To think that huskies and malamutes have become the new Staffies?

[Rhine]

This is something that concerns me greatly. Over the past year or so I've noticed an explosion in the numbers of people who own Huskies and Malamutes. I live near a block of council flats and there are at least four or five husky/malamute types of dog living there at the moment.

Obviously people can own whatever dog they like, but I have to question the mentality of someone who purchases a large working dog when they live in a pokey flat with no garden? It concerns me greatly as these dogs need a ot of exercise, probably more so than any other breed in fact as they were bread to pull sledges across the arctic. It worries me because it's quite clear people have taken them on without doing their research and realising just how much care they need.

I don't want to sound like a massive snob, but these new owners seem to be the kind of people who a few years ago would have opted for a Staffy instead. Animal shelters are full of them, give it a few years and they'll be full of husky type dogs instead...

Actually I don't think it matters where they live, maybe circumstances change and people have to move. I have a zillion animals including a Pitbull (rescued, ears and tail hacked off) and live in a detached house with loads of room and grounds but things could change tomorrow and I would never "get rid" of pets any more than the rest of the family. The point is that these dogs are becoming fashionable amongst stupid lazy ignorant violent yobs and that is sad for the welfare of the dogs, never mind a flat, farm or penthouse.

I agree with you OP, its really sad to see young guys strutting around with their husky type dogs, and for some reason, the same sort of people go for chihuahuas.

This winds me up for several reasons - why would i be wound up by people of a certain type owning a small dog like a chihuahua? Its not the people who own them, it fecking backyard breeders (I have had a chilhuahua before i get accused of judging, AND i have had two rotweillers in the past - when they were fashionble) who can make £££s cutting corners with breeding because people want these dogs at knockdown prices. My DD is desperate for a chihuahua but i wont let her have one from a pup for this reason, lets face it, we wont have to wait long before the rescues are full of them.

The same for wolf type dogs - I think they are beautiful looking dogs but no way would i have one as a pet, its simply not fair as i couldn't give them the exercise they need.

YANBU. This is one of my bugbears.

When Mako rules the world there will be no breeding of dogs for profit.

There will also be no inventing of silly cross-breeds with built-in genetic flaws.

My particular gripe is with people who keep border collies as pets. There are exceptions, but most people do not have the time and/or energy to keep these highly intelligent dogs properly exercised and occupied. That's why they end up demented.

The first breed I remember being branded as demon-dogs was the Boxer. That was in the 1970s.

Yanbu. It's cruel. These irresponsible owners also don't clean up the dog shit IME which is disgusting.

Huskies were never intended to be truly domestic dogs. They were originally bred to live in their own pack in separate lodgings to the family, not curled up by the sofa. Their independence was valued as they were out in front of the owner when sledding and therefore able to spot danger and take action (thin ice, approaching bear) sooner.

Recall wasn't something they needed in the vast expanse of the Northern Tundra, when it was it was their doggy pack leader who would call them to heel, not a human. If they hunted the odd deer it was appreciated by their owner, sheep worrying or neighbours cat chasing wasn't even an issue ffs. Complaining they are livestock chasers is akin to complaining when greyhounds go after a rabbit ffs!

Sadly many of these animals will have to be put down as here in the overpopulated tiny British Isles is totally the wrong environment for them for the most part. The shame is that these wolfy/husky type dogs are such beautiful animals, that it's hard not to admire their looks.

I do have a massive problem with breeders selling these dogs to unsuitable homes and can't help thinking that if Gary in his high rise was forced to take back every single 18 month old he's churned out to supplement his giro instead of the rescues taking them, it might stamp out their indiscriminate spread a bit sooner. As it is I see so many of these dogs, especially in places like London as being loaded guns and am just waiting for the stream of tragedies to appear in the media. As it is I see it as a testament to the dogs good nature, rather than their stupid owners that we haven't had more fatalities to date.

Excellent rant Boc.

I vaccinated one this afternoon. It was 16 weeks old. It was brought in by a guy who had got it from his mate the night before, who had bought it as a younger pup but decided that he "didn't have time for it". The guy who brought it in was intending to sell it tomorrow to someone about 400 miles away. So, four different homes in 8 weeks. I persuaded today's client (actually a decent sort who was trying to do the right thing) to hold onto it for a couple of weeks, to see if the fact that it was thin and piss stained was just due to neglect, or the gastrointestinal problems and ectopic ureters that the breed is prone to.
I have seen some sweet natured well trained ones...but these are outnumbered by the fear aggressive untrained unsocialised underexercised screaming mental wrecks.

