes fur. This shedding usually lasts three weeks. This period depends on the weather. The rest of the year, the Husky loses relatively few hairs.

Temperament

Their wolf-look is often frightening to people who consider them a wild dog, impossible to tame. But these are only appearances because the Husky has a good temperament and is very social. they are reputed to be friendly and sometimes even a little too much! Some Huskies would even tend to welcome strangers instead of defending their territory.

Very intelligent, Huskies need to be educated from an early age (before 6 months). They are an ideal dog for a family as they are not at all aggressive towards children. They are also very affectionate with their owner.

Finally, note that the Husky is a dog that must run to be happy! They are not suitable for apartment living. However, they will be very happy in a house with garden.