If you are thinking of getting a Siberian Husky from a shelter or Siberian Husky rescue, a good place to find out about the kind of dog you are getting is through studying the breed standard. If you want to show your Siberian Husky, then you really should get your dog from a reputable Siberian Husky breeder. If you do go that route, then you will need to know the breed standard just to be sure you are getting your money’s worth.

Never get a puppy, Siberian Husky or any other kind, from a pet store or an Internet site that sells puppies and ships them to you anywhere in the country. These places are usually supplied directly by puppy mills, and the Internet sites are usually fronts for the puppy mills themselves. In a puppy mill, dogs are stuck into wire cages stacked on top of each other so the dung and urine passes through. The owners perform all veterinary functions. They are grisly places.

It has only been in the last few decades that Huskies were bred for looks rather than for function. This shows in a great many purebred Siberian Huskies, which is one of the reasons why they can be abandoned. Some people not only want a purebred Siberian husky, they want one that looks like the fictional ideal of the Siberian Husky set out in the American Kennel Club. For the most part, Siberian Huskies are abandoned through no fault of their own.

The ideal Siberian Husky is about fifty pounds and twenty-two inches high at the shoulder. His or her coat is double layered and not too frizzy, silky or too long. He or she does not have dewclaws, knock-knees, an overbite or a muzzle that is either to pointed or too blunt. All of his or her body parts in proportion to give a look of a smoothly flowing, athletic little wolf.

Looking at the dog in the rescue center that you suspect is a Siberian Husky, you take the breed standard and compare. The dog does not need to match in every category (no dog can).

According to reliable Siberian Husky information, not all purebred Huskies have pointed ears. The puppies are born with floppy ears that do not stand up until the puppy is about six months old. But sometimes, the ears just stay floppy. Huskies also should not have a tightly curled tail for showing, or have too low a tail set however, this happens a lot in purebred Huskies.

It is good to know the breed standard of the Siberian Husky when you are thinking of adopting a dog who looks a lot like a Siberian Husky, only there are no records to prove it. The looks of the shelter dog will give an indication on the dog’s needs, what illnesses they are prone to and how much exercise they require.

They should stand squarely. Purebred Huskies can get a disqualifying fault called “cow hocks”, which are knock-knees of the hind legs. Many purebred Huskies fall short of the breed standard somewhere. This is why a show quality Husky is so hard to find.