Helena Ricketts is a blogger, freelance writer, and artist. She cares for
dogs, cats, hamsters, and chickens.

Sophie, my eight-year-old Siberian Husky. Siberians really are a beautiful
breed of dog.

Being a Husky Owner: What to Expect

The Siberian Husky is considered to be one of the most beautiful breeds of
domesticated dogs. Their trademark icy blue eyes combined with the mask that
everyone is familiar with can make them appear to be a mystery. Nothing is
further from the truth with this breed. Most of the dogs, male and female,
carry a lot of the same personality traits.

The female Siberian Husky will grow to an average weight of 45 to 55 pounds.
Males are usually between 50 to 65 pounds. These dogs do continue to grow and
fill out until around their second birthday.

The Husky was originally bred to pull sleds across ice and snow. They have
adapted very thick coats, including fur that will grow longer on their feet to
protect the pads from ice and snow in the wintertime. The mask and their blue
eyes were probably developed as a shield against harsh sunlight bouncing up
into their faces; they spent the majority of their time outdoors.

It is extremely important to set boundaries and declare yourself the leader of
the pack early in your relationship with a Siberian Husky. These dogs are
extremely stubborn. If you do not establish dominance with them quickly, they
will steamroll you, and you will not have an enjoyable experience as a Husky
owner.

The things that some Siberian owners view as bad can be viewed as adorable or
cute by others. It really just depends on the personality of the owner as well
as the dog. Siberian Huskies are great companions for some lifestyles but a
nightmare intrusion for others.

These are extremely high-energy dogs. They were bred to go long distances
every day while pulling a sled. Just because you take the Husky out of the
frozen tundra doesn’t mean you can take the frozen tundra out of the Husky.
They need exercise every day—a lot of it.

If a Husky is left in a confined area for too long, they will become
destructive. One of the most common complaints of a Husky owner is that their
Husky ate their couch. They are great at digging. In fact, it is one of the
things that Huskies love to do, and if they are bored and have a lot of pent-
up energy, your couch is the perfect place for them to dig!

They are equal-opportunity destroyers of your personal belongings and things
in your home, so anything laying out around a Husky that hasn’t had enough
exercise is fair game for destruction. This is one of the reasons so many of
these dogs end up in shelters and as strays. Owners do not understand the
level of exercise these dogs really need.

The Siberian Husky is a beautiful dog that comes in many different colors, not
just the traditional black and white that so many people are familiar with.
Other common colors are copper, brown, and gray. They can even be tricolor.

Sophie is very proud of her muddy paws!

Their trademark blue eyes can also be combined with brown, and it’s possible
to even have a dog with a parti-colored eye that contains both colors. It is a
myth that if a Siberian Husky does not have two blue eyes that they are not a
full-blooded Husky.

These dogs shed year-round, and sometimes, the shedding is so intense that it
will leave you wondering how it is possible that the dog is not bald. They
have a downy undercoat designed to keep them warm in cold weather that is
continuously renewing itself. These dogs really need to have a quick brushing
every day or at least a few times a week to keep the shedding under control
and out of your home. If you have allergies or are anti-dog hair in general,
then this is not the dog breed for you.

They are beautiful dogs with interesting personalities. They do well with
older children, but smaller animals such as cats, ferrets, and rabbits are
better left at the pet shop when you are a Husky owner because of their desire
to chase small prey. These dogs have a beautiful howl, an intriguing face, and
are independent and sometimes extremely bullheaded.

If you are considering adding a Siberian Husky to your family, please do your
research before acquiring your new pet. Each dog breed has its own unique
traits, so you will want to pick the type that fits best into your lifestyle,
your level of patience, and activity.

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Comments

Augustlight on August 21, 2020:

More authentic Russian names…

Volk -wolf

Grom – thunder

Iskra-spark

Groza-thunderstorm

Lis or Liska – fox

Tuman-fog

Khazar-an Asian tribe

Taiga-siberian forest

Buran-bilzzard

Urman-another word for siberian forest

Sobol-sable

Norka-mink

Baikal-the Baikal lake

Snezhok-snow

Zima-winter

Umka-a name for a white bear cub from a Russian animation cartoon

Neva-a Russian river

Belka-squirrel

Dymka-smoky

Sever-north

Strela-arrow

Rudy on July 30, 2020:

We have a 12 year young husky travel to all gun clubs with us. Rescued her
when she was 8 months old, my wife says that dog loves you if you can’t stand
the fluff

Lt on June 02, 2020:

have a eleven year old Siberian husky best dog ever had.

Jorge on May 23, 2020:

I have a 2 year old tan Husky, Freya is so much fun, but so much work… The
shedding is just part of life at this point (I also have a Border Aussie, who
sheds like no other).

Shilah on June 16, 2019:

My sister has a mixed I like a husky

Patrick on May 26, 2019:

I have a 2yr old huskey malamute mix and he sheds constanly what to do to stop
sheeding so nuch

Shelkie on May 22, 2019:

I have a 6 yr old and he’s the best boy ever! A great snuggler and thinks he’s
a lap dog at 74#! He stole my heart the first time he looked at me with his
icy blue eyes. His hair drives me nuts but he is abolutely the best decision I
ever made. (Ok… with the exception of my actual human child… but pets are
our babies too!)

Marsha on December 31, 2018:

I have 2 huskies, 2 Boston terriers and a cat. Never any issues with the
huskies and small pets. As a matter of fact my 15 lb female Boston is the
alpha! It’s a hoot! Sweetest animals ever! But the pup has air separation
issues, he eats the rugs by the door! But just can’t be mad at him. Lol!

ria on September 21, 2018:

cute dog

Suhail Zubaid aka Clark Kent from Mississauga, ON on June 01, 2012:

Beautiful breed, but I will never like to have them as pets for I will never
be able to match their level of energy. Even my teen aged son will fall short
on that count lol.

Shawn Scarborough from The Lone Star State on October 18, 2011:

The Siberian Husky is a beautiful dog. They seem to have one thing in common
with Rottweilers: they get destructive when they are bored. Rottweilers are
also know for eating couches. I enjoyed reading your hub. Voted up.