BREED STANDARD
WITH COMMENTS BY
CAROL DIXON
General Appearance
The Siberian Husky is a medium-sized working dog, quick and light on his feet and free and graceful in action. His moderately compact and well-furred body, erect ears and brush tail suggest his Northern heritage. His characteristic gait is smooth and seemingly effortless. He performs his original function in harness most capably, carrying a light load at a moderate speed over great distances. His body proportions and form reflect this basic balance of power, speed and endurance. The males of the Siberian Husky breed are masculine but never coarse; the bitches are feminine but without weakness of structure. In proper condition, with muscle firm and well developed, the Siberian Husky does not carry excess weight.
Statement: We see the Siberian Husky first as a dog that came from the high arctic (60 degrees north latitude). Because the dog came from an environment where the temperature routinely reached 60 degrees below zero, he had to have a certain amount of body mass as well as a correct double Arctic coat. Because a Siberian is truly an Arctic animal, it should also exhibit those qualities that are unique to Arctic animals, for example, small high set ears that are fully furred, obliquely shaped eyes that are not round and prominent. The head must exhibit proper proportion. He should have an athletic body that is neither too light nor too heavy. The dog was never bred to be a racing dog, he was bred to pull loads, such as tents, belongings and people. Siberian native Chukchi people never intended the dog to be a racing dog, but he was the fastest of all the ARCTIC sledge dog breeds.
Height: Dogs, 21 to 23 1/2
inches at the withers. Bitches, 20 to 22 inches at the withers.
Weight: Dogs, 45 to 60 pounds. Bitches, 35 to 50 pounds. Weight is in
proportion to height. The measurements mentioned above represent the extreme
height and weight limits with no preference given to either extreme. Any
appearance of excessive bone or weight should be penalized. In profile, the
length of the body from the point of the shoulder to the rear point of the croup
is slightly longer than the height of the body from the ground to the top of the
withers. Disqualification: Dogs over 23 1/2 inches and bitches over 22 inches
Statement: The Siberian Husky should be a moderately sized animal. This means that he must have substance in bone and body in order to perform his original work in harness as a sledge dog. He is not allowed to be too light in bone exhibiting greyhound or whippet type, as seen in racing dogs through out the world. Neither should he be allowed to become a tiny china doll that is incapable to work. One should always remember that the Siberian Husky is a true Arctic animal. His body must have enough mass to retain heat and less surface area so it does not loose heat at a high rate. Every dog that is over 23.5 inches (60 cm) or bitch over 22 inches (56 m) is over the height limit and is to be Disqualified, and NO EXCEPTION is allowed. In some European countries judges are told to judge incorrectly by placing dogs over the height limit. Any deviation either over or under the disqualifying limit will produce dogs that are not correct in breed type and unsuitable to be used in a breeding program. Since the breed standard was written in the USA, no other country should be allowed to make changes just to satisfy the whims and fancy’s of current day owners. As to correct body length, the term “slightly longer” refers to a dog that when measured from the withers to the ground is one degree longer in body length than in height. Any excessive length in the back will produce a weak, slack back. This is completely out of proportion to what is called for by the breed standard. Another exaggeration can be seen in the racing dogs that, being over the height limit, often produce dogs that are too short in the back.
Expression: Is keen, but friendly; interested and even mischievous.
Eyes: Almond shaped, moderately spaced and set a trifle obliquely. Eyes may be brown or blue in color; one of each or parti-colored are acceptable. Faults: Eyes set too obliquely; set too close together. Ears: Of medium size, triangular in shape, close fitting and set high on the head. They are thick, well furred, slightly arched at the back, and strongly erect, with slightly rounded tips pointing straight up. Faults: Ears too large in proportion to the head; too wide-set; not strongly erect. Skull: Of medium size and in proportion to the body; slightly rounded on top and tapering from the widest point to the eyes. Faults: Head clumsy or heavy; head too finely chiseled. Stop: The stop is well-defined and the bridge of the nose is straight from the stop to the tip. Fault: Insufficient stop. Muzzle: Of medium length; that is, the distance from the tip of the nose to the stop is equal to the distance from the stop to the occiput. The muzzle is of medium width, tapering gradually to the nose, with the tip neither pointed nor square. Faults: Muzzle either too snippy or too coarse; muzzle too short or too long. Nose: Black in gray, tan or black dogs; liver in copper dogs; may be flesh-colored in pure white dogs. The pink-streaked "snow nose" is acceptable. Lips: Are well pigmented and close fitting. Teeth: Closing in a scissors bite. Fault: any bite other than scissors.
