| 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 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.
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
(The preceding information was used in
conjunction with the American Kennel
Club ) |
