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]
Hello..
I just have a question about Siberian Husky puppy. My neighbor brought a Siberian Husky puppy and they leave her outside day and night tide up short and at night it gets below 30 degree. I am just really worry about the puppy she looks like about 2-3months old puppy. I am just so curious about is Siberian Husky pups can sleep outside in cold weather without the doghouse. My neighbor don’t even have a doghouse for the puppy to sleep in. If you can answer me asap I will appreciate it.
Thanks,
Jin
I don’t really know the answer to that for sure. It is not something that I would want to test out.
Here is a thread that discusses this question-
http://www.dogster.com/forums/siberian_husky/thread/692797
The general consensus seems to be that Sibes can *tolerate* extremely low temperatures, but there are several caveats. In particular, they may have to build a tolerance for it, and they may not do well when there are constant large changes in temperature; for example from their time inside the house vs. outside. Puppies generally have a shorter coat compared to adult Huskies, and may not be able to withstand the cold as much as an adult dog.
Finally, being able to tolerate extreme cold also does not mean that they enjoy or are comfortable being in extreme cold or being exposed to biting winds.
Here are a couple of articles on chaining or tethering-
What You Can Do to Help Chained Dogs (Humane Society)
Chaining and Tethering (ASPCA)
Good article. While reading your article I was smiling and all because I can truly relate to every description, issues, and/or guidelines of having a Siberian husky. They are really intelligent, our own sibe, Maxi (Maximilian, 1 year old) could already open our gate when he was just 6 months old or younger, I think – eventually had accomplish a soundless escap , fortunately our mixed-breed dog was with him and he (Max) didn’t total wander off. He can understand commands and reprimands (when he’s misbehaves) but he is just stubborn. I think you’re article is a great help to new owners or who want to have their own Sibe. More powers to you and do continue to help other people who wants to adopt or have their own Sibe and I hope you’ll have another article on other breeds too.
Upon reading to some comments…
When Max was younger we let him off leash, we’re in a tropical country btw, and when it’s raining we just let him be in the rain for a few hours/minutes (we can’t let him do such stuffs now because he’s a lot larger than when he’s still a pup, it would just bring a huge mess inside the house after being in the rain and he’s a threat to stray cats passing by our house) because we’ve research that they can withstand -58’C and somehow it’s a “treat” for him to be in the cold since we’re in tropical area but our mum makes a petty fuss over it stating he might catch cold. Upon observing him, I think huskies even pups would likely to know discomfort over tolerance because there are times even it’s raining (and he likes it) he prefers to stay indoor. But we don’t put him outdoors when it’s raining when we’re about to go to sleep, he sleeps indoors actually 🙂
Hey,
I am currently considering getting a siberian husky, i have always loved this breed of dog. Your guide has been very helpful, thank you.
I have 1 question though, i work 8am-5:30pm with an hour lunch monday-friday. Would a 30-45 min walk/jog before work and around an hour walk after work be enough exercise for it daily?
i would be able to go home for lunch as i live close to my work place and interact a little with him/her a little.
Hello Chris,
My young Sibe, Lara, needs a lot of exercise. We walk around 1.5 hours daily, she plays mornings and evenings with our other two dogs, and she still does zoomies around the house and backyard. She also likes digging, so we put concrete blocks all the way around our fence line so that she can’t dig out while chasing after earth critters.
Lara is currently almost 2 years old. She does well when there is supervision and structured activity during the day.
Shania is 5 years old, and she does not do as much zoomies. However, she really likes her walks, and we are also out for at least 1.5 hours daily. She is a three legged dog, so we stop more often and smell the roses. 😀
Hey, i have a question,
I want to get a husky over the next 2 months. (Hopfully during the March Break when I will be home for a week.) But before I make the commitment I want to get all of my information right and make sure I will be raising my husky in a safe comfortable environment.
1 I life in a 1 story house with an okay size backyard and a deck about 4 ft high. I life with my father. my brother, my grandparents and my aunt. They have agreed to have the husky but on conditions that when it grows up and gets bigger that it stays in the dog house when I am at school. (school is about 6 hours.)
Keep in mind, the ‘dog house’ will be my deck in the backyard. My dad and I are craftsmen and are going to turn the whole underneath of my deck into a dog house (pretty big dog house) So it wont have to worry about being in a small creat, the dog house will be heated in the winter (I live in Canada and it gets -40 sometimes) and in the summer we will put fans and air conditioning. The floor will probobly be tile and the house will be big enough for it to have his food and water as well as his bed. I plan on spending lots of time with it when I get home from school, and maybe some nights, bring a mattres in the house and sleeping beside it.
