How to Take Care of a Siberian Husky

Before getting into their care, we must first know the basic characteristics of the Siberian Husky. The Siberian Husky is a type of Husky dog breed, from the genetic family of Spitz. They are native to Siberia and were brought to Alaska in 1909. The Siberian Husky was originated by the Chukchi people of northeastern Asia as an endurance sled dog.

Siberian Husky dogs are medium-sized working dogs. They have a thick double coat that protects them from the cold artic winter and reflects heat in the summer. The color and patterns of their coat can vary, however, they usually have white paws, legs, facial markings and tail tip. The most common coats are black and white.

Their eyes are almond shaped and can be the color: brown, blue or black. In some cases, they may have a different color in each eye. Learn about this curiosity on our article about dog breeds that can have different colored eyes. Siberian Husky male dogs weigh 45-60 lbs (20-27 kg) when adults. Female weigh 35-50 lbs (16-23 kg). Males measure 21-23.5 inches (53-60 cm) at the withers, while females measure 20-22 inches (51-56 cm) as adults.

When it comes to their health, these dogs are prone to certain genetic diseases such as seizures and defects of the eye. It's very important that you take them to the veterinarian for regular checkups and keep up with their vaccination and deworming schedule.

To learn more about this dog breed, check out our Siberian Husky dog breed sheet.

Now that you know more about the Siberian Husky breed, we will get into caring for them. When caring for any dog, there are a number of factors that we must take into account, they are the following:

Feeding

Feeding your Husky the correct diet will help them stay happy and healthy. We recommend sticking to a natural canine diet. A natural canine diet mainly consists in essential fatty acids and meat-based protein. The protein should have two or three types of protein from meat. For example: whole chicken, lamb, beef and fish. For fat sources, you can opt for chicken fat. Good fat sources can solute some of the most important vitamins a dog needs.

When it comes to carbs, it should be kept in a low amount as dogs thrive on meat. If you are cooking for your dog, then we recommend to include low amounts of whole carbs, such as sweet potatoes. Lastly, you can offer some fruits and vegetables that provide good vitamins and minerals to help your dog's over-all health.

Environment

When adopting a dog we need them to have a safe environment where they can play and relax. A Siberian Husky is a medium-sized dog that will need enough space and exercise for their size. Make sure to offer them a large and comfortable dog bed where they can stretch, roll over in and, of course, sleep.

Another factor that you will need to take into account is making sure the environment is “dog-friendly”. By this we mean that there is nothing potentially dangerous at you dog's reach. Training them will also help avoid any accidents but we must remember that dogs are very curious and playful. They can choose any object to play with without knowing what it is or what it's used for.

Lastly, when it comes to choosing the correct area and bed for a Siberian Husky puppy you will need to choose a place close to you. Puppies need time to adjust to their new home and will often cry at night because they feel lonely. Try placing their bed in your room for the first couple of weeks so that they get used to you and know that you are there for them. Learn more about this in our article about where a puppy should sleep the first night.

Hygiene

Hygiene is an essential part of caring for a Siberian Husky, even as a puppy. Their hygiene includes: brushing, cutting their nails and cleaning their ears and teeth. When brushing your Husky, you will have to brush them three times per week as they shed fur. It's preferable to use a metal comb or rake-type brush. Learn more in our article about caring for a Husky's coat.

When brushing their teeth only use tooth paste for dogs as human toothpaste can be toxic to them. There are other methods for dog dental care, choose the best for you and your dog. When in doubt, consult with your local veterinarian.

Play and exercise

All puppies need to play, but when it comes to breeds as active as the Siberian Husky this factor is even more important. Therefore, we need to provide our Husky dogs with lots of toys for entertainment as well as take them out for long walks. Adult Siberian Huskies will need more than 2 hours of exercise per day.

Socialization and training

Socializing your Siberian Husky as a puppy is very important so they can maintain a balanced temperament as an adult dog. To socialize them, you'll want to carefully introduce them to new people, objects and places. We must try to avoid any conflicts as it can traumatise them and lead to behavioural issues in the future. Learn more in our article about how to socialize a puppy or adult dog.

When it comes to training you'll want to train them through positive reinforcement. This way, you'll create a stronger bond with your dog while avoiding any traumas through punishments. Siberian Huskies are smart working dogs, this makes it easier for us to train them. You can also use different training techniques, such as the clicker technique.

Veterinary care

Lastly, like with all dogs, it's very important to keep up with their vaccination and deworming schedule. We must also take them to the veterinarian for regular check-ups every 6-12 months so that we can detect any pathologies early on.

When caring for Siberian Husky puppies we need to be extra careful, especially in the weaning period. Stick to a natural canine diet and do not overfeed them. Once they have finished eating, you can wait 10min and then remove any of the remaining food they have left.

It's important to keep their bowl clean and to always feed them fresh food. This way we avoid any possible infections. Speaking of diet, try to avoid any highly-processed food. This includes dog treats, as they can be quite harmful to their health.

In regards to how much food to feed a puppy, it's best to follow the advice offered by the manufacturer depending on our puppy's age and weight. When they are puppies, they will eat more frequently, however, we must try to reduce this as they get older. Ideally, we should be feeding them twice a day once they are 12-18 months old.

As we've mentioned before, choosing where your puppy will sleep will vary from an adult dog as they are very dependent on their human companion and need to adjust to their new home. Puppies are also very playful so provide them with lots of toys and be careful when leaving certain objects that are in their reach.

Lastly, when caring for a puppy you will want to socialize them and begin training them simple orders or habits, such as paper training them.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Take Care of a Siberian Husky, we recommend you visit our Basic care category.