Hopefully, I did not post this in the wrong subforum, but I saw no psychological or temperament one.

I would guess that Sibes are like some other breeds such as Dobermans in that they take a while longer to mentally mature. Anybody have approximate dates of the ages as well as the duration of the adolescent and adult transitional periods in huskies.

Also, some anecdotal details on behavioral changes they saw in their husky as they matured from adolescents into adults would be helpful. Thanks!

well i think its all dependent on the dog but i would say that somewhere between 3-5 you should start to notice some changes in behavior, hopefully calming down some and being less destructive, all though our 14yr still is a PIA...
I think the training you put in leading up to that seems to finally kick in and they understand more, this is when i was able to hike better with my 2. they were more aware of what was going on. the thing with huskies is they are smart and they just put things together better as they age, that can be a good thing or a BAD thing depending on them.

what are you hoping to see changes in with your pup?
there are also somethings they NEVER grow out of and only time will tell you of that one.

Umm...better question might be SO they EVER mature :p

@amymeme, you are so right!  I have three here who are all over 5 and there is only one who's even the least bit mature.  

Avalanche and Sky are both 5+ y/o puppies; Sasha has chilled a lot since I've had her.

The get older, yes; mentally mature << lmao >>

aljones wrote:

The get older, yes; mentally mature << lmao >>

Ive had a number of Huskies, 6 all together, and yes, they do mature. Do they become calm and sedate like say, a Lab? No. They do change though, and from what I've noticed, there are two fairly distinct times they "change". First one occurs around 2-3 years old, and the second at around 5 years old. The 5 year mark seems to be the most significant change though. I also believe the females mature somewhat earlier than the males. All my dogs were altered though and that probably plays a part in their maturity levels and when they occur, as well.

it really depends on how they grow up, if they are mentally challenged from childhood(like training) then they will mature much quicker due to thinking/brain activity, My husky, first husky i had went from passively active/high energy to more calm submissive by the time she was 2 years old. Doesnt mean she wasnt fun or playful, no, just that she understood and obeyed every command in no matter what state she was in.

So if you was to want for your dog to mentally mature faster, then mentally challenge them. its a fact that reading a book or playing chess(thinking activities) matures/curls our brain even more, its same with dogs and every other animal.

If being mature means not destroying stuff in the house, 2-3 years has been my experience for most sibes.
But Bodhi still gets the roomies at 8!

Hi there,

I am not talking about a reduction in drive or motivation. I am talking about mental maturation in the sense of focus and confidence. I am also talking about the ability to shrug off stressors as well.

I find it disappointing that almost all working breeds have extensive information of the developmental process, but with huskies, this information is really hard to come by or people just don’t care. This dovetails with the lack of books available on the breed history.

I think we all had a pretty good idea of what you meant. It's just that unlike other working dogs who do develop that focus when they go from being a puppy to being an adult huskies don't seem to. There's work time - when they do have the focus to get the job done - and then there's play time.

Since, I think, most of our dogs aren't working dogs they do seem to spend a lot of time (and energy) just playing or laying around.

My favourite Lab - anytime we were out she was always looking! Not it seemed like she was looking for anything in particular, she was just a lot more aware of her surroundings than my Sibes are. While Avalanche (an Alaskan Husky) makes a good watch dog in that he lets me know if someone / something is around, he definitely isn't a guard dog or a hunter. His idea of chasing rabbits is to see if they want to play.

Documentation - Labs, Setters, Beagles, Shepherds and Cowherders for example all have this inbred streak that it seems they have to adhere to. Sibes are quite a different animal in that their "streak" is to run. They're aware of their surroundings in ways that the hunting breeds aren't but it's that I think that makes the Sibe a "more intelligent" breed. Naw, I don't see a real good comprehensive book on the Sibes like you'd see for the other working breeds.

Depends alot upon the dog's genetics, what their parents were like, their grandparents etc. I have some that mature mentally very quickly, I have others that can take several years. I have a few in the kennel that matured mentally very quickly and were running in lead, centered, forward focused, hard on their lines, not distracted in their yearling season. I have others that loved to run, but were more distracted, less focused to run in lead til they were 3 or 4. I have one female here who has really blossomed as a three year old. She inconsistent period before this. Now she everything I could hope for (well maybe not a leader yet) as a 3 year old. She just took some time to mature mentally. So with Siberians you just have to be patient...sometimes VERY patient !