Alaskan Husky - Characteristics

Characteristics

Alaskan Huskies tend to vary greatly in personality as much as in color and appearance. However, generally speaking, the Alaskan Husky is a very affectionate dog, bred to cuddle with other dogs as much as with people. The Alaskan puppy will often walk right up to a strange dog and attempt to instigate a cuddle session. They are incredibly athletic and keeping up with the Alaskan Husky energy level is a full-time job. These dogs are not suited to an urban apartment lifestyle as they need a constant source of exercise, and due to their amazing endurance, never seem to get tired. Alaskan Huskies, like Siberian Huskies, tend to wander. They are loyal insofar as they know who their pack is, but with their incredible speed and fierce independence, the Alaskan will not stick close when off-leash. The Alaskan Husky is an adventurer and is usually very comfortable with car rides and breaking out of old routines. Alaskans tend to "jump up" on people, but unlike most breeds of dogs, the Alaskan does it for affectionate reasons rather than dominance reasons. Alaskan Huskies are generally very good with other dogs and gentle with people. They are ferocious eaters and can be food fixated. These dogs are happy to live outside as much as inside with his/her owners, but don't leave an Alaskan outside in a manicured lawn, these huskies love to dig.

The Alaskan Husky's coat tends to be self-cleaning like an Alaskan Malamute or a Siberian Husky so they need only infrequent bathing and don't tend to stink. They have a shedding season in the spring and unlike Siberians, Malamutes or German Shepherds, they don't tend to leave huge amounts of hair around the house all year long. They are not known for their keen intelligence but their cleverness varies from litter to litter and a bright Alaskan is no anomaly. There is no fence too high for an Alaskan Husky; they can jump up to 6 feet from a sitting position. Swimming is not an Alaskan Husky's strongest quality but they tend not to show any resistance or fear of water and can be trained or encouraged to be active swimmers. They don't take to retrieving naturally. Due to the inclusion of sight-hound in their genetic make-up, Alaskans can have very good vision and a strong nose. They are gifted and passionate hunters and tend to show these qualities at a very young age. Alaskans can be seen hunting anything from deer to minnows with varying success.They also love to run (sled dog)