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]
i love sibrarian huskys.their so adorable
my siberian husky 4 years old i want to breed her , she started her period april 24, 2013 when she ready to breed . is this a good week. thank you 5/13/2013
It is best to talk about this with a registered Husky breeder.
http://www.shca.org/shcahp4f.htm
Hi…i have a five month old husky…..she is starting to mouth very hard, and snaps at people for seemingly no reason….i dont know how to get her to stop…when shes in these moods i cant grap her as she hurts and goes beyond listening….its scary for my children…..apart from these times shes really lovely and is quite obediant, also great on her lead…..any advise appreciated.
Here are a few things that help with my dogs –
1. I do bite inhibition training to teach them to control the force of their bites.
2. I set up a fixed and consistent set of rules as well as a fixed routine. I get them to follow my rules by using the Nothing in Life is Free program.
3. When a dog is still in training, I put a drag-lead on him (only with a flat collar and only under supervision). In this way, I can better control him when I need to. Grabbing my dog to punish him led to redirected aggression, and also caused him to be wary of human touch.
Here is a bit more on how I trained my Husky puppy.
Given that children are involved, it is probably best to get help from a professional trainer.
http://www.apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
My Siberian Husky, Faolan, is 8 years old and in great shape. Lately, he goes into these periods where he doesn’t want to eat and that means anything. No treats, no boiled chicken, no dog food, nothing. He didn’t eat last night and now this morning. He’s full of energy, runs, plays but doesn’t feel like eating. Is this normal for this breed?
Thanks in advance.
Peter
Hmmm, my Shiba Inu will sometimes skip one or two meals, but not my Huskies.
The only time my Huskies don’t want to eat is when they have some digestive or physical discomfort. In the past, my Shiba would sometimes skip one or two meals, but even then, he would still eat boiled chicken, cheese, and other good stuff.
Could it be a toothache? Have you looked at his teeth and gums? Has he skipped meals before or is this the first time? I would also call up the vet and see what they say.
Hi,
I just purchased a beautiful husky 3 weeks ago. I have an Akita and had a German Shepherd that passed away a couple yrs. ago. I never realized that a
husky could be even more stubborn than my Akita and I thought my German Shepherd was high energy…..nothing like my husky. He plays rough and my children have been hurt by his sharp baby teeth. I know he doesn’t mean to hurt anyone but if you have little children you need to think twice about getting one. I have fallen madly inlove with this sweet rough playing baby so he’s staying but he definitely tries my patience. I’m hoping with continued training and patience he will turn out to be as wonderful as my Akita and as wonderful as my German Shepherd baby was.
I have two chihuahua mix dogs and a cat but I really want a husky for an outside dog. I have done lots of research but I’m just wondering if people find it difficult to take care of 3 dogs in a household. Also, my husband never grew up with dogs so it was tough to convince him to get these two inside dogs (which he now loves!), how do I convince him to get another (bigger) one?? Thanks!
I currently have 3 dogs and they are *a lot* of work.
A Sibe, especially, is very energetic and will require a lot of exercise and structured positive activities. I have to walk my Sibes every day for about 1.5 hours, we play fun chasing games in our fully enclosed backyard, and we do grooming sessions. I supervise them and manage their excitement level when they play together, so that there are no accidents. If a Siberian Husky does not get enough structured exercise he may become destructive or escape from the yard.
My Huskies love to dig and they are very good at it. They will need to be trained only dig in certain areas, or our yard will soon be full of holes. They can also dig under the fence, so we will need to make sure that the fence line is secure wrt. underground escapes.
A Siberian Husky is independent and will need structure, routine, and training.
A Siberian Husky has high prey drive and will need to be carefully trained to get along with small dogs and cats.
All this will take a lot of time, effort, and expense.
Not sure if my Husky is an odd ball or not, but – he is very protective. He has only offered to bite someone once, but it was when him and I were talking a walk and this person reached towards me to hand me something and my Husky jumped up and “snapped” at his hand. It was more of a “get away” type thing, and I’m not sure that he would have actually bit.
He actually gets along very well with my cat and my chihuahua. The cats, he tends to think are HIS cats- in he likes to clean them, cuddle them and follow them around the house.
