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 have 2 husky’s and this morning i let them out on my fully fenced acre and they killed a ferel cat in the yard i was devastated. by the time i got to them the cat was gone.. they did drop the cat. but i want to try and discourage this- also one of them will catch birds in mid flight any suggestions
Hello Pam,
Both my Sibes have very high prey drive. They dig for mice and other rodents in the backyard, and they will also chase birds and squirrels. That is part of their breed heritage.
Here are some of my experiences in fighting the “squirrel instinct”.
http://shibashake.com/dog/the-squirrel-instinct-can-it-be-retrained
Hi I was really thinking about getting a Siberian Husky, until I seen the fact that they aren’t loyal to their owner. Is there any way I can change that and make the dog become loyal to me and intimidate others that try go near it? I would like to use my dog(when it has grown up of course) to protect me as well as to have as a great pet. I live in Dublin, Ireland and would like to know if you can tell me where to buy a husky puppy. Thanks, Elliott
I suppose it depends on what you mean by ” intimidate others that try go near it?”
Some people teach their dogs to bark or vocalize on command. This is often enough to ward of undesired attention.
Nevertheless, both my Sibes really love meeting and interacting with people, much more so than other dogs. They enjoy their people time and it is not something that I would change. There are many other breeds that would serve better as guard dogs.
As for getting a purebred dog, I would look at the Kennel Club breeder list. Registered purebred clubs also have lists of breeders that follow good breeding practices.
http://www.the-kennel-club.org.uk/services/public/findapuppy/Default.aspx
http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/2101
If you want your dog to intimidate others you are the wrong kind of person to have a dog.
i have a huskey and a BABY on the way i think he will be okay let’s hope so!
I just had a question. I want to get a Husky so bad. But i just wanted to know if they were able to be trained to hunt small game animals. (ducks, squirell, rabbit, ect.) I already own a Coon dog so i was hopin my pup could follow what he does. Any little bit would help me. Thanks!!
Both my Sibes have high prey drive and they naturally hunt small game. However, when they are in pursuit of prey, they are singularly focused on that task and will be gone in the blink of an eye. They will just chase and not respond to anything else. This is why Sibes are not to be trusted off-leash in an unenclosed space.
Brittany, it’s been 5 years since your comment but I just had to reply. I’ve owned huskys for many years and currently have 2 that were both rescued. As the article clearly stated, huskys should not be off-leash, which hunting requires. Since they also have a high prey drive, which the article stated, whatever is being hunted probably wouldn’t be in the best of shape after being killed. I hope you found a dog that’s appropriate for what you have in mind and if not, search at your local shelters or rescues. Please, adopt don’t shop. Many, many huskys are killed every day at shelters because people didn’t educated themselves about the breed or did, but then hought they could change the things that makes them huskys. Backyard breeders and pet stores (puppy mill dogs) only want to make money and don’t care about the dog’s current or future lives. Spay, neuter, adopt, don’t shop.
I forgot to mention getting two is the only solution I have came up with, but it isn’t rocket science to understand as puppies it wouldn’t be possible to give the appropriate attention, being that of only 4-5 hours a day. Adopting two trained younger Sibes is realisticly all I’ve worked with so being fair to the dogs and realistic to myself I’m not too sure if at all this is possible, so again, just need your expertise on this. Would the Sibe find enough company with one of its own should I be gone for the time I mentioned below ?
Thanks in advance.
Hi there,
Currently own a female German Shepherd, Skye, we got her from a local rescue and it was pretty obvious she needed a good few operations and a million tins of food to catch up on her weight. It was all worth the heartache at the start given how she is now though. Being a little more lazy in her mid-late years she’s still the most keep herself-to-herself, happy going house dog we always wanted. The only thing I regret is not being able to see her first two years. Not due to her horrible standard of living but merely the puppy. I think her natural response to commands originally came out of fear, of course she knows different now, but who knows going back to day one. She’s still terrfied of the hoover and the shower, though !
But nevertheless I will be looking at a place of my own soon. I’ve read over a thousand articles on the Sibe because they have the intelligence of dog I’m used to and I think they look beautiful but never felt the need to reply to any until now. My only issue is I work my bollocks off a good 39 hours a week with a good 1 hours travel a day. Say from 11am-9pm Mon-Fri I’m not going to be there. Now our Skye is used to being alone at times, even though I’m still with family, there’s times she’s alone for as stated, a good 8-9 hours a day. Whilst is isn’t often her behaviour is no different. She’s still a lazy bugger ! How much of a problem would this be? I’ve never really felt guilty at any point my family are away and I’ve been to work, or vice versa, because she’s the smartest dog I know, surely she understands.
So, yeah, I guess I’m looking for your expertise in a possible work around? I don’t wish to miss the puppy days of my first dog but I certainly can’t work from home.
Thanks in advance !
