I keep myself stress
free by going to the mall. After a good mug of coffee, I just walk aimlessly
around, meet friends, make new ones, browse over bric-a-bracs and buy a few
foodstuffs and other things. .
Sometimes I see a
sight difficult to ignore - like these two beautiful Siberian Huskies.
On the left is 2-yr
old China. She was imported by the owner from Thailand. The other is Happy, 3
yrs old and bred locally here in Cebu, Philippines.
Aren’t they adorable?
Where
did Siberian Huskies come from?
China and Happy are
descendants of a dog bred by the Chukchi tribe, an indigenous people inhabiting
the Chukchi Peninsula and the shores of the Chukchi and Bering Sea regions of
the Arctic Ocean.
When climate
conditions changed, it forced the semi-nomadic Chukchi to expand their hunting
grounds. This need prompted them to develop a breed of dog that can pull sleds at
great distances, at moderate speed, carrying a light load in low temperatures,
with minimum expenditure of energy.
Around 1900, the
Americans in Alaska heard of this superior strain of sled dog in Siberia and
imported them to Alaska. In 1909, the first team of Siberian Huskies
participated in the All Alaskan Sweepstakes Race. No account of the results of
that race was written but by 1910, another team, driven by John “Iron Man”
Johnson, won this grueling 400-mile race. For the next decade after that,
Siberian Huskies bred by Leonhard Seppala, captured most of the racing titles
in Alaska.
This dog breed also
served in the Army’s Arctic Research and Rescue Unit during World War II.
Why
keep a Siberian Husky?
The Siberian Husky is
outgoing, gentle, intelligent, alert and friendly. They are happy-go-lucky dogs
that are fond of their families; keen, social, relaxed and casual. They are
good with children and friendly with strangers. Which makes them easy to steal.
They are not
watchdogs, hence they whimper and yelp, but hardly bark. They howl a lot,
though.
But above all, it is still
a working dog – strong, high-endurance sled dog. This inherent characteristic of
the dog will not change no matter how much pampering you give it.
Siberian Huskies
don’t eat much, which makes your dog food expense rather low. But you may have
to spend more on grooming because of their thick coats.
They can be trained,
only by people they see stronger minded than they. If the handler does not
display strong leadership, they see no point in obeying.
Training takes
patience. If the Husky does not have a 100% firm, and consistent confidence in its
handler, it will become very mischievous.
It is an excellent
jogging companion if the weather is not too hot. A lonely Husky that does not
get constant mental and physical exercise can get very destructive.
Because of its
amiable but detached and casual character, modern society has found the Siberian
Husky an excellent therapy dog.
From pulling sleds to
helping sick people get cured? It certainly has come a long way.
The
Siberian Husky now:
The AKC (American
Kennel Club) officially recognized the Siberian Husky as a breed in 1930. For
the past two years, 2011 and 2012, it stood in the 16th position for
the most number of registered breed in the U.S. – up from 24th in
2007.
They can make
wonderful companions for people who know what to expect from these beautiful
and intelligent breed and are willing to put the time and energy into them.
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