FEEDING

The Siberian is a relatively small eater, and can get over weight very easily if one over feeds. The requirement for a 60 LB Siberian is about 2 cups of food a day. Never free feed the Siberian, as they are rather picky eaters. Putting the dog on a routine is the best way to get your Siberian to eat, feeding twice a day. They love fruits and vegetables. It is not uncommon for the Siberian to go a couple of days without eating; their metabolism allows them to do so. Some Siberians are big eaters and act like they are starving, then those you must not over-feed. Do not let the Siberian become fat.

SHEDDING

The Siberian is a double-coated dog. One coat is the down, or underneath coat, and the other is the guard hairs. The girls generally shed twice a year and the males shed once a year. The entire under coat comes out and then they loose their guard hairs, as the undercoat comes back in. The easiest way to shed out the Siberian is to wash them every six weeks and use a brush called a rack. It is best to brush the dog with a pin brush and the use of a comb will help expedite the shedding.

EXERCISE

The Siberian is an active dog and requires room to run and play. They require a 6-foot fence and a play yard. They also require a lot of people attention, if the Siberian gets bored they get into trouble. They are escape artists and can get over fences and also through a gate if not locked correctly. The Siberian is a natural runner and will run quickly away if they get out. They should never been off a leash. These dogs need to be trained from the age of 7 weeks and be consistent with the training giving plenty of exercise and attention. The Siberian loves the out of doors, but they also require in house time, they love to be where you are. They are very good with children, but again, they are very active and will gladly go out the front door. These dogs are an excellent choice for those who like to walk, jog, ski-jor, recreational sledding, lots of family activity that will include the Siberian pet, but if you do not have the time to put into the Siberian, then this bred is not for you.

TRAINING

The Siberian is not the easiest dog to obedience train. They are not watch dogs and cannot be trained to be one. They are willful yet very trainable. They are very intelligent dogs but because of their mental activity they choose not to listen to commands, particularly the come command. Starting your training early is the secret to success. With obedience training you can go into showing, therapy work, and just plain have a good Siberian pet around the house.

This is only a small highlight of this breed. One of many books I recommend to read on the Siberian would be "The Complete Siberian Husky" by Michael Jennings.