The Siberian Husky is a medium-sized working sled dog breed. 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.
Huskies are generally a healthy breed, and thanks to their high metabolism a Siberian husky can often live up to 15-17 years of age as well. However, there have been no recorded instances of husky lifespan exceeding 20 years.
Learn how best to care for your husky best friend. The husky life expectancy is 12-15 years old. They're a healthy breed for their size — most medium to large dogs live closer to 10-12 years. But in either case, we want to get as much time with our best friends as we can.
The Siberian Husky is generally a healthy breed with an average lifespan of 12 to 14 years.
A Siberian Husky named Kody lived in Philadelphia and reached 16 years old. He was profiled in local newspapers before his passing in 2011. Across the Internet, there are reports of Siberian Huskies reaching as advanced of ages as 18 or 19 years old, but it's difficult to verify the age of dogs.
Bluey, an Australian cattle dog, entered the Guinness Book of World Records by living to the ripe old age of 29 years and 5 months, setting the record for oldest dog ever. The record was set in 1939 and still stands, but many Australian Cattle Dogs have tried to beat it by living good long lives of their own.
All huskies calm down at different ages. For some, it may only be a year, and for others, it could be 2 or 3 years before they calm down. Ultimately, you can't rely on age alone to get a calm husky.
Degenerative Myelopathy. Degenerative myelopathy is a neurologic condition, similar to ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease in people, that causes weakness and poor nerve function in the hind legs. It affects Huskies more frequently than other breeds.
Huskies are friendly dogs that are typically good with kids and other pets, but they are also very smart and stubborn. They need to have room to run and be active with family members. If they're cooped up all day or are not given proper attention, your Husky will be a handful.
The Siberian Husky is active, independent, mischievous, and playful. It gets along fairly well with other dogs and pets and is outgoing toward strangers. Because of their friendly nature, Siberians do not make good guard dogs.
Huskies are not easy to train and will challenge first-time dog owners. The reason for this is in the breed history – Huskies were bred to pull sleds in harnesses over long distances. The breed was not developed to work closely with their owner. Instead, they were bred for endurance and athletic ability.
Getting a Siberian Husky
These high-energy dogs shouldn't be taken on lightly and need a lot of work from their owners. They love to run and play and spend time with people. They're an athletic and intelligent breed, so if you have the time and space for them can make wonderful pets.
Generally speaking, yes, huskies are good with kids. They tend to be very tolerant and friendly dogs, making them a good choice for families with young children. But it's important to remember that dogs and children both need to learn how to safely interact with each other.
Siberian Huskies are very active indoors and do best with a fenced-in large yard. Because of their heavy coats, these dogs prefer cool climates. One has to use common sense with respect to maintaining them in the heat by providing adequate shade and air conditioning. This breed prefers to live in packs.
Siberian Huskies are very affectionate by nature. They enjoy belly rubs and cuddling their owners.
Independent and Free-Spirited
The American Kennel Club defines the breed as often reserved and dignified once mature. This breed is definitely not a one-man dog that excels in loyalty, according to the Siberian Husky Club of America. They are indeed overly friendly with just about anyone.
This is a normal case of separation anxiety, but there are things that can be done to eliminate this problem. Your dog needs to learn that he will be fine on his own for a while and that he will not wither away if he is not attended to every minute of the day.
This breed is also very adaptable, and for those who live in a more urban setting, daily walks or doggie play groups can provide great exercise. These high energy dogs need a lot of exercise. Healthy huskies need the equivalent of three to five miles of exercise four days a week.
Cancer is the most common cause of death of dogs in their golden years, and your husky is especially prone to certain kinds of cancer, including basal cell tumors, sebaceous gland tumors, anal gland tumors, and hemangiopericytomas. Whew, that's a mouthful!
Many dog species excel in certain areas of intelligence over other dog breeds. But what about Siberian Huskies? According to Stanley Coren, a leading canine psychologist, huskies ranked 74th out of 138 dog breeds making them, according to Dr. Coren of average intelligence.
Your Husky Will Follow You Around
Another way a dog shows their affection is by following you around. Around the house, or the yard. Or they'll even “check in” on you if you're in different rooms, or they're running around out in the woods. Huskies are especially sociable.