Ray, a 6-year-old Siberian husky, enjoys the snow. (Photo courtesy Sarah Buchwalder)
Ray, a 6-year-old Siberian husky rescue, had a rough start to life, but you wouldn’t know it to watch his joyful antics.
He spent his early years in a shelter in Mississippi, was transported to Maine, and adopted, but was unfortunately neglected and then abandoned again. Before ultimately joining our family a little over a year ago, he was significantly underweight, listless, and battling heartworm.
It’s been a shock to encounter a certain amount of prejudice when out and about with our new(ish) friend, despite his ever-cheerful demeanor.
I don’t know if this is due to ignorance of the breed or an instinctual fear of more lupine-looking dogs. I’ve watched retrievers shake wet fur all over a stranger in local public parks, doodles jump up on children, and pugs growl when a new dog approaches; all of which elicits only a chuckle. We’ve had people glare at us for no reason at all or pull their dogs (or children) closer as we pass, even at a distance. More than once someone has said loudly, “That’s a wolf!”
Of course, it’s always wise to approach any unknown dog with caution, but huskies are one of the friendliest breeds out there – to both people and other dogs. They were selectively bred over thousands of years by the Chukchi people of Siberia to be nonaggressive dogs, often tucked in with small children to keep them warm at night. (They are still considered one of the best breeds for families with children). A dangerous or unpredictable dog in a nomadic, tribal society would have been an untenable risk, and in a team of dogs, all dogs need to be able to work together without serious conflicts.
Ray, a Siberian husky, relaxes by the Christmas tree. (Photo courtesy Sarah Buchwalder)
Siberian huskies are considered the number one worst guard dogs; they are happy to meet you (or your dog) and always harbor a hope that you (or your dog) might be willing to play with them. They are usually a very vocal breed with their own peculiar sounds, but not big barkers. Although there’s some individual variation; Ray tends to be the silent type, except when sirens go by.
Many mimic human speech. Ray sometimes says “Ah ruh roo!” (I love you!) or “Herrooo!” (Hello!) when he meets family members at the door – two things he’s heard us repeat in that context. He also is known to say “Nooooo!” when he doesn’t like what’s going on. (Nail trims require lots of reassurance and treats).
Huskies are enthusiastic and highly intelligent dogs with a strong independent streak. All of these qualities had a purpose in their original breeding. They are incredible problem solvers and eerily intuitive. While he was never trained as a service dog, Ray seems to know when one of his family members with migraines is on the verge of vertigo or a bad headache and “boops” her insistently with his nose.
They are also beautiful dogs, often to their own detriment. Many people get huskies because of their striking looks or resemblance to wolves and then discard them when the going gets tough. And Siberian huskies are a tough breed. Any working breed needs a lot of exercise and stimulation in order to not become destructive, anxious, or just pesky and attention seeking.
Huskies also have a high prey drive, shed a lot, can have marked separation anxiety, and are less interested in pleasing their humans than many other more popular companion breeds. They don’t fawn, but they do agree to work with you if they think it’s worth it, and can do so with unmatched stamina and hyper-focus. They are sweet but stubborn. Most have a deep mischievous streak and what appears to be a sense of humor.
They also have a tendency to have rather dramatic reactions. Ray makes an exaggerated huffing sound when he hears a command he doesn’t like.
When we adopted Ray, a veteran husky owner in a support group told us, “If you rescue a husky, you will be in for the most difficult next month of your life. After that you will have the best dog you will ever have.” It has proven to be entirely true. Ray was the light in life we didn’t know we were missing. While those first days and weeks were indeed very hard, the reward has been unexpected and immeasurable. It makes sense to us now why so many books and films are made about huskies in particular.
“A tired dog is a good dog,” and dogs are great at wearing each other out. Ray would love playdates with any other similarly sized, playful, dog-social dogs!
(Ray lives with the Buchwalder family in Bristol.)
