Siberian Dreams

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Daniel K. Burgess, Webmaster
Page last updated:
Thursday, 17 May 2007 11:43

This page was written and inspired by the Seneca Siberian Husky Club's pamphlet, "Is There A Siberian In Your Future?"   All credit is given to them for the foundation of what is written here.  I just elaborated a wee bit and added information I had learned the hard way.  As you read this, keep in mind what a Siberian sled dog team trainer told me about the breed:

The Siberian is like the perennial two-year old child.

She hears you and understands what you are saying.

Then she decides whether or not to do it.

However, she may not be the right breed of dog for everyone.  While the Siberian has many desirable traits, she has her "dark side" as well.  The Siberian has deep-rooted instincts that are centuries old and not easily broken through obedience training.  When left alone (or when she becomes bored) she can become quite destructive.  Siberians must always be securely kenneled or tethered at all times.  Her natural instinct to wander will lead her far from home - never to be seen again.  Unfortunately, she does not possess any "street smarts" and may tragically meet her demise along a busy street.

Obedience training will help curb some of her instinctive behaviors, but not entirely eliminate them.  Therefore, it is very important to carefully consider all aspects of her instinctive nature.  Owning a Siberian demands a great deal of patience and understanding.  Because of her nature, many owners simply do not understand why she does what she does.  Unfortunate owners become frustrated and the Siberian eventually ends up in an animal shelter.  Simply, this is because the owner was either unable or unwilling to care for her properly.  Anyone considering a Siberian must be willing to give more than take.

For the past six years, I have owned a purebred Siberian and had to quickly learn the true nature of the breed.  It has not always been easy for a Siberian instinctively knows how to test the patience of her master.  A lot of what I learned came by trial and error.  This page was written to help and inform anyone considering or presently owning a Siberian based on my personal knowledge and experience.

Feeding

One of the most desirable attributes of the Siberian is her requirements for nutrition.  Breeders and pet food marketers will always advise feeding the Siberian the highest priced food to maintain her balanced nutritional needs.  She is not only discriminating in her choice of food, but can be finicky like a cat as well.  While a Siberian does need a well balanced diet, the owner does not always need to buy the most expensive food available just because it offers the suggested well balanced nutrition she needs.  A little forethought and planning can not only save a little money, but will meet the nutritional needs of the Siberian.

Pound per pound, the Siberian eats less than other breeds of dogs.  Generally, a Siberian is NOT a regular or hearty eater.  Often times, she may prefer to snack several times throughout the day.  Typically, a Siberian (say 50 pounds) may eat approximately 2 cups of hard dog food and a can of soft dog food per day. However, feeding amounts do vary and depends on the individual dog.  The amount of daily exercise she gets also figure into how big her appetite is.

Given that that the Siberian has special dietary needs, she can also be as finicky as a cat.  A Siberian may turn her nose up to the highest quality, most expensive dog food but eats hearty on the "El Cheapo" brands.  A little experimentation is required to find out what brands she likes best.  Consult a veterinarian and/or experienced Siberian breeder to discuss the need for any additional supplements to the Siberian’s diet.  They may be able to suggest dietary supplements that can be offered as a tasty snack or treat.  During the winter, something as simple as a tablespoon or two of warm bacon grease ladled over dry dog food (and mixed in well) will be all the fat the Siberian needs and a tasty treat she will love.

Siberians are often known be notorious beggars and scavengers.  For many dog owners, the most disliked canine trait is "begging" for food at the dinner table.  The Siberian elevates begging to an art form.  To the Siberian, if anything eaten by her human masters is good enough for them, it is good enough for her. Siberians can be relentless and imposing beggars.  As a scavenger, if it smells good, it must be good to eat.  This could cause problems as a Siberian will eat (or try to) anything from the droppings of other animals to dead rodents.  The Siberian owner should be ever watchful and be ready to react should a Siberian find a disgusting morsel.

Watering

Like other canine breeds of dogs, Siberians need fresh water - and plenty of it.   A daily offering of fresh water is a requirement and her need for fresh water becomes more immediate after exercise.  However, having an ample supply of fresh drinking water available does not fully meet the Siberian's needs.  Though as odd as it may seem, the Siberian is a "water baby" and loves to splash around in water as well as swim!

