ron2
Posted : 8/22/2006 10:47:49 PM
My dog, Shadow, is a Husky/Lab mix, 3 years old, 26 inches to the shoulder and just now, 62 pounds. He is very Husky in temperment and some physiology and certainly in his metabolism. His particular behaviors led me to study quite a bit about Huskies, which explained him perfectly.
So, here ya go. Sibes are an athletic breed. For at least 1,000 years, they were bred to pull hard and run fast in the coldest place on Earth on simple food and not much of it. They have a slow metabolism that is keyed up by exercise or work. They won't eat much at a time. They are rank oriented and need to know who the leader is. So, train, train, train. But don't make it monotonous, as they will get bored. Unloaded, they can run 30+ mph for up to an hour. Longer than that at slower speeds. I know of a case where a guy's Husky got out and ran to a friend's house, approx, 30 miles away. He had received a call from his friend in about an hour after the dog got out. Which leads to the next thing. They have an inborn desire to run fast and explore. This need will cause them to forget their training and take off. They run similar to greyhounds in that they have a double suspension gait (all four limbs in the air) and this is part of what gives them their speed. They should not be trusted off-leash. I know of another case of a person who owned a Husky that had won off-leash obedience awards. One day, the dog saw or sniffed something too interesting to pass up and was off like a shot, never to be seen again.
They need daily exercise, whatever you can manage. I walk my dog nearly every day. I also have a big back yard that he can run in. I once took him to a dog park. He was, in fact, faster than any dog there.
If you plan to work the dog, he or she will need a special high protein, high fat diet. Two major brands have working dog formulas and you can also get info at Sled Dog Central. If not working and the dog is just a family pet, then whatever maintenance formula of whatever brand you use should be okay.
Sibes are actually people friendly and so independent that they do not make good guard dogs. However, Shadow can scare off someone just because they don't know any better. When something resembling a timberwolf grumbles in the subsonic range and your gut rumbles, you think twice about entering.
They do have prey drive and you can't always know how they will react around other pets, unless they grew up with other small pets.
The upside, they are fun-loving, goofy, and will love you for eternity. Be careful though, they play hard. A 60 lb flying tackle can knock you down, just because he loves you so much. They are mouthy. Pure sibes will howl a lot. Shadow can bark, howl, and both simultaneously. They clean themselves and don't have the typical dog smell. Shadow's smell is somewhat like a forest, except right after a hard run.
It may help to remember that they are an old breed that was not bred specifically for recall or off-leash obedience. They were draught animals that lived as part of the tribe's family and were raised to run in front in response to commands.
As for getting along with other pets, sometimes, things work out.
