Siberian Huskies For Dummies Read online

  Huskies Are Great with Children

  Huskies Will Make You a Better Citizen

  Siberians Remind You What Really Matters in Life

  Huskies Love You Unconditionally

  Chapter 19: Ten Tips for Raising a Siberian Husky

  Learn about the Breed

  Spay or Neuter Your Dog

  Give Your Husky Plenty to Do

  Make Sure Your Dog Has a Secure, Fenced Yard

  Make Sure Your Husky Gets Regular Veterinary Checkups

  Feed Your Husky High-Quality Food

  Groom Your Siberian Often

  Train Your Siberian Early

  Socialize Your Siberian

  Use Positive Reinforcement Rather than Punishment

  Chapter 20: Ten Hazards for a Siberian Husky

  Electricity

  Rat Poison

  Household Cleaning Agents

  Medicine Chest Menace

  Hazardous Plants

  Holiday Leftovers

  Garage Doors

  Antifreeze

  Lawn Chemicals

  Swimming Pools

  Chapter 21: Ten Tips for Traveling with (Or without) Your Husky

  Go for a Walk

  Include Your Husky on Your Bike Rides

  Bring Your Siberian in the Car

  Fasten Your Husky’s Seat Belt

  Find a Pet-Friendly Hotel

  Take Public Transportation

  Fly with Your Husky

  Get Great Husky Photos

  Find a Reputable Pet-Sitter

  Locate a Good Boarding Kennel

  : Appendix A

  : Appendix B

  Introduction

  The Siberian wind is a mute wind; there are no trees to make it roar, no grasses to let it sing or whisper. It rushes on, cold and silent, over the endless miles of tundra.

  But there is sound, nonetheless. A haunting cry rides the wild wind, a cry chiseled out of frozen air, etched in darkness. Perhaps it is a wolf, for wolves abound here, following the vast herds of reindeer. But maybe not. Perhaps the cry is fuller than the howl of a wolf, sweeter, and more burdened with loneliness. Perhaps it is the song of the first Siberian Husky ever born.

  Welcome to the world of the Siberian Husky. If you’ve ever wondered why your Siberian is different from all the other breeds, this book will tell you. You discover what made your Siberian the way he is, and how you can get the most out of your relationship with this engaging, unique, and totally original breed. This is a book that will make your life — and your Siberian’s — richer, more satisfying, and a lot more fun.

  How This Book Is Organized

  Siberian Huskies For Dummies is divided into six parts. Each part dives into one aspect of Husky ownership, covering everything from finding a Husky to training the one you have.

  Part I: Getting to Know Siberian Huskies

  In this part, you’ll find out where Huskies came from, how they got to America, and what they are like today. To fully understand the Siberian, and to appreciate his many fine qualities and needs, we have to look at his exciting origin.

  Part II: Looking for Your Soul Mate

  In this part, you discover how to get a Husky and how to prepare for your new dog’s arrival.

  Part III: Living with a Siberian Husky

  In the chapters in this part, you get lots of useful tips for getting your Husky used to his new home, socializing him with other animals and people, training him to be a well-behaved member of the family, and avoiding common problems.

  Part IV: Keeping Your Husky Healthy

  In this part, you get the lowdown on everything from grooming and nutrition, to choosing a veterinarian and dealing with general health problems.

  Part V: Bringing Out the Sled Dog in Your Siberian

  Here you find out about the thrills of mushing. And you get the scoop on Husky Nirvana — the Iditarod.

  Part VI: The Part of Tens

  This wouldn’t be a book ...For Dummies without The Part of Tens. Here you’ll find short bursts of information on everything from reasons to have a Siberian to tips for raising one.

  Icons Used in This Book

  Throughout this book, you’ll find cute little pictures in the margins next to certain paragraphs. But these aren’t merely for your amusement; they actually serve a purpose. And I explain the purpose here:

  When you run across this icon, you know you’re in for a useful bit of information on how to do things with or for your Husky.

  This eye-catching icon alerts you to potential hazards or problems that you need to watch out for.

  When you see this icon, you’re sure to find some very useful information that’s bound to impress your friends at the next neighborhood get-together. But it isn’t essential that you pay attention to this stuff if you’re just looking for the basics.

  Some things are so important they bear repeating, and when I repeat myself, I try to remember to mark it with this icon.

  When you see this wagging tail, you’re sure to find products or services that are particularly helpful for Husky owners.

  This icon points out fun tidbits of information that are great to know about Huskies — stories that will make you laugh or, at the very least, bring a smile to your face.

  Where to Go from Here

  You may not know much about Siberians, but the fact that you’ve picked up this book shows that you care and want to have a good relationship with your dog. In this book, you have all the information you need to get started on a lifetime of enjoying your Siberian Husky.

  Part I

  Getting to Know Siberian Huskies

  In this part . . .

