Last Updated on May 23, 2022 by Marco
Have you ever noticed that peculiar hump on a dog’s head that you didn’t know the origin of? In particular, do you know why a Husky skull shape is designed in the way it is? If not, this article will help you look into the history of the “wisdom bump” and also learn more about other Husky’s features like its body, eyes, ears, and, of course, its head shape. Let’s start with information about the Husky skull shape, shall we?
Husky Skull Shape
If you look at most dogs, they all have that hump right on top of their heads. However, some breeds have a more pronounced occiput (which is a scientific name for the pointy feature on top of their skull) and there’s a reason they do. As many pet parents know, our beloved domesticated four-legged friends originated from wolves and those have the occiput to prevent damage to one of the most important body organs-the brain.
Whether grey predators run into something, fall off a cliff, or get attacked by another forest creature, there’s a great chance that they will survive only because they have a distinctive hunch that acts as an “airbag” for the head and shields a wild dog’s cerebrum from significant damage.
Now, let’s talk about other Husky features that make it “stand out from the crowd” and learn more about Husky skull peculiarities.
Read more about Pure Black Husky With Blue Eyes: 5 Main Characteristics and Some Interesting Facts About The Husky Species
Husky’s Appearance: Main Features
-
Scull
As we were discussing in the above Husky skull shape paragraph, all canine creatures have the peculiar “hump” on their heads to help them shield their brains from any serious injuries. If you look closely at a Husky’s head shape, you will notice that it resembles a triangle. Most likely the shape can be put in the mesocephalic category since it doesn’t have an underbite or an overbite and most wild pooches have that head form.
-
Eyes
Ohh, I think anybody can talk non-stop of those piercing baby blues that captured the hearts of hundreds of Husky owners. On top of the fact that those unbelievable eyes are very expressive because of their color, Siberian beauties’ peepers have a black lining that frames them perfectly. This feature might make their gaze a little intimidating to some people. But fear not! Huskies are just big babies, fluffy teddys who will never do harm to anybody unless they are provoked. While most Huskies’ eyes are blue, some pooches might get a pair of hazel oculars.
-
Nose
This perfectly black, moist, and shiny snout can smell as far as 13 miles away! Can you imagine how amazing a dog’s nose is? No wonder pooches have been used as service and police dogs as well as sled dogs (Huskies) in the almost-impassable dense woods to help tribe members get to their destination safely.
-
Mouth
Just like the eyes, a Husky’s mouth has a very pronounced black line going around it, making it very eloquent. Together with those irresistible blue/brown sparklies, and a cute button nose, this black-lined mouth matches other facial features perfectly and helps the whole muzzle stand out.
Learn more about: How To Tell How Old A Husky Is?
-
Ears
Pointy, triangular auricles are always alert and ready to listen up to what’s going on around them. Did you know that a Husky can hear as far as ten miles away? They inherited this great hearing from their wild wolf ancestors who sometimes needed to find other pack members in the dark woods if they got lost. The latter would howl as loud as they could for the lost member to join them as soon as possible.
-
Body
A muscular, big, strong Husky skeleton that is capable of carrying heavy loads (Huskies wouldn’t be sledge dogs if they were not built the way they are), aiding its masters in finding the best way out of a forest’s tricky patterns, including perfect snowstorm sledding. These are working breeds, therefore even if they are completely domesticated and don’t have to carry mad cargo, they still need a good amount of exercise per day to keep themselves in great shape both physically and mentally. Huskies can weigh anywhere from 40 to 70 lbs with Alaskan Malamutes (their distant cousins) weighing up to 140 lbs.!
-
Legs
A Husky’s lean, muscular, and sturdy legs sometimes suffer from hip dysplasia, a condition when the head of the thighbone doesn’t connect properly to the pelvic one, leading to an enormous amount of pain as well as early arthritis in dogs. You may notice your beloved furry friend might start whining, limping, and licking its affected leg to let you know something must be wrong here. It is best to schedule an appointment with an animal health professional to perform the necessary X-rays and see what’s going on with those hard-working Husky joints.
Curl-Up
We have just discussed a peculiar Husky skull shape as well as other characteristic features of the breed like its eyes, nose, body, and limbs. We learned that all dogs have a defined, pointy spot on their heads that acts as a guard against some hostile environmental elements as well as lurking-around predators who would gladly consider a pooch its next dinner.
This occiput (scientific) or simply a “wisdom bump” truly fits a smart Husky profile, as they are known to be one of the most intelligent breeds in the canine zodiac. Just make sure you take your “Wizard of Oz” for a yearly vet checkup to prolong its life span and keep it active mentally as well as physically for years to come.
Learn more about: Are Huskies And Wolves Related?
FAQs
Why is my dog’s skull pointy?
Most dogs have what’s called “occiput” (scientific name) or a “knowledge/wisdom bump,” simply speaking. The reason why it is pointy is because dogs need to protect their brain from damage if they get attacked by predators much stronger than them. Even if the skull is going to be cracked, the brain might be still intact as the hump on the top of its head shields it from severe injuries. Dogs originated from wild wolves, so, even though there’s almost no risk of a domesticated dog being attacked by the hunting forest creatures, there’s always a risk of wolves being attacked, therefore the evolution left the wisdom bump intact for the modern-day mutts.
What shape is a dog’s head?
There are three head types in all the dog breeds out there: long-nosed (dolichocephalic), short-nosed (brachiocephalic), and medium (mesocephalic). Pooches that fall into the mesocephalic category are the luckiest, so to speak because they tend to have the fewest head and neck-related issues. A vast majority of wild dogs belong to this category.
Greyhounds and Borzois, for instance, belong to the dolichocephalic group of mutts and tend to have extremely narrow skulls. This can cause eye problems, overbite tendencies, and almost no room for incisor teeth to fit properly.
Pugs, Bulldogs, and Shih-Tzu's are from the brachiocephalic category and often have exaggerated underbites. Whether your dog belongs to the dolichocephalic or to the brachiocephalic group, either way, is considered an abnormality and may interfere with the normal teeth formation when a pooch is still a puppy. This results in “teeth overcrowding” or “malocclusions.”
