HISTORY

Where did he come from?  Long ago and far away!

The Siberian we know today is the culmination of a strain believed to have been bred pure for over 2,000 years.  

He was the dog of the Chukchis, an Inuit-like people from the Kolyma River basin of Northern Siberia.  The tribe's isolation, and an intelligent breeding system, produced continual improvement in the breed.  Unlike other Northern peoples, the Chukchis developed a dog not only to pull their sleds, but also to guard their possessions and be a companion to their children.  The dogs were family pets and often shared their dwellings.

Selected teams of Siberians were imported to Alaska in 1909 to compete in the All-Alaska Sweepstakes...408 miles non-stop from Nome to Candle and back.  The three teams of Siberians entered in 1909 finished 1st, 2nd and 4th with the winning team setting a record time of a little over 74 hours.

Leonard Seppala, the greatest dog driver of them all, won with his Siberians the last three years the race was held.  He also set the record time: 1:50:25 for the 25-mile marathon race at Nome, known as the Borden Cup Race.  

It was Seppala's team, with his great dog Togo on lead, which performed so heroically when Nome was stricken by a diphtheria epidemic in 1925.  Serum was relayed by dog team for 658 miles, with Seppala's team traveling 84 miles through a blizzard in one day.

WHAT IS A SIBERIAN?

There has been much published about the Siberian.  We wanted to provide you with some information about the breed emphasizing, for the most part, the positive points.  However, like all breeds the Siberian has negative aspects as well:   

Siberians will run.  They cannot be left outside unattended.  If you want a dog that will go outside, do it's business & come right back in then get a Golden.  A Siberian may come home after their toot, but because of the next point, they may not.

	They have no car sense, so are in constant danger whenever found running near a highway.
	They are escape artists.  They love to chase livestock and roll in the droppings.  Even a six foot fence isn't high enough for some who are climbers.  As the saying goes "if it smells good roll in it".
	They have tons of prey drive and they will attack and remove neighboring chickens, rabbits and other small animals (even cats).  Your feline and the Siberian may get along fine inside, but outside the rules change.
	They love to dig.  They can be destructive when left alone.  Our compound looks like Beirut.  Many times they dig holes to cool off in, and sometimes it's just for the fun of seeing the dirt fly.
	They are not guard dogs, they love everyone equally.  They don't bark to tell you strangers are here, they howl their welcome.  Many say that their Sibe would hold the bag for a thief.

Here are some links to sites you may want to have a look at about Siberians:

	American Kennel Club at www.akc.org/breeds/recbreeds/sibhusk.cfm
	www.siberian-husky.com/www.siberian-husky.com/
	Siberian Husky Club of America at www.shca.org/
	www.netpets.org/dogs/reference/breedinfo/submit/sibhusk.html
	www.sleddogcentral.com/
	www.canismajor.com/dog/siberian.html

The most important thing to remember is that the Siberian is not the breed for everyone. 

Online Profiler: is the Siberian Husky the Right Dog for You? 

 Have a look at http://shusky.hypermart.net/husky.htm to see if a Siberian is the dog for you.