Hello Adam,
I currently have two Sibes – Shania is almost 5 and Lara is 1.5 years old. I have never gotten two Sibes together before, so I cannot say what exactly that experience will be like. My guess is that it will be challenging, time consuming, tiring, and a lot of work, especially for two young Sibes. 😀
Shania was very energetic her first two to three years. During that time she was always on the go and needed a lot of activity throughout the day. She calmed down some at around 3, and calmed down even more now that she is around 5. Still, she likes to have daily walks and also plays with my other two dogs usually in the mornings and evenings. She is a lot more energetic in cool weather. Heat really takes all the energy out of her and she does not like hot days at all. She stays indoors when it is hot outside and I make sure she stays cool inside and has plenty to drink.
My dogs will often play together and hang-out together but I am around to supervise their active play time. I think dogs can have a lot of fun playing together but if unsupervised, they may also lead each other into mischief. When I got a second dog, it turned out to be more work than I expected because I had to teach them how to interact well with each other, supervise play to make sure that they don’t get over-excited, make sure there is no stealing of toys and food, etc.
I also walk my Sibes separately. During walks, they both want to be lead dog so they pull a lot more when together. They also amp each other up when they are together and get over-excited really quickly if they spot a running deer or cat. This is not to say that they cannot be trained to walk together, just that it will be *a lot* more challenging – with a big emphasis on a lot. 😀
For a really busy work schedule, I would consider getting an older Sibe that is already well trained and well socialized. Breeders will sometimes offer up their retired show-dogs and I have seen some really nice ones.
If I really want a puppy or younger dog, there are several possibilities-
1. Dog daycare.
A good daycare offers small and well-supervised playgroups for the dogs. The dogs are usually grouped by size as well as energy level. A good daycare can be helpful in keeping a dog engaged and also help socialize him to other dogs and people. Daycare can be quite expensive though.
2. Park walks.
We hired a dog walker that did group dog walks at the park. It was a nice way to socialize my Shiba Inu, get him exercised, and provide him with a fun activity. It can be difficult to find a good dog walker though that is responsible and is able to handle an independent breed without resorting to extreme techniques.
3. Pet sitter or get a neighbor to help watch the dog.
Here is a bit more on my experiences with getting a new Sibe puppy and also with getting a second dog-
http://shibashake.com/dog/a-new-puppy-first-10-days-of-hell
http://shibashake.com/dog/getting-a-second-dog
Hope this helps. Let us know how it goes when you get your pup(s).
Hello,
My name is Tara MacDonald I have a 6 month old Siberian Husky, Skeimo.
I don’t know how to train him to come…
If you have any advice please get back to me.
Thank you.
In terms of recall, this article from the ASPCA gives a good overview of the range of techniques-
http://aspcabehavior.org/articles/84/Teaching-Your-Dog-to-Come-When-Called-.aspx
Sibes have an independent nature and high prey drive, which make recall training more challenging. My Sibes are pretty good about coming when called most of the time. However, if they spot a cat or a deer, they are off and it will be a long while before they think about anything else. I only let my Sibes off-leash in a fully enclosed area.
Big hugs to Skeimo!
THAT IS A LIE 2 ADULT MALE HUSKYS HURT MY SMALL DOG AND THE DOG MIGHT NOT MAKE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!PLEASE REPLY TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO ABOUT HIM
Hello Lizeth,
I am sorry to hear about your dog. Were all the dogs on-leash and supervised? Larger dogs can hurt smaller dogs even while at play, therefore training, rules, and supervision are important.
I am not sure what you are referring to as a lie, perhaps you could expand on that.
I am not sure what you mean. If the dog is hurt, I would rush him to his regular vet or to a vet emergency room. Or are you asking what to do afterward during recovery?
Hi,
I have a 8 month female Husky. Moon is afraid of visitors when they come over. She either runs and stay a distant away or hides under the bed. I’ve tired to socialise her with others at her own pace but it doesnt seem to work. It is said that they are sociable dogs but mine seems to be the opposite. She gets along with most dogs, but not with people.
She barely makes any noises. Is that normal?
Kind Regards
Lina
Hello Lina,
People desensitization exercises may help-
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-to-calm-a-fearful-reactive-dog#people
Part of this, according to my breeder, depends on the genetics of the Sibe. Another bigger part, I think, depends on the temperament and training of the dog. It sounds like Moon may be fearful of people, which may also cause hiding and being quiet.
Once she gains more confidence with positive experiences and people, she will likely become less shy.
How long have you had Moon? Has she always been shy around people? Where did you get Moon from? What is Moon’s routine?
I own a siberian husky, but my dad wants to get rid of her because he can’t handle her running away. I can though, so she is staying to never be gotten rid of.
I am a ____ year old kid (I am not telling you) doing a reasherch project any amazing fact that will wow my class reply soon please.
My husky and my English poodle don’t get along and most nights my English poodle barks all night at my husky wheat do I do??
