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Siberian Husky
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The Siberian Husky (Russian: Сибирский хаски, Seebeerskij
husky, "Siberian Dog") is a medium-size, dense-coat working dog
breed that originated in eastern Siberia. The breed belongs to the
Spitz genetic family. It is recognizable by its thickly-furred double
coat, sickle tail, erect triangular ears and distinctive markings.
Huskies are an active, energetic and resilient breed whose
ancestors came from the extremely cold and harsh environment of
the Siberian Arctic. Siberian huskies were bred by the Chukchi of
Northeastern Asia. The dogs were imported into Alaska during the
Nome Gold Rush and later spread into the United States and
Canada. These species of dogs were initially sent to Alaska and
Canada as sled dogs. It rapidly acquired the status of a family pet
and a show-dog.
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Siberian Husky
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Country of Origin
Siberia, Russia
Weight
Male: 45-60 lb
Female: 35-50
Height
Male: 21-24 in
Female: 20-22 in
Coat
Thick double coat - thick undercoat &
soft outer coat.
Color
All colors from black to white
Life span
12-15 years
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Description
Appearance
Siberian Huskies share many outward similarities with the Alaskan
Malamute as well as many other Spitz breeds such as the
Samoyed, which has a comparable history to the Huskies.
Siberians have a thicker coat than most other breeds of dog. They
come in a variety of colors and patterns, usually with white paws
and legs, facial markings, and tail tip. The most common colors are
black and white, copper-red and white, gray and white, and pure
white, though many individuals have blondish, or piebald spotting.
Striking masks, spectacles, and other facial markings occur in wide
variety. They tend to have a wolf-like appearance.
Eyes
The eyes of a Siberian Husky are dark blue, light blue, amber, or
brown. In some individual dogs, one eye may be brown and the
other blue (complete heterochromia), or one or both eyes may be
"parti-colored," that is, half brown and half blue (partial
heterochromia). All of these eye color combinations are considered
to be acceptable by the American Kennel Club, which also states
that the eyes are "an almond shape, moderately spaced and set
slightly obliquely."
Coat
The Siberian Husky's coat is thicker than most breeds of dogs[6],
comprising two layers: a dense undercoat and a longer topcoat of
short, straight guard hairs. It protects the dogs effectively against
harsh Arctic winters, but the coat also reflects heat in the summer.
It is able to withstand temperatures as low as −50 °C to −60 °C.
The absence of the undercoat is often present during shedding.
Their thick coats require weekly grooming.
Nose
In some instances, Siberian Huskies can exhibit what is called
"snow nose" or "winter nose". This condition is called
hypopigmentation in animals. Show-quality dogs are preferred to
have neither pointed or square noses in shape. The nose is black
in gray, tan and black dogs, liver in copper-colored dogs, and may
be flesh-colored in white dogs. "Snow nose" is acceptable in the
show ring.
Size
The breed standard indicates that the males of the breed are
ideally between 21 and 23.5 inches (53 and 60 cm) tall at the
withers and weighing between 45 and 60 pounds (20 and 27 kg).
Females are a little smaller, growing to between 20 to 22 inches
(51 to 56 cm) tall at the withers and weighing between 35 to 50
pounds (16 to 23 kg).
Health
Siberian Huskies, with proper care, have a typical lifespan ranging
from twelve to fifteen years of age. Health issues in the breed are
genetic defects of the eye such as juvenile cataracts, corneal
dystrophy, and progressive retinal atrophy. Hip dysplasia is not
often found in this breed, though as with many medium or larger-
sized canines, it can occur. However, Siberians in general have
remarkably good hips. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals
currently has the Siberian Husky ranked 141st out of a possible
150 breeds at risk for hip dysplasia, with only two percent of tested
Siberian Huskies showing dysplasia.
Siberian Huskies used for sled racing may also be prone to other
ailments, such as gastric disease, bronchitis or bronchopulmonary
ailments ("ski asthma"), and gastric erosions or ulcerations.
History
The Siberian Husky, Samoyed, and Alaskan Malamute are all
breeds directly descended from the original "sled dog."[2] Recent
DNA analysis confirms that this is one of the oldest breeds of dog
as can be seen with the Alaskan Malamute.
In this breed of canine, the word "husky" is a corruption of the
derogative term "Eskie" which was also shared by the Inuit tribes
discovered by Europeans who made early expeditions into their
lands. By standard, Huskies are not burly, thick, fat, or overweight.
The word "Siberian" in this breed's name is derived from Siberia
itself, because it is thought that Eskimo or sled dogs were used to
cross the land bridge of the Bering Strait on the way into, or out of,
Alaska, though this theory is continuously disputed by scholars.
Breeds descending from the Eskimo dog were once found
throughout the Northern Hemisphere from Siberia to Canada,
Alaska, Greenland, Labrador, and Baffin Island.
With the help of Siberian Huskies, entire tribes of peoples were
able to not only survive, but push forth into terra incognita. Admiral
Robert Peary of the United States Navy was aided by this breed
during his expeditions in search of the North Pole. The Siberian
Husky's role in this feat cannot be over estimated.
Dogs from the Anadyr River and surrounding regions were
imported into Alaska from 1908 (and for the next two decades)
during the gold rush for use as sled dogs, especially in the "All-
Alaska Sweepstakes", a 408 mile (657 km) distance dog sled race
from Nome to Candle and back. Smaller, faster and more enduring
than the 100 to 120 pound (45 to 54 kg) freighting dogs then in
general use, they immediately dominated the Nome Sweepstakes.
Leonhard Seppala, the foremost breeder of Siberian Huskies of
the time, participated in competitions from 1909 to the mid 1920s.
On February 2, 1925 Gunnar Kaasen was first in the 1925 serum
run to Nome to deliver diphtheria serum from Nenana over 600
miles to Nome. This was a group effort comprised of several sled
dog teams and mushers. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
commemorates this famous delivery. The event is also loosely
depicted in the 1995 animated film Balto, as the name of Gunnar
Kaasen's lead dog in his sled team was named Balto, although
unlike the real dog, Balto the character was portrayed as half wolf
in the film. In honor of this lead dog a bronze statue was erected at
Central Park in New York City. The epitaph upon it is inscribed with
"Dedicated to the indomitable spirit of the sled dogs
that relayed antitoxin six hundred miles over rough ice,
across treacherous waters, through Arctic blizzards
from Nenana to the relief of a stricken Nome in the
winter of 1925. Endurance--fidelity--intelligence"
In 1930 the last Siberians were exported as the Soviet government
closed the borders of Siberia to external trade. The same year saw
recognition of the Siberian Husky by the American Kennel Club.
Nine years later the breed was first registered in Canada. Today’s
Siberian Huskies registered in North America are largely the
descendants of the 1930 Siberia imports and of Leonhard Seppala’
s dogs. Seppala owned a kennel in Nenana before moving to New
England. Arthur Walden, owner of Chinook Kennels of
Wonalancet, New Hampshire, was by far the most prominent
breeder of Siberian Huskies. The foundation of his kennel stock
came directly from Alaska, and Seppala's kennel.
Only beginning to come to prominence, in 1933 Navy Rear Admiral
Richard E. Byrd brought with him around 50 Siberian Huskies,
many of which were assembled and trained at Chinook Kennels in
New Hampshire, during an expedition in which Byrd hoped to
journey around the 16,000-mile coast of Antarctica. Called
Operation Highjump, this historic trek proved the worth of the
Siberian Husky due to its compact size and greater speeds.
Siberian Huskies also served in the United States Army's Arctic
Search and Rescue Unit of the Air Transport Command during
World War II.
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