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]
hi thanks for this site it’s really helpful 🙂
I am 13 and i really want a husky pup but my house and my backyard are not big
but i have a big green outside and a huge park near my house i also live on the coast
and there’s a big beach, my mam and dad don’t want it because they thinks it’s to big
for the house. My question is that is a ok to get a husky if you have a small house and you bring it out on walks daily??
Hello Conor,
In terms of exercise, both my Sibes need quite a lot of daily exercise. Part of that is a long daily walk, but the other part is some off-leash time in a safe, enclosed space. Both my Huskies love to run, but they also have high prey drive, so they *need* some off-leash time in a safe enclosed/fenced space to do their running, wrestling, and playing.
They play pretty rough so there is a lot of banging into the walls. I keep two large spaces free of furniture so that they have a nice and safe play-area inside the house. We also fully fenced the backyard so in cooler weather, they can enjoy playing safely outside.
Here is a story of my first dog.
Hey I bought an 8 week old sibe & I brought him home & he doesn’t really like to move,is that normal ?
Most Huskys are happy and want to explore. If he is that young and acting lethargic, he needs to be taken to a vet immediately to rule out Parvo or any other serious problems.
Yeah, my experience is similar to Jessie’s. Both my Sibe puppies were curious and wanted to explore when we got them home.
Where did you buy your puppy from?
I would take him to the vet just to be sure he is ok. I usually take a new puppy to the vet anyway for a checkup and to set-up a vaccination schedule.
I’ve found two huskys for sale on the internet for $300… worried becasue they are so cheap but they come with all their vet checks and papers. What should i look for when buying one?
I would stay away from online puppies. Most of them are from puppy mills. If you want to buy a puppy, the best place to look is on the official Kennel Club breeder list.
Here are some things that I looked for when getting my Husky puppy.
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-to-buy-a-siberian-husky-puppy
Hi, I have a healthy 2-year old Siberian husky who eats, plays and gets plenty of love and affection. We play with her and she plays with our other dogs. But lately, we’ve noticed that she’s been very emotional, crying and howling for no particular reason. Is this normal? Is there anything we can do to help her?
Hmmm, could it be some kind of physical discomfort or pain? Is she eating and playing normally? Anything unusual with her poop and pee? Any other changes aside from the howling?
She doesn’t show any signs of physical discomfort or pain. She eats and plays normally and has normal and regular poop and pee. She just seems to be extra emotional and sensitive as far as crying and howling for no apparent reason. She asks to be petted more than usual has the need to be near someone at all times.
Hmmm, is she spayed? It is probably best to consult with her vet since they have her entire medical history.
No she hasn’t been spayed. Thanks for your input I’ll be sure to consult with the vet.
Then perhaps she is entering her heat cycle.
I have a 5 year old husky and he crys when he can’t be with me nothing is wrong with him he just needs to be with me
I really like all these especially Shanie. She’s really pretty and looks fabulous
Hello,
My husky is very jealous and I was just wondering if that is normal? She is two years old and hasn’t made any trouble but she has the tendency of biting my chihuahua after I have been giving him attention. I find it odd since she usually backs away and lets him do whatever he wants (like eating before her, or taking all the chew toys) but when it comes to attention she gets jealous and bites him. She doesn’t do much harm to him but she gives him and me quite a scare! She did attack a pug once on the neck so I had to give my pug to a friend. Is there any way I can train her to stop this? Or what is there for me to do?
Yeah, mine are jealous about affection as well. If Lara sees Shania getting attention, she will come over for some as well. I make sure to tell her what to do, which is to lie down nicely next to Shania and then I give them both belly rubs.
If one of them starts to misbehave or tries to push the other one away, I no-mark and stop scratching her. If she continues, I body block her away and go back to giving affection to the one that is good. If the other one comes over again and starts with bad behavior, I put her briefly in a timeout.
In this way they learn-
Lie down calmly = Get lots of affection and belly rubs,
Trying to push other dog away or otherwise correct her = Don’t get any attention
I make sure to *only* reward good behaviors and not to reward any bad behavior. Also, I find that it is better not to let my dogs correct each other. I set the house rules and I enforce them using the Nothing in Life is Free program.
Hi,
I just finished reading your tips for Huskies. I currently have a 2 year old husky. And boy is he is trouble sometimes. We got him as a puppy, and took him to obedience school, he did well and has learned and retained some tricks ( like sit, stay, and wait). But the biggest problem we have with him, Is the fact that whenever we try and walk him, it takes about 30 mins. To get his leash on and stop him from playing tug of war with us and his leash. After all that is said and done, I have to take off in a sprint for him to get “into gear” for this walk then he does fine. Do you have any tips for us, to help the pre-walking stage become less stressful? Any tips on how to keep him from biting at his leash and jumping on us, so we can just walk? Most times, he is outside in our backyard, running around prior to us walking him as well. Any tips will greatly be appreciated.