Hello Joe,
When I first got Sibe puppy Lara, one of my other dogs (Shiba Inu) did not really accept her initially. To help them get along, I did a lot of group obedience training sessions, did not let puppy steal or bother my Shiba (especially when he was sleeping), supervised all play sessions, and defined clear rules of interaction between my existing dogs and puppy. Here is more on what I did-
http://shibashake.com/dog/second-dog-introducing-a-second-dog
After about 10 days my Shiba accepted puppy into his circle of trust, and they have been getting along quite well ever since. I continue to enforce interaction rules as well as supervise play and food sessions.
hi,
i have an 11 month old husky that i love to death and just yesterday he escaped our backyard and bit a little girl. it wasn’t severe and he left like a half inch scratch on her forehead. i was very upset he did this, any suggestions on how i should attend to this matter? I don’t believe he’s aggressive because he’s never hurt us but ever since he was little and i would take him to the dog park he just wouldn’t get along with other dogs and vise versa. he’s never gotten into any trouble and it upsets me that he may now be perceived as an aggressive dog.
any help would be greatly appreciated!
Yeah, Huskies are full of energy and love to dig and play. I think the key is to prevent dog escapes as that can lead to accidents. I have a secure 6 foot fence around my backyard, and have recently put concrete blocks all around my fence line to prevent my Sibes from digging out while chasing after mice and gophers. Blocking the bottom of the fence also helps to keep out snakes.
As for getting along with other dogs, there are many factors that go into that including trust, familiarity, tolerance level, etc. In general, I am not a big fan of enclosed dog parks. I prefer to do smaller supervised play sessions with friendly dogs.
http://shibashake.com/dog/enclosed-dog-parks-good-or-bad
As for perception by others, here is my story …
http://shibashake.com/dog/embarrassed-by-my-dog
very nice post. ill try to do this to my new husky. My Husky is around 4 months, i hope she can still pick up my training.
I hated the husky breed. I never want one. Growing up I always hsd dogs so to me it was obvious once I was married to get more. 2 months befoe my wedding we got a Havanese named him Harley he is now 10 momths old.then in march I got my husband to agree to get another dog he wanted a husky and I wanted a pit. We went to our local poumd to look at dogs and there was actually a husky so we got her out and playedwith her and he fell in love. I didnt want her but he convimced me he researched huskys yet when we brought her home I found out he researched husky movies like eight below. Boy did I get mad I found out about there prey drive and freaked. But she her name is Blizzard was in a fog for 3 days from being spayed nce she cane out of it she fell in love with Harley never a single fight Blizzard is 1 year old. I guess you can say im luvky and shewas house broken. I have a 7 year old autistic nephew who used to be scared of dogs helives with us. Blizzard loves to pull but once my autistic nephew has the leash she is calm as can be and walks next to him he pulls her skin and she licks hos hands. I am totally in love with her and I have a new lease on huskies she loves being in her crate for hours on end. Ony problem is I locked her in for a hour when I left and she chewed a tiny hole and squesed her body threw she got so cut up so now I put her outside on a long teater,when I leace she enjoys it. To me Blizzard is the perfect dog for us and I couldnt be happier God truely blessed me and my huband wuth her and eventually I will own another husky dog thanks to all the goodshe brng to my fanily. My husband and our two dogs are a happy fsmily together and I couldnt be blessed with anything greater than what god gave me my amazing dogs and husband.
I have a 5 year old female husky. For some reason she keeps peeing in her kennel and she will lay down in it every time. She is getting plenty of exercise and I have even cut down her water intake. Can someone plz give me some tips on what to do to get her to stop. She is only in the kennel at night. During the day the door is left open so she can go in freely as she pleases through out the day. It’s even where she goes to take her nap. I’m sure that she knows it’s a safe place for her but I can’t figure out the bladder control issue.
Sudden loss of bladder control is likely the result of some physical issue such as urinary tract infection. I would take her to the vet for a check-up.
hello i have a husky she is 11mths old , loves everyone and all dogs wants to play with them all , loves to get cats grrr i have to leave her on lead because i lost her at the beach she ran off into the sandhills for 3 hours i could not find her now when we go to beach she just wants to go into the hills would love to let her off lead but dont want to lose her .
Thank you for the great information, tips and techniques. I have a Lab/Husky mix, and while he resembles a Labrador in appearance, his characteristics are more of a Husky. I have found your descriptions to be right on target! We rescued him a year ago and are still learning but this article will truly help. Our boy looks like a Lab, but has one blue eye and the famous double coat so he is truly beautiful but very busy. 65 pounds of love!
That sounds absolutely adorable. Do you have pictures online? Would love to have a look.
LOL! Yeah sounds like a Sibe!
Hugs to your wonderful boy! Btw. does he do Fetch?
I just got a Husky few days ago, he is 2 y/o but he doesnt wanna eat. I feeding him Pedigree, i mixed the dry one with can food(meat) but he doesnt wanna eat….i dont know whats wrong with him
Hello Jose,
When there is loss of appetite, I usually take my dogs to the vet. It is not possible for a dog to tell is exactly what is wrong, therefore it is safer to let a vet check him out and see if there are any physical issues.
