GENERAL APPEARANCE
Shoulder height: 51-60cm (20”-23½”).
Colour: All colours and varieties of markings, including whole white.
Coat: Outercoat - straight with guard hairs lying flat. “
Undercoat - soft and dense and of sufficient length.
Gait: Quick, light sand effortless. Single tracking when trotting at speed.
This medium sized sled dog is a member of the spitz family and the body should be moderately compact and powerful. The skull is relatively broad and the defined stop is set mid way on the head. The muzzle is tapering, and the nose colour either follows the colour of the coat or is a shade darker. The obliquely placed eyes can be blue or brown, or may be one of each colour. The triangular ears are slightly arched at the back and carried erect. The proudly arched neck runs into a strong backline and the deep chest should reach to the elbows. The pasterns slope slightly and the stifles must be well angulated. The oval feet are well furred between the toes and pads.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE
These extremely friendly dogs rarely bark, and as such, do not make good watch dogs. Being one of the more friendlyof the Arctic Spitz family, they thoroughly enjoy exercising with their owners and are considerably faster than their taller cousins the Alaskan Malamute. Hardy, adaptable and friendly, they make ideal family pets; but due to their gregarious natures, are better not left on their own all day. The coat requires periodic grooming, particularly during seasonal shedding.
HISTORY
Like their Eskimo owners, much of this breed’s history is unknown. However it is fairly certain that for centuries these dogs remained pure with no outcrosses. One theory for the Siberian Husky’s outstanding endurance is that the Chukchis Eskimos in their continual search for food, had to develop a sled dog capable of travelling great distances. Early explorers were full of admiration for the Huskies and during a diphtheria epidemic in 1925 a team of Siberian Huskies carried the life saving anti-toxins through the snow to the Alaskan city of Nome.