Health Warning
- Siberian Huskies are addictive and can seriously affect your way of life!
When people acquire their first Siberian Husky (or
other northern breed) we feel they should heed the health warning below.
Siberian Huskies carry a huge risk of addiction and consequent mental health
problems. Psychiatrists have identified a fairly consistent psychopathology
followed by those who become addicted to Siberian Huskies. This illness is
commonly known as "Siberian Syndrome" (or more generally, "Sled
Dog Syndrome")
Stage
One -
Normality (or whatever passes for it!) is compromised by initial infection -
often caused by direct exposure to Siberian Huskies in the street, at a dog
show, or infection-by proxy as a result of exposure to televisual,
cinematographic or photographic images (for example a viewing of "Snow
Dogs" or "Iron Will"). An incubation period (this could be weeks,
months or years long) is followed by:
Stage Two - purchase of cute husky puppy
Stage Three - conversion of house/garden into puppy-proof bunker.
Stage Four - consideration of acquiring second pup (to keep first
pup company)
Stage Five - exposure to and infection by the showing/working bug
(worst case scenario - both infections concurrently)
Stage Six - Gradual acquisition of more dogs (justified by the fact
that you "need" them for your team, or you need better dogs to show)
Stage Seven - you suddenly realise that none of the friends you had
before Stage Two ever visit any more and that all your current friends have
multiple dogs.
Stage Eight - You exchange your posh car for a caged-out Transit Van
so you have more room for the dogs (and the rig etc etc)
Stage Nine - You exchange your big house with tiny garden for a
smaller house with a huge garden.
Stage Ten - you notice that an increasingly large proportion of your
income goes on the dogs. You start to shop for your own clothes in Charity
Shops.
Stage Eleven - If employment and finances allow, you move from your
pleasant urban/suburban semi to a broken down cottage in the middle of Scotland
(or if you don't yet want to go the whole hog - yet, somewhere in rural Norfolk
).
Stage Twelve - You are driving your mud-spattered Transit out of a
forest at 7am in the morning after running several teams of your dogs in harness
for 5 or 6 miles in the mud and ice. You are wet through, your feet and hands
are raw with cold but your face is burning as your heater kicks in. Your dogs are asleep
- gently and happily steaming in their cages behind you. You glance over at the well-dressed
drivers snug and warm in their top of the range Audis on their way to well-paid
office jobs and without a trace of irony, ask yourself, "How can anyone
live like that?"