In terms of food, my Sibes really do well on high protein kibble. Some high protein kibble brands include Innova EVO, Orijen, and Blue Wilderness. Here is more on what to look out for while choosing kibble-
http://shibashake.com/dog/feeding-your-dog-a-healthy-diet#dry_food
You might have to invest in a higher quality dog food. We feed only dry (O R I J E N) and after trials this works the best. It is expensive but you will feed way less than you are used too as its concentrated and no fillers and grains. If you want to spend a little less try Blue Buffalo
Hello, my name is Guillermo, I’m 21 years old and I’m in college. I live in Mexico city in an apartment but i go jogging everyday for about an hour in the woods at 5:00 am. I’m willing to adopt a siberian husky and i’ve been reading a lot about them, thats how I found your site.
The reason I’m writing this its because I’d love to have a siberian husky, but I don’t know if its right for me to get one, since I dont have much space, but I could exercise the dog twice a day and the weekends I’ll take the dog to Cuernavaca, Morelos, thats where my mom lives and she has a big yard/garden. I also run on saturdays and sundays. I could go hiking on weekends also.
I saw a video of a husky pulling its master in a bike, so I could also try to do that to get the dog tired.
I’d play with the dog every day and try my best at being its master,
My class schedule is from 7:00 am to 1:00pm and 4:00pm to 8:00 pm from monday through friday, I have laboratory classes every 15 days so I’d have more time depending on the week.
I’m asking your help,if you could tell me if I’m the right person to have this dog or not, and if theres any book I could get or any other activities to be a better owner please let me know.
My class schedule is from 7:00 am to 1:00pm and 4:00pm to 8:00 pm from monday through friday, I have laboratory classes every 15 days so I’d have more time depending on the week.
Thank you.
Hello Guillermo,
Sounds like you have a very action packed schedule. 😀
Each person is different is terms of what dog is ‘right’, so what I can do here is talk a bit about my Siberian Huskies and how they spend their day. I currently have two Siberian Huskies – Shania (over 4 years old) and Lara (over 1 year old). They are very energetic especially in the first few years.
Lara wakes up at around 5:30 am, she goes outside to play, dig, etc., then at around 7 am she comes back in and plays with my other two dogs. After breakfast, I have a play session with her while my Shiba Inu is out on a walk. Then when they get home, there is another play session.
After that, there is nap-time until about noon when I take her out on her walk. We are out for about 1.5-2 hours. When we get back, there is frozen Kong time and another nap. In the evening (around 5pm), they get active again so there is another vigorous play session. Then we brush teeth, and do dinner.
After that, the dogs hang-out or play until bedtime, which is around 8:30 pm.
Shania is older, so she is less hyper now and takes more naps. I also walk her for about 2 huors or more. She likes staying outside in the shade and watching cats and people.
Both Lara and Shania enjoy being outside, unless it is too hot. They do not do very well on really hot days and sleep a lot more. During summer, I make sure to keep things very cool for them.
Unlike the Sibes, my Shiba Inu is more of an indoor dog. He prefers to stay inside most of the time. He is energetic but much less so than the Sibes.
Dogs are a lot of work, and can place a lot of constraints on our social life. It is more difficult to go out late for dinner, or attend parties because we must return and feed or spend time with the dogs. There are many rewards as well from having a dog, but I did not get one until much later after college. However, as I said before, each person is different. 😀
Hope this helps. Good luck with college and send us some pictures if you decide to get a dog.
i have had a siberian husky for almost two years now she is the best dog i have ever know her name is Sasha white and gray with a touch of black and crystal blue eyes . she is so loving loves to cuddle and absolutely loves all cats and dogs and even really small kids she treats them like her babies its soo adorable ! i will nvr own any other kind of dog shes just wonderful ! i got her from a breed for half price because she has an underbite when i held her i didnt care i fell in love with her !
Hi I have 2 siberians both girls one is 4 (misty) and one is 3 (Cassie) we’ve had them both since they were 12 weeks old. Our problem is with misty the dominant female. She is so grumpy and seems to have many mood swings. If u go up to her for a stroke her first reaction is to growl and snarl. She sleeps all day apart from her walks which she seems to live for. She is also very food aggressive and has to eat alone. Cassie on the other hand is the complete opposite she is so harmless and sweet. She is the perfect dog but she loves misty so much. If I was to get rid of misty would I have to get rid of Cassie with her? If yes I won’t do it as its not cassies fault. I just don’t know what to do. I’m sick of us being growled at please help.
Thanks vj
Hello Veejay,
Dogs growl for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, it could be a physical issue which could be causing significant discomfort. Sometimes, it could be behavioral.
First, we can identify the cause of the growling. A vet will be able to diagnose a physical issue, and a good professional trainer will be able to identify what is triggering the behavioral issue. Once we know what is the source of the growling, then we can address either the physical discomfort or retrain the behavior.
