Are Siberian Huskies More Active in Winter or Summer, and Why?
Knowing some facts about the Siberian Husky breed, like the one that they are genuinely winter dogs, made me wonder how active they are when the weather changes? Is it possible for a Husky to be happy in hot climates? Here’s what I found out…
Contents
- Are Siberian Huskies more active in winter or summer, and why?
- Is it Possible to Own a Siberian Husky if You Live in a Hot Climate?
- How Active Siberian Huskies Are In Hot Climate?
- How Much Exercise Does Husky Need in The Summer or Hot Weather?
- How Much Exercise Does Husky Need in The Winter or Cold Weather?
- How to Keep up With Husky’s Energy Level?
- Walking Your Husky In Urban Areas
- More Extreme Activities To-Do With Your Dog
- Related Questions
Are Siberian Huskies more active in winter or summer, and why?
Siberian Husky breed is far more active in winter than summer. Their origin is Siberia, Russia, where the temperatures can drop down to -47 Celsius (-52.6 Fahrenheit). Siberian Husky dogs were bred as working dogs where they pulled sleds and ran fast for an extended period in extreme weather. Their double, waterproof coats keep them warm in the winter. It seems that Siberian Huskies will be active in all weather conditions as they can adapt to different environments and climates.
Here is some useful information if you hope to own, or already own a Siberian Husky in a cold or hot climate.
Is it Possible to Own a Siberian Husky if You Live in a Hot Climate?
The Siberian Husky dog is easily adaptable to different climates and temperatures. If you live in a country where summer is hot or is warm throughout the year, you can still enjoy having a Husky.
Depending on how high your country’s temperature is, you will have to make some effort to keep the Husky cool and to provide enough exercise for your dog every single day. When your Husky puppy is growing up in a hot climate, its body temperature will adapt.
Their adaptability doesn’t mean that you should leave your dog outside in the sun. Please make sure your dog has access to shady areas if you have a yard, plenty of water at all times, air conditioning, or a dog pool to cool down its body when needed. You might even find your dog sleeping in the shower or a bathtub.
Most Huskies enjoy the water, and it’s a good idea to have a small pool. Another thing that you could do is fill up the pool with ice cubes and let your Husky play in it. This way, your dog can cool whenever it needs to, especially if it’s very active. If you don’t have a pool, you could use a water hose to keep your dog cool. “Watering” your dog could be a fun, playing routine for both of you.
How Active Siberian Huskies Are In Hot Climate?
As being an active dog in general, your Husky will, undoubtedly, be energetic for at least a couple of hours a day. Their activity level will depend on their personal needs. Not all Huskies are the same, and they have different exercise needs. The activity level will also depend on how high is the temperature outside, how old the dog is, and if you own more than one dog.
Two dogs playing together will sure burn some energy without you being involved. Do not let your dogs run around the house and destroy things. If your dog/s don’t exercise enough, they will chew on things.
If you have a bigger, fenced yard, this will help your Husky to get more activity during the day. Please don’t substitute yard time with walking or running your dog every day. A Siberian Husky will need to get enough exercise every single day.
How Much Exercise Does Husky Need in The Summer or Hot Weather?
In hot weather, you should keep your dog safe by walking or running with it at least twice a day. Choose early mornings and late evening as those are the best times since the sun is not out yet, and the temperatures are lower than during the day. Make it a routine, and your Husky will be happy.
As you spend more time with the dog, you will learn how much exercise is enough for your Husky each day. Follow its lead, and your dog will slow down when it’s tired. Husky could run or walk for a few hours a day, no matter what the temperature is. In general, if your dog has a chance to run fast, it will burn energy more quickly. Do take your Husky for a walk or a run every day; otherwise, it may get bored and start destroying things around the yard and the house.
How Much Exercise Does Husky Need in The Winter or Cold Weather?
In the winter, your Husky could be active for hours since they are winter dogs. According to some Siberian Husky experts, this dog breed doesn’t reach its full activity potential until the temperature drops down to at least -15 Celsius (5 Fahrenheit).
