Tell me about huskies.... Please!

[Readyisknitting]

So, delinquent dog has been lost since our other dog died Monday. We'd only had delinquent for 6 weeks! We spoke to the rescue, as they know ours, and her likes/dislikes, and they said they have a 3yo husky. Met him today, he's lovely, laid back, gentle, bit tubby, but that's soon sorted.

I'm pretty much sold, but as you can guess, my darling delinquent is a ratbag, and when I researched the breed I read they can be expert escape artists. Pretty please tell me about your huskies, and what they're like, good and bad points, I'd like to know a little more first hand about the breed before I completely commit.

[midori1999]

The short version is, they are not really suitable for pet homes or novice owners. They are hard work. They can get over or under a 6ft fence and they will and they might chew your sofa to pieces while you're in the shower....

[Catsmamma]

I'd love one, but would be very wary of getting one....just because am pretty sure they are extremely high maintenance!

heard lots about escape artist tendencies and recall is impossible to teach as they have basically evolved to run forever and love to do that!

they always look so gorgeous and intelligent though.

[LtEveDallas]

The husky next door has broken our fence twice, jumped on and injured MuttDog, howls when left alone (all the bloody time poor dog), has wrecked their garden, eaten their trampoline, chewed their table and stair posts, runs away regularly and is not social.

BUT

99% of all this is the owners fault and down to the poor bloody dog being bored and not exercised enough.

Husky dogs are hard work and take a lot of effort. I would love one, but I know I am not the right kind of owner. For one thing I cannot guarantee 3 hours of exercise a day and I think this is what they need at the least.

Sorry to be so negative, I think Midori has Huskies you could try calling out for her.

[LtEveDallas]

Ahh X post.

Sorry Midori that's what happens when DD distracts me before I press post!

[GolfOscarLimaDelta]

My sister has 2 - plus 7 puppies just now - and they are hard hard work.

They get easily bored. They have ripped up her kitchen flooring within an hour. They have chewed countless toys, tupperware, shoes, garden furniture, door handles and wires.

The male one is obsessed with Knickers and forever getting them from the laudry or line.

My sister can't have her big windows open as they escape.

They are lovely and affectionate - love nothing more then a cuddle but very high maintenance. I'd say no unless you work from home or spend most of your time there tbh.

[Readyisknitting]

Thanks for all that. I'd been researching, and reading various threads on here, and we have decided that the husky isn't for us, and phoned them back. At least it gives them a better idea of what we'd be looking for. Delinquent does need a playmate though, and they know we'd like one for her so we'll keep looking:-)

[RedwingWinter]

I think it's as puppies and teenagers that they are really hard work. Some adult huskies are calm and well-behaved. They do need a lot of exercise, and a lot of company. And, as said above, they can't be off-leash, ever, but you still have to teach them recall (in a safely enclosed space) just in case they escape.

My husky/malamute x is very calm and well-mannered. He's also very stubborn and likes to think for himself. He has a strong prey drive and is always hunting. He's very friendly with other people and with other dogs of all sizes. He can't be left alone; he howls with such great sorrow it's heart-breaking. That's what Dog2 is for. So long as Dog2 is there, he can safely be left in the house and won't chew anything.

I sometimes wonder if so many huskies get left in rescue because too many potential owners are put off them. However, they aren't for novices, and I do know people who haven't been able to cope with a husky puppy. They need more company than other dogs, and more exercise, and you have to be patient when training them.

[toboldlygo]

If you do a search on here I think I've done the husky spiel a few dozen times over but the short version is that they are not suitable pets for the majority of people. They cannot ever be let off lead yet need a great deal of exercise, typically suffer from separation anxiety, cannot be left alone for any length of time, have a high prey drive and will kill pet cats, rabbits etc., are very difficult to teach any kind of obedience and are basically a stubborn fuzzy pain in the backside.

My adult bitch is 100% A Good Dog, competes in agility to a surprising standard, is calm and pleasant around the house and out and about. She was a terror hound from hell for the first 18 months we had her despite the very best of intensive socialisation and obedience training. God I used to weep and tear my hair out over that dog! Boy wolf (adoped from Siberian Husky Welfare) is coming along nicely but he had typical husky ishoos as well and needed an experienced home to make the best of him.

Both compete in sled dog racing and this has been the making of them. The only good husky is a tired husky.

[MrsZoidberg]

Everyone is focusing on the negative about huskies so I'm going to address the balance here with something positive.

Since getting my Husky, my house has never been tidier! She has trained DS and DH to tidy up after themselves - they never, ever leave remotes, game controllers, food, drink mats, books, phones, glasses, ....... in fact, they never ever leave anything out.