Here is more on dog aggression-
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/aggression.html
Well, My grandfather has a husky mix and she is very aggressive toward our little dogs. (We live directly behind their house)She attacked my shih tzu mix and me and was ready to kill. We (my parents and my husband) have decided that this in NOT the place for her no matter how nice she is to people. We are worried that she will kill our cat or small dogs. However, my grandfather has not come to that conclusion. He is not a responsible pet owner as he allows her to be loose on the property and then she trots back to our house as she attempts to hunt. We are looking for a rescue organization for her as she is simply no longer welcome. My grandfather doesn’t want to get rid of her but he agreed to if we could find her a home.
Hi
I was just trying to do more research about huskies and found your website.. maybe you can help
I have a 10 year old golden retriever and when i brought into the house a husky two years ago (the husky is 2 years old) , the husky has never stopped biting or attacking my golden. sometimes the attacks are so rough and she bites on her ears and growls savagely while doing it. it happened every now and then and even if we try to separate them, we cant. Just until yesterday that i came home and found my golden bleeding. her face had several wounds and they are probably from the husky’s teeth when she attacked her. when we started examining her face, the husky came and attacked her again. we couldnt separate them. we were trying our best because my golden was bleeding..bad.
now we have put the husky in a crate. Do you know what might be the reason for this behavior? Also, will they be able to get along? is it safe to leave them alone? i dont want to, but i have other people in the house who say its ok. im truly concerned because i dont want my golden to be attacked constantly and she is 10, she is old and can hardly walk. so obviously she cannot defend herself. please any advise on why husky’s behave this way? or maybe it’s only my husky?
thanks
Hello Claudia,
Young Huskies can be very energetic, and a bit too much for older dogs. I got a Husky puppy (Lara) early last year and she is a big energy ball. Therefore, I make sure to always supervise whenever she is playing with my other two dogs – a Shiba Inu (Sephy) and a three-legged Siberian Husky (Shania).
There was one time when I left puppy and Shania to play out in the backyard when I was inside the house, and Shania got hurt because puppy accidentally stepped on one of her back legs during play. Now, I make sure I am out there supervising them so that I can have many play-breaks and stop puppy from getting over-excited. When I am not home, I separate puppy and Shania so that she can rest and will not be bothered by a high-energy puppy.
I also make sure to give puppy a lot of exercise and walks so that she has an outlet for her energy.
As for aggression, dogs usually fight over resources which can include sleeping space, food, toys, access to people, access to attention, etc. With my dogs, I train them to get along by doing the following-
1. Having consistent and fair rules that everyone must follow.
2. No stealing rule. I supervise and prevent any kind of stealing. If there are resource conflicts, I resolve it so that they do not need to do it themselves with aggression. I interrupt them early, *before* any aggression occurs.
3. Group obedience training sessions. I teach them that they get the most resources when they are calm together and working with me.
Most of all, I make sure to protect them all. This means that puppy does not get to bother my other dogs when they are resting. By the same token, I do not let my other dogs bully puppy, steal from her, or disturb her when she is tired. Here is more on what I do to keep the peace at home-
http://shibashake.com/dog/second-dog-introducing-a-second-dog
If there are attacks with puncture wounds, it is best to get help from a professional trainer. Trying to stop a serious fight can be very dangerous because the dog can redirect his aggression onto us and cause great harm. In the interim, it may be best to carefully manage the dogs and totally prevent any fights from occurring.
You mentioned that huskies can be trained to live with cats… can you tell me how to do this? Nikko is 1 yr. old neutered male husky who had been hit by a car and surrendered to a vet. I was told he was “indifferent” to cats while recovering from his broken leg at the animal hospital, so I hoped he might get along with my 3 rescue cats and brought him home to live with us. Now that his leg is healed, he wants to go after them… barks & jumps at the gate to “his room” whenever they come near. I also have trouble with him mouthing my arms when I put on his collar to go for a walk and with him running and jumping at me from behind when he is off-leash outside in the yard. (When I fold my arms and look away he just keeps jumping and biting at my upper arms.) Can you help me with these issues? He’s such a sweet dog… I would really like to help him become a happy member of our family.
Here is a good discussion on cat training at home-
http://www.shibainuforum.org/forum/discussion/7120/problem-with-cats/p1#Comment_125511
In terms of biting, here are some things that helped with my dogs-
1. Drag lead – I use a drag lead with a flat collar when I am home with puppy. This allows me to more easily control puppy.
2. Bite inhibition training.
3. Stay calm, set up consistent rules, and a fixed routine.
Here is what I do with my dogs-
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-biting-how-to-stop-puppy-biting#timeout
thanks i got awesome facts for my research projects. 🙂 😛 😀
LOL! Glad it was helpful. Good luck with your projects!
Hello! Our family recently welcomed a 5 year old Husky to our home, he has been great with the little ones; the only problem I’ve encountered is when I take him on walks, if he sees another dog, he gets into the hunting position; seems like he wants to play, but when he gets close enough to another dog, he goes for their throats! I don’t know if it is because he was never socialized with other dogs, or what! Because he is so great with people and with our family. I’m scared that he may someday hurt another dog, and I want to be able to take him to dog parks so he can run around and have fun… was thinking maybe some training school? Not sure what to do, any advice would be great! Thank you!
