With a personality that’s as vibrant and big as their famous coat, the Red Siberian Husky, or just the Red Husky for short, is one of the most highly sought out dogs. But despite their immense popularity, the Red Husky is perhaps not the best dog for most people and families.
Now, don’t get us wrong. This doesn’t mean they aren’t amazing dogs, nor does it mean they can’t be the perfect fit for someone. In fact, our team at Tindog is quite experienced with Siberian Huskies, with your lovely author having raised one.
The Red and White Husky — like all Siberian Huskies — is a working dog with a gorgeous big coat that needs constant tending to. They also have a very active, mischievously kooky personality that’s loads of fun and quite unique, but like their coat, their mind needs constant tending to.
There is truly nothing like having a Red Husky grace your house when you and they are the perfect fit. But if you’re not, and as you’ll see there are a lot of reasons you may not be, having a rambunctious Siberian Husky in your house is like unleashing a nightmare.
So, is the Red Husky a dog for you, or should you look for another dog breed? Today, we hope we can answer that question for you by giving everything you’ll want to know before making that big decision.
History Of the Red And White Siberian Husky
The Red Siberian Husky is not a different breed from any other Siberian Husky. In fact, the Siberian Husky is known for having quite the range of different coat colorings from all-white to black & white, and of course, red & white like the Huskies of today’s article.
Since their inception, the Siberian Husky has always been known as one of the great working breeds around. Their medium-size body perfectly balances agility, gracefulness, and strength, making them excellent at their job, whether it’s pulling a sled to the finish line or helping hunter-gatherer societies hunt.
The Siberian Husky is a direct descendant of the Chukchi dog named after the Chukchi tribe, a semi-nomadic people who used these dogs to pull sleds between long hunting expeditions over the frozen tundra.
It wasn’t until sometime in the early 1900s that the Husky first drew attention from Americans for their champion sled races. In 1925, their popularity saw a huge boom after a group of Siberian Huskies trekked 658 miles in five days to deliver a serum for a deadly diphtheria epidemic affecting Nome, Alaska.
Brown Husky
With a dark brown coat that falls on the rich end of the red spectrum, brown huskies also referred to as chocolate or chopper huskies, are some of the most gorgeous and energetic dogs around.
The term brown husky can also refer to Siberian husky and chocolate lab mixes. They’re just as adorable but without all the intensity that comes with a purebred husky.
These mixes are great for those that want a husky but worry about all the fur, energy, independent attitude, and predator instinct that comes with them.
Temperament Of The Red Siberian Husky
Personality
The Red and White Siberian Husky has an outgoing, quirky, and very sociable personality that can be both gentle and rambunctious. Their high intelligence and free-spirited nature combined with all that energy can be a recipe for disaster if they are left alone for too long with nothing to do.
These dogs love being around people and other dogs, and can easily suffer from anxiety when alone. But while stubborn, the Red and White Husky is remarkably loyal, friendly, and loving.
What Does The Ideal Red Siberian Husky Owner Look Like
The ideal Siberian Husky owner is someone who can give their Husky a lot of attention. Usually, this means families with kids are an excellent fit. Huskies love attention, have endless energy, need intermediate-advanced training, and weekly brushing. That is a lot for one person for one person to handle. Sometimes, it’s even too much for two adults if they both work full-time away from the house.
Next, Huskies love to run — really, really run — and a big yard, preferably fenced, is an ideal environment for them. Small apartments are definitely not a great place for most Siberian Huskies who are just a bit too big and are completely obsessed with running, which they’ll do whenever they can — meaning frequent zoomies in your house.
Appearance Of The Red Siberian Husky
Without a doubt, the biggest appeal of the Red Husky is their downright stunning appearance. That striking fiery hot red coat, those piercing icy blue eyes, and that ancient ancestrally wolf look is considered to be the ideal appearance for a dog by many. Their ears stand tall and set off a nibble but solid body that ends with a bushy tail that curls over their back. Both cute and cool, the Red Siberian Husky showy coat is truly a great indicator of their personality.
Coat
The Siberian Husky’s coat is infamous for its gorgeous markings, soft texture, and nightmare-inducing double coat that sheds all year round with seasonal changes bringing blowouts that will require large garbage bags to contain all their fur.
It is truly a sickening amount of hair that pulls and just falls off them in a cotton-like fashion. We highly recommend you lookup before and after shedding pics before you ever think about having a husky invade your house with their fur.
Size
The breed standard for the Siberian Husky has them standing between 20 and 24 inches at the shoulder and weighing between 45 and 60 lbs — though some males have been known to get quite a bit bigger nearing the triple digits.
They are considered a medium-sized breed as such, with their close cousin the Alaskan Malamute dwarfing them by quite a bit — about double their size. Where the Alaskan Malamute is quite stocky, the Siberian Husky is extremely sleek, slender, and more agile.
Grooming
There are few, if any dogs, that have bigger grooming demands than the Siberian Husky. You might be thinking that the Siberian Husky’s coat would be easier to manage than the Malamute’s who is quite a bit fluffier with longer hair.
Wrong, Siberian Huskies shed all year long, not just when the seasons change, which oh boy they shed then too. Their regular shedding rate that happens year-round is on par with most other breeds’ blowout sessions, which usually occur around seasonal changes.
