Siberian Huskies are a wonderful and rewarding breed of dogs to own. But there are many unique aspects to them that make them not your typical dog. As a result, many new Siberian husky owners have issues with training them, and because they take the wrong approach and do not understand enough about these beautiful Arctic animals.

Physical Characteristics

Siberian huskies are a medium-sized "working" dog, originating in eastern Siberia. They have two coats of fur, which was adaptively advantageous since they originally inhabited a very cold climate. Interestingly enough though, this coat doesn't just serve them will in cold weather, but in any severe temperature fluctuation; therefore, the coat can serve them will in hot weather too! Although Siberian huskies do shed mass quantities of fur, overall they are very clean and hygenic dogs, seldom requiring bathing. However, this can make it difficult for them to stay cool during the summer. Their typical lifespan is 12 to 15 years. They typically weight between 35 and 60 pounds.

Evolutionary History

The term Siberian huskies can etymologically be described as follows: "Siberian" from their land of origination: Siberian, and "husky" from the term used to describe the Inuit tribes who lived there). The Siberian husky, along with two other breeds (Alaskan Malamute and Samoyed) all descended from the Eskimo dog, which is contestedly among the oldest breed of dogs. Specifically, the Chikchi people in the Siberian Arctic were the people who bred the dogs, revering them almost religiously, and relying on them heavily for transportation. Due to the harsh, cold climate of the area, Siberian huskies became a very resilient and active breed. It wasn't until 1909 when they spread into Alaska during the Gold Rush, as sled dogs (such as in today's Iditarod sled races).

A particular trait that most do not realize when training a Siberian husky is relevant here. As a sled dog, they need to be trained by a strong-willed, confident, and firm owner, capable of showing them who is in control and keeping them out of trouble. If the dog feels that the owner is not like this, it will result in obedience issues.

As briefly stated above, it is their temperment and behavior that makes Siberian huskies most unique. One of the delightful qualities of the breed are how gentle and friendly, both to strangers and to other dogs, and how devoted they are to a good owner. They easily adapt, and they are alert but not aggressive. (Again, this is the result of how they were conditioned in the past: the Chikchi people showered their dogs with praise, and encouraged them to play with their children.)

This overt amiability causes Siberian huskies to serve as poor watch dogs; they would be too casual with a potential intruder, and they also bark very little. In relation to barking, they more often ululate (comparable to a wolf howling) instead of barking.

But at the same time, they are very intelligent and independent dogs. As a result, you, as the owner, need to establish yourself as the "alpha dog" so that the SIberian husky will come to respect and look up to you, but all without bullying the dog, which can be detrimental to your dog's well-being. Therefore, serious training and patience is a necessity, which is preferably to be started when the dog is young.

Other important things to realize is that Siberian huskies should never be give complete freedom. The thing that they love most to do in life is run free, and they will end up running away if you let them just be out in the open, unenclosed space. You must also keep in mind that they need a lot of exercise to vent their energy, preferably an hour a day.

Another issue is that they will end up chasing other animals instinctively, so again, training is very important. Therefore it is imperative that obedience training be done in order to teach your Siberian husky to resist in instinctive impulse.

Again, since Siberian huskies are a very clever and intelligent breed, typical training methods do not work. For much more extensive and comprehensive information on how to most effective and quickly train your Siberian husky, the best resource available is the Siberian Husky Training Tips guide.

This in-depth resource tells you more about the nature of the breed, and the best, most efficient ways to train them. The detailed Siberian Husky Training Tips guide is only costs $47, and comes with both "The Insider's Guide To Dogs: How To Have A Happy And Healthy Dog!" and "The Dog Health Handbook" for free. There are of course other methods: the main alternative is taking your Siberian husky to a personal professional trainer, but this can be very costly, which is why the Siberian Husky Training tips guide has been the most help to me.

There are a few quick and easy rules to keep in mind during training (particularly of Siberian husky puppies). They are focused around imprinting on your dog's mind that you are the "alpha dog," in order to effectively gain his respect.

• Put yourself before your dog: feed yourself before you feed your dog; walk through the doorway before your dog; etc.
• When issuing orders, be sure to say his name before the command (so that he will learn his name).
• Prove to your dog that you are a confident and dependent leader for him, one who he can count upon.
• When disciplining your husky, ensure that you make direct eye contact for it to be most effective, and make sure that your dog is aware for what he is being punished.

There are a plethora of other things to consider, but these are just a few of the major ones to keep in mind when starting out training.