===ALYESHKA SIBERIAN HUSKIES===NEW ZEALAND===

Breed Information

The Siberian Husky we know today is the culmination of a strain believed to have been pure for over 2,000 years. They were the dogs of the Chukchis, Eskimo - like people from the Kolyma River basin of Northan Siberia. The tribes isolation, and the intelligent breeding system, produced continual improvement in the breed. The Chukchis developed a dog not only to pull their sleds, but also to guard their possessions and to be a companion to their children. The dogs were family pets, and often shared their dwellings.

Selected teams of Siberians were imported to Alaska in 1909 to compete in the All - Alaska Sweepstakes - 408 miles non - stop from Nome to Candle and back. The three teams of Siberians entered in 1909 finished 1st, 2nd and 4th with the winning team setting a record time of a little over 74 hours.

Leonard Seppala, possibly the greatest dog driver of all, won with his Siberians the last 3 years the race was held. He also set a record time: 1:50:25 for the 25 mile marathon race at Nome, known as the Borden Cup Race. It was Seppala`s team, with his great dog TOGO at lead, which performed so heroically when Nome was stricken by a Diptheria epidemic in 1925. Serum was relayed by dog team for 658 miles, with Seppala`s team travelling 84 miles through a blizzard in one day.

The Siberian like other breeds is not for everybody, while most people appreciate the Siberian Husky’s beauty, many soon discover they do not appreciate some of the other characteristics they possess. The very ones I, personally, admire and enjoy.

The Siberian Husky is a medium sized working dog. A mature male dog weighs between 20-27kg (45-60lbs) and a female weighing between 16-23kg (35-50lbs). The Siberian has a soft smooth coat with a dense, downy undercoat. They come in any coat color including solid white, but some of the most common colors are silver and/or wolf grey, black, copper and red all with white as a contrast. Some have mask like markings while others have white faces and then there is the dirty face. The eye color can range from dark brown, parti, split, bi-eyed, but they are best known for their ice blue eyes.

The Siberian is friendly, they like people both big and small, family or stranger. This means he isn’t a one-man dog, it also means he will not protect your home, HOWEVER if your Siberian feels you are being personally threatened they will stand their ground against the aggressor. From the standpoint of care, the Siberian Husky is an easier keeper requiring a relatively small amount of food for their size. They are quite capable of staying outdoors all year round if provided with a snug doghouse to shield them from the wind and rain.

By nature they are a clean animal and their coat requires only regular brushing. Many people who are allergic to other dogs find themselves living quite comfortably with their bushy Siberian Husky. The Siberian blows (sheds) its coat approximately twice a year, sometimes it can be all that they`ve got (up to 3 shopping bags full)!

Siberians are noted for their excavating projects in your yard and for that reason alone we suggest a run of approximately 6` in height, 4` wide, 12` long, the floor should be either concrete, concrete pavers, or patio stones/ river pebbles.

This will also help with the most important characteristic of the Siberian and the one which can cause most problems: their great desire to run! Bred and built for running long distances with ease and speed, it is the joy of their life. If allowed unrestrained freedom, they will cover miles of territory in a day. They can be safely exercised in an enclosed area, or on a gig or scooter, or on a lead with a bicycle, but to simply turn him loose (without proper training) on his own, will lead to sorrowful consequences for both the Siberian and its owner. This love to run, coupled with a hunting instinct, that includes most small animals as prey, can cause many problems to the unwary. If you are the type who feels that confining a dog is not to your liking, than the Siberian is not for you.

Siberians see you as their pack, they are active, energetic and intelligent and boy, do they love the outdoors, actually the colder the better for the Siberian. They are easily bored and will use their intelligence and ingenuity to entertain themselves sometimes at your expense. How much better to join him in activities you both enjoy.

Perhaps you feel I have adopted a negative attitude and stressed the faults of the breed too much but these are the points often not explained to the prospective buyer. Anyone can see the beauty of the Siberian. But it is not until one has lived with a Siberian that one learns that they are simply not like other dogs. Whether this statement is made with love and delight or sadness and disillusionment depends on the individual and how well he was prepared for the joys and trials of sharing life with a Siberian Husky.