Statement: The Eyes of Arctic animals are not round and prominent, neither are they set out of the skull like a Pekinese. Because of the blowing wind and ice crystals in the air the eyes of the Siberian should be deep set in the skull with brow and cheek bone forming a protective bone structure for the deep set triangular shaped eye. The Ears should be small and well furred with rounded tips to prevent them from freezing. The ear should be set high on the head with the tips pointing straight up. The height of the ear should be only as tall as the width of the base. Ears that resemble a German Shepherd in size and shape are completely wrong and should be severely penalized. The Stop of the head can be seen clearly with the top of the muzzle coming at a 90 degree angle to the stop. When viewed from the side the skull shows a bit of roundness but not so strong that it gives the image of an apple. Neither it is so flat to remind one of the head of a greyhound. The muzzle and the skull should be of equal length and when viewed from the side one should be able to see a strong under jaw. The muzzle should not appear sharp and pointy like a Collie nor should it be too short, heavy and thick like a Chow. Pure bred Siberian Huskies have the ability to work with their mouths closed preventing frostbite in the lungs with lips that are close fitting to the muzzle. The teeth should fit in a scissors bite which is most effective for tearing and shredding. The breeders should also be aware that the Siberian Husky should have 42 teeth and that dogs with missing premolars (P1, P2 and P3) should be bred with care.
Neck: Medium in length arched and carried proudly erect when dog is standing. When moving at a trot, the neck is extended so that the head is carried slightly forward. Faults: Neck too short and thick; neck too long. Chest: Deep and strong, but not too broad, with the deepest point being just behind and level with the elbows. The ribs are well-sprung from the spine but flattened on the sides to allow for freedom of action. Faults: Chest too broad; "barrel ribs;" ribs too flat or weak. Back: The back is straight and strong, with a level topline from withers to croup. It is of medium length, neither cobby nor slack from excessive length. The loin is taut and lean, narrower than the rib cage, and with a slight tuck-up. The croup slopes away from the spine at an angle, but never so steeply as to restrict the rearward thrust of the hind legs. Faults: Weak or slack back; roached back; sloping topline.
Statement: The Neck of the Siberian Husky should flow evenly to where it joins the withers. It should never appear so short as to make the dog look like its head is sitting on his shoulders. The neck should be in proportion to the body and carried forward when the dog is in motion. It should also not appear as a U-neck where the neck is set on below the top of the withers nor should it appear so long as to resemble a giraffe. The chest should exhibit a sternum ahead of the forearm. It should never appear as though the Siberian would have a hole between the front legs where the chest should be. The sternum and the ribs should carry down to the elbow to provide deep heart and lung room so that the dog can perform his job of work as a pulling animal. The ribs should not appear as a sausage shape nor should they be slab sided as in a Bedlington Terrier. The chest should also not drop down below the elbow giving the impression that the dog is heavier in the front end than he is in the rear. Both ends of the dog should appear balanced. The back of the Siberian Husky should be straight and strong but not excessive in length. We see today many, many dogs that are too long in the body and the back becomes weak and sagging. The topline should remain level not exhibiting downward slope as seen in the German Shepherd dog. The slope of the croup should be barely visible to the eye. It should be felt more than seen and only a very small drop off will be noticed. Setting the croup at too steep of an angel will restrict the rear motion of a dog causing hyper-extension of the hock and a dog that stands under itself. With only a slight angel on the croup, the animal is capable of extending his legs out behind him and getting the proper thrust to drive the dog forward.
The well-furred tail of fox-brush shape is set on just below the level of the topline, and is usually carried over the back in a graceful sickle curve when the dog is at attention. When carried up, the tail does not curl to either side of the body, nor does it snap flat against the back. A trailing tail is normal for the dog when in repose. Hair on the tail is of medium length and approximately the same length on top, sides and bottom, giving the appearance of a round brush. Faults: A snapped or tightly curled tail; highly plumed tail; tail set too low or too high
Statement: The tail should come off the level top line and be carried raised up and out behind the dog as a saber when the dog is in motion. Some judges have a tendency to panelize a dog that carries its tail up and out behind itself, or in a sickle curve above the back. This is not correct for judges to judge in this fashion. All Arctic sledge breeds carry their tail up and over the back. For a tail to be held down or tucked under or between the hind legs is an indication of shyness or bad character. A straight, sift tail can also be the sign of an altered tail or showing terrier carriage of the tail which is also incorrect. While the hair on the tail is of medium length it is also normal to see dogs and bitches that carry a full Arctic coat to have tail hair and britches a bit longer than the body coat and still be well within the standard.
