about siberians

Siberians are an active and extremely intelligent breed and there are many advantages to owning them. However, they also have many disadvantages that can make them unsuitable to some peoples lifestyle. Huskies as a general rule are 'pack' animals and love company, yours or other dogs. They can become destructive and unhappy if kept alone for long periods.(i.e when owners are out at work.) They need plenty of exercise to keep them fit and mentally happy. Generally quiet, they can become quite vocal when bored or excited, although they tend to howl and 'sing' rather than bark. This can cause problems if you have neighbours. Siberians love to 'steal' things and either chew/eat them or hide/bury them. They are generally good with children but are sometimes a bit too excitable and bouncy for small children who may end up getting knocked over (as well as some adults!)

Siberians also have a very strong hunting instinct and because of this they CANNOT be allowed off the lead. No matter how obedient you think they are, when the hunting instinct clicks into gear they become oblivious to all else. They will kill sheep,chickens,cats and even small dogs. They also just love to run... and run. Free running huskies run the risk of being shot by farmers, involved in car accidents or lost. It is NOT worth the risk!

Siberians are not a breed for those who take pride in their gardens. They love digging holes. Lots of them! They are also excellent at jumping fences. For a garden to be 'husky proof' fences need to be at least 6ft high. They also use bins, BBQ'S and anything else they can jump up on to get over fences. Siberians are escape artists and will also try to dig under fences so paving slabs or stones are a good idea along the bottom of fences.

They are a double coated breed with a dense, soft undercoat and an outer coat made up of guard hairs. The dogs shed their undercoats up to twice a year (sometimes more). Some dogs shed theirs overnight(if you are lucky!) and others shed in great clumps for what seems like an eternity. If you are house proud then hoovering 2 or 3 times a day to keep your house dog hair free may not appeal!!

Most Siberians love to work in harness. There are a few exceptions, but the majority get really excited when being hooked up to the rig or sled. You only have to visit a rally and hear the dogs screaming at the start line waiting to go to understand how much these dogs love to work!!