Hello Ilania,
My Shiba Inu Sephy was also reactive to other dogs. Two things that helped him-
1. Creating neutral experiences.
I made sure to stay very calm during our walks. When we see another dog, I cross the road or create as much space as possible, and just ignore and keep walking at our natural pace. By making dog meetings into a “non-event”, it just became routine and not worth getting excited over.
2. Dog-to-dog desensitization exercises.
This helped to train Sephy to have a higher reactivity threshold, so that he is able to pay attention to me and not go rear-brained whenever he sees another dog.
Here is more on my dog-to-dog reactivity experiences-
http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-to-dog-aggression
Hello! My fiance and I just purchased a Siberian Husky from a nearby Pet store, We have an 18 month old daughter and another baby on the way. I recently have been having somee biting problems with my puppy, She is not only biting me but she is attacking my 18 month old baby! She seems to think when she runs back and forth that she is a walking toy! This is NOT OK for her to do! I have been giving her 5 minute time outs in her crate whenever she does this, but im not sure if that is the best technique to use? And also using the FIRM voice NO BITE!I am concerned that if we cant fix this problem sooner than later we will have to get rid of her and WE DO NOT want that. Please let me know your thoughts. Thank You.
Hi
You have to separate your dog from the inside of your home where your children are. Husky’s are outdoor dogs and can live outdoors year round no problem with a proper dog house and care. We run siberian and malmute sled dogs and although they are outdoors dogs we keep them away from children or small pets if they are known to growl at them. I think it is in their nature to often attack small things and unfortunately there have been a few fatal attacks in Canada recently with small children.
You can still love your pet outdoors and the kids will grow to love her too but until they are bigger always supervise her around them and keep her outdoors.
Hope this helps
Husky lover
Hello Megan,
Congratulations on your upcoming new baby!
In terms of puppy biting, that is normal puppy behavior. Dogs use their mouth to play and manipulate things, similar to the way with which we use our hands. Also, dogs respond instinctually to motion. Motion, always gets my dogs excited and they will want to chase and bite. This is especially true for a younger dog who wants to play and has a lot of energy.
As a result, supervision is always very important especially for dogs and young children. Personally, I would have the dog on-lead and have someone hold the lead. At the same time I will be holding the child. It is important to keep things calm and set both of them up for success. It is probably best not to give both free movement when in the same area.
In terms of biting, two things that help with my dogs are bite inhibition training as well as teaching puppy what things are ok to bite on and what things are not.
Here is more on what I do when puppy bites-
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-i-trained-my-husky-puppy#bite-training
For timeouts, it is best not to use the dog’s crate because we want the crate to be a positive place that the dog feels relaxed in, and is happy to sleep and rest in.
Also, Siberian Huskies, especially Sibe puppies are very high energy. Puppy will need a lot of exercise and a lot of activity to keep her occupied and out of trouble. My Sibe puppy Lara was always on the go and I had to spend many hours with her every day to exercise her physically and mentally.
Here is more on introducing a dog to a new baby-
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/pets_babies.html
i love my huskie dog he is so cute but he messes up the house what should i do
Hello Kara,
Congratulations on your new Husky dog!
Here are some things that worked well in potty training my Sibe puppies.
Hi, I just recently bought a new pup that is 8 weeks old, he was used to being with his mother and brother at all times, and now is in constant need of companionship, when I leave him on a leash outside, or alone, he begins crying and howling angrily. Do I let him vent this out, or do I continue to give him attention at all times? This also happens at night when I want him to go to sleep, he wants me in the same room with him, otherwise, he begins howling and crying. I dont want to be cruel and just ignore him, and I dont want to run over when he wants it his way, are there any tips on how to curve this behavior?
Hello Dave,
Congratulations on your new puppy!
In terms of the crying, I usually wait until my puppy has stopped making noise briefly, before giving him attention or anything else. If we give a puppy attention while he is crying, he may learn the wrong thing, which is that –
Crying + Making Noise = Get Rewarded with Attention
rather, we want him to learn that-
Stop Crying + Stay Calm = Get Rewarded with Attention and Other Rewards.
The only exception is for puppies who are still in the middle of potty training, and they are making noise to be let out of their crate. Sometimes, this could be because they need to do their business.
When my Sibe puppy was still potty training, I let her out but took her outside on-leash. I try not to give her any attention while doing this. I also do not let her roam, we just go straight to our potty spot. If she potties, then I praise her and reward her then because that is very good behavior – i.e., she let me know when she had to go.
If she does not potty, I wait a few minutes and then take her back inside. She goes back into her crate. In this way she learns that “fake potty trips” are short and not rewarding at all.
Here is a bit more on my puppy training experiences.