Shoulders: The shoulder blade is well laid back. The upper arm angles slightly backward from point of shoulder to elbow, and is never perpendicular to the ground. The muscles and ligaments holding the shoulder to the rib cage are firm and well-developed. Faults: Straight shoulders; loose shoulders.
Forelegs: When standing and viewed from the front, the legs are moderately spaced, parallel and straight, with the elbows close to the body and turned neither in nor out. Viewed from the side, pasterns are slightly slanted, with the pastern joint strong, but flexible. Bone is substantial but never heavy. Length of the leg from elbow to ground is slightly more than the distance from the elbow to the top of withers. Dewclaws on forelegs may be removed. Faults: Weak pasterns; too heavy bone; too narrow or too wide in the front; out at the elbows.
Feet: Oval in shape but not long. The paws are medium in size, compact and well-furred between the toes and pads. The pads are tough and thickly cushioned. The paws neither turn in nor out when the dog is in natural stance. Faults: Soft or splayed toes; paws too large and clumsy; paws too small and delicate; toeing in or out.
Statement: The shoulder of the Siberian Husky are well laid back. The upper arm should angle back and be about the same length as the shoulder blade its self. We see many dogs today whose upper arm is very short and straight. This will restrict the forward movement of the front legs and place them on the corners of the dog as legs on a table. This is totally wrong. The upper arm must swing back and be able to encompass the rib cage so the dog can get its front legs under the front of its body allowing about a hands width between the front legs. You will feel the sternum and chest, not an empty hole. With the legs in this position the dog can now get his legs under him allowing for full swing and motion of the leg and also be able to converge along a straight line as speed increases. Wasted motion in the shoulders, upper arms, forelegs, wrists, pasterns, or feet is not to be accepted. Loose shoulders, being out in the elbow, crossing over, circular motion, floppy pasterns, and east west feet are all movement faults and should not be condoned. Bone and substance that will allow the dog to do the job of work it was bred for Should be seen. The bone should never be so light as to suggest a racing Greyhound or frail like a Whippet.
The forelegs should be straight and with substantial bone. There is a slight slant to the pastern which acts as a cushion when the dog moves to relieve natural shock while in motion. It should Never appear long and sloping as seen in the German Shepard, nor should it be completely straight up and down as seen it the Fox Terrier
When standing and viewed from the rear, the hind legs are moderately spaced and parallel. The upper thighs are well-muscled and powerful, the stifles well bent, the hock joint well defined and set low to the ground. Dewclaws, if any, are to be removed. Faults: Straight stifles, cowhocks, too narrow or too wide in the rear.
Statement: The hindquarters of the Siberian Husky are very important. They are the machine that drives the dog forward. The hindquarters should be well muscled and spaced a bit wider than the front legs when viewed from the rear. The Knee or stifle of the dog should be half way between the tuckup of the loin and the top of hock. Many dogs today do not have proper knee placement with the knee joint way up the leg near the tuckup. The femur bone is to short when this happens. The dog loses angulation and ends up with straight hind legs when view from the side and moves with a stilted gait like that of a Chow. We need to see a moderate turn of stifle but not over angulated as a German Shepard. For the dog to be in balance both front and rear… the angles of the shoulder and upper arm must closely approximate the same angles as the femur and the tibia in the hind leg. The hock joint when the foot is set correctly on the ground should be at a 90 degree angel to the ground when viewed from the side. Cow hocks, Sickle hocks and hyper-extended hocks should be penalized as they are all incorrect
The coat of the Siberian Husky is double and medium in length, giving a well-furred appearance, but is never so long as to obscure the clean-cut outline of the dog. The undercoat is soft and dense and of sufficient length to support the outer coat. The guard hairs of the outer coat are straight and somewhat smooth-lying, never harsh nor standing straight off from the body. It should be noted that the absence of the undercoat during the shedding season is normal Trimming of whiskers and fur between the toes and around the feet to present a neater appearance is permissible. Trimming the fur on any other part of the dog is not to be condoned and should be severely penalized. Faults: Long, rough, or shaggy coat; texture too harsh or too silky; trimming of the coat, except as permitted above.
Color All colors from black to pure white are allowed. A variety of markings on the head is common, including many striking patterns not found in other breeds.
