The Siberian Husky

     The Siberian Husky is a beautiful, loving dog with tons of personality. Their personality is almost human-like as they seem to know what you are thinking, and how you feel, although they most likely know what you want it does not mean they will do it! It’s a personality that is hard to resist. That personality, coupled with their natural beauty and grace are the “upside “ of owning a Siberian. They are natural born comics and love to entertain you and snuggle up. They are not the breed for everyone. Please ponder the following points before considering adding a Siberian to your family.

     CONFINEMENT- Siberians need to be confined! This breed was bred to run for many miles without tiring and if they get the opportunity to run they will take it. If you believe that you can train this dog to stay around, this is not the breed for you. Far too many people who have thought this have either never seen their dog again or have found it hit by a car. Siberians must be on leash or harness when out walking or running with you and must be kept behind a sturdy six foot high fence or confined to a kennel when you aren’t outdoors with them. Be safe, not sorry and always remember this confinement is not to deny the dog his freedom, but to keep it safe from the things in his environment that you cannot control such as rabid animals and automobiles.

     LANDSCAPING SIBERIAN STYLE- Siberians enjoy having a hole to lay in and they like to dig a hole to bury their treasures. If landscaping of your yard is important to you and a couple of holes would not be welcome, you probably do not want a Siberian as your landscaper. We have a couple of girls who over the years have entered the play yard, run directly to a “spot” in the yard and started digging for all they were worth. They looked like they were on a mission and they were. Within seconds of digging they produced a mole and proudly delivered it to me. How did they know where to dig? I have no idea, but moles don’t often come to our house anymore.

     PACK ANIMAL- Siberians are a pack animal by nature. If you have no other dogs you become their pack. They enjoy being with you and can be destructive when left alone too often and for long periods of time. Having a set routine helps, as does spending quality time with your pet. Having another dog that they can play with also helps. Keeping in mind of course the size of the other dog and whether it will be a sturdy playmate of similar size.

     SIBERIAN PLAY/PREY DRIVE-Siberians are not especially good with cats, rabbits, hamsters and other small creatures. Outdoors this would include squirrels, chipmunks, moles and skunks just to name a few. Siberians love to run and if these small animals present themselves while moving quickly, the Siberian will chase it. Siberians are fast and agile, and most of the time they are quite successful in catching what they chase. They are not mean and do not mean those little things harm but are only interested in the game of chase. Quite in contrast with this they are exceedingly good with small puppies. All will contribute to teaching and playing with young members of their pack. Although I do know people who have brought home a Siberian as a puppy and successfully integrated it into a home with cats it takes training and vigilance on the owner’s part to make this a success and even if you train your puppy to be good with your cat, I must warn you that this will not necessarily hold true if a stray cat comes in to your yard as that stray is not a “pack member”.