Siberians are natural swimmers and will readily take to the water as naturally as going for a "walk".  To the amazement of the owner, a Siberian can swim as well as she can run.  On warm days, a Siberian will enjoy a cool dip in a lake or stream.  Just keep her on a tether to ensure she doesn't swim off too far.  At home, a "kiddie pool" offers the Siberian an alternative distraction for cooling off and a huge water bowl.   Be sure the water is changed often.

The Husky Houdini 

A Siberian is very intelligent and inquisitive by nature.  She will often go to great lengths to quench her insatiable desire to explore.  Of all her traits, she is adept at applying her inquisitive nature in the most aggravating aspect of her existence - "Wanderlust".  Simply put, she has a deep-rooted natural instinct to wander and explore the world beyond.  Even when given the best care, kennel, love and attention, she will demonstrate her abilities as an escape artist whenever the opportunity avails itself. 

Siberians are natural escape artists.  Understand that the Siberian was born to run free and she resists being confined.  There is nothing positive or redeeming about this instinctive trait and may cause a lot of headaches for her master.  As you read on, you will soon discover other Siberian traits that lend themselves to enhance her abilities to escape.  Escape is always a viable option for the Siberian no matter how she is restrained or confined..

The first thing to bear in mind that a Siberian explores and remembers.  The element of "wanderlust" drives the Siberian to see what's beyond its confines.  Once the Siberian realizes an escape route has been afforded, she will do anything to gain freedom to satisfy her needs of "wanderlust". 

Siberians are very intelligent and quick to take advantage of every escape opportunity.  Whether it is a door inadvertently left open for just a moment or a break down in the security of the Siberian's compound, she will be off and running in the blink of an eye!  Even if her escape is thwarted, the Siberian remembers details.  In fact, the Siberian seems to possess the human qualities of reasoning and problem solving.

However, the natural athletic abilities of the Siberian can also be a challenge for the owner trying to keep her restrained.  Siberians are one of the more particularly difficult breeds to keep restrained.  While a six foot high fence would be more than enough to keep many other larger breeds of dogs contained, the smaller   Siberian can gracefully scale it and escape with the grace of a cat and much like a track runner negotiating the hurdles - with about the same speed!  A microscopic hole under a fence can become an escape route in minutes for a Siberian.  She is not only adept at digging under fences quickly, but skilled in crawling too!

Physical restraint of the Siberian is not always 100-percent "escape proof" either.  The thick woolly coat around the Siberian's neck can often afford just the right amount room or "slack" to enable her to slip from a collar easily.  A well fitting harness is a better choice as the Siberian has a little more trouble "backing out" of a harness as she must step through it with her front legs..  While the harness loops behinds her front legs (adding a measure of security), an ill-fitting harness is just as easily slipped out of as a collar.   She remembers the routine of stepping into and out of a harness.

Staying one step ahead of the Siberian in preventing escape is a challenging task for the owner.  Fenced in areas must be constructed with the Siberian's traits in mind and continually inspected for loose fencing, holes under the fence and/or any indication of something that attracts the Siberian's interest.  Tethered Siberians should be kept on aircraft grade braided steel cable with sufficient length to afford a reasonable amount of free movement.  Any tether, hooks and anchors used should have a strength rating of AT LEAST five times her weight.

That Desire to Dig And Chew

The simple word of advice here is kennel or tether a Siberian where her instinctive digging habits would not be an issue or problem.  If you have a nice yard with shrubs, flowers, grass and landscaping, a Siberian will rework your yard into something closely resembling a battle field!  Here, you will not be able to train her to refrain from reworking your yard to her likes.

Siberians have an ancient and natural instinct to dig.  Watching her "make her bed" for a nap is a good indication of her primeval needs to dig in and seek protection to stay either cool or warm.   As a cat will knead its bedding before settling down, she, like a cat, will paw or dig at her bedding gently to "fluff" it up.  Even though this trait can never be eliminated, it can be curbed to some extent.

