The Siberian Husky?is a medium-size, dense-coat working dog breed that originated in eastern Siberia. The breed belongs to the Spitz genetic family. It is recognizable by its thickly-furred double coat, sickle tail, erect triangular ears and distinctive markings.

Huskies are an active, energetic and resilient breed whose ancestors came from the extremely cold and harsh environment of the Siberian Arctic. Siberian huskies were bred by the Chukchi of Northeastern Asia. The dogs were imported into Alaska during the Nome Gold Rush and later spread into the United States and Canada. These species of dogs were initially sent to Alaska and Canada as sled dogs. It rapidly acquired the status of a family pet and a show-dog.

The Siberian Husky, Samoyed, and Alaskan Malamute are all breeds directly descended from the original "sled dog." Recent DNA analysis confirms that this is one of the oldest breeds of dog as can be seen with the Alaskan Malamute.

In this breed of canine, the word "husky" is a corruption of the derogative term "Eskie" which was also shared by the Inuit tribes discovered by Europeans who made early expeditions into their lands. By standard, Huskies are not burly, thick, fat, or overweight. The word "Siberian" in this breed's name is derived from Siberia itself, because it is thought that Eskimo or sled dogs were used to cross the land bridge of the Bering Strait on the way into, or out of, Alaska, though this theory is continuously disputed by scholars. Breeds descending from the Eskimo dog were once found throughout the Northern Hemisphere from Siberia to Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Labrador, and Baffin Island.

With the help of Siberian Huskies, entire tribes of peoples were able to not only survive, but push forth into terra incognita. Admiral Robert Peary of the United States Navy was aided by this breed during his expeditions in search of the North Pole. The Siberian Husky's role in this feat cannot be over estimated.

The Siberian Husky has been described as a behavioral representative of the domestic dog's forebearer, the wolf, exhibiting a wide range of its ancestors' behavior. They are known to howl rather than bark. Hyperactivity displaying as an overactive hunting drive, a characteristic of kenneled dogs, is often noticeable in dogs released from their captive environment for exercise - a behavior welcome in hunting dogs but not in the family pet.