Siberian Huskies are beautiful dogs. They look like wolves, and have thick, soft coats, that make them infinitely cuddly. They have piercing eyes, and wonderful masks, that give them a roguish and unique look.
Siberians can make very good family pets. If properly trained, they can be very good with people, children, and other dogs. Indeed, Sibes are commonly known for their friendliness toward people.
Although they may look like fierce wolves, they have the heart of Casanova. All my Huskies want to do, is greet everyone and give them licks.
However, many people have trouble with this breed, and many Sibes get surrendered every year.
Consider these Siberian Husky facts, before going out and getting a puppy. The Siberian Husky is a very special and lovable breed, but they may not be the right breed for everyone.
1. Siberian Huskies Shed a Lot!
Be ready to have dog hair all over the house – floors, carpets, clothing, furniture, everywhere.
If we are allergic to dog hair, or like our home to be very clean, then the Siberian Husky is not for us.
When I was looking for a Sibe, I talked to a few breeders in my area. The first thing they all said was, “Siberians shed a lot”. I mentioned that my other dog, a Shiba Inu, also has a double coat, and also sheds a fair amount. However, they all said, “Siberians shed a lot more”.
And they do! A whole lot more.
Therefore, it is very important to train our Husky puppy to enjoy the grooming experience.
- I start with a soft brush, and lightly comb my dog’s body for a short period of time.
- I do this often, and pair it with food rewards.
- Once my puppy is comfortable with the brushing process, I very slowly extend the length of our grooming session.
- Finally, I repeat the process with a more solid brush, such as the Furminator.
Frequent brushing is a good idea to keep our Husky clean, and clear out loose hair. The more hair on the Furminator, the less hair on the floor.
About twice a year, my Sibes blow their coat. During this time, there will be more fur than ever. To keep things under control, I try to brush every day. Remember to always keep brushing sessions fun, rewarding, and not overly long.
2. Siberian Huskies Make Awful Watch Dogs
Because Huskies look like wolves, many people assume that they are fierce dogs. Some people may even think that they are wolf hybrids.
However, a Sibe is more of a lover and less of a fighter.
When confronted with a stranger, my Husky will usually run up to him, give licks, and beg for food. As a result, Sibes do not make very good watch dogs. They will not only welcome everyone into your house, but will also give them the royal lick treatment.
If we want a dog that is only loyal to us and our family, then the Siberian Husky is not for us.
My Huskies are naturally happy and trusting dogs, who like to be with everyone. That is one of the things that I love most about them.
The Siberian Husky is not a watch dog, although those ignorant of his true nature may be frightened by his appearance. If you want a dog with aggressive guard-dog instincts . . . don’t buy a Siberian.
~~[SHCA]Leave your home in the care of a “guard” Siberian and he will most likely welcome an intruder with open arms, fetch (for the first time in his life) your valuables and show him the best route of escape–after all, Siberians are great escape artists.
~~[Siberian Rescue Site]
Note – This does not mean that Huskies will never be aggressive toward people. A dog’s behavior is determined both by genetics (breeding), as well as by training, socialization, context, and past experiences. A dog may become aggressive as a result of improper training, bad social experiences, insufficient socialization, and more.
For reasons of safety, it is important to ensure that our companion dogs are not people aggressive. Most companion dogs today guard us, by sounding an alert when unknown or strange people come close to our house. These dogs are not people aggressive. They do not bark, lunge, or growl at passers-by during walks. They are not aggressive toward guests and unknown visitors, who may need to work in or around our house. Their job is simply to alert us, when unusual events occur close to home. Anything more would quickly become dangerous and risky.
Highly trained guard dogs, such as those employed by law-enforcement, may be trained to attack or restrain an intruder. However, they are always under the control of their handler, are extremely well managed, and will only attack on-command or when they think their handler is in clear danger (as defined during training). They also do not bark or growl at pedestrians.
3. Siberian Huskies Have High Energy
They are intelligent, athletic, and were bred to pull sleds for extremely long distances, in the freezing cold. Therefore, be prepared to provide a Husky with a lot of mental and physical exercise.
A young Husky needs activity almost all day round. At around one-year old, my Sibe puppy sleeps for perhaps 3-4 hours during the day, and about 10 hours during the night. That leaves about 10 hours during the day where she is on the go.
She drains her energy most by playing with my other dog, a Shiba Inu. However, even my Shiba cannot fully keep up with her.