Weekly brushing is highly recommended, and daily brushing will likely be required during their blowout sessions. Be prepared to have someone help you if you plan to do all the grooming at home.
And please never shave your Siberian Husky’s coat. Their double coat is essential to them being able to properly regulate their temperature, and shaving can result in the hair not properly growing back.
We truly can’t warn you enough about the amount of hair these dogs will shed. It’s just unfathomable where they hid it all. But it’s a testament to how it plays such an essential role in keeping their body temperature regulated. It also shows that Red Siberian Huskies aren’t the best dogs for hotter climates.
Nutrition
Because the Red and White Siberian Husky is such an active dog, it’s even more crucial than normal to get their nutritional needs correct. Kibble formulated for active dogs is probably your easiest good option, but you may wish to look into feeding them a raw diet for optimal health and wellness.
For the summer months, frozen or cold treats are a great way to help your Red Haired Husky stay cool. Just make sure to subtract any treat calories from their regular food calories if you notice any weight gain. Remember, the average Siberian Husky is quite nimble, so it’s easy to tell if they are getting chubby and need to lose weight.
Training and Exercising
The Red and White Siberian Husky isn’t the hardest dog to train, but they are by no means a good dog for the novice dog owner looking to train their first dog. The Husky is brilliant at learning commands, often getting the trick in just a few tries. The problem is getting them to care enough to perform the trick.
They love being stubborn, even when food is on the line. They are pack dogs and love testing your patience to see if they should actually respect you. They’re loveable jerks.
Patience is the key here, and forget about aggressive training or yelling because their emotional intelligence matches their wit, and they lash out at aggressive behavior.
Be stern and determined, but patient and loving, and with daily training, you’ll have one amazing dog on your hands. Beware, though, that often no amount of training can nip their desire to run away from you in the bud.
When it comes to exercising your Red Husky, the more you can give them, the better. Honestly, it’s pretty rare to outlast their energy level. Remember, these are dogs that pull sleds weighing hundreds of pounds through incredibly deep snow at fridge temps. They enjoy doing it too!
1-2 hours of exercise a day is an absolute must. But, it’s completely fine to break this up throughout the day with different activities like fetch, roughhousing, swimming, hiking, etc. Just make sure it’s fairly active.
Lifespan and Common Health Issues
Despite their bigger breed status, the Red Siberian Husky enjoys a longer lifespan similar to the ones found amongst small breeds. Siberian Huskies live between 12 to 15 on average. One of the reasons they appear to live a long life is thanks to their low affinity for health issues. The most common genetic issue they face is hip dysplasia and eye issues like cataracts.
Frequently Asked Questions About & Facts About The Red Husky
Where To Find?
Your best bet for finding a Red Husky is to look for Siberian Husky-based rescues or find a private breeder.
How Much Is A Siberian Husky?
When buying from a private breeder, expect to pay between $600-1,300 for a purebred Siberian Husky — a Red Husky puppy is much more likely to fall on the higher side of this scale.
Siberian Huskies often end up in shelters or rescues — especially ones between 6 months and two years. Here you’ll only pay for their upkeep fees, which include shots, neutering/spaying, etc. Usually, this is between $100-300.
How Rare Is The Red Siberian Husky?
While nowhere as common to see as the grey/back and white Siberian Huskies, the Red Haired Husky isn’t considered a rare coloring, and shouldn’t be too difficult to track one down. Even ones with a red coat and blue eyes, just google red husky blue eyes puppies. It should be a pretty good way to kick off your search.
What’s The Rarest Husky?
While the Red Husky is rarer than the traditional grey/black and white Huskies, they are nowhere as rare as the White Husky — who is probably the rarest husky.
Are Huskies Hard To Train?
The Husky is by no means an easy dog to train as they like to be stubborn and test your patience. However, they are incredibly intelligent and highly trainable, being able to learn advanced training methods with daily training. Unless you’ve trained several dogs before, it’s recommended you seek professional training for your Husky.
Conclusion
Loving, fun, full of energy, and downright stunning, it’s hard not to want such an incredible dog. But as we have learned, the Siberian Husky is far from a beginner-friendly dog, and, honestly, they can give those who have raised several dogs trouble if their many needs aren’t met. Speaking of those needs, let’s go over those.
First, around two hours of moderate to demanding exercise a day is required for these incredibly athletic dogs. Speaking of exercise, having a big yard that’s preferably fenced-in is a great thing for these free-spirited puppers. They do not well off the leash, and it’s near impossible to keep them by your side without one. Being outside is like a drug that just completely takes over their minds.
Next, while highly trainable, expect constant pushback and for them to test your limits pretty much forever — they’ll calm down after two years of age, but they are lifelong little rascals.
Last but not least. Say goodbye to a house free of dog hair, and forget about black clothing. The Siberian Husky sheds as bad as most dogs do during their coat blowout period all year round. Weekly grooming is essential, and seasonal changes will likely require daily grooming to combat the dreaded Siberian Husky coat blowout.
When you can meet those demands, then maybe you should think about bringing a Red Siberian Husky into your life. Will they be a dark or light red Siberian Husky, will they be high energy or high energy, only time will tell and we wish you luck in your search.
