The Siberian huskies were first brought into Alaska in 1909.
For centuries, they were used by the Chukchi people of the region to pull sleds and for a long time, they were also used to watch and keep reindeers together.

Siberian huskies are adapted to work in the rough conditions of Siberia; they are strong, tough, able to adapt to all conditions, and also love to work for hours.
The Siberian husky is known for its high endurance and its light-weight.

Fur traders brought them to North America for races because of their great speed.
One incident that helped popularize the breed was in 1925 when there was an epidemic of diphtheria in Nome, a city of Alaska where a lot of huskies brought medicine to the city.
They were also used in the Admiral Byrd’s Antarctic Expeditions.
The Siberian husky is now used as a companion dog but it’s not their only utility.

Breed Group

Working

Size

21 to 23½ inches (at shoulder)

Weight

Male: 45-62 lbs
Female: 31-51 lbs

Color(s)

The color of a Siberian husky is determined by two colors: black and brown/copper.
All Siberian husky colors are made of these two basics tones.
They can come in black, agouti, gray, red, sable and in white or a mix of these colors.

Coat

The Siberian husky has a double coat, medium in length, which gives him a furry appearance.
It has a soft and dense undercoat and it is long enough to support the outer coat.
The outer coat’s hairs are straight and smooth.
During the shedding season, the absence of the undercoat is normal.

Life Expectancy

12 – 15 years.

Personality

The Siberian husky is a friendly, calm, attentive and sociable dog.
Though, it can be very independent and hard to manage, they are extremely intelligent.
Siberian Huskies rarely bark, rather, they communicate by howling when they are happy, sad or even Siberian Huskywhen they are anxious.

Because of their friendly behavior, Siberian Huskies make poor guard dogs. They also tend to be smooth and nice with small children.
Siberian huskies can be expected to be alert, they love to please their masters and they are very adaptable.

Care

The husky is really easy to take care of.
It sheds one or two times a year. During those periods, it’s highly recommended to brush it daily.
The Siberian husky’s coat sheds dirt so it barely has an odor which makes bating unnecessary.

The coat of the Samoyed needs a lot of grooming (once a day preferably). They are heavy shedders seasonally. The coat tends to stay white without bathing.

Training

The owner of a Siberian husky must be an experienced and strict trainer.
Siberian Huskies are very intelligent and respond well to training but they can also be very stubborn, so training them can be a challenge.
Training should begin when the dog is at a young age.

The owner should try to establish rules early on to ensure that the puppy learns them.
Don’t let the dog think that the rules are flexible else he will think that it’s permissible to do it all the time. Make the training much easier establishing your self as the head master, the alpha.
The dog must never think that he is the boss.

Activity

Siberian Huskies are energetic dogs and they need a good amount of exercise (at least 30 to 60 minutes per day).
However, when the temperature is warm they should not be excessively exercised.
Huskies require a big yard with a high fence because they might want to escape and go hunting.

Since ancient times, this breed lived with a Siberian population named the Samoyeds.
For centuries they used a beautiful white dog to help them in their daily activities: hunting and fishing.

The Samoyede people were peaceful and extremely loving with their dogs, treating them as family members, as a result, the Samoyed dog became very lovely and trustful with humans.
As nomads, the Samoyede people used their dogs to pull sleds.

Samoyed dogs were brought out of Siberia (to England) in 1889 by the explorer Robert Scott.
This is when the breed started to be known and spread throughout the world.

Breed Group

Working

Size

Male: 21 to 23½ inches.
Female: 19 to 21 inches.

Weight

Male: 45-65 lbs
Female: 35-50 lbs

Color(s)

The Samoyed can be white, white and biscuit, all biscuit or cream.

Coat

The Samoyed’s undercoat is soft, thick and short. The outer coat is formed by longer, harsh hairs.
The weather resistant coat is straight and should form a ruff on the neck and the shoulders.

Life Expectancy

12 – 15 years.

Personality

The Samoyed is very intelligent, curious and alert. This dog, loyal, friendly and adaptable is eager to please.
This is a gentle, not distrustful dog with no over aggressiveness.

The Samoyed always seeks for love and loyalty from his owner, which they will return to him.
Energetic, playful even at old age, it is nice with everybody, even intruders and needs a lot of human’s attention, otherwise it can become miserable.

Because of its peaceable behavior, it can’t be used as a watchdog. It’s a very good family pet that gets along very well with children.
Because of its tendency to hunt, it can’t be trusted with other non-canine small pets. In the 5 sleigh dogs breeds, it’s the breed that tends to bark the most.
This dog has the bad reputation of a chewer, so it can become destructive if left alone for many hours.

Care

Samoyed is prone to hip dysplasia and some are diabetic. This dog might have skin allergies or PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy).

The coat of the Samoyed needs a lot of grooming (once a day preferably). They are heavy shedders seasonally. The coat tends to stay white without bathing.