They love playing in the snow and run through it. No matter if there’s snow or not, Huskies will run for a long time outside in the cold temperatures. Sometimes, the Husky owner will have a hard time keeping up with their energy levels and speeds.
How to Keep up With Husky’s Energy Level?
If you are an outdoor person, or if you enjoy more energetic sports, your Husky will be grateful.
Activities like:
- Trail biking
- Hiking
- Skateboarding
- Longboarding
- Rollerblading
and similar extreme activities, are great to keep up with your dog’s energy efficiently.
Make sure to train your dog before you decide to go on any of these adventures. As great as these activities seem, it could be hazardous as they are energetic and pull a lot. Do not attach the leash to your bike; you could easily get injured.
When taking your dog out and skating or rollerblading, make sure that your Husky knows to obey the command when you need to slow down, stop, turn right, left, and similar. Do not attach your dog’s leash to your waist as this can be dangerous if the dog pulls you unexpectedly.
Keep in mind that this dog breed likes to wander around and will do so when you take it out and let it run without a leash. Huskies are intelligent and stubborn; they like to do what they want when they want. They will take your command as a suggestion instead of obeying you.
On the same note, you don’t need to be into extreme sports to keep up with their energy levels. If you like to run or jog, your dog will be okay.
If you’re not much of a runner, you can take your dog for long walks, dog parks, and find a safe area where it can run freely and play for a couple of hours. Some dogs at dog parks have bad habits, so keep an eye on your Husky while around dogs you don’t know.
If you don’t introduce your Husky to extreme activities, long-running, and playing outside for hours, it won’t be used to doing it and won’t expect it. You could train your dog to go for long walks every day. It will still be active and satisfied. If you enjoy riding a regular city bike, take your dog for a slow run next to your bike.
Whichever activity you choose to do with your Husky, please get to know your dog’s personality. It’s essential to understand how they behave outside, around other dogs, animals, and humans.
Make sure they obey basic commands. Have a good quality collar or a harness, strong leash, and some travel bowl (especially if you live in a hot climate), it is important to have these few things when doing outdoor activities with your Husky.
Walking Your Husky In Urban Areas
No matter where you live, your Husky will need to be active. Hopefully, your town or city has some walking areas, parks, trails, dog parks, or general walking areas where you could take your dog. If your dog gets enough exercise, it will be okay no matter where you take it. Some towns and cities have walking areas by the river, lake or sea.
Train your Husky to walk on the leash. This is especially important in urban areas with lots of people walking around the streets and high traffic areas.
If your dog likes to run off the leash, but there’s a lot of traffic everywhere during the day, choose early mornings and late nights to do so.
If you are unable to do any walking or runs but still want to exercise a Husky, play fetch (it requires minimum effort on your side). You could also buy an automatic ball launcher, and make your dog run while you sit and enjoy.
More Extreme Activities To-Do With Your Dog
If you are someone who is an extreme sports enthusiast and want to do a little bit more than everyday dog owners, you could try:
- Skiing
- Snowboarding
- Skating
- Snow biking
- Sledding
This is possible if you know how to do these sports and if you live in areas that provide places for such activities. Whatever you do, your dog will follow. Safety first, so make sure both you and your dog are safe doing it.
You do not have to be physically fit or a sporty person to own a Husky. There are different ways to exercise your dog and plenty of activities for both you and your dog.
Related Questions
Can Your Husky Sleep Outside in The Winter?
Siberian Husky is a winter dog, so it can surely sleep outside in the winter. This breed is used to the extreme, cold weather, and its double coat makes them warm in the cold weather. If you let your dog sleep outside, make sure it’s safe. Provide your dog with a dog house or other roofed area to have an option for where it wants to sleep.
How Fast Can Husky Run?
Most Huskies can run up to 20 mph (32.187 km per hour). How fast they can run depends on their age and how active they are every day. Some Huskies can run up to 28 mph (45 km per hour). If you take your Husky for a fast run every day, its endurance will increase.