Drawing Dogs – Leica X1

This is a dog that lives to work. He was developed to work and he maintains those unique characteristics that allow him to thrive in cold, snowy weather. He’s a graceful dog in action with a coat that withstands bitter cold. This is a breed built for power endurance and speed to haul a load over long distances.

He’s much more at home in cold weather than hot. Even more than most dogs hot weather stresses the Siberian Husky. By the standard they are 21 to 23 ½ inches with bitches slightly smaller. With a weight of 45-60 pounds a team of these can move through the snow covered wilderness silently except for the swish of the sled and panting from the dogs

Owing to their cold weather heritage they have a thick double coat. The undercoat is soft, dense and long enough to support the outer coat which is straighter and helps to shed the snow and weather. Seasonal shedding is profuse with clumps of that undercoat coming off starting near the hindquarters. Fur in the feet helps their function but may be trimmed between the toes from a show standpoint. Siberians in warmer climates may shed year round. They may be any color from pure white to all black with early selection considerations focusing on working ability rather than color.

He should be able to cover ground and appear effortless doing it. This is a dog that is developed to trot for long distances. He was developed as a sled dog to compete in long distance races in cold weather for light loads.

This is a friendly and outgoing breed but adult dogs may be reserved. He is a working dog past and present, and in more than just group classification. He’s light on his feet with enough substance to go for hours.

In 1909 a team of Siberians entered the All Alaska Sweepstakes race for the first time and the following year a team won the 400 mile race. They maintained a dominant force in winning the race for the rest of the decade. Although this was a sporting event the dogs became a serious force when their abilities were needed for real. In 1925 Nome Alaska had a diphtheria epidemic and it was Siberians at the forefront getting necessary medical supplies to the remote city. During WWII the Siberians came to the aid of people again while serving in the Arctic Search and Rescue Unit of the Army’s Air Transport Command and in expeditions in the Antarctic.