Hi, I just adopted 2 puppies. One is full bred husky male and the other is border collie/husky is a she. She is very much the dominent one. They are from the same dad but different mothers. They are approx 10 weeks old. I took both of them because they had been together and whined so bad when we had seperated them. I could not leave one behind. They have been crated together at the breeders. Aside from little accidents here or there they have been very good however the male is very skittish, timid and seems to be very scared. Do you know what would cause that ? How do I help him with that? Also I know I read that puppies will bite one another but last night he was in the cage and laying on the blanket chewing on a toy and she went in and seemed to get mad he was cheweing on the toy and bite him and drew blood. I was so upset:( I took him out of the cage and made her stay in there to let her know I was upset with her but then she would not come by my later:( Do you have any suggestions? should I still be crating them together? Any advise would be greatly appreciated. I have a 9 year old miniture american eskimo and they are still getting use to one another and do not want to worry that she may hurt her:(
Hello Dawn,
Congratulations on your new puppies.
You are very brave to deal with two at once. I usually have my hands full with just one. 😀
In terms of crating, each of my dogs have their own crate so that they can rest and work on their food toys in peace when they want to.
In terms of helping my dogs get along, I do the following-
1. I give them very clear rules of interaction. I have a three legged dog, so there is absolutely no bullying and no stealing. I supervise them closely during meal-times and active play time. I also give them many play breaks, where they come over to me and do commands for rewards. In this way they don’t get over excited.
2. I teach them that if they stay calm together and work together cooperatively, they get the most rewards. Group obedience training sessions are helpful.
3. I teach them that I hand out the resources, and that I deal with resource conflicts. In this way, they don’t have to do it themselves with aggression.
Here is more of what I do with my dogs-
http://shibashake.com/dog/second-dog-introducing-a-second-dog
In terms of timeouts, this is what I do-
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-biting-how-to-stop-puppy-biting#timeout
My Shiba Inu may also go off by himself after a timeout. That is fine, I just ignore him. When he is ready or hungry, he will come back. 😀
I also find that using a drag-lead is helpful for controlling and managing a more feisty dog at home.
In terms of a more fearful dog, here are some of my experiences-
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-to-calm-a-fearful-reactive-dog
Hello!
Thank you for the tips! Brody is doing a little bit better everyday, but now he freaks out when he sees other dogs that aren’t part of our “pack”. He still snaps a little at Bubbah and actually made Bubbah bleed the other night over beggin for food while we were eating at the dinner table. I was not happy, but as soon I got up to correct split it up and Brody saw me get up he became very submissive to me without any issue. Brody iis starting to play a little bit with Bubbah, so other than the smaller issues that he’s realizing is a “no-no” he’s doing great! One more thing, he is SO fast! LOL He got off his leash last night and I had to chase him down nearly 2 miles before he gave up!! He loves testing my husband and I, that’s for sure!!!
Again, Thank you for your help 🙂
Bubbah and Brody thanks you too, and lots of puppy hugs and kisses from them as well!!
Hello Alicia,
So good to hear that things are going well with Brody. Thanks for all the puppy hugs and kisses. Those are the best! 😀
One more thing, Brody also doesn’t care for my pitbull jumping up on me.. I think he thinks he’s hurting me because he runs up and nips at him to get off. Is this normal?
I just rescued a red husky from animal control before they put him down later that day, I named him Brody. I’ve never owned a husky and a few things I quickly learned.. He does not like my cat and my cat does not like him. Brody gets mad at my rescued pitbull very easily and snaps at him a lot but thank God my pit (Bubbbah) is submissive. I learned he is treat agressive and with snap and my other dog but will not snap at myself or my husband. In fact he loves us and follows us around everywhere and is already perfectly trained. I just wish I knew how to fix those smaller things, like for instance why does he walk up to my other dog and hold my other dog’s mouth closed with his? If anyone could answer this and maybe how to make him get a long with our other dog that’d be great!
Hello Alicia,
Congratulations on your new Husky and four paws up for saving his life.
In terms of conflicts between family dogs, that usually happens over resources, including food, toys, sleeping space, and also access to and attention from us. Some things that I do with my own dogs-
1. I teach them that I hand out all resources, they have to work for those resources (including my attention), and there is no stealing.
2. If there are any conflicts, I will deal with it so that they do not need to address it themselves with aggression.
3. I teach them that cooperation and staying calm together gets them the most rewards. I do group obedience training with all of them together, and reward them for just hanging out together in a calm way.
Here is more on what I do-
http://shibashake.com/dog/second-dog-introducing-a-second-dog
I should point out though that I got all of my dogs as puppies, and trained them all to have good bite inhibition. Therefore, if they should accidentally lay teeth on me, it does not cause any real damage. Using a drag-lead is also very helpful for home dog management.
Hugs to Brody and Bubbbah!