With my Huskies, I make sure to never reward them for any bad behavior and to *only* reward good behavior. I also tell them what type of behavior I want from them.
With a new puppy, I establish a “going out” routine.
– When it is time to go out, I will go put on outside clothes as well as get their leash and collar.
– Lara usually knows a walk is coming, so she gets excited. If she jumps on me, bites on me, bites on the leash, or does anything else that she is not supposed to do, I no-mark, and tell her what to do instead, e.g. Sit.
– If she Sits, then I continue with getting ready.
– If she continues with her bad behavior, then I put stuff back and go back to doing whatever I was doing before. After some time has passed, and I get another break, I try again.
– Once I am done with getting the stuff I call Lara to the door and ask her for a Sit.
– I put on collar and leash and we practice door manners.
– Then we leave for our walk.
– If she misbehaves at any point, I first no-mark and tell her what to do. If she stops, I praise and continue with our going-out ritual. If she does not stop, then she does not get to go on her fun walk.
In this way she learns that –
Jumping and biting = no walk,
No jumping and biting = walk.
Routine and consistent rules help a lot with my Huskies. I also follow the Nothing in Life is Free program.
I would recommend a harness. If your leash is the typical latch on to a collar around the neck, your husky will pull instictively. My “Nala” is 3 years old and I followed this tip from another husky owner. she’s worn a harness from age 1. I’ve purchased mine at Petsmart, the kind where the leash latches along the back. the first one I purchased latched at the chest, but I find that style awkward when whe walks slightly ahead of me. I’m also right handed and walk her on my left side. The leash latched on the back makes this less awkward for me. Best of luck!
Hi there!
My sibe is 2.5 years old but isn’t very friendly. I took him to obedience classes, the dog park, and out for walks almost every day. For some reason, he is very warry of strangers, he dislikes most of them and growls and howls at them, his hair stands up, and he runs away if they approach him. Also, he does not talk to me hardly ever, only when he wants to go outside, is hungry, or if I howl at him while he’s stretching (even then he only does it sometimes, mostly when he wants to go out). Do you have any ideas as to why he’s like this, and hos I can fix?
Thanks!
Hmmm, what is your Sibe’s background? Did you get him as a puppy or as an adult? Has he always been wary of strangers?
It sounds like he is afraid of new people. With my dogs, I do people desensitization exercises to help them get more comfortable around people and to help them associate people with positive things and rewards.
The key with desensitization is to start small and with a *very weak* version of the “people-stimulus” so that my dog can still be in control and can still listen to me. I always try to make desensitization exercises be positive and keep my dog below his fear threshold. In this way, he learns to look to me for direction and starts to re-associate a previously scary stimulus with positive and rewarding events.
Positive associations and successful encounters are important in dog socialization, so I only expose my dogs to situations that I *know* they can handle comfortably. Here is a bit more on dog socialization.
Hello, I just brought a 8 week old husky/border collie mix into my home and introduced him to our 3 year old puggle. Now my puppy is a mutt, and as far as i know he is only 1/4 husky. We do not know what his father was. He was pretty tolerant of her constant sniffing, and there was no real issues, but I’ve read that husky’s will view smaller animals as prey instinctually. Im hoping, since hes so young, that he will learn to view her as family and not foe..But nonetheless I am concerned about what will happen when he gets bigger. Should I be worried?
molly malone at 3 or so
Congratulations on your new puppy!
When I bring home a new Husky puppy, I find that it helps to set up some dog-to-dog interaction rules and a fixed routine. In this way, my Husky learns what to expect from my other dogs and vice versa. I also do group dog obedience training sessions and try to create positive experiences when they are together. This helps them to work together cooperatively, and form a good bond.
Here is more of what I do.
Thank you! Things have been going very well : ) cheers!
Hello dear,
I appreciate your guidelines and information regarding several aspects on huskies.
My trouble goes like this….I have a male husky puppy one month of age. His head is constantly shaking and his hind legs aee really weak. While our female puppy from the same litter is doing great.
I will appreciate if you can help me on this as we are very worried about his behaviour. In general he is quite active, runs, eats properly, play with us, gnarl and howl and so manu things he can do.
Please help us.
Thanks
I would take him to the vet as soon as possible.