How many people here have seen a Siberian Husky and thought, wow that dog is so pretty! It’s true, the Siberian Husky is one of the more beautiful dog breeds, in my opinion. But looks aren’t everything. If you are interested in getting a Siberian Husky, or a Husky as they are often called, here are some things that you will need to know!
About the Breed
The Siberian Husky got its start in Siberia with the Chukchi tribe. The Chukchi tribe bred dogs who were able to withstand harsh, cold weather conditions, could learn obedience well, and could pull sleds over long distances (Reference 1). The Siberian Husky made its way to America when it was discovered by Russians exploring Siberia, then brought to Alaska in the very early 1900’s by a Russian fur trader (Reference 1). Over time these dogs became famous for their perseverance and drive to work due their achievements as sled dogs. I would say the most well-known Siberian Husky achievement was that of the Nome Serum Run of 1925. According to The Husky Advisor, the trip was over 650 miles in January! The whole trip included “about 150 dogs” and “20 humans” over the course of “five and a half days” (Reference 1). Two of the most famous Siberian Huskies still known today are Balto and Togo. According to Wikipedia’s account, these two dogs ran a total of 315 miles (almost half of the total trip), with Togo running 260 miles and Balto running the last 55 miles. Those are some tough dogs! The Siberian Husky joined the AKC in 1930 and gradually made its way around as it became recognized in Canada in 1938, and England and Switzerland in the 1950’s and 60’s (though it could not compete nor was the Swiss Club for Northern Dogs founded until 1986) (Reference 1).
Breed Behaviors
The Siberian Husky, just like other dogs, comes with a collection of common behaviors for all breeds, and some that are normal for Huskies, but not common in other breeds. First let’s talk about common behaviors they share with many other breeds. Siberian Huskies can be great family dogs as they tend to get along great with children and other family members! In addition to this aspect of the breed, Huskies also have a very playful and energy driven temperament, so they require a lot of exercise, socialization, and training. Huskies are also known for doing a lot of chewing and digging. These are common in other dogs, but Huskies, as a breed, tend to engage in these behaviors much more often than other dog breeds. In addition to the previously mentioned behaviors, Huskies have a couple behaviors that are more common to their breed specifically, namely escaping and talking. So, let’s take a closer look at these behaviors to learn a bit more about them.
Family Relationships and Temperament
Huskies, as mentioned before can make a great family dog. This may be due to their being bred to work closely with people and in groups with other dogs (Reference 3). Siberian Huskies are actually described as not being great guard dogs because they are so loving towards most people (Reference 3). However, one must never assume that their dog loves other dogs and people based on the breed. As mentioned previously, proper socialization and training are still a huge “must” with this breed. That being said, they are often quite bouncy, playful, and many of them come with quirky personalities that make them quite endearing! However, due to their love for their families, Huskies can develop separation anxiety. As a result, they must be introduced to being separated from their owners as a puppy to help prevent separation anxiety. To find out how to do this, check out The Ultimate New Puppy Course which is an online course where you will learn how to work on separation training, socialization, husbandry, basic obedience and more!
Chewing
All dogs chew, but as I have found in my research, Huskies seem to be big chewers and many resources I found mentioned their ability to destroy things with their teeth. The main reason that Huskies probably chew is boredom. Boredom is a common problem in many dogs, but Huskies have so much drive to work that they might become bored more easily than other dogs. Also, as mentioned previously, Huskies as a breed seem to be prone to separation anxiety, and chewing can be a way to relieve psychological stress. All in all, if you get a Husky, you need to make sure that it has plenty of exercise for both its body and brain, and as mentioned previously, that you work on separation training to help prevent separation anxiety.
Digging
Digging is also a common dog behavior, but it seems to be so common in Huskies that has been mentioned by almost every source I have studied over the years and in the past few days! That is a long history of breed specific digging! The digging may be a leftover from when these dogs needed to survive in cold weather. Digging a hole is a good way to keep warm during the winter. They also might dig because of boredom. High energy working dogs, as mentioned before, can get bored quite easily and digging is a great way for them to entertain themselves. You might think of it like their own version of passing the time by gardening!