Still, she is a  great "digger" as she can move a lot of soil in a very short time. Unlike other breeds that may dig holes on a hot day to lay in and cool off, she tends to "excavate" in pursuit of some burrowing underground rodent (in many cases). Curiosity and her perception of something may be moving underground will prompt her to dig like a "Ditch Witch" - leaving a large trench in the yard. It won’t take long for her to dig a trench several feet long and up to half a foot deep – even in hard pan rocky soil!.

When left to her devices, the Siberian will dig up and chew on things inside or out.  In a matter of a few minutes, she can quickly become a homeowner's nightmare outside and a housekeeper's worst dream inside.  Outside, it is inevitable that she will dig up and chew on hours of painstaking landscaping in a short time.   Inside, she will find and dig up those seemingly invisible carpet seams as well as chew up anything that looks or tastes good!  When instincts kick in, nothing is sacred to a Siberian.

Nature Lover

The Siberian is a dog for all seasons. Her thick coat acts as insulation against both heat and cold and she will thrive in outdoor situations.  Though she may be content being indoors and near to you most of the time, she enjoys the outdoors where she can watch the world go by and perhaps greet a passerby.

For such a breed with a complicated nature, her outdoor needs are relatively few - a clean fenced in kennel or staked out exercise area and a clean dog house.  Sometimes she will not too keen on dog houses unless trained early to use one. More times than not, she knows when to get out of the weather to curl up and use her woolly coat for protection in a dry place.

Being one with nature, the Siberian's coat will naturally change with the seasons.  During the fall and winter months, her coat will thicken in all its glory.   During the spring and summer months, she will shed - and will do so profusely several times.  Normally, a Siberian will "fluff out" her undercoat at least twice a year.  Her fur will seem to come out in clumps and a good grooming session will literally fill the average paper grocery sack!  Weekly brushings help keep the shedding down year round, but when those warmer times come around and she "fluffs out" her undercoat, a good combing is in order.  Still, if you can't deal with the shedding and all the hair, consider another breed.

Vocalizing

For the most part, Siberians are relatively quiet dogs, and will not always alert her owner when a stranger approaches.  She rarely barks incessantly and if she does, more often than not, she does so to challenge passing dogs or other critters.   Siberians often prefer to whine, yelp or moan in most situations, but when the mood is right, she will muster her most ancient instincts and "sing".  With head held back she will vocalize the most beautiful and haunting sounds her distant cousins of nature can produce - The Siberian Howl.

Siberians also like to "talk" – especially when they are excited.  The low, growling "barr-rrroo-roo" is a delightful sound that falls somewhere between a bark and a howl.  On the other end, She will growl as a warning to express her displeasure.

The nomadic nature of the Siberian closely ties into her instinct to escape.  On the positive side of this, a Siberian can easily adapt and adjust to new environments "on the fly".  Her ability to quickly become a part of a new family home is incredible.  Even as adults, a Siberian will readily make itself at home and become accustomed to its new surroundings in minutes.  Even if she had just wandered away from one home, she will be quite comfortable and relaxed in her new found home several hours later.

Generally speaking, the Siberian is often times stubborn and headstrong.  Obedience training, especially at an early age, is an important investment to seriously consider.  Obedience training will help curb some of the instinctive habits of the Siberian, but may not eliminate them.

Trainers not intimately familiar with her natural, instinctive traits will call obedience training a contradiction in terms.  However, she is capable of learning a few basic commands and will obey - when it suits her.  She will never be the perfectly obedient dog, but obedience training will take the edge off some of those undesirable traits she has.  Obedience training is well advised, but the Siberian instinctively understands its role in a family unit as a family member - not as a family pet. 

Establishing who is "alpha" or is the more dominant personalities in her "family" figures significantly into the Siberian's training.  If the Siberian is allowed to become the "alpha" member of a family, controlling her behavior will be more difficult.  Watch a few wildlife documentaries on wolves in the wild.  Pay close attention as to how the pack members establish their position and role within the pack.  While a Siberian is not (in any way) a wolf or a wolf hybrid, the same principles apply and she understands them.   A firm grip on her muzzle and a stern gaze into her eyes will reinforce your authority and dissatisfaction of her behavior better than a swat with a rolled up newspaper!  It works, believe me.