In addition to the playing, she works for all of her food, has long walks in the park several times a week, has structured dog play sessions, dog obedience training sessions, and still has energy left over to explore and dig in our backyard.
If bored, a Husky can become unhappy. He will likely escape, or use our house and belongings as chew toys. Unless our backyard is extremely secure, he can easily jump over or dig under a fence, in order to find adventure elsewhere.
If we are away at work for most of the day, then the Siberian Husky is probably not for us.
Siberians like having company and activity all day long. It is possible that a Husky can keep himself occupied if we have other dogs, but he may also lead our entire pack into mischief!
Sibes do best when there is frequent human supervision, throughout the day.
Siberians are a gregarious lot and need the company of other dogs or of people at all times.
~~[SHCA]The Husky needs lots of exercise and entertainment. They love to run and play, but must be allowed to do so safely.
~~[Hillside SPCA]
4. Siberian Huskies Are Independent Thinkers
They have a very independent mind and spirit, and will only perform, if we make it worth their while.
If we want an obedient dog that only lives to please us, then the Siberian Husky is not for us.
A Sibe is not a “yes sir, no sir“, kind of dog. To live well with him, we need to be fair, but firm. We need to consistently enforce our house rules, or he will take over the house.
The best way to train a Husky, is through the control of resources. Teach him that the best way to get what he wants, is to first do what we want. I use reward obedience training, and follow the Nothing in Life is Free program. Harsher techniques can make a Siberian distrustful, and ruin the natural free spirit of the breed.
Huskies are independent hunters. Their original breeders, the Chukchi of Northeastern Asia, would let their dogs free during the summer months to hunt for food on their own.
This has two very important consequences for living with a Husky today –
- A Siberian is not to be trusted with cats or other small animals. He can be trained to live with cats, but his instinct is to hunt them;
- A Siberian is not to be trusted off-leash. If he sees a small animal, he will likely bolt after it, and forget about cars, commands, and everything else. By the time he comes to his senses, he may be lost and far from home.
I have gotten a few comments about cats lately, so let me be clear …
Sibes can be trained to live with household cats. However, they usually have high prey drive, and will likely want to hunt and chase small animals, including squirrels, mice, and cats. Just because a Siberian gets along with our house cats, does not mean he will treat other neighborhood cats in the same way.
Huskies are bred to run and pull. This makes them more difficult to leash train than many other breeds. To train a Husky to walk on a leash, we need to have an immense amount of patience. Always be firm and consistent with the no-pulling rule, and reward good behavior.
If we do not have a large backyard, bring our Sibe to an enclosed park or soccer field, so that he can have some nice off-leash time to run, run, run.
5. Siberian Huskies Are Not the Easiest Dogs to Potty Train
Certain dogs, like the Shiba Inu, are naturally clean and absolutely do not like soiling their living space. Because of their natural cleanliness, they are extremely easy to house train.
Sibes do not have that natural sense of cleanliness. In fact, they do not mind playing, and running around in their own waste products. Therefore, we must make it worth their while to potty outside.
Supervise our Husky puppy at all times, until he is fully house trained. Reward him well for pottying outside with high priority dog treats, play, and praise. If we are consistent with our puppy potty training, he will learn quickly, and be happy to go outside after a few weeks.
In addition, as Gigi points out, potty training difficulty is very dependent on what the dog or puppy is used to, in his previous environment. Puppy mill and pet store puppies are caged, most of the time. As a result, they will be harder to house train, because they are accustomed to going in their crates.
Where to Get a Siberian Husky Puppy
If we still want a Husky, then visit the Siberian Husky Club of America for a breeder list. Also consider adopting one from a local Husky rescue.
It really makes a BIG difference to get a puppy from an accredited breeder.
Please do not buy a puppy from online puppy sites or pet stores. Most of their puppies come from backyard breeders or puppy mills. Buying from them, will only help support and continue the dog cruelty of these unscrupulous puppy breeders.
If we are concerned about the initial cost of a puppy, consider that backyard breeders and puppy mills frequently produce unhealthy and unbalanced puppies. They will end up costing us a lot more, in terms of vet bills, dog training bills, and property destruction.
Siberian Huskies Are Wonderful Dogs
I love my Sibes. However, just because I think Huskies are wonderful dogs, does not mean that everyone else will think so as well; nor does it mean that they will fit into someone else’s lifestyle.
