Fun Siberian Husky Facts For Kids

When you think of classic wolf-like dogs the first breed that comes to mind is often a Siberian Husky. Siberian Huskies are somewhat stubborn and independent but also very intelligent dogs.

This breed requires a lot of company and care as Huskies thrive best when among humans. During their early years, these Huskies need gentle but firm training, otherwise, they might become difficult to handle growing up.

Siberian Huskies are very friendly with children and with people in general. They are also quite a healthy breed overall and they get along with other dogs and pets quite well.

Siberian Huskies were bred as working dogs and so they have high energy levels which need to be spent. Therefore, these dogs must be kept as pets by people who have a lot of space for the dog to run around in.

By the end of this article, you will know all about the Siberian Husky dog breed, including the Siberian Husky life span, Siberian Husky weight, the Siberian Husky's blue eyes, the average Siberian Husky cost, the Siberian Husky's energy level, the Siberian Husky's outer coat, and the Siberian Husky's health conditions.

Who knows, you might even learn about some Siberian Husky puppies and Siberian Husky training too!

If you love the Siberian Husky dog breed and want to learn about other dog breeds, you can also check out our fact files on the Golden Retriever Husky Mix and the Corgi German Shepherd Mix.

Siberian Husky Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Siberian Husky?

A Siberian Husky is a dog.

What class of animal does a Siberian Husky belong to?

The Siberian Husky belongs to the Mammalia class.

How many Siberian Huskies are there in the world?

The exact number of Siberian Huskies living in the world today is not known.

Where does a Siberian Husky live?

Siberian Huskies live all around the world with people, in their homes.

What is a Siberian Husky's habitat?

The Siberian Husky is a purpose-built breed of dog, that was bred by humans to be put to work in the cold areas of Siberia and Alaska. These dogs were built for companionship and for pulling sleds too.

Their thick double coat enables these dogs to endure extremely cold conditions. These dogs are also extremely tenacious and have extraordinary stamina.

Who do Siberian Huskies live with?

Siberian Huskies live as pets with people.

How long does a Siberian Husky live?

A purebred Siberian Husky's lifespan is 14 years, on average.

How do they reproduce?

Female Siberian Huskies are ready to breed from as young as around six months old. And male Siberian Huskies start sperm production at six months of age.

Despite this, it is advisable to wait until both male and female Siberian Huskies reach full maturity at about two years of age before breeding is attempted. This is to reduce the chance of any genetic health problems being passed onto the puppies.

Male Siberian Huskies do not adjust to new surroundings as well as female Siberian Huskies do.

So, it is a good idea to bring a female Husky to a male Husky’s vicinity for them to mate. A female Husky goes into heat twice a year and, once pregnant, a female Siberian Husky has a gestation period of around 63 days.

What is their conservation status?

Their conservation status is currently Least Concern. Since a Siberian Husky does not occur naturally in the wild, they are not classified under a conservation group, and as Siberian Huskies are bred domestically they do not face any immediate threat of extinction.

Siberian Husky Fun Facts

What do Siberian Huskies look like?

The Siberian Husky is a breed of dog that is longer than it is tall. Siberian Huskies are medium-sized dogs and are classified as worker dogs. Their height varies from 21-23.5 in (54-60 cm) for males and  20-22 in (50-56 cm) for females. Their weight can be up to 60 lb (27 kg).

Siberian Huskies have erect ears and a Siberian Husky’s eyes are one of its most distinctive features. They may have blue eyes or brown eyes and sometimes they even have one of each color! Siberian Husky's tails are bushy and furry and this tail is either held in the shape of a sickle or is held straight.

Siberian Husky outer coats are plush and dense, and they also have an undercoat. The color of a Siberian Husky’s coat can range from black to white encompassing, a variety of colors in between.

Have you ever seen a white Siberian Husky or a Red Siberian Husky? In addition to their main color, most Siberian Husky’s coats have white markings on their chest and legs. During the shedding season, they shed a lot of hair from their coats.

How cute are they?

A Siberian Husky puppy is super cute. Also, since these Husky puppy dogs are social and playful it makes them look even cuter.

How do they communicate?

Siberian Huskies love to chat with their pet owner. They howl and whine as a form of communication and, for a Siberian Husky howling is an important way to indicate that you are a part of their family.

As the bond between you and your Husky grows you will notice changes in his behavior and an increase in physical contact. Husky puppies love to lean against their owner or rub against their leg when they are walking next to you.

You will also see the true excitement a Husky puppy shows when you arrive back home to your favorite pet.

Another way a Husky communicates is by playing with you. They are very active and social animals and love playing with their owners.

How big is a Siberian Husky?

A male Siberian Husky’s height stands at around 21-23.5 in (54-60 cm) and a female is between 20-22 in (50-56 cm) tall. They are smaller than many other similar breeds like the Alaskan Malamute, the Chinook, or the Akita.

