Siberian Husky

Coat and looks how to spot one

medium-length double coat

A medium-sized, lightly built sled dog with a compact, well-furred body, pricked triangular ears and a bushy tail. Its coat has two layers: a soft, thick undercoat that holds up straight, smooth-lying outer guard hairs, giving a plush but tidy look. The almond-shaped eyes can be brown, blue, one of each, or a mix of both colours in the same eye. When curled up to sleep, the dog often wraps its tail over its nose.564

Personality what they are like

The Siberian Husky is warm, easygoing and outgoing, affectionate without being clingy, and generally welcomes strangers rather than guarding against them. It is clever, independent-minded and good at solving problems, gets on well with other dogs and likes to be part of a group. Huskies are expressive and chatty, more likely to howl or 'talk' than bark, and they have a strong urge to run and a keen instinct to chase small animals.65384

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Very high. The Royal Kennel Club recommends more than two hours of exercise a day, and Hill's at least an hour of combined physical and mental work. Running, hiking, canicross, harness and sled sports suit it well. Because the drive to run is strong, the breed club advises exercising it on lead, in secure enclosures or in harness rather than off lead in open areas.283

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Moderate. Brush about twice a week through the year, and daily during the seasonal moult when the undercoat 'blows' out. The coat needs no clipping; standards only allow tidying of whiskers and the fur between the toes. Bathe only when needed and trim nails every few weeks.837

Home where they are happiest

Best in a roomy home with a large, very securely fenced garden, since huskies can dig, climb or jump to explore; a fence of about 1.8 m (6 ft) is often advised. Its coat is built for cold weather, so in warm climates it needs shade and exercise at cooler times of day. Not an ideal match for a small flat or a quiet, stay-at-home lifestyle.284

Food basics what goes in the bowl

A good-quality complete diet with solid protein, adjusted to the dog's activity level. The breed club calls it an 'easy keeper' that needs relatively little food for its size, a legacy of pulling light loads efficiently; working sled dogs need more.38

Company who they like around

High. Huskies enjoy the company of people and other dogs and do best when they feel part of a pack; they are not one-person dogs and are usually friendly with visitors. Early introductions help if the home has cats or small pets, because of the breed's chase instinct.348

The story where it all began

The Siberian Husky's ancestors were bred for centuries by the Chukchi people of northeastern Siberia, who needed light, fast dogs that could pull modest loads over long distances in severe cold. The Chukchi selected carefully for working ability and temperament and raised the dogs close to their families. In 1909 these dogs were brought to Alaska in numbers for the All-Alaska Sweepstakes, a 408-mile race from Nome, where the small, quick teams soon proved themselves; Leonhard Seppala became their best-known driver. In the winter of 1925, relay teams of sled dogs carried diphtheria antitoxin to Nome, with Seppala and his lead dog Togo covering the longest stretch and Gunnar Kaasen's team, led by Balto, running the final leg. Seppala then toured and raced his dogs in New England, which helped lead to AKC recognition in 1930, the same year exports from Siberia stopped. Most American Siberians descend from those last imports and Seppala's dogs, especially Togo. The Siberian Husky Club of America was founded in 1938, Canada began registering the breed in 1939, and the dogs went on to serve on Admiral Byrd's Antarctic expedition and with the US Army's Arctic search and rescue unit in World War II.3247

Recognised by the official bits

FCI

Standard No. 270, Group 5 (Spitz and primitive types), Section 1 (Nordic Sledge Dogs); definitive acceptance 8 Sep 1966; current standard published 14 Nov 20221

AKC

Working Group; recognised 1930; current standard approved 9 Feb 2021, effective 12 May 20213

The Royal Kennel Club

Working Group2

UKC

Northern Breed Group; recognised 1938 as 'Arctic Husky', renamed Siberian Husky in March 19917

Canadian Kennel Club

First registered the breed in 19394

Popularity Ranked 30th of AKC-registered breeds in 2025 (down from 26th in 2024)9