Product Description

Bred for loyalty, strength and endurance, the easy-going and sociable Siberian Husky is a very pure and ancient breed, dating back 4,000 years or more. First bred by the Chukchis, a semi-nomadic people of northeastern Siberia, to hunt reindeer and pull sleds, the Siberian is an active breed that loves the outdoors. Prized for their great beauty, intelligence, wonderful way with children and lack of “dog smell,” they are also more free-spirited (and free-ranging) than many other popular breeds, and have a reputation for stubbornness and relentlessness in pursuit of a goal.

Is this breed right for you and your family? Siberian Huskies For Dummies answers this and all your questions about getting, caring for and living with a Husky. Siberian devotee—she has eight of her own—Diane Morgan gets you up and running with what you need to know to:

• Find and deal with reputable breeders
• Choose the right Husky for you
• Hou sebreak and socialize your new puppy
• Educate yourself and your dog
• Handle behavioral problems
• Participate in competitions

In friendly, down-to-earth language, Diane provides insights into the Siberian Husky temperament and loads of sensible, easy-to-follow advice on everything a Husky owner should know—along with fun facts and Husky trivia, amusing and informative anecdotes, and tips on how to have a great time with your Husky. Topics covered include:

• Understanding what makes the Siberian different from every other breed
• Deciding whether a male or female is right for you
• Understanding how to communicate with your Siberian Husky
• Training your Siberian Husky
• Grooming your Siberian
• Finding and establishing a good relationship with a veterinarian
• Breaking bad habits in your Husky
• Feeding and exercising your Siberian Husky
• Recognizing, preventing and treating common health problems
• Getting your Husky into sledding

The indispensable guide for you and your Siberian Husky, Siberian Huskies For Dummies is the only book you’ll need to help you have the best possible experience with this very ancient and venerable breed of dog.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23817 in Books
• Published on: 2000-11-21
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 296 pages

From the Back Cover
"Gives you an excellent understanding of the characteristics of this magnificent breed." David Noyes, Vice President, Chesapeake Siberian Husky Club, Inc. Praise for Siberian Huskies For Dummies^® "As an owner, trainer, and rescuer of Siberian Huskies for over 25 years, I highly recommend this book for all owners, especially new ones." — Peg Wheeler "An accessible text worth your time and money. You will emerge knowledgeable about and more appreciative of the qualities of your dog." — Jean Holland Lindblad, longtime Siberian Husky owner

Find out about your Siberian Husky's special needs

Get the lowdown on keeping your Husky healthy and content Lively, curious, and headstrong, the Siberian is an active breed that loves the outdoors. This fun and friendly book provides insights into the Siberian Husky's temperament, sensible advice on taking care of and training your dog, tips on participating in a variety of dog competitions, and much more.

Discover how to: Choose the right Husky for you Manage your new puppy Maintain good health and diet Exercise your dog Handle behavioral problems

Get smart! www.dummies.com Attention pet owners! Get free Dummies Daily^™ e-mail newsletters Sign up for tips on dogs, cats, or birds Keep your pet healthy and content — the Dummies Way^™

About the Author
Diane Morgan is a writer, college professor, and longtime owner of many breeds of dogs. The Siberian Husky, with its spectacular beauty, engaging personality, and fascinating history, is one of her favorites.

Customer Reviews

Great information that I have not seen in other books
My wife and I are VERY new at the Siberian Husky thing (we just adopted our first guy last Saturday from a rescue - a two year old named Yukon), but decided to pick up a few books to read up on them. Maybe we didn't buy the right books, but it really seems like this one has a lot of information that other do not have. I also suggest "Siberian Husky: A Comprehensive Guide to Owning and Caring for Your Dog (Kennel Club Dog Breed Series)," as it is a great, comprehensive look at the breed, and includes information found in "Siberian Huskies Complete Owner's Manual" (which is itself a good book, but tends to skimp in a few areas).

I would pick this book up as an addition to your library but, if you are going to really research these great dogs, I recommend buying one or two others to go along with it.

Should be required reading for anyone considering a Sibe!
I have been deeply involved in the dog world as a trainer, exhibitor (conformation and obedience), owner, fosterer and rescuer for a number of years and I love this book series. As a relatively new Siberian husky owner, fancier and rescuer, I found this book to be accurate, frank and totally fun to read. That last quality is especially important because I am finding increasingly that many people who acquire puppies or dogs have no real idea of what is involved in dog ownership. This seems to be especially true with a beautiful purebred like the Siberian husky. This book pretty much tells it like it is, from the fact that NO husky can be trusted not to run away if not on leash or fenced (they are bred to "run", after all)to the idea that Siberian huskies help remind you what is important in life--as long as it's not keeping a perfect house (they DO shed). It also has more information than any other single book I have found on general dog care, health, first aid, behavior, training (much of it specific for Siberian huskies--a great plus). This book even contains chapters on grooming, "working" huskies for fun and also very interesting information on the history of the Siberian husky as a breed. I would give this book 5 stars (or more) except for two things: 1) I would have liked to have seen more emphasis on finding and acquiring homeless Siberian huskies from rescue programs. This was mentioned, but only briefly. Siberians frequently find themselves homeless (I guess because not everyone has read this book and is prepared for them!) 2) I found the section on whether to have a Siberian husky live inside or outside--a major decision with great ramifications for the dog's life and the family's enjoyment of the dog--somewhat confusing. The book states that a secure fence is almost a necessity with dogs of this breed but also that they are escape artists, should not be permanently chained outside and that they need to be part of the family. It would seem that keeping such a dog inside is the only option, at least for the pet owners for whom this book is evidently crafted. But after saying these things, the book continues to tell readers how to keep their dogs living outside. Even those tips are excellent, though, and could be useful once the issue was resolved. In general, this book is a huge improvement over the textbook style of so many breed specific books and manuals for dog owners. It has an immense amount of useful information in spite of its small size and easy readability. The icons in the margins help immensely in making the book useful, too--noting which sections are "warnings" and "tips", etc. Oh, and the cartoons are wonderful too, as if the book itself weren't valuable enough!

Good Information for the First-Time Husky Owner
For anyone thinking of adopting a husky, this book is a good resource. It does not intend to scare potential owners away from this awesome breed, but it does accurately present the joys (and hardships) of owning a Sibe. Sibes are wonderful, but they are definitely not for everyone - especially for the lazy. Far too many people adopt dogs without properly considering the time and commitment that goes into their care. A husky can be a challenging dog (as opposed to other breeds) for a first time dog owner. They need a lot of exercise to keep them fit (physically and mentally), they are food thiefs extraordinaire, they are not to be trusted off leash, and escape artists (yes, they can climb a 6 ft chain link fence or dig under it). Huskies that don't do at least some of these things are a rarity indeed. Potential owners need to be ready to deal with these issues or they could have a lost or injured dog on their hands before they know it.

My Sibe was a rescue who originally came from a pet store - he was not the product of good breeding practices and has many health problems as a result. Personally, I would not buy an animal from a pet store and I don't think that this book is necessarily condoning this method either. The fact of the matter is that dogs will continue to be sold in this manner so long as there is a demand - the authors realize this and simply take the time to point out the risks associated with buying dogs from stores. They also provide advice for people purchasing their dog from a pet store - what info to look for, what to be wary of, etc... I would rather have an informed dog buyer at a pet store than an uninformed one.

This book does not claim to be the "be all end all" on husky info... it repeatedly states, "Do your research." So read this book, read others, talk to breeders and owners, go to shows, sledding competitions and you may get a glimpse of life with a husky. But nothing prepares you like living with one!