tell me about owning a husky

[AnotherLoad]

not planing on getting one right now, maybe next year when i have more idea about them. have awlays wanted one and have recently been thinking of getting a dog.

please tell me your experiences so i can get get a better idea of thed breed and what im letting myself in for - or that it may put me off completely!

Unless you're actively seeking a complete lifestyle change and to give your whole existence over to the dogs (note plural, you seldom see a single husky) then please, please don't do it.

SHWA have some excellent articles, the most important of which I think is the "Why can't Siberian huskies go safely off-lead?" They CANNOT be let off the lead except in an enclosed space, yet need huge amounts of exercise (we do 3+ hours a day of walking on long and short leads, running and working in harness whatever the weather).

They will chase and kill cats, rabbits, livestock etc., and will jump even 6ft fences or dig under them quicker than you can blink. They tend to howl loudly and often, especially if left alone - they very commonly suffer from separation anxiety which as well as howling this can involve systematically destroying the house and contents. Everyone in the household working full time is not compatible with sibe ownership.

They do not take readily to obedience training but every effort must be made because they are prone to horrible teenage phases and will pull on the lead, mouth, jump up, accidentally send the kids flying in their mad dashes, steal from countertops etc. perhaps more so than any other dog because they have no desire to please you, only themselves. They will not guard you or your home; most don't even bother to bark when someone knocks on the door.

They shed a LOT. They 'blow' the undercoat twice a year which involves binbags full of fluff and then shed heavily year-round.

Husky racing is a brilliant sport but the gear, permits, entry fees, car modification, travel expenses etc. make it a very expensive hobby and it is very time consuming, involving full weekends of travelling and camping in horrible weather.

Plus points: They don't smell doggy, are very attractive to look at and racing them is very fun. The sense of achievement when you finally teach them to do anything is very satisfying. They should be gregarious and enjoy being around people.

I love my dogs but my lifestyle totally revolves around them. I wouldn't recommend them to anybody. If you want a husky-like dog without as many of the unappealing traits then look at the other spitz breeds - I love shiba inus, they are very similar in nature but more aloof, smaller and require a lot less exercise.

Thanks, Toboldlygo. My friend has totally given up her life for races huskies, so I've seen it first hand. She is utterly devoted to the dogs and the lifestyle, but it leaves very little room for anything else and she has very strong views on people choosing a husky for a family pet.

Bearing all this in mind I really wanted to advise the OP but didn't feel I had enough facts to embellish any advice. You've pretty much said everything I wanted to convey. I completely concur.

I opened this thread and knew that toboldlygo would have given her excellent advice It seems to me that if you don't follow her advice, you end up being one of the cross looking owners I see at the park being hauled along by their husky, or chasing it across fields. Either owner will then complain bitterly at the destruction/howling/general chaos while also stating that the dog is walked every day for at least 20 minutes. Beautiful dogs, but...no thanks.

Please, please DON'T get one. They are now turning up in rescues all the time. People love the look of them and then can't cope with them for the reasons Toboldlygo has set out so eloquently above.

I can also endorse the fact they have no recall. In our city, two were recently killed when their owner decided to let them off lead and they wandered on to the mainline railway nearby.

Added to the fact you have depression/anxiety at the moment, you have chosen possibly the least likely dog to succeed - getting one of these dogs would be very bad for your health and a huge challenge for your family. Please don't.

A husky attacked a child in Ireland recently. For that reason I would not have one and would obviously be nervous if my kids were around one.

I was attacked by a westie as a child and most recently by a dachshund - breed means nothing. Huskies actually have a reputation of being very good with children; they are naturally gregarious, easygoing around strangers and with no guarding instinct. The Chukchi people who developed them in Siberia fostered their excellent natures because they were used basically as live duvets for the children at night and of course when living in and working as a group they had to be amiable with other dogs as well.

Anyway, glad everyone agrees with me, I'm basically only on MN to dispense sibe advice. Vivi, I have probably met your friend at some point, the dog racing world is quite a close-knit one!

And Chickens, I am still quite frequently to be found being pulled around by my dogs and chasing them across (enclosed) fields. They don't know I'm an expert.

The fact that Scuttle mentions anxiety/depression worries me, when our first husky arrived we were all plunged into a really surprising level of anxiety, it was really full-on and I remember not sleeping or eating properly for a good few weeks. Life didn't ever go back to 'normal' and it took about 12 months before life wasn't 100% about the bloody dog it's still 99% but I love them anyway

live duvets

MMmmm sounds heaven

Vivi, I have probably met your friend at some point
Yes, I thought that when I saw your post, tbg

Apparently temperature could be described by the number of dogs required to keep them warm - "cor, last night was a three-dog night"

thanks for all your replies, a husky will just have to be in my dreams then! yes they are beautiful but sounds far too much for me.

shiba inu ive seen before and malamutes similar types i like, im sure ive heard akita's aint good round kids??

tell me your recommendations, for smaller dogs i like shih ztu maybe? not into staffs, think i may have allergy to short hair dogs? when i used to visit my friends with staff id have a streaming nose and teary eyes?? but the alsation at my mums was fine.