Though there are lots of people in my house, they have made it clear that the husky will by mostly my responsibility so I will be the one giving it walks and running and biking with it as much as I can.
A question is, is this okay? It wont be in the house to much when it’s older so the dog house is big enough to keep it safe wile I’m away but not crampt up. I was even thinking of tying a 50 ft leash to it so it can roam the rest of the backyard (though not wile I’m at school or away for long hours) Does this sound alright?
Like I said I want to make sure it’s going to be comfortable and I know they are high energy dogs and since I wont always be there I want to make sure that it will keep active with the space available.
The dimantions of the dog house are about 15 ft wide and 8 ft long and 4 ft high
My backyard is about 30-40 ft long and 50 ft wide. Fences are 6 ft high
I’m really hoping anyone can get back to me on this!
Thank you
That sounds like a really nice backyard. Is it possible for the dog to stay in the backyard without a tether? My Sibes enjoy running and roaming around in the backyard. They also love the sun and like smelling the wind.
The other thing with Sibes is that they can howl and be pretty noisy. One of my Sibes, Lara, can be pretty loud. She also loves the company of people, so if there is activity and people in the house, she will usually want to come in and join in on the fun. She may sometimes vocalize to come in. In these situations, someone will have to be there to supervise and train her on what to do.
In my experience, it is generally best when everybody in the house participates in the upbringing and training of the dog. I find that consistency is very important while training my dogs. Otherwise, they may get confused about rules, and may not bond with certain members of the household. This may in turn result in guarding behavior (e.g. space, objects, food, people), anxiety, and other issues.
My sieb loves the frozen Kongs they can’t get enough of them
Hey first off I would like to say I love your site. We recently just adopted a 6 month old beautiful SIberian Husky/Samoyed mix puppy. I have had huskies growing up so I know the breed very well. We had a 25 acre farm in Ocala,FL and with a non-alligator lake in the middle and they loved to run free like you mentioned they are super independent. Just goes to show you though I grew up with 3 huskies and I am still requesting help. Bella seems to be a little too aggressive when playing. The only thing I don’t like is that she bites my golden retriever’s neck really hard and twists as if she is trying to pull off meat like a wolf. I know she is only a genetic bond away from being a wolf. The three huskies I grew up with never did this and they were full bread huskies. Any advice on how I can stop her from doing this. Like you mentioned she may have been removed from her siblings too soon.I don’t know b/c I rescued her. I looked into the samoyed’s and it doesn’t seem to be a samoyed problem which I figured it would be more likely to be a husky problem. Thank You..
My Sibes get the most rough during play when they are over-excited. One thing that helps with them is to manage their excitement level.
When they are playing, I throw in a lot of play-breaks. During a play-break I call one of them over to me, and we do some obedience exercises. I reward them very well for doing this, so when I call, they are usually very happy to come. These breaks help them to refocus on something else (me), and helps them to calm down. After a short break, they go back to playing.
I also have certain play-rules. Two important ones are no-humping and no kill moves. A kill move is when one of them grabs onto another’s fur, and then pulls hard back and forth, as if shaking prey. If I see any of them starting any of these moves, I no-mark, interrupt them, and stop play briefly. During break, they do commands for me, I refocus them, and get them to calm down. Once they are calm, they may go back to playing.
If a dog keeps going back to the same behavior, escalates the behavior, or redirects aggression onto me, then he goes to timeout.
Here is a bit more on how I keep the peace at home with my dogs.
I do not fully agree about potty training. I have never had any problem with this with my siberian. She is also very careful where to go in the garden when she is doing her business.
heyy, i am getting one, is it okay if we leave it for about 5 hrs alone. a day, but that happenes at least twice a week is it okayy, and is it hard to potty train.
In the beginning, I make sure that there is someone available to supervise puppy, most of the time. Puppies, especially Sibe puppies have a lot of energy, and are full of endless curiosity. They can get into lots of trouble without proper supervision and management. Supervision is also very important for potty training.
Once puppy Lara was potty trained and had some house rules under her belt, I started training her to be relaxed when I am not around. First, I just go into another room and then come back. Then, I slowly lengthen the duration that I am away, as she gains more confidence.
Hi,
We are getting a Husky pup in the coming days (just waiting until hes 8 weeks old) and very excited. Ive researched the breed and feel we can definitely handle a Sibe. Just a couple things I’m concerned about…
1. We went and visited the pup at the breeders home a week after picking him out (5-6 weeks old), we knew he was a little quieter than the other pups but when we saw him again he seemed almost dis-interested in us compared to the other pups who were jumping all over us, he just stayed in his corner for 5 minutes before moving around. So just wondering is this anything to worry about later or will he come out of his shell after we bring him home and give him some attention?
