The Siberian Husky is one of the most ancient and noble of all purebred dogs, but he is not the ideal pet for everyone or evry family. His sled dog heritage provides him with an innate desire to run, a very high energy level, and a degree of independence that is sometimes maddening. He typically does not come when he is called, he loves to dig holes (a denning instinct and survival skill he has apparently inherited from his wild ancesters), and he sheds his profuse coat once or twice a year by the bushel basketful. He is also an escape artist of Houdini-like abilities and absolutely requires a very secure fenced-in yard or pen, preferly both. He also, typically, loves everyone, including any potential burglar burglar, thereby rendering him a "hopeless case" as a reliable guard dog.
On the other hand, the Siberian Husky is remarkably intelligent (some say at times too intelligent for his own good), clownish and charming. He loves children and is extremely sweet and gentle with them (though puppies and toddlers are not usually a good mix unless well-supervised, since neither quite understands the fragility of the other). He is extremely clean and odorless, making him an excellent choice as a companion for those with any tendency to dog-related allergies. Not surprisely, a healthy Siberian can live happily out of doors in temperatures down to -60 degrees, if properly sheltered. And, despite his independence and occasional stubbornness, he is an extremely affectionate animal who, even in adulthood, often believes he was born to be a lap dog.
A WORD ABOUT PACK-DRIVE AND PREY-DRIVE
The commonest mistake dog owners make is to think of their dogs as hairy little people. But dogs, in fact, do not operate quite the way people do. They have no concept of democracy, for instance, and only understand the hierarchy of pack structure. It is, therefore, useful to mention the two great motivating forces in dog behaviors, and to explain their relevance to the Siberian Husky specifically.
Typically, what endears us to dogs is their "pack-drive", those intincts which lead them to be good members of our families: the desire to please us, to fit in, to love and be loved. Siberians, unlike many so-called "one man dogs", have a very strong pack drive. They have a strong need for family, either human or canine, and if they don't have that, they are not happy. Many families discover, for instance, that their puppy has grown up a bit, say at about a year, it is useful to acquire a second dog to keep the first company and to take some of the social burden off the human members of the family. A single Siberian needs lots of attention - lots of walks, play, exercise - while a pair of Siberians demand much less simply because they have each other. It is probably not advisable, however, to acquire two at the same time, unless they are older, because, with less human interaction, they are likely to become "wild indians", a sort of law unto themselves.
Equally important, in terms of pack-drive, is a high degree of consistency of training and reinforcement by every member of the family. Biting and "mouthing", for instance, is a common mode of play among puppies in a litter, and it is important that every member of the family reinforce a "no biting" rule as it pertains to humans. All it takes is one member of the family who likes to tussle roughly with a puppy to let that puppy believe that using his mouth is an appropriate mode of human interaction, usually with disastrous results: torn clothes or worse. And the same is true of every other activity where the family and family dog interact; there must be uniform reinforcement of all household rules. Consistency and firmness must be the rule. Allowing the dog to sit on the couch with you one day and reading him the riot act the next time he tries, it is just a bad idea. Inconsistency leads to a confused and unhappy dog - and an unhappy human pack.
"Prey-drive" on the other hand, is what we, as owners, often find the most frustrating side of normal canines behavior. It is what leads the Siberian with years of Obedience training to still bolt after the squirrel across the road. It is what leads the free-roaming Siberian to raid garbage cans, kills chicken, goats, sheep, and whatever else he can run down - often leading to the local police having to come and shoot the dog. Prey-drive in the Siberian Husky is among the strongest of all breeds simply because for centuries in their native land these dogs were released during the summer months to hunt as packs over the tundra, and those instincts remain strong to this day. Inevitably, some new owners believe all dogs are behaviorally the same and that they can train any dog to stay close to home. When it comes to Siberians, they are simply wrong and, as a result, hundreds of Siberians are killed each year because of the arrogance of these uninformed owners.
But when you interact with your Siberian in any number of activities, you may engage and make use of both these inherent drives. Driving a dog team, for instance, is a lot like going hunting with wolves. The dogs thrill to the chase and you as pack leader, may also thrill to this primordial urge. And even in less obviously predatory activities - backpacking, skijoring, Obedience or Agility training, or showing in the conformation ring - food used as reinforcemrnt does wonders for the dog's desire to perform. Working dogs are happiest when working and Siberians, despite their clownish tendencies and sometimes apparently anarchical spirits, are happiest when asked by their masters to do a task for which they have been lovingly and patiently trained.
OWNING A SIBERIAN IS NOT EASY
Because of his need for a fenced-in yard, his activity and social needs, the Siberian is not for those who want a cuddly Christmas puppy that they can pretty leave to his own devices after a few weeks of focused attention. In many ways, a Siberian remains a puppy until he's about 7 years old. A Siberian is a definite presence in a household. He will not disappear into the woodwork. His capacity for mischief, when unsupervised, is legendary. But for those who have both a sense of humor and a sense of discipline, who enjoy a bit of a challenge, who love the beauty and tradition of this tough, versatile, very medium-sized animal with perhaps the noblest history of human service of any breed, the Siberian offers sturdy health, long life, and loads of fun, even if that fun is sometimes at his owner's expense.
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