Siberians love people and will greet almost everyone as if they were her long lost friend.  She especially loves children and will play with them with unrestrained joy and exuberance.  Most peculiarly, all men (even young boys) are special family members.  It is their instinctive Chukchi origins that remind her of this.  A true Siberian owner respects this special relationship.

A Siberian owner must always keep her under control and restrained.   Not everyone understands or appreciates her demonstrative loving nature.  No one enjoys an unexpected "love" hug when least expected or desired.  This is especially important around very young children.

True to her nature, the Siberian is not a guard dog in sense of the imagination.  Despite her size, strength and wolfish looks, it is hard to take her seriously as a guard dog with her tail wagging happily.  If left to guard a home alone, she will probably greet the intruder warmly, "fetch" (probably for the first time in her life) your valuables and roll over for a belly scratch!

People who own Siberians often find themselves facing the "Rabbit Syndrome".  Some owners can't help themselves and bring more of the affectionate and lovable canines home as playmates for the ones they already have.  Naturally, one becomes two.  Then there are four and so on exponentially!

A Siberian does very well in a single dog home when given all she needs.   However, she socializes well with other dogs (even of another breed) and even cats (?!!!)  Still, the Siberian is very fond of people and is happiest when she gets ALL the attention.

Curiosity

The Siberian possess a natural curiosity in nearly everything.   This can be an entertaining aspect of the Siberian, but may often lead to a challenging situation.  As mentioned, the Siberian seems to possess the human qualities of reason and problem solving.  Considered as "cute" when watching her cock her head as she tries to figure out where you hid her favorite toy is one thing, but her curiosity goes far beyond playtime.

While not extremely powerful, the Siberian is plenty strong enough.   Quite naturally, she is an athlete that thrives best by running in a team on a harness.  The Siberian does need her exercise - either a good twenty minutes of "roughhousing" every other day or daily walks.  If for not to keep her in shape, but to burn off that excess energy that often leads her to boredom and destructive behavior.

Natural Beauty

The Siberian is one of very few breeds of dogs that possess a great variation of coat and eye colors.  The Siberian is a "mix and match" breed and no two are exactly alike.  Her coat can be a mix of topcoat colors from velvet black, subtle silver-grey to striking copper hues laid over white, cream or tan colored undercoats  Adding the attractive eyes that can range from icy, milky blue to a rich dark brown (or one of each extreme), the Siberian is always a visual delight.  Even more notable, as she grows up, she will change quite subtly in her appearance.

With a minimal amount of grooming, the Siberian will always look gorgeous.  She has the same grooming instincts as a cat and will maintain her looks without any help.  In fact, the Siberian is one of very few breeds of dogs that many people with allergies can take too. Because Siberians produce very little pet dander and will not get that "doggy" smell with normal care, she poses little aggravation to human allergies..

Because the Siberian’s coat is so thick, she needs a weekly combing.  A brush may not get down deep enough to dislodge loose hair in her coat.   A fine tooth pet comb works the best when used with her coat's "grain".    The Siberian dislikes having her coat pulled on or combed against the "grain".  Fine wire "slicker" brushes do work, but the Siberian sometimes dislikes having it fur tugged and/or pulled on - especially in sensitive areas.

Because the Siberian is such an attractive breed, it is important to keep recent photos of her as well as maintaining her licensing.  Siberians are highly desirable and often fall prey to dog-snatchers.  License her through your local animal control agency and keep the information on you Siberian updated. Have a "microchip" implanted by your veterinarian. All these steps may help to reunite you with your Siberian.

Interaction With Other Animals

Here, I will get into a very important aspect of the Siberian's nature.  While many owners will only wish to have the Siberian as a family pet, many often try to integrate a Siberian into a home with other pets.  This can be a very tenuous situation that may result in undesired or unforeseen consequences.  Extreme care should be taken when bringing a Siberian into a home where there are other pets.