2. Also we have a medium sized, secure and walled garden say 20 meters X 20 meters…ish but have great parks and other areas close by to walk him to as he gets older, including a beach. So im just wondering is it ok to keep him in the back garden as a pup to play or should i take him for long walks aswell?
Thanks
Congratulations on your new Sibe puppy!
1. Quiet Puppy
Lara was also more shy and quiet compared to the rest of her litter. But it turns out that she is the most affectionate of our three dogs. Shania loves everyone so she will rush to say hi to all the people that give her any little bit of attention. Lara is still friendly and likes to meet people, but she is not as gung-ho as Shania, which I think is a feature.
I actually like the more quiet pups. They tend to be more calm and are better to snuggle with. 😀 Also, puppy will also change as he matures.
2. Walking
I didn’t walk puppy Lara outside until she had all of her shots. I did start leash training her in the backyard though, so we would be all prepared when she is ready for outside walks.
I start with short but more frequent walks. In the beginning, she pulled a lot so short walks worked better for us. As she started to improve, I slowly lengthened our walks. I also started in more quiet areas. That way, we had more successful sessions and can slowly build up to more challenging environments.
Sibe puppies are a lot of fun and are big energy balls. We used up a lot of frozen Kongs. 😀
Happy Holidays and big hugs to puppy when you get him.
Another thing that I forgot to mention is that Lara was more cautious about new things. We just did more socialization exercises with her, she became more confident, and things worked out pretty well.
Hi, i have a 9 month old female siberian husky. I got her at 5 1/2 weeks and She has alwas been very attached to me but like all huskies it was more playful in nature. However she recently (for lack of a better term) hit puberty and for the last 2 weeks she has acted more affectionate. She will rest her head in my lap for long periods of time, she stares into my eyes and she follows me closely, not running ahead but staying right at my side. Its almost as if she is sick and im getting concerned. This is the first female dog ive owned, is this normal?
Hello Travis,
Your Sibe sounds wonderful. Both Shania and Lara are very affectionate and like being with people.
How is her energy level? Is she eating normally? Is her poop normal? Are there other physical signs that indicate she might be sick?
Yes, everything seems as usual and she doesn’t show any other sighns of sickness. Its just an extreme change from always wanting to play to suddenly being mellow and calm. It happened almost overnight and she has been like this for over a week. im not complaining as long as this is normal and healthy.
Hmmm, being suddenly mellow and calm does seem a bit strange for a Sibe puppy.
Is she spayed?
Have there been any other changes in her routine? Is she getting more exercise elsewhere? Is she energetic during walks? Does she still have energetic play sessions but just less often, or is she not interested in play at all?
What kinds of activities does she do during the day?
With my Sibes, if there is a big change in energy level then there is usually a reason for it. For example, they get less energetic during warm weather. They also may get less energetic if they have a fever, an upset tummy, or some other physical discomfort.
Hi.
i have 2 beautifull and wonderfull pure bread siberian huskys they are brother and sister. we only planned to adopt 1 but ended up with 2. my first question is they are both the same age but my boy is much bigger than my girl, we adopted her because we felt soory for her as she was under feed the owner had 5 dogs and feed them all out of the same bowl and they had to fight for food. she is so loving and a happy go lucky dog but i am concerned about her size she is a lot smaller and lighter than he is she is 6 months old and weighs 6 kg the vet said she would put on weight and she has a bit but not much so i would like to no if there is anything i can do to help this. and number 2. i was wondering if the moon has n e thing to do with there behaviour. as i have noticed when the moon is just over half my kids (huskys) like to play all night long no matter how much we run them and play they will stay up all night and wont settle but they only do it when the moon is just over half full ?
thank you
shannon
1. Weight
At 6 months they are still growing, so if the vet says that everything is well, I wouldn’t worry too much. My Sibes didn’t put on a lot of bulk until they got older (around 2 or more). They are so active when young, they just burn everything off.
How is her appetite? What type of food is she currently eating?
2. Activity
I have read that dogs are crepuscular – they are most active during dawn and dusk. From observing my dogs, that seems to be the case with them. They have the most active play sessions when they wake up and after work.
I haven’t noticed any increase in activity level when the moon is half full. However, my Sibes have very high prey drive. If there is a lot of small animal activity, they will be a lot more excited and will do a lot of hunting and pouncing. Perhaps the increase in activity is related to more stuff happening in the environment.