It did cost us 2 sky remotes, a mobile, a landline, 2 sets of drinks mats, a new hardback book (she was good, she only ate the last three chapters ) 2 wellington boots (different pairs) and a set of trainers before they learnt.

But they never ever leave anything out now.

So Huskies have good points too, and I won't hesitate to adopt more when the time is right, but we've already shelled out £££s for Husky proofing the garden, we have a husky proof field, and we work from home. When we lived on an estate and went out to work there was no way I could have coped with her. Now I can't cope without her (you can tell she's finally asleep can't you ).

[midori1999]

No, I don't have any huskies. I LOVE them but I don't think I could ever own one, they are too much like hard work, especially compared to my 'born half trained' and very biddable Golden Retrievers.

[LonelyLou]

Why would a rescue centre offer a husky to someone who who isn't an experienced husky owner knowing how 'difficult' they can be?! No offence OP but this dog should have been offered to Husky rescue. AIBU?

Simillar happened with my friend, a first time, extreemly novice, dog owner and our local rescue recommended a HOUND. FGS! Suffice to say the dog was back in the rescue within 6 months. 6 months older with no boundaries.

[RedwingWinter]

But a 3yo husky can be quite laid-back and well-behaved. Not necessarily delinquent at all.

[horsemadmom]

Our rescue husky was a saint. Depends on the dog and the owners, always.

[Readyisknitting]

I hear you all, and I do think this chap is calm and laid back. However delinquent dog is really lost, we hadn't realised how much she had followed our old (deaf) but very well trained dog, the training we'd done has really regressed, she's back to behaving like an older puppy, with no training beyond sit for her food. So in a playmate we need a dog that is trainable, biddable and that's not a husky, from what you all are saying. So while I probably would cope, a husky lifestyle is not our type of lifestyle, and it's not a change we are at a time to make. The other thing is while having this discussion and looking closer at the situation has helped us identify key points of our lifestyle and delinquent's needs. So thank you for all the husky info, they are lovely dogs. One day maybe...

[Mrsjay]

the new trend seems to be for huskies they are beautiful but i always think they would be really hard work and need to be exercised and be 'busy' doing something , I see kids being pulled along by husky puppies with the kids shouting and parents bawling you stop the effing dog pulling you, maybe i just live in a rough area

[FiveHoursSleep]

I'm in the Huskies need experienced owners camp, but we too have a delinquent hound who is pining away since our Old Boy was pts 6 weeks ago. She's so sad that she's actually being quite well behaved for a change. She just wants a doggy friend.
We've been hassling rescues for a few weeks now and have managed to secure a GSD x? puppy that we'll get in a couple of weeks time.
I didn't want another puppy but it's hard to find an older dog that ticks all our boxes.

[CakeMeIAmYours]

Personally, I woudn't, but there is a man I see out on walks quite frequently who has a whole pack (team?) of Huskies.

He has them all under the most remarkable control, with a different pitched whistle for each dog.

I suspect it has taken him months of dedicated training to get to that stage, but it is nothing short of a joy to behold!

[LonelyLou]

That's a great story Cake. I don't think you can beat a labrador or golden retriever for familys

[Fraggle78]

We have the laziest 14 month old husky in the world. Has three walks a day but is knackered by the end. Hasn't eaten anything he shouldn't and doesn't pine if let alone as it gives him the chance for a nice kip. Has dug the odd hole in the garden, but really can't be bothered to summon up the energy to try and jump over the fence. Fine off his lead, but has the usual husky chat (big sighs if asked to do something he doesn't want to and huge "woos" of joy when you come home), and is generally the most affectionate and entertaining dog I've ever met. I think we've been lucky though and that he is fact a bit broken.

Apparently huskies are now becoming the new "status" dog and we've lost times of the number of young lads who have come up to us and asked how much our "wolf" cost. We make a point of telling them that he can't breed....

[JaxTellerIsMyFriend]

Fraggle I think you have the exception rather than the rule.

And yes - huskies/malamutes are the new penis extension dog.

I know someone who had 2, male and female. The female was the one who was naughty, she has scaled the fence (6ft) ran through the fence and eats laundry on the line and is generally a hooligan. She is also sweet, loving and loves a cuddle.

No way in the world would I have a husky unless it was going to be my 'job' and I dont think they should be single dogs, you need more than one so they dont get lonely.

I will stick to my GSDs oh and my old black lab.

[Rhinestone]

I have a husky and second what everyone else says. They are bloody hard work - 2 hours exercise a day AT LEAST and she is an excellent escape artist and virtually untrainable! [GRIN] I love her to bits but it only works because of our lifestyle. For the average person going out to work etc, a husky is not a sensible option.

She is quite good in the house and has only destroyed one sofa cushion which isn't bad going!