thanks again for your time x

I'd like a 12 tdog duvet please

our husky is 3 ,so i can give you some advice./info
she doesnt howl -(only on the first night we brought her home)
she doesnt bark - ever .
she talks to you , (like chewbacca from star wars)
im a housewife so shes hardly on her own, i dont know how shed be left on her own all day,every day.
we have 6/7ft walls around our garden- we might have to add trellis- not that she jumps to escape but she hates cats and jumps up if theres one on the wall.
she can jump like a kangaroo.
she doesnt dig, but bit all the heads off my flowers so i now have had to fence off my flower garden.
she loves toys and playing ball.
she loves her bed,sometimes chewing the bedding but never the bed.
she has never chewed or damaged anything that wasnt hers.
it took only a week to toilet train her.
she cant be let off the lead ever...
she is very very fussy with her food,
when she blows her coat ,i can fill a carrier bag .
she does not smell.
she is only walked once a day,and she seems happy with that as she is not bored/destructive but we play ball in the garden a lot so shes always running around.

I agree with everything toboldlygo said. I love my husky/malamute x and he is the perfect dog for me, but he completely turned my life upside down when we got him.

Malamutes are similar to huskies, a bit more mellow, just as stubborn and maybe even a stronger prey instinct. You have to be really careful to socialize them as puppies, and to keep the socialization up as adults because sometimes they can become unfriendly towards other dogs.

Like Scuttlebutter said, huskies have no recall, but you still have to practise it with them in case of escape attempts, because there will surely be a time when they escape.

OP, if you really like huskies, sometimes there are older ones for adoption that have been through the teenage years and are quite well behaved, and maybe even with a lower energy level.

I can't talk about Huskies, but can talk about Shiba Inus until the cows come home They aren't recommended as a first dog, either. And also can't be allowed off leash. They are not easy dogs to keep but I wouldn't be without mine.

Japanese Akitas - not American Akitas - AFAIK have an odd reputation in the UK, but were used to babysit kids in Japan.

redwing i looked at rescue huskies and it seemed that any children need to be 13+ my eldest is 10, youngest coming up 2 :( i was looking for an older dog because i know any pup can be hard work. dont want to put too much stress on myself.

peri- thanks for your info. are they ok with children? whats their temprament?

There are apparently 36 Spitz-type dogs! We have an 8 month old Eurasier, and she is the best dog ever.
Pros:
So gentle, even with our very provoking 5 year old.
Never chews anything except her own things.
Excellent with other dogs.
Very easy to train.
Recall on both name and whistle
Cons:
The breed description says "Aloof with strangers" - which in reality means that she goes eagerly towards strangers, but likes to inspect them herself first. If they try and pat her straight away, she will move back. She doesn't cringe, or bare her teeth, she just likes to take her time. After she has been around the person for a minute or two, she will happily accept a cuddle. She only does this with (some) adults,- children can just mob her, and she is delighted!
She loves her "pack" so not a dog that can be left for long periods.

Shibas? Mine's fabulous with kids as I socialised her at school as a puppy; many are not. And I def would not recommend one with your little one. Unpredictability is one of their traits, not worth the risk.

They are not known for their friendliness, especially towards other dogs. They do what they want, when they want - some are very trainable, most are not! It really does depend on the dog tbh.

As far as I can tell, the ones bred in the UK are more home-friendly than the Japanese and American ones, but that's just my opinion.

I'd second the 'pack' comment there, Suited. Mine's very, very bonded and I cannot would not leave her at all, not even for a day. She wouldn't cause trouble, just be very upset and disturbed. Holidays are a dim memory for me!

just googled Eurasier. awww!

thanks peri, thats husky and shiba crossed off :(...... x

peri i dont holiday or go away for weekends, i dont like being too far from home so have no worries of leaving a dog for too long. im surrounded by fields and parkland areas. I go over there abit with DD and would take the dogs with me.

i have to be home for school runs and from next yr im tied down to half day nursery school runs so will be home constant!

*dog not dogs !

OK, I'm doing the 'thing' where I'm supposed to put you off having a Shiba... but personally, I wouldn't have any other dog! They are independent and unlike any other dog at all.

In fact, I rescued an escaped Border Coliie today and had her in the house for a couple of hours. It was strange to have a 'normal' dog around for a while.

It's very hard to explain

Do some research and have a chat to Janice at Shiba rescue - none of the ones on the 'available' page are actually available - it's not yet been updated.

took a quick peep at that link, most of the dogs for adoption are for no children. poor boris at 11 losing his owner :(

got plenty of time to research shiba and other spitz type. just got to whittle it down to what suits needs/family/lifestyle. thanks for your help :)

Boris has a lovely home now :)

Good luck with your search.

Anotherload, if you don't mind keeping an open mind about breed, then you could search rescue sites for dogs that meet your family/lifestyle needs, and see what turns up. There are lots of lovely mutts in the world too. You could find a good rescue or two near you, and concentrate your search on them - sometimes the dogs that are good with young children go fast. A rescue that has the dogs in foster homes will have a really good idea of the dog's nature and how it is with children etc, much better than one that uses kennels. The thing I would look for is a policy that says they will provide support if any is needed (for example advice to help resolve any behavioural problems), and would take the dog back in a worst case scenario that meant you were no longer able to care for them.

Good luck with your search :). My husky x changed my life but I wouldn't have it any other way :) I have two dogs now and they are wonderful.