Alaskan Husky

Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Alaskan Husky dogs come in a variety of features. It is not possible to generalize their description to some general boundaries. They resemble other cousin dogs like the Alaskan Malamute, Siberian Husky and are found in almost all features. The ears can be pointy although some may droop from the tip and others may not standup at all. The eyes can be blue or brown or one colour each or even both colours in one eye. They are moderate in size with an average weight of 40 to 60 pounds. They have long legs, lean body and deep chest. Some of them look wolf-alike while others seem a mixture of many breeds. The coat is dense and short to medium in length but never long. The dense undercoat protects the body from elements when pulling a sled. The top coat can come in any colour from pure black to pure white or any colour in between.

This dog is most commonly used in sled dog races. It is a working dog that has amazing endurance levels. This dog is generally very friendly, athletic and human loving.

The Alaskan Husky dogs are not recognized by AKC.

Color

These dogs are found in almost any colour, from pure black to pure white and any colour in between. Common colours include white, gray and black; less common are brown, red and cream colours.

Coat

The coat is always short to medium in length and never long. The short coat helps dissipate heat during racing.

Personality

The Alaskan Husky is affectionate, athletic and very energetic. This dog is very fond of people and very social too. It is cheerful and playful with children and make great family pet. These are clever, easy going and docile dogs that are bred primarily for sled racing. They are friendly with other dogs and strangers. Due to this reason, they can not be a watch dog. They are good with other dogs but need early age socialization with other pets in the family. The Alaskan Husky needs a strong master who can establish himself as the dog's true packleader. Otherwise, these independent dogs can try to become packleader themselves, showing head-strong and willful behavior. The Alaskan Husky dogs do not like to be left alone and can become destructive if not attended to for longer time periods. It is best to have them in pair with another dog. They are very energetic dogs and keeping up with their energy levels is a full time job.

Care

The short to medium length coat does not require much cleaning and grooming. It is primarily self cleaning coat. They shed twice a year and will require a little extra care during shedding period. They will need to be bathed infrequently.

Training

This dog is intelligent but independent in nature. It will require training with a firm and confident trainer. The Alaskan Husky dogs are fast learners.

Activity

These are very energetic dogs with high levels of energy. Keeping up with an Alaskan Husky energy is a full time job. These dogs are not suited to apartment life. they will thrive in places with large yards where they can play - and they never seem to get tired. These incredibly athletic and energetic dogs would need lots of physical and mental activities to calm its need for exercise. They prove to be the best companion dogs when it comes to playing and jogging. Caution should be taken not to exercise the dog in too hot a weather.