Escaping
Escaping is also a common Husky behavior and one that is much less common in other breeds (however, many sheepdogs and other herding dogs might be great escape artists). One source I found that discussed this escaping behavior mentioned that it is probably, once again, due to boredom (Reference 3). As a trainer, I agree with this assessment as Huskies are a dog breed that was bred to cover long distances (Reference 3). Their stamina is quite impressive, but it also means that they might lose interest in a standard back yard quite fast and go looking elsewhere for entertainment. While this can be quite frustrating at home, it does make them great hiking companions!
Talking
Talking is a very Siberian Husky thing to do. As a matter of fact, Huskies talk so much that many people seem to assume that if any medium to large sized dog talks a lot, it might have Husky in its DNA! While that might not always be true, Huskies are well known for their chatty personalities. They love to talk and sing, both in response to their humans and to many other sounds such as dogs barking, the piano, and sirens. Many Husky owners will tell you that they often have “conversations” or “arguments” with their Huskies talking back to them or even saying “I love you” back to them. I had to do a little research to find out why people think Huskies talk so much. First, sounds are a common form of communication between dogs to begin with, but one source explained that Huskies just might have more of their wild ancestors’ communication skills left over in their DNA (Reference 4). Wolves make a collection of sounds that dogs do not make, and other canine species tend to “talk” as well. Whatever the reason, you can count on your Husky being a chatty individual!
Training A Siberian Husky
Training a Siberian Husky works essentially the same way training other animals and dogs works. Positive reinforcement works great with them! However, now that you know about some of their breed specific behaviors, here are some tips that will help your training go even better!
1. Be consistent with what you ask. In short, if you ask your Husky to do something and it does not respond or starts to “argue”, stick with it, stay patient, but don’t change your mind just because it gets tough. Huskies can be stubborn and are very smart, so when you ask it to do something, be ready to reward it when it completes the task but stick with what you ask. However, there is an exception…
2. Make sure behaviors are fully trained before using their cues. As with all dogs, it is important for them to actually know what each cue means before you use it. If your Husky talks back to you when you ask it to do something, you can stay consistent, but take a moment to ask yourself if your Husky is being stubborn or if it does not know the cue. If your Husky is consistently not doing something you ask that has been trained with positive reinforcement, your Husky might not know what you are asking, and the “arguing” might be its way of trying to tell you that. If that is the case, stick with your original request, but ask for a simpler version of the behavior for your Husky to accomplish.
3. Exercise your Husky! This applies to both physical exercise and mental exercise. The two are actually different and many times mental exercise will have a better impact on your dog’s level of boredom that physical exercise will. You can teach your Husky games like toy sorting or Hide and Seek. You can also take your Husky on hikes and long walks to new places. Doing these things will help with chewing, digging, and escaping tendencies.
4. Digging might be solved by more exercise. However, keep in mind that your Husky might just enjoy digging. If that is the case, put a designated digging area in your yard. Bury things in this area to encourage your Husky to dig there and if you see it digging elsewhere, take it to its digging area and encourage digging there instead.
5. Do not leave your Husky unattended in the yard for long periods of time if it tends to get bored and escape. However, as an additional protection against escape, if your dog digs under the fence, you can get special fencing that extends under ground to prevent your Husky from digging its way out of the yard.
6. Talking is something that your Husky will simply do when it feels like it and you can just sit back and enjoy the show or engage in a funny conversation with your dog. However, if you have a particularly loud Husky, I advise teaching a “shhh” cue so that you can ask your Husky to be quiet when you need to.
7. Some of these behaviors you can work into your dog’s training so that you can control the outcome while still giving your dog the appropriate outlet for its natural behaviors. If you have questions on how to implement any of these tips or get more creative in your training plans, hop over to the Tips on the Go Q&A Center, and post your question!
Closing Thoughts
Huskies are a great breed! They are fun loving, family oriented, and love adventure! But just like many other dog breeds, they come with their own little quirks. So, if you decide to get a Siberian Husky, be ready to do lots of training, stay consistent, and enjoy lots of funny conversations with your new chatty pup!
References
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