Belusky -- Belgian Shepherd Dog X Siberian Husky

		Belusky
		He is not recognized by the F.C.I.


Origin			Belgium <> Siberia -> U.S.A.
Translation			Francis Vandersteen

A brief presentation of the Belusky

The Belusky is a hybrid of the Belgian Malinois Shepherd and the Siberian Husky and, as such, can live in cooler to colder temperatures. The Belusky has a strong, compact body with energy levels that require daily exercise levels of a minimum of 1 to 2 hours and preferably more. Beyond their energy levels, they are fiercely loyal to their human family members, and their natural protective instincts are triggered when necessary. It is therefore important to avoid emphasizing the protective aspects of the parent breeds when training young Belusky puppies. This will help prevent inappropriate protective situations as your puppy grows. Your Belusky is generally friendly and will be an excellent family companion for many years, with an average lifespan of 8 to 10 years. He will need brushing maintenance about twice a week and a bath if necessary.

History of the Belusky

The Belusky hybrid comes from two pure breeds: the Belgian Malinois Shepherd and the Siberian Husky. The Siberian Husky parent brings alertness, friendliness, gentleness, independence, intelligence, tenderness, sociability and, yes, stubbornness to the Belusky hybrid's gene pool. The Belusky hybrid originated in the United States.

	A little of the Belgian Shepherd Dog
	The Belgian Shepherd Malinois breed was originally developed in Mechelen, Belgium, being one of four varieties of Belgian sheepdog developed in the 1800s. The breed was developed with shepherding in mind, and their strength, energy levels and work ethic make them ideal for this, as well as many other work-type tasks. The Belgian Malinois Shepherd is an intelligent, sensitive dog that has become a very popular family dog. It is loyal to its human family and is quite the protector. The Belgian Shepherd Malinois brings aggression, vigilance, intelligence and protection to the Belusky gene pool.

	Standard of the Belgian Shepherd Dog
	A little of the Siberian Husky
	The Siberian Husky is a breed developed in Russia for use as a sled dog. As might be expected, their breeding development has provided a coat that is ideal for colder temperatures and, surprisingly, also enables them to tolerate warmer temperatures. Although this breed is powerful and athletic, the Siberian Husky is also affectionate, sensitive, loyal and non-aggressive. They're intelligent and independent, which essentially means you don't have to remember and reinforce the fact that they're loved. They're good in homes with multiple dogs and exceptionally good with children, in fact, they're so good with people they'll let anyone into the house. Yes, that means even those who aren't supposed to be there. They're very smart, but that doesn't help when it comes to training them. Ranking high in the "I couldn't care less about learning this task" category, the breed is difficult to train because they're not really motivated to please their masters.

	Standard of the Siberian Husky

Appearance of the Belusky

The Belusky is a medium-sized dog with a compact, solid body, 58.5 to 63.5 centimeters high at the shoulders, weighing between 20.5 and 29.5 kilos. The Belusky coat is short to medium-length, water-resistant, with layers of soft, rough and hard hair, creating a dense double-layered coat. They can come in virtually any color with black or white markings. The ears are erect, can be darker or black and, depending on dominant parental genes, can be larger like the Belgian Malinois Shepherd or smaller and rounder like the Siberian Husky. The tail is brush-like and long, and the hair may be longer on the hindquarters if the Belgian Malinois is dominant. The head may look more like the thicker, rounder Siberian Husky, or may resemble the flatter, finer structure and longer muzzle of the Belgian Malinois Shepherd, depending on the genes of the dominant parents. The eyes may take on the slightly almond-shaped Belgian chocolate color of the Belgian Shepherd Malinois parent, or the almond-shaped brown or blue of the Siberian Husky parent, displaying the alert, intelligent, questioning expression of the Malinois parent, or the lively, friendly, mischievous expression of the Husky parent. Both parent breeds boast a scissor bite without the appearance of pink gums. Legs can take on the clean, compact legs of the Husky parent or the strong, medium-length metatarsals of the Malinois parent.

Temperament of the Belusky

The Belusky temperament can be a blend of the personality traits of the Malinois, providing the aggression and herding tendencies, and the Husky side, the gentle, independent and loving tendencies. The end result of this mix of breeds is a friendly, extremely active and intelligent canine breed that is easier to train due to the Belgian Shepherd Malinois genes as opposed to the stubbornness and casual attitude of the Siberian Husky, which makes the latter much more difficult to train. The Husky side loves everyone, regardless of age or purpose, and is good with other dogs. The Malinois side is a herding dog at heart, loyal to its human family and quite protective. Herding aggression and protective tendencies require that puppies be introduced to all types of people as early as possible to avoid inappropriate protective issues as they grow. This also makes it important to discourage herding behaviors, such as nipping at the heels of other animals and humans to keep them in line, as early in life as possible and continuing with consistency as they mature. Both parent breeds are extremely active dogs and require a lot of exercise, most likely 1 to 2 hours a day minimum with an appropriate opportunity to run daily.

Needs and activities of the Belusky

Your Belusky will need at least 1 to 2 hours of exercise every day. This can include walking, running and frisbee hunting. They love to hunt and play with different types of toys, with running and jumping at the top of their list of favorite activities. To keep your Belusky healthy, fit and happy, exercise it for at least 1-2 hours a day. Because of their need for plenty of exercise, hybrids are not well suited to apartment living. He'll be happiest in a home with a large fenced yard, but make sure the fence is high enough and diggable because both parent breeds are riders and the Husky parent brings impressive digging skills, enabling them to tunnel under fences and gates to satisfy the breed's inherent wanderlust. Keeping these things in mind, your Belusky can live in urban or rural communities as long as it has ample opportunity for exercise. Your Belusky can live in almost any climate, with a dense, multi-layered coat that repels water and protects them in the coldest and hottest environments.

Maintenance of the Belusky

The Belusky hybrid canine breed is relatively low maintenance, requiring brushing once or twice a week, especially during their normal shedding seasons which may require more frequent brushing to control loose hair. This is particularly important for households with family members sensitive to dog hair, or with respiratory or asthmatic problems, as they are not hypoallergenic. Bathing is done on an as-needed basis. They generally don't have that doggy smell. As with all canine breeds, routine teeth cleaning and examinations protect against periodontal disease and tooth loss. Weekly ear checks should be performed to keep the ears clean and free from infection.