  This is the place to turn if you’re looking for background information on Siberian Huskies as a breed — everything from the characteristics of a Husky to the breed’s fascinating history. If you’re just starting to think about adopting one of these wonderful dogs, look no further.

  Chapter 1

  What Is a Husky?

  In This Chapter

  Telling the difference between a Siberian Husky and a wolf or a Malamute

  Knowing the Siberian Husky breed standard

  Many people mistake Siberian Huskies for other animals, such as wolves or Malamutes. So in this chapter, I give you the scoop on what differentiates a Husky from these other animals. And I let you know what exactly a Siberian Husky is, by filling you in on the American Kennel Club (AKC) breed standard. Not sure quite what a Husky is? Read on!

  The Difference between a Husky and Other Similar-Looking Animals

  Many people think that wolves, Siberian Huskies, Malamutes, and “Alaskan Sled Dogs” are all pretty much the same thing. But they aren’t. In fact, the original breeders of the Siberian Husky did little to alter his wolf-like appearance, other than his size. They wanted a smart, strong, domestic animal, who could run fast and would not bite his owners. They paid little attention to nonessential, purely aesthetic factors, which is one reason that the odd and fanciful features of some breeds, like the Sharpei’s wrinkles, or the floppy ears of the Irish Setter, never developed in Huskies. (Their blue eyes must be purely serendipitous.)

  Alaskan Malamutes

  Despite the fact that the Alaskan Malamute and the Siberian Husky bear a superficial resemblance to each other, the Alaskan Malamute has an entirely different history from the Siberian. Malamutes were developed by the Eskimo people known as the Mahlemiut, whose dogs became much in demand as freighting animals during the Alaska Gold Rush of 1896. They are larger, slower, and more powerful than Huskies, and they never have blue eyes. Malamutes can also have a more difficult temperament than the merry, easygoing Siberians. Today, Malamutes are frequently used for pulling.

  “Alaskan Huskies”

  Another breed you may have heard about is the so-called “Alaskan Husky.” Like Malamutes, these “Huskies” come from Alaska, but they do not comprise a distinct breed. They are mixes, bred specifically for sled dog competitions. Alaskan Huskies are purely sled dogs
and do not make good house pets. Other sled dog breeds include the MacKenzie River Husky and the Chinook.

  Wolves and wolf-hybrids

  Some people find it “macho” or “cool” to keep a wolf-hybrid, a wolf crossed with a Siberian, Malamute, Akita, or German Shepherd. But keeping a wolf-hybrid is definitely a very bad idea. Wolves, wolf-hybrids, and wolf mixes make dangerous pets.

  Some wolves or wolf-hybrids may appear tame, but no wolf or wolf mix is ever truly domesticated. Many wolf mixes are obtained by crossing Huskies with wolves, possibly under the mistaken impression that the resultant puppies will inherit the Siberian’s happy disposition. But this is simply wrong. Instead, a wolf/Siberian mix combines the worst features of both species. The crosses behave more like wolves than dogs, combining fear and aggression in an extremely unpleasant way. In many places, owning such an animal is illegal, and even where it isn’t, it’s just asking for trouble. The same applies to dog-coyote mixes, another unsavory trend.

  Wolf-hybrids cannot be trusted around human beings. They have a bad track record of killing people, especially children. Wolves in the wild rarely kill human beings, by the way. That’s because completely wild animals have a sensible fear of people and stay well away from them. The wolf mix or hybrid has no fear of humans, and he shows it. Still, a few people continue to keep children in homes where a wolf-hybrid is present, with predictable and sometimes fatal results.

  The Siberian Husky Breed Standard

  The original breeders of Siberian Huskies were more concerned with function than form, so early Siberians came in a bewildering mix of shapes and sizes. Some were lean and leggy, some stout and thick-bodied. To be able to breed true, dedicated breeders in this country began to develop a conformation standard. (Animals breed true when similar parents consistently produce offspring who look like themselves.)

  The American Kennel Club recognized the Siberian Husky as a breed in 1930 and placed the breed in its Working Group. The Working Group is a diversified bunch of dogs that also includes Akitas, Great Danes, Newfoundlands, and Rottweilers. The Siberian Husky is a Spitz-type dog, a word that recalls its northern breeding (Spitzbergen is a group of islands in the Arctic Ocean north of Norway). Akitas, Samoyeds, Malamutes, and even the little Pomeranian are all Spitz-type dogs.

  The first registered Husky was a bitch named Fairbanks Princess Chena, who was born September 16, 1927. Her father was named Bingo. The first Siberian Huskies to become AKC Champions were Pola in 1931 and Northern Lights Kobuk, from the Northern Lights Kennel in Fairbanks, Alaska, the following year.

  The Siberian Husky breed standard was first published in 1932; it has changed little since that time. The Husky is a dog built for both speed and endurance. He is one of the smallest of the Working Dogs but also one of the quickest. The Husky is also, pound for pound, the strongest of all the sled or draft dogs.