Statement: The Siberian Husky is an Arctic breed of dog and for that reason the correct Arctic Coat must be maintained for the serviceability of the breed. The correct coat on a Siberian is between 2 to 4 inches in length for the guard coat. This is the harder top coat that projects through the under coat of the dog and “Guards” the undercoat from getting wet or packed with snow. The guard coat is water and snow resistant and keeps the dog dry at the skin surface in the worst conditions. The undercoat is thick and dense and not easily parted and should hold the guard coat off the body. The neck hair, britches, and tail hair on full coated male dogs tends to be a bit longer than the body coat but maintains the correct texture and is normal. Bitches tend to carry slightly less coat than males but should have the same density and texture of coat. While any color and marking are allowed we tend to favor dogs that are symmetrically marked in the classic “Husky” style with white or masked face, white under belly and legs, with body coat in shades of black, gray, or red.
The Siberian Husky's characteristic gait is smooth and seemingly effortless. He is quick and light on his feet, and when in the show ring should be gaited on a loose lead at a moderately fast trot, exhibiting good reach in the forequarters and good drive in the hindquarters. When viewed from the front to rear while moving at a walk the Siberian Husky does not single-track, but as the speed increases the legs gradually angle inward until the pads are falling on a line directly under the longitudinal center of the body. As the pad marks converge, the forelegs and hind legs are carried straight forward, with neither elbows nor stifles turned in or out. Each hind leg moves in the path of the foreleg on the same side. While the dog is gaiting, the topline remains firm and level. Faults: Short, prancing or choppy gait, lumbering or rolling gait; crossing or crabbing.
Statement: The Gait of the Siberian Husky is effortless. The dog should be propelled forward by the hind legs and the top line should remain level not exhibiting rise or fall as both are wasted motion. The most important thing in the gait is economy. In it’s native land the Siberian needed to exist on very little food and a dog that burned more calories due to lack of coat, poor conformation, and erratic movement had to be eliminated. Correct movement does not call for the dog to over reach the front feet with the rear. This is a fault. When looking at the tracks of a proper moving Siberian in the snow,.. One sees that the hind feet are placed in the imprint of the front foot on the same side. The dog should reach from the shoulder in front and extend the leg straight out and down in one smooth motion and drive off the hock and extend the rear leg all the way back in one smooth motion. High rising Hackney or prancing movement in front, or a rear that is too wide or straddled that does not start to converge are very poor and should be penalized. Other movement faults as mentioned above should also be penalized.
The characteristic temperament of the Siberian Husky is friendly and gentle, but also alert and outgoing. He does not display the possessive qualities of the guard dog, nor is he overly suspicious of strangers or aggressive with other dogs. Some measure of reserve and dignity may be expected in the mature dog. His intelligence, tractability, and eager disposition make him an agreeable companion and willing worker.
Statement: Correct Temperament is Very Important in the Pure Bred Siberian Husky. The Husky is a pack animal and should work easily with other dogs in harness not showing aggression toward people, children, or other dogs. The words “overly suspicious” and “reserve” do not mean that the dog is allowed to be shy, cowering, growling, or pulling away from strangers. The Siberian should stand quietly at its handler’s side and allow examination by strangers. The mature dog is proud with dignity and is self assured. Puppies tend to be a bit wiggly and silly but NOT aggressive or cowering down or trying to bite. These are sever temperament faults and should eliminate or disqualify the dog from show ring competition or sled work.
The most important breed characteristics of the Siberian Husky are medium size, moderate bone, well balanced proportions, ease and freedom of movement, proper coat, pleasing head and ears, correct tail, and good disposition. Any appearance of excessive bone or weight, constricted or clumsy gait, or long, rough coat should be penalized. The Siberian Husky never appears so heavy or coarse as to suggest a freighting animal; nor is he so light and fragile as to suggest a sprint-racing animal. In both sexes the Siberian Husky gives the appearance of being capable of great endurance. In addition to the faults already noted, the obvious structural faults common to all breeds are as undesirable in the Siberian Husky as in any other breed, even though they are not specifically mentioned herein.
Statement: When looking at the Pure Bred Siberian Husky one should first see a dog that is capable of living and surviving in harsh High Arctic climates. A dog with the correct Arctic coat, kind expression, proper tail, pleasing head, and small high set ears. A dog of substance, and stable character. The Siberian is an effortless mover that works at a moderate speed while performing his job in harness. He is not a sprint racing animal. He is capable of great endurance on very little food and goes about life as a happy willing worker.