If you are prepared to accept the responsibilities and expand the necessary time and effort in owning one of this breed, who will be rewarded many times over and find that a whole new world of activity has been opened for you. For while, they are not without their faults, they are a truly remarkable dog, and as you might have guessed, my favorite breed

Courtesy of Lisa Hodgson

Siberian Husky Breed Standard

GENERAL APPEARANCE: The Siberian Husky is a medium-sized working dog, quick and light on his feet and free and graceful in action. His moderately compact and well-furred body, erect ears and brush tail suggest his northern heritage. His characteristic gait is smooth and seemingly effortless. He performs his original function in harness most capably, carrying a light load at a moderate speed over great distances. His proportions and form reflect this basic balance of power, speed and endurance. The males of the Siberian Husky breed are masculine but never coarse: the bitches are feminine but without weakness of structure. In proper condition, with muscle firm and well developed, the Siberian Husky does not carry excess weight.

CHARACTERISTICS: The most important breed characteristics of the Siberian Husky are medium size, moderate bone, well-balanced proportions, ease and freedom of movement, proper coat, pleasing head and ears, correct tail, and good disposition. Any appearance of excessive bone or weight, constricted or clumsy gait, or long, rough coat should be penalised. The Siberian Husky never appears so heavy or coarse as to suggest a freighting animal, nor is he so light and fragile as to suggest a sprint-racing animal. In both sexes the Siberian Husky gives the appearance of being capable of great endurance.

HEAD AND SCULL:

Expression:- Is keen, but friendly, interested and even mischievous.

Skull:- Of medium size and in proportion to the body, slightly rounded on top and tapering from the widest point to the eyes. Faults-Head clumsy or heavy, head too finely chiseled.

Stop:- The stop is well-defined and the bridge of the nose is straight from the stop to the tip. Faults-Insufficient stop.

Muzzle:- Of medium length, that is, the distance from the tip of the nose to the stop is equal to the distance from the stop to the occiput. The muzzle is of medium width, tapering gradually to the nose, with the tip neither pointed or square. Faults-Muzzle either too snipy or too coarse, muzzle to short or too long.

Nose:- Black in grey, tan or black dogs, Liver in copper dogs, may be flesh coloured in pure white dogs. The pink streaked "snow nose" is acceptable.

Lips:- Are well pigmented and close fitting.

EYES: Almond shaped, moderately spaced and set a trifle obliquely. Eyes may be brown or blue in colour, one of each or particoloured are acceptable. Faults-Eyes set too obliquely; set too close together.

EARS: Of medium size, triangular in shape, close fitting and set high on the head. They are thick, well furred, slightly arched at the back, and strongly erect, with slightly rounded tips pointing straight up. Faults-Ears too large in proportion to the head; too wide set; not strongly erect.

MOUTH: Teeth closing in a scissor bite. Fault-Any bite other than scissor.

NECK: Medium in length, arched and carried proudly erect when dog is standing. When moving at a trot, the neck is extended so that the head is carried slightly forward. Faults-Neck too short and thick; neck too long.

FOREQUARTERS:

Shoulders:- The shoulder blade is well laid back. The upper arm angles slightly backward from point of shoulder to elbow, and is never perpendicular to the ground. The muscles and ligaments holding the shoulder to the rib cage are firm and well developed. Faults-Straight shoulders; loose shoulders.

Forelegs:- When standing and viewed from the front, the legs are moderately spaced, parallel and straight, with the elbows close to the body and turned neither in nor out. Viewed from the side, pasterns are slightly slanted, with the pastern joint strong, but flexible. Bone is substantial but never heavy. Length of the leg from elbow to ground is slightly more than the distance from the elbow to the top of the withers. Dew claws on the forelegs may be removed. Faults-Weak pasterns; too heavy bone; too narrow or too wide in the front; out at the elbows.