Clearly, each dog is an individual and will differ in terms of prey drive, energy level, obedience, and more. However, general breed characteristics and information from reputable sources, will give us a better idea of what to expect.
Often, there is conflicting information on the web. Therefore, one good place to start is with the AKC-recognized national breed club – The Siberian Husky Club of America.
Captivating in their beauty, grace and childlike demeanor, Siberians catch the eye of adults and children alike. They can be wonderful dogs for the well-informed or experienced Husky owner. However, they are NOT the breed for everyone and definitely not for first time dog owners. Too many wind up lost, in shelters, killed on the highway, abandoned or abused because the owner didn’t understand the breed and it’s challenging traits.
~~[Hillside SPCA]
this was pretty good information, because I wanted to know more about huskies cause I have one!!!!
I have a question, I have a puppy named Kat she’s almost 2 months, is it normal for her age to be very very hyper? Because of that attitude I cant train her. She potties at training pads at my surprise. Because its her second time using that yet she can already “go” there. But I cant train her because she is so hyper. Is it normal? We cant even go for a walk because she is only 1 1/2 month old
Puppies are going to be higher energy, be more curious, and have shorter attention spans. The good news is that puppies are usually also more food focused and people focused.
With my Husky puppy, I do very short training sessions all throughout the day, usually after a play session. I also use the play session to teach her good behaviors. I try to observe what my puppy likes doing most, and use that to motivate her.
Here is a bit more on how I trained my Husky puppy. I also follow the Nothing in Life is Free program with all of my dogs.
My 2nd dog after getting out of the Army is a Siberian Husky Female Named Madeline Magnolia, I got her in October 2010 after my family stole my First Dog Phoebe, I Trained her well the first 6 months i had her in my Apartment before we Moved to a Ranch in Colorado. There she had 5000 some odd acers to run on and explore, I Take her on 7-10 mile walks one way before turning around and going back, but she would still get bord of that and Excape the Yeard (My Army buddy didnt let dogs in the house) Once when she was 11 Months old she went missing for 4 days and managed to Hunt and Kill a Full grown Doe weighing 125lbs, Madeline at the time only weighed 40LBS. In Janruary we came to Fla to do some busness not expecting to get stuck here for as long as we have. On May 9th the House Keeper Left the dore open and chased Madeline out the door with the Vacume cleaner, that was 10 months ago, I have spent over $7000 looking for her and have not had any luck. In December 2012 I rescued Kaiser a Male Siberian Husky from some Neglectful owners, when i got him he weighed 35lbs, Was infected with Flees, Heart Worms, Hook Worms. After $2000 in vet bills he is now a Healthy 55 LB 2 yearold Siberian Husky who Likes going on Walks, Sleeping all day, Getting Belly Rubs, dosnt like playing much, and LOVES FOOD!. He thinks everyone e meets wants to play and pet him. I know one day I will Find my Madeline Magnolia and she and Kaiser will play well together =D
how do i teach my Siberian Husky/Alaskan malmmute how to heel he just wont listen.he gets to distracted and wants to play i tried to put him in an open area without any other dogs with his leash on and with treats and off the leash with treats too. what do i do? he just wont listen he is only three months old but he was easy to teach him to sit lay down shake roll over and he is potty trained and crate trained. please help me
Does he already know the basics of leash training? I.e., is he trained to walk on a leash without pulling?
What helps with my Sibes is to always start at the beginning, and to set them up for success. With walking, I first get my dog comfortable with having the collar and leash on. Then, I get her comfortable with having me hold the leash. Once we are good with this, I do leash training exercises, which teaches her not to pull while on a loose leash. I don’t do more advanced leash work, e.g. heel, until after we have mastered loose leash walking.
With heel training, I found that timing, position, and technique are all very important. It helped a lot to first do it under the direction of a professional trainer.
i love huskys
Hi Shibashake,
I left my sibe with my mom and dad who are both 80 years old already. I got a call today and they are worried because my sibe named Stolich lost her appetite for the past 2 days and don’t want to eat anything. She drinks water and eat some grass for the past 2 days. By the way she is 5years old (human age). Is it normal for her not to eat for 2 days? She is active and everything’s seems normal though.. What should i do? Thank you!….Stolich
I would take her to the vet ASAP.
