Siberian Husky
Working
Group
Breed Standard
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.
Size, Proportion, Substance
Height--Dogs, 21 to 23½ 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 23½ inches and bitches over 22 inches.
Head
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 snipy 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.
Neck, Topline, Body
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.
Tail
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.
Forequarters
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.
Hindquarters
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, cow-hocks, too narrow or too wide in the rear.
Coat
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.
Gait
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 straightforward, 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.
Temperament
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.
Summary
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.
DISQUALIFICATION
Dogs over 23½ inches and bitches over 22 inches.
Approved October 9, 1990
Effective November 28, 1990
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