We let him out without a leash. We weren’t able to do this when he was younger, but he will be 12 this year and rarely ever offers to leave the yard without a leash. If he does and I’m out there, he will come right back- when my husband tries to get him to come back that is a different story. lol ((odd fact is that my husband has had this husky since he was a sophomore in high school and I didn’t come around until he had already graduated, but this doggy sure loves his mommy! haha))
Also, about being protective- when my mom and dad come over my husky will stand between my father and I when we are outside of the house, and when we come inside he tends to position himself between my dad and I but will lay down and look other places, etc. Keep in mind, my dad is one of the quietest, happiest, nicest people that ever lived- so its not like he is threatening or anything. He will go up to my dad, but his paw on him, cuddle him, play with him…anything… But, when that pizza guy comes to the door- I’m lucky to be able to get to the pizza. lol
Could also be jealousy,spunds funny but i have a husky and have tested this and they are extremely jealous?When my partner and I hug my husky howls and jumps up on us until we part,then hes fine again,Its so funny but thiscould be why your husky seems “protective”.
I just got a 1 year old husky and i was wondering if there is any way he can get used to being alone for about 1 1/2 hour. he also really hates being outside without someone there So how can i prevent him from doing his “business” inside when I’m gone.
Here is what I did to potty train my Husky puppy. When I am unable to supervise, I use a puppy enclosure (for younger puppies) or a crate. However, I make sure to be around most of the time to supervise, play with, and train my new dog.
To get my dog more comfortable with his alone-time, I use desensitization techniques.
okay i have a serious question here, I just got a husky, he is eleven weeks old. I am trying to leash train him but all he does is pull on the leash or just does not listen, he comes when i call his name, I praise and reward him and everything but every time i try to take him out for a walk or run, i end up having to go back home due to the fact that my husky just hates the leash, or he doesn’t follow me. what advice do you have for me? I need help, pleeaasseeee
While leash training my Husky puppy, I make sure to start at small and make the experience very positive. I first start by desensitizing my puppy to the collar and to his lead.
Then, I do leash training inside the house. The house environment is safe, quiet, and comfortable, so Lara can get used to walking on a lead, and focus on walking without pulling. Once my puppy is comfortable with the lead inside the house, we do leash training in the backyard.
After she is confident walking on a leash in the backyard, as well as fully vaccinated, then we start to do training outside – first in quiet areas that are low stimulus.
I set my puppy up for success so that she gains confidence, becomes comfortable with walking on a lead, and learns not to pull. When she is comfortable walking in quiet areas, then I very slowly increase the outside environmental challenge.
Here is a bit more on leash training techniques and how I trained my Husky puppy.
Hello, my name is Matilda.
I’m 15 years old and currently a freshman in high school. My mom finally agreed to let me get a husky after years of begging. I know that having a husky takes alot of commitment but I’m willing to commit as much free time as I have to the dog. Walks after school and before bed. Also in the morning when my sister gets home from work. I have so many questions about potty training and also when is a good age to start taking them for walks. The dog will be a month or two when I get it. But I also have a four year old fixed female chihuahua. How will the husky act around her ? My mom said she doesn’t want the husky to be a inside dog forever. We have a pretty big backyard , but we also have a 10 year old (human years) mixed male chihuahua in the backyard, its kind of big and we think its mixed with pug. Should we introduce the husky to both the inside and outside dog at the same time ? The husky we are getting is a male. I would really appriciate some advice. I really want to prove to my mom that I can take care of the dog. Thank you.
Potty training:
With my Husky puppies, the single most important thing with potty training is supervision. I supervise my puppy very closely during the potty training period so that I can take her outside and reward her well for doing the right thing. At the same time, I can prevent mistakes in the house. More on how I potty trained my puppy.
Walks:
I start leash training with my puppy inside the house. Then, we move on to the backyard. I do not walk my puppy outside until she is fully vaccinated. Puppies still have developing immune systems and can get sick from smelling or eating bad poop from other dogs or other animals. Licking at contaminated water puddles etc, can also be an issue.
For dog socialization, we go to puppy class. I make sure that it is a well-run class, which checks for vaccination records for all the puppies.
Introducing a new dog:
Some things that I keep in mind while first introducing a new puppy to my existing dogs-
http://shibashake.com/dog/getting-a-second-dog#meeting
This is what I do to help my dogs get along-
http://shibashake.com/dog/second-dog-introducing-a-second-dog
**Both my Huskies have high prey drive, so I take extra care while introducing them to smaller dogs. I make sure that they are leashed and very well supervised. If I am unsure of anything or see any kind of stress, I end the greeting. It can also help to get professional help.
Here is a bit more on the first 10 days with my Husky puppy and how I trained her.