  The Siberian’s smooth combination of grace and strength makes him a star wherever he goes. Today, he ranks 18th in popularity among all AKC breeds, which is a good position. (Too high on the popularity scale invites dangerous overbreeding, whereas too low can indicate a too-small gene pool.) The keys to a good Siberian are balance, proportion, coat, and temperament. Males should be masculine, not coarse; females should be feminine, not frail. The Siberian Husky standard represents the ideal show dog, the goal toward which breeders strive. No Siberian is perfect, but seeing how close a dog can come to the standard is always interesting and sometimes amusing.

  Don’t worry if your own Siberian doesn’t match the standard; many of the best obedience, racing, and companion dogs would bomb out in a show ring.

  Check out Figure 1-1 for an illustration of the external features of a Siberian Husky, and refer back to it as you read about the Husky’s different body parts in the following sections.

  Size

  Males, referred to as dogs in the dog world, should stand between 21 and 231/2 inches at the shoulder and weigh 45 to 60 pounds. Bitches (the term used to refer to female dogs) average slightly smaller — 20 to 22 inches at the shoulder and between 35 and 50 pounds. Weight should be proportionate to height.

  Figure 1-1: The external features of a Siberian Husky.

  Animals taller than the standard would be excused from the show ring as being oversized; however, the extra inches don’t affect a pet’s quality at all. Within the standard, judges don’t give any preference to dogs at either end of the spectrum; a larger dog is as likely to win as a smaller one, and vice versa. There is no minimum height listed in the Siberian Husky breed standard.

  Body

  A good Siberian should present a rectangular rather than a square body profile, meaning that the length of the dog from the point of the shoulder to the base of the tail is longer than the height to the shoulders. The ribs should be neither absolutely flat nor oversprung. Olaf Swenson, arctic explorer and Siberian Husky aficionado, believed that a good flank provided energy for long pulls. That idea has remained in the standard. Swenson also said that dogs with great stamina have vertebrae that are higher than those of the average dog, with deep depressions between the knobs. This advice is great to keep in mind.

  The topline (or back and rump) of a Husky is level from withers (shoulders) to croup (rump). The Siberian’s body is also a bit longer than his tail. The croup slopes away from the spine at an angle.

  The chest should be deep, because it contains the heart and lungs, but not too broad. The shoulder is set at a 45-degree angle to the ground; a straight or loose shoulder is a fault.

  Front view

  The Siberian Husky’s legs should be straight and parallel, moderately spaced, with the elbows close to the body.

  Back view

  The Husky’s hind legs should be parallel and moderately spaced, with well muscled upper thighs. Rear dew claws should be removed, because they are of no use and easily get caught in the dog’s normal movement, hurting the dog.

  Neck

  The neck is of medium length, and should be well-arched. A good neck is very important in the Husky world, because many muscles controlling the front pass through it.

  Skull

  The head should be medium-sized, slightly rounded at the top, and gradually tapered from the widest point to the eyes. The muzzle should be straight; the point of the muzzle should be neither pointed nor square. The dog should have a pronounced stop (the place where the muzzle meets the forehead), and the head should present a clean-cut appearance. A heavy, clumsy head is a fault; so is a too-thin muzzle.

  Teeth

  Siberian Huskies are expected to have a scissors bite, which means that the top teeth fit closely over the lower teeth. A scissors bite is most efficient for catching and devouring prey. A level bite, where the teeth meet evenly, top and bottom, is considered a fault in this breed.

  Expression

  Siberians are well known for their keen, mischievous expression, which exudes intelligence and a love of life. They wear a perpetual smile. The black markings around the eyes, nose, and ears are a distinctive characteristic of the breed.

  Eyes

  The Siberian’s eyes may be of any color — brown, blue, or part blue and part brown all in one eye, referred to as parti-colored (or speckled, pinto, or split). The eyes may also be green or amber. The Siberian breed standard accepts dogs with bi-eyes (one of each color). The standard does not prefer one eye color over another, and most breeders don’t either, although many owners have a penchant for ice-blue eyes.

  Whatever the color, the eyes should be almond-shaped, and set at a slightly oblique angle; eyes set too close together are a fault. Most experts agree that brown eyes are dominant over blue or green. This means that blue- or green-eyed parents will produce puppies with like-colored eyes.

  Puppies who are born with dark blue eyes usually have brown eyes as adults. Those born with light blue eyes, however, will probably retain that color through adulthood.

  Except for white and copper Huskies, the rims of the eyes should be black. (The eye rims
of white and copper Huskies may match their coats.)

  Ears

  The Husky’s strongly erect, medium-sized ears are triangular with slightly rounded tips, set high and not too far apart. They should be well covered with fur, both inside and out. Furry ears are not only cute, but of paramount importance in an arctic dog.