I have owned and worked with dogs for about 30 years. Dogs do sometimes not eat for several days. It is more important that your dog is drinking and her energy level is about the same. Sometimes, they are prone to not eat if they have some sort of anxiety (perhaps when you left her at your parents’ house?) Just watch the signs, she may start eating again shortly or you may want to offer her plain chicken and white rice if her stomach is a little upset. If ANY other signs become evident (lethargy, not drinking water) I would immediately take her to the vet. Good luck and I hope she is back to normal by the time you read this post!
@Stolich Maybe she misses you. Our husky is like that also (when he’s being stubborn) I have read that Husky doesn’t really eat much or has a huge appetite but as owners it is something to be consulted to the vet (like what Shibashake said) or the experts. I guess, what happen to your dog (unless she’s introduced to other dog foods or there’s a change in her diet) is something psychological. Dogs by the way, learn this from the elders, eat grass or certain plants/grass when they have an upset stomach or is hungry; I’ve seen our Siberian husky doing that and so our other dogs.
I recently “rescued” a husky from a busy intersection. I have three other dogs, a neutered male Standard Schnauzer (the oldest, 10 yrs), a neutered male minature poodle (middle dog 5 yrs) and a spayed female chihuahua (youngest 4 yrs). The husky is intact and seems to NOT be dog aggressive but did give a warning growl while in the when first introduced which seems normal. My concern is the high prey drive. Do you think I need to worry too much about the smaller dogs? He did try to mount the poodle but the poodle put him in his place quickly. I still don’t allow them to all be in the backyard alone without supervision yet.
Thank you!
Here is an interesting thread about the Husky prey drive and small dogs-
http://www.prodoggroomingsupplies.com/dog-forums/showthread.php?t=73746
I need help. My daughter, her husband, husky and two cats moved in with me. He crates her at bed time and when they aren’t home. I love her and take her out for walks, but sometimes she becomes aggressive with me and bites her leash and rund around my ankles an tries to nip me. I am 60 years old and only 4’11 inches. I don’t know how to stop this. I buy her a lot of toys and throw her ball around the house for her to chase. she is very high energy and tires me out. Help!
Hello Joyce,
Huskies are very high energy dogs. They are strong, need a lot of exercise, as well as structure and boundaries.
Is it possible to do the initial training with your daughter or her husband? Getting help from a professional trainer may also be helpful. When my dogs were young, I also hired a dog walker and sometimes took them to dog daycare. This gives them an outlet for their boundless energy and also helps with socialization.
Here are some of my experiences with leash biting.
http://shibashake.com/dog/train-your-dog-to-stop-biting-on-the-leash
However, each dog and each situation is different, which is why visiting with a good professional trainer can be very helpful. I always make sure that everyone is safe during training, and do not take on more than I can physically handle.
I understand that Siberian Huskies are generally not good guard dogs, but I had an unusual experience with mine. The Siberian Husky is well known as an Arctic sled dog and has been placed in the “working dog group” category by the AKC, so I was very surprised when our Siberian Husky named “Odin” turned out to be a good coyote tracking dog at the ranch in Arizona. The coyote has killed several of our chickens and peacocks at the ranch. Yesterday, my wife Veronica went out to feed the chickens in their pen and found Odin was aggressively barking at something in the bushes behind the chicken pen. When Veronica walked up to the chicken pen she observed a hungry looking coyote covertly sneaking behind the pen trying to find a way to enter. The coyote ran away from Odin, but instead of returning to the ranch house Odin tracked the coyote for more than 1/2 mile into the desert brush behind the ranch house. When Veronica advised me of the situation, I grabbed a rifle and ran toward the sounds of Odin barking in pursuit of the coyote. By this time, our second Siberian Husky “Freya” was also in pursuit of the coyote with Odin. For a short period of time I couldn’t determine Odin’s location as he cornered the coyote in a wash about 1/2 mile away. To my surprise, Freya actually ran back to me and led me to where Odin had the coyote cornered. When I arrived, the coyote ran again but I was able to shoot him. We adopted the huskies primarily because we thought they were beautiful dogs and might be good to scare coyotes, foxes, and bobcats away, or just bark to let us know something was outside, but we never thought a working category dog would actually track a predator into the desert bush like a hunting dog.
Yeah, my Sibes also have high prey drive. They love to give chase. They don’t really have much guard/defensive drive though, which I think is a feature.
i love huskies i have always wanted one if i ever get one i might name him blue or if its a gril well idk yet but i love them i have been looking on for sale websites on them
How to get a good Siberian Husky puppy.
They r so wonderful. I would love to have one too.