How fast can a Siberian Husky run?

A Siberian Husky is known more for its endurance and stamina rather than its speed, but they are no slouch when it comes to speed. They are quite fast and at full tilt, they can clock speeds of 30 mph (48.28 kph).

What is more impressive is that a Siberian Husky can run long distances of up to 150 mi (241 km) in a single day at an average of 9-10 mph (14.48-16.09 kph).

How much does a Siberian Husky weigh?

The heaviest weight a Siberian Husky can reach is 60 lb (27 kg).

What are the male and female names of the species?

Siberian Huskies do not have different names for each gender, they are just called male and female Siberian Huskies.

What would you call a baby Siberian Husky?

Like all other species of dogs, a baby Siberian Husky is called a puppy.

What do they eat?

Siberian Huskies require high-quality dog food to maintain the Siberian Husky’s healthy double coats and skin. Their diet requires a lot of protein, but it is also important to try to balance the amount of protein with the activity levels of the dog.

In the summer months when Huskies might not be as active, the protein in their food needs to be lower, at around 20%.

But in the winter months, especially if the Husky is going to be working with a harness on, then they need around 32% protein in their diet. Each Siberian Husky has its metabolic rates and it is advisable to consult a veterinarian to discuss your individual Husky's diet.

Are they slobbery?

Huskies are not known to be excessively slobbery. However, a Husky can drool more than usual due to certain circumstances. For example, if they are hungry, if they are feeling hot, or even if an illness could cause Siberian Huskies to drool.

Would they make a good pet?

For dog lovers, having a Siberian Husky as a pet is a complete delight! Siberian Husky dog breeds are beautiful to look at and you can easily fall in love with this breed of dog at first sight.

Siberian Husky dog breeds are also very friendly and playful, and they are considered to be gentle by nature. They are not dangerous dogs at all. Most of the time, they are also quite friendly with other pets like birds and cats.

A Siberian Husky has a lot of stamina and thus they are very active. They like exercising and love being outdoors so owners must be willing to give them plenty of exercise.

A Siberian Husky is also odorless, so, unlike other breeds of dogs, they generally don’t give off a bad doggy odor.

Their striking appearance, friendly nature, and abundant stamina make them great pets, but their strong prey drive needs to be kept in mind if you have small cats or other small animals at home. A pet Siberian Husky can cost between $600-$1,300.

Did you know...

Huskies are the only breed of dogs that can modify their metabolic rate. Depending on the activities they are performing, their rate of metabolism changes. This allows them to conserve energy on long runs and keep up the momentum for long periods to cover long distances.

In 1925 Siberian Huskies played a life-saving role in a diphtheria outbreak in Alaska in the United States. Gunnar Kaasen, along with his band of Siberian Huskies (including Balto and Togo) raced across the tundra for five days straight and covered a distance of 658 mi (1059 km).

The medicines they delivered helped save countless lives. There is a statue of Balto in New York to commemorate the effort.

Siberian Huskies rarely bark. This is one of the reasons why they don’t make good guard dogs. However, what they lack in barking sounds they more than makeup for in terms of howling and whining. They are quite talkative and their howls can be heard from very far away!

During World War II the United States Army used Siberian Huskies as arctic search and rescue units. Their keen sense of smell and their ability to survive in tough conditions made them indispensable for these tasks. These Siberian Huskies also doubled up as aids for freighting and transportation.

A Siberian Husky is extremely difficult to train because of its inherent independence. For someone looking to have Siberian Huskies as pets, it is beneficial to both owners and pets to get enrolled in obedience classes.

A Siberian Husky is a working dog and is happiest when they are assigned tasks to do and they enjoy harness training. It is important never to let a Siberian Husky off-leash. Most Siberian Huskies who end up as strays do so because they were let off-leash and then ran away, sadly.

Where did Siberian Huskies come from?

About 3,000 years ago, the Siberian Husky breed originated in northeast Asia. These Huskies were bred to assist the Chukchi people with their hunting and to act as sled dogs.

They were originally kept as pets for companionship and were used as sled dogs by the Chukchi people in Siberia.

A Russian fur trader named William Goosak introduced this sled dog breed to Nome, Alaska during the Nome Gold Rush in the early 20th century. Now Siberian Huskies are very common dogs in North America and the American Kennel Club recognizes the sled dog as a working dog.

What is special about a Siberian Husky's eyes?

A Siberian Husky’s almond-shaped eyes come in a range of colors from brown to icy blue. The most special thing about this Husky's eye color is that they can have bi-colored eyes.

This is known as heterochromia and it is a common phenomenon amongst many Huskies. It is caused by a genetic mutation (don't worry, it doesn't adversely impact their health!) causing Huskies to have one brown-colored eye and one blue-colored eye.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals including the Pitbull Mastiff Mix or the Patterdale Terrier.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Siberian Husky coloring pages.