Rugged, Outdoorsy, Playful ...

Hello, everyone.  It's me, Cammie.  As you may know, the Siberian Husky is a versatile, adaptive breed.  We are rugged and outdoorsy:

"Lions and tigers and bears!"
"Oh, my!"
(A little Kansas humor.)

Rough and tumble  playful:

Zoomies and wrestling!

And all kinds of other things!  As the adult Siberian here at Ao4 Headquarters, it's up to me to teach Maggie how to excel in all of these areas ... and others, as well.  We are currently honing our skills in one area that is very, very important.

"Mmm... this is nice, Cam!"
"Yes.  Snuggle in close, little one!"

That's right - snuggling!

It comes naturally to us.  You see, the Chukchi tribesmen who developed our breed counted on our ancestors to act as sled dogs who could go great distances with them - as the AKC says, the "Chukchis needed a sled dog capable of traveling great distances at a moderate speed, carrying a light load in low temperatures with a minimum expenditure of energy." So yes, we got them where they were going, but there was more!  We did a few other jobs along the way like hunting and herding, AND some of the Sibes (the smart ones who could snuggle!) were brought into the yurts at night to snuggle up and help keep everyone warm! Wouldn't you rather sleep inside the yurt than out on the frozen tundra?!?  So we are genetically predisposed to snuggle - but we need to keep that skill sharp!  Here's what I'm teaching Maggie!

If someone in the house isn't feeling well - be there to snuggle!

"We're here for you, Mom!  Zzz..."
"Very good, Maggie.  Hang tough, Mom.  Zzz..."

When Mom and Dad are eating, don't pester, but nap nearby, looking ridiculously cute. You'll be rewarded later!

"Like this, Cam?"
"Yes.  We're killin' Mom with cuteness.  It'll pay off in spades."

Here's another example of this:

"Didn't we used to fit on here a little better?"
"I have plenty of room."

She'll always be my little puppy as far as I'm concerned.  (That one scored us some yogurt, if I recall...)

Work hard snuggling in lots of other locations, too. It's important to be able to adapt!  My favorite place:

"This is my bed, little one.  Learn to snuggle up here, too, even when it's just us."
"I thought this was Mom and Dad's bed?"

"I spend more time up here than they do.  It's mine.  Zzz..."
"Got it.  Zzz..."

Maggie is coming along very well.  The snuggle force is strong in her!

Yep. Just making our ancestors proud, honing the skills they passed down to us! I wonder if the Chukchis had queen-sized beds?

Cammie!