Siberian Husky

This article is about the dog breed. For other uses, see Husky (disambiguation).

Siberian Husky
Black and white Siberian Husky
Other namesChukcha
Common nicknamesHusky
Sibe
OriginSiberia
Traits
Height Males 21–23.5 inches (53–60 cm)
Females 20–22 inches (51–56 cm)
Weight Males 45–60 pounds (20–27 kg)
Females 35–50 pounds (16–23 kg)
Coat Thick double coat
Color All colors from black to pure white, and including many differing colors and markings
Litter size 4–8 puppies
Kennel club standards
Fédération Cynologique Internationale standard
Dog (domestic dog)

The Siberian Husky is a breed of medium-sized working sled dog. The breed belongs to the Spitz genetic family. It is recognizable by its thickly furred double coat, erect triangular ears, and distinctive markings, and is smaller than the similar-looking Alaskan Malamute.

Siberian Huskies originated in the Russian Far East, where the breed was first developed by the Chukchi people for sled pulling and companionship. Other indigenous Siberian peoples in North Asia, such as the Koryak, Yukaghir, and Kamchadal, also breed them. It is an active, energetic, resilient breed, whose ancestors lived in the extremely cold and harsh environment of the Siberian Arctic. William Goosak, a Russian fur trader, introduced them to Nome, Alaska, during the Nome Gold Rush, initially as sled dogs to work the mining fields and for expeditions through otherwise impassable terrain. Today, the Siberian Husky is typically kept as a house pet, though they are still frequently used as sled dogs by competitive and recreational mushers.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.