BODY:

Chest:- Deep and strong, but not too broad, with the deepest point being just behind and level with the elbows. The ribs are well-sprung from the spine but flattened on the sides to allow for freedom of action. Faults-Chest too broad; "barrel ribs"-ribs too flat or weak.

Back:- The back is straight and strong, with level top line from withers to croup. It is of medium length, neither cobby nor slack from excessive length. The loin is taut and lean, narrower than the rib cage, and with a slight tuck-up. The croup slopes away from the spine at an angle, but never so steeply as to restrict the rearward thrust of the hind legs. Faults-Weak or slack back; roached back; sloping topline.

HINDQUARTERS: When standing and viewed from the rear, the hind legs are moderately spaced and parallel. The upper thighs are well muscled and powerful, the stifles well bent, the hock joint well defined and set low to the ground. Dew claws, if any, are to be removed. Faults-Straight stifles; cow hocks; too narrow or too wide in the rear.

FEET: Oval in shape but not long. The paws are medium in size, compact and well furred between the toes and pads. The pads are rough and thickly cushioned. The paws neither turn in nor out when the dog is in natural stance. Faults-Soft or splayed toes; paws too large and clumsy; paws too small and delicate; toeing in or out.

TAIL: The well furred tail of fox-brush shaped is set on just below the level of the top line, and is usually carried over the back in a graceful sickle curve when dog is at attention. When carried up, the tail does not cur to either side of the body, nor does it snap flat against the back. A trailing tail is normal for the dog when in repose. Hair on the tail is of medium length and approximately the same length on top, sides and bottom, giving the appearance of a round brush. Faults-A snapped or tighly curled tail; highly plumed tail; tail set too low or too high.

GAIT/MOVEMENT: The Siberian Husky's characteristic gait is smooth and seemingly efforless. He is quick and light on his feet and when in the show ring should be gaited on a loose lead at a moderately fast trot, exhibiting good reach in the forequarters and good drive in the hindquarters. When viewed from the front or rear while moving at a walk the Siberian Husky does not single track, but as the speed increased the legs gradually angle inward until the pads are falling on a line directly under the longitudinal centre of the body. As the pad marks converge, the forelegs and hind legs are carried straight forward, with neither elbows nor stifles turned in or out. Each hind leg moves in the path of the foreleg on the same side. While dog is gaiting, the top line remains firm and level. Faults-Short, prancing or choppy gait, lumbering or rolling gait; crossing or crabbing.

COAT: The coat of the Siberian Husky is double and medium in length, giving a will-furred appearance, but is never so long as to obscure the clean-cut outline of the dog. The undercoat is soft and dense and of sufficient length to support the outer coat. The guard hairs of the outer coat are straight and somewhat smooth lying, never harsh not standing straight off from the body. It should be noted that the absence of the undercoat during the shedding season is normal. Trimming of whiskers and fur between the toes and around the feet to present a neater appearance is permissible. Trimming the fur on any other part of the dog is not to be condoned and should be severely penalised. Faults-Long, rough, or shaggy coat; texture too harsh or too silky; trimming of the coat, except permitted above.

COLOUR: All colours from black to pure white are allowed. A variety of markings on the head is common, including many striking patterns not found in other breeds.

SIZE: Size, Proportion, Substance.

Height: Dogs 53.5-60cm (21-23 1/2 ins) at the withers

Bitches 51-56 cm (20-22ins) at the withers

Weight: Dogs 20-27Kg (45-60lbs)

Bitches 16-23Kg (35-50lbs)

Weight is proportional to height. The measurements mentioned represent the extreme height and weight limits with no preference given to either extreme. Any appearance of excessive bone or weight should be penalised. In profile, the length of the body from the point of shoulder to the rear point of the croup is slightly longer than the height of the body from the ground to the top of withers. Disqualification-Dogs over 60cm (23 1/2 ins) and bitches over 56cm (22ins).

In addition to the faults already noted, the obvious structural faults common to all breeds are as undesirable in the Siberian Husky as in other breeds, though they are not specifically mentioned herein.

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