Training

The Samoyed is a very intelligent dog, but its stubbornness can make it difficult to train, however, with a patient and firm training, the Samoyed can eventually respond very well to orders.

Activity

The Samoyed needs a fair amount of daily exercise, but it’s not appropriate to work it out excessively during warm weather.

The Black Russian Terrier was first developed right after World War II by the Russian Red Army. It was designated as a police dog. It helped to guard military buildings, to patrol with the police etc.

The Black Russian Terrier is a mix between the Giant Schnauzer, the Rottweiler, the Moscow Retriever and the Airedale. It’s a very rare breed but you can sometimes notice them in European dog shows. The American Kennel Club admitted the breed in 2004.

Breed Group

Working

Size

Male dogs: 25.7 – 28.1 inches
Female dogs: 25.0 – 27.3 inches

Weight

Male: 100-150 lbs
Female: 80-130 lbs

Color(s)

Black or black with grey hairs

Coat

The coat of a black russian terrier is two to four inches, coarse, dense, weatherproof, wiry and bristly but close lying wavy.

Life Expectancy

About 10 – 12 years.

Personality

Black Russian Terriers are very brave and they have a strong protective instinct so they are skeptical about strangers. They are extremely energetic and sturdy. They are alert and have strong defense reactions. They love to play with children (mostly the female but the male too). They always search human’s presence and are always ready to protect the family. It takes a long time to the Black Russian Terrier to mature.

Care

Once a week, the Black Russian Terrier needs to be brushed at least 30 minutes. It does not moult and they only shed a little. The Black Russian Terrier must, several times in the year, be professionally groomed and trimmed. Hairs in the ears should be removed and the hairs from the paws should be cut.

Training

First, the Black Russian Terrier needs high socialization at a very young age because they are very protective. To be manageable, it must have a basic training. The training of this dog can’t be neglected and it will need time and work to train it. It can also be trained for agility, for search and rescue etc.

Activity

Black Russian Terriers love to be entertained and to exercise. They will enjoy it if you bring him for a long walk in the park or if you just play with it. They love snow and water so they will always be happy to take a swim!

The Borzoi is a sighthound and they originated in Arabia but were later on brought to Russia. They are known as Russian Wolfhounds and were owned by the Russian nobility. Like their name suggests, the Borzoi were used to hunt down wolves.

In Russian, the name itself translates to “swift’, which is a perfect word to describe this particular breed. Long and lean, the Borzoi is a rapid and intimidating hunter, that is both fearless and intelligent. This breed is said to possess some characteristics of a cat as it is quiet and clean.

The Borzoi is a tall, slender dog that is both friendly and affectionate but can be a vicious hunter when called to par. They will do well around children and other dogs, but if there are smaller animals in the house, such as guinea pigs, rabbits, cats, hamsters, etc. they should be monitored well as these can be interpreted as prey to the Borzoi.

Breed Group

Hound

Size

Male: 28 inches high

Female: 26 inches high

Weight

Male: 75-105 lbs

Female: 60-90 lbs

Color(s)

Tans, grays, whites, and golds with patches of black are the most common colouring for this breeds coat. This can be either all one colour, or a mixture of any with black.

Coat

The Borzoi has a luxurious loosely wavy top coat. It is long and smooth but appears to be thin. Their neck is heavily covered in fur and resembles a mane like that of a horse. The undercoat is thick and smooth but will be shed in the summer to prevent overheating.

Life Expectancy

About 10-12 years.

Personality

The Borzoi is an intelligent loyal breed, that will make a great worker or pet. They are as enthusiastic about hunting and working beside their owner as they are spending time with the family.

Devoted and tireless, these free spirited dogs are an athletic, historic breed dating back to the 1600’s. Just like all Hounds, the Borzoi loves to follow scents of past visitors to wherever that may be, so leashed walks and fenced in areas will be needed.

As puppies, the Borzoi should be introduced to many people, dogs, smaller pets such as cats and be brought to various outdoor busy areas to ensure they become stable and well tempered adults. Being minimum 26 inches tall, this breed may be large but they are rapidly agile.

Care

The Borzoi’s long coat will need extra maintenance to ensure no mats are created. Daily brushing and monthly trims will be perfect for this breeds coat. They are prone to Bloat, elbow and hip dysplasia, eye problems: one being Progressive Retinal Atrophy, and some cardiac complications: one being Cardiomyopathy. This breed can also be picky when it comes to their diet so keeping one food constant is the best plan.

Training

This breed can be difficult to train as they will need positive yet firm methods. The Borzoi will need to be respected for its original breed purpose which is to hunt. They have a an independent personality and can be more interested in what they want to do rather then what their owner is training them to do.

Activity

The Borzoi will need an abundance of exercise, preferably off-leash so they can run freely. When walking this type of dog, a leash is always required as they could spot a small animal and race to catch it. The Borzoi will be able to live in an apartment comfortably as long as they are taken out to exercise daily. A house with a yard would be preferable as this breed will need a closed off space to romp around in.