I agree with you the fashion for dogs gets on my nerves a cute little husky puppy that looks like a teddy bear grows up to be a sled dog who takes up room and needs plenty of walks and room to wander of course you will get good owners but i have seen people and children struggle to walk a husky/malamute

Could some of these dogs be utonagen dogs?

I know someone who has one. Sadly the dog isn't walked as often as it should be but it is a very friendly family dog.

YANBU. I was at a rehoming centre last weeks and it was just full of staffies and huskies, there were loads of them. Made me very sad.

I hav e dogs trust on my facebook and there is more and more of these dogs popping up on their page for rehoming

I don't think having a dog in a flat without garden is anything wrong, as long as it is walked as much as it needs. Yet our neighbours recently rehomed a dog, who has only been outside to a back garden.

As for mistreated huskies, sadly it happens to many popular breeds.

I have a dog in a flat it's fine he gets walked and we do have a garden

our rescue was never walked and always just in the garden he didnt know how to walk on a lead really still doesn't so people neglect dogs whether they have space or not

Yanbu at all, it does happen, yes you see certain types of people walking along the street the these status dogs. I think people should have a license before owning a dog, it's the owners, not the dog at fault.

The same people don't clear up their dog mess, you do not see any dog mess cleaning stuff with them when tgey are walking their dogs. It puts a bad name to responsible owners

They do seem to be the fashion dog at present . We sold a bike to a chap who has them and he said that he takes his sledding and also cycles off road with them attached to the bike as he reckons its the only way that they can get enough exercise . I doubt all the owners are as prepared to put in the effort.

I see a pack of huskies sometimes I think the woman competes with them somewhere as they are on one of those multilead things they are amazing look animals and you can see why people get them but I do think they are a specialised sort of dog

When I was at the vets a few months age having my golden retriever pup vaccinated, there was a young couple [20's] with a malamute puppy. Got chatting as you do, it was their 1st dog, they liked the look of the breed, no they didn't go running or like long walks, both worked....Training class, I asked, recommending a couple. No, they didn't need classes....

I don't know what the answer is, unfortunately there are a lot of stupid irresponsible people out there.

Sadly in cases like the one golden refers to you have to also blame the breeders who obviously have little or no concern for the dog other than the money that they are being paid . Surely a responsible breeder would ask about living arrangements ,work commitments and what the prospective owners intentions are .

YANBU at all. Huskies are not dogs, they are a lifestyle choice. They require an emormous amount of expertise, energy and devotion to keep properly.

babybat I bet you anything the next arrival in rescues will be Check 'wolves', closely followed by a fashion for Central Asian Shephers and Utonagen - which sorry Bunbaker are nothing like family friendly dogs, they are a mongrel disaster mix.

DS was desperate to have a husky when we were planning to get a dog - he has always loved them - but after a very cursory look at breed websites I realised that a husky was a completely unsuitable pet to have in a house with a small garden and two children. We ended up with a border terrier instead - perfect family dog, even if he doesn't have beautiful mismatched husky eyes.

I can see why people want to have them, but they really don't belong in cities. The owner of a shop near where we used to live in Tokyo had a husky - it spent its days tied up on the pavement outside, very friendly but unhappy looking, overweight and obviously never exercised (there is nowhere in central Tokyo you can let a dog run). I felt very sorry for it, and for all the other breeds that become seen as fashion accessories.

I have a staffie whos brother is her dad and a bull lurcher who someone apparently decided to breed for hunting, they came out too big so they got rid of them all for free and had another go. He ended up with drugies, being taken from the drugies, new owners emigrated put him in the shelter, a neighbour who knew the family and knew the dog immedietly went and got him out the shelter to move into a council flat with a 13 yr old collie. He walked the legs of them and took them out all over in the car. and they were very bonded, someone reported him to the council for having 2 dogs so he had to get rid of one, he was beside himself so i took him as he got on well with my inbred staffie. He really missed his old owner, owner was actually killed whilst on his way to work on a bike, was hit by a bus and died instantly. Dog had terrible seperation anxiety when i got him, i fixed it then put him in boarding for 4 days whilst i went on holiday, i came back and he was a wreck, he was refusing to eat and was as skinny as a rake, staffie had a ball in boarding, loved it. i have her her since she was 4 weeks old as dickheads who bred her wanted shot asap so they could do somemore KC litters and make some money.

Anyway im sure if you asked my Bull Lurcher where he would rather have spent his days he would have said in the 2 bedroom council flat

and my mam had a huskie, he died of auto immune disease a few years back after going blind and loosing the use of his legs and bladder. Definatey not a breed i would choose to own even though i think they are beautiful dogs.