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The
Visual Siberian
The Siberian
Standard in Pictures
Welcome
to our "Visual Siberian", designed for those new to Siberians
and showing. While this Siberian isn't perfect, the attempt here
is to allow you to see the different "parts" as they are
relative to the standard and the terminology used to describe them.
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Click
on the various parts of the Siberian below to learn more about them.
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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
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Measuring
your Siberian |
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Height
is measured at the "withers" or
highest point of shoulder to the ground. |
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Length
is measured from the "point of
shoulder" or "prosternum" to the
farthest point of the "pelvic"
or "hip"
bone (croup). |
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Any
dog over 23-1/2" or any bitch over 22"
AT THE WITHERS is disqualified from conformation
showing. |
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Height:
Dogs, 21 to 23 1/2 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 23 1/2 inches and bitches over
22 inches.
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Faults
of the head include:
~ eyes set too obliquely; too close together
~ ears too large in proportion to the head; too
wide set; not strongly erect
~ head clumsy or heavy; head too finely chiseled
~ insufficient stop
~ muzzle either too snippy or too coarse; muzzle
too short or too long
~ any bite other than scissors |
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The
"occiput" is located at the back of
the skull behind the ears and feels like a small
bump. |
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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 snipy 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.
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Faults
of the neck, topline & body include:
~ neck too short and thick; neck too long
~ Chest too broad; "barrel ribs", ribs
too flat or weak
~ back that is weak or slack; roached back;
sloping topline |
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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.
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Faults
of the tail include:
~ a snapped or tightly curled tail; (such as the
Akita tail)
~ highly plummed tail; (as can be found on the
Alaskan Malamute)
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tail set too low or too high |
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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.
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Faults
of the shoulders include:
~ straight and/or loose shoulders
Faults
of the forelegs include:
~ soft or splayed toes;
~ paws too large and clumsy
~ paws to small and delicate
~ toeing in or out.
Length
of leg from elbow to ground is slightly more than
distance from elbow to the top of
withers.
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Forequarters
~ Shoulders & Legs
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.
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Faults
of the hindquarters include:
~ straight stifels, cowhocks, too narrow or too
wide in the rear
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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,
cowhocks, too narrow or too wide in the rear.
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Topline
~ should be firm and level without any
"bouncing" or "rollling" when the dog is moving.
Reach
~ When properly structured and moving correctly, ideally,
the foot should hit the ground in line with the nose when
the neck and head is extended slightly forward.
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~ propels the dog forward and the rear foot should
move in the path of the foreleg on the same
side. They should not "overreach"
by going beyond where the front foot is.
Often dogs who "overreach" will tend to
"crab" (where the rear of the dog
appears to move off to one side) or they will move
wide in the rear. |
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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 straight forward, 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.
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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.
For
more information on color, patterns, markings and eye colors, please
visit
Colors of the
Siberian Husky
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