My family adopted a sybe 4 years ago. We wanted to get a small dog that does not shed, but when we came across a beautiful husky named maya from a rescue, we couldn’t resist. Because of her background, she did come with a few aggression issues, but now she is truly a part of our family. We have two cats. Maya was two when we got her so we were worried about how she would adjust, but she loves to give them kisses and will only chase one of them if the cat runs (but she would never hurt the cat). It was one of the best decisions we ever made and we couldn’t ask for a better dog.
LOL! Yeah it is amazing how some dogs just connect with us.
Thanks for sharing Maya’s story with us. She sounds wonderful and it is awesome that she found such a good home. 😀
hi every one well king is a really nice dog he used to attack us and biting with blood but know thanks for these tips he is a relly lovely dog I really love him 🙂
Hi,
Ok, I’m about ready to give up, I was doing so well with my 7 month old siberian husky puppy, and all of a sudden, in the past few weeks, she has become horrible in the car, standing on my center console from the backseat, and I struggle with getting her to go into her crate when it’s time for bed, or time for me to leave for work, when all of this wasn’t an issue like a month or so ago. She still continues to get me up in the middle of the night to pee at least once but most of the time it’s twice, but my trainer said to ensure she has access to water in her crate at all times. I can’t even lure her into her crate with boiled chicken! When she used to go in all on her own. I really haven’t changed my routine or anything, only difference was she got spayed back on January 5th, of this year. And the car ride thing, she used to get in a lay down, but now just stands with her front paws on the console, a few times I’ve had to suddenly brake and her nose hit the shift. This was even with a zipline I bought from Petco recently as the trainer strongly suggested she be strapped in, if not in a crate. Now, after getting that zipline, which must be too big for my car, (Toyota Matrix) she won’t even get in it, to go to class! I have to pick her up, when before she used to jump in fine…I even tried a peanut butter kong which she absolutely loves and that wouldn’t get her to go in on her own! I’ve thought about crating her, especially since I am driving with her to Florida later this month, but I am concerned that she’ll scream the entire car ride. I don’t know what else to do or try to make this a more positive experience. And it’s very hard to try to get her kennel in my car everytime we have training class as it’s the Large one, adequate for her full grown size, so it’s kind of hard to maneuver in and out and in and out. I even tried to do the open and close the door thing that my trainer is suggesting to prevent her from door bolting until I give her the release word of “OK”, which she does fine at home with in her crate with that door, but last night, I practically closed the door on her nose, which almost freaked me out. And I also have this great, freedom no-pull harness, but she cries when I try to put it on her, she’s already broken a cheap collar from PetSmart so now I have a Lupine on her, but still, she needs a harness, and I did what the trainer recommended, putting it on the floor and letting her sniff it, then giving her a treat, then putting it on her, giving a treat and taking it off….I still continue to have to chase her around to get it on her when I really need to, when we have to go to training. And I read about your technique with walking loose leash, the stop and go, but if we’re at a park, or even in my development, and she pulls, and I stop, she just sniffs the grass, or something on the sidewalk or road etc. So it doesn’t seem like the point is getting across to her. There is another dog at home that she plays with fine, a 6 year old border collie, I have no complaints about that at all. I just think she challenges us and I don’t know how to stop it, and I can’t always re-direct her chewing on the furniture or other stuff with a treat or kong because the other dog is always there. My boyfriend says they (siberian huskies) have got to be one of hardest, if not the hardest dogs to train. He thinks she will never walk loosely by my side on a leash because their breed is known for pulling. I can’t do pulling or agility quite yet with her as it is my understanding, from another trainer I once inquired about it from, that she is not fully developed and done growing.
Any suggestions/recommendations you can offer would be greatly appreciated, as I would love to get her into being a Therapy dog someday, as well as cart/sled pulling, skijoring, bikejoring, canicross.
Thanks!
Hello Nicole,
Yeah, as puppies grow up, they will start to gain confidence, become more independent, and test their boundaries more. Sibes are a more independent breed, so they may test and challenge more than the average breed.
1. Crate
My Shiba Inu showed similar behavior in terms of getting into the crate. Initially, he was ok with getting in on his own. However, after some time, he learned that getting into his crate usually means we are leaving the house, and he has to spend his time alone in the crate. Once he learned this, wild horses could not drag him into the crate – during the day. But he was ok going in at night, because he knows we will be there with him.
One thing that helped is to do crate desensitization exercises at various times during the day, when I am home to supervise. In this way, Shiba learns that going into the crate does not necessarily mean that people are leaving and has to stay home alone. Initially, I started with very short crate times, then I very slowly lengthen the duration.
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-to-calm-a-fearful-reactive-dog#crate
2. Food Rewards
With my Sibes, I have noticed that food rewards are a lot more effective when it is rare, and also when they are a bit hungry. This last year, I put Husky Shania on a mini diet because she was putting on a bit too much weight. She is a 3 legged dog, so I have to monitor her weight carefully. A nice side effect is that food rewards have become a lot more effective. Also, I only use certain rare rewards for more difficult tasks. Teeth brushing, for example, usually gets them something special that they only get for doing teeth brushing.
When I give them treats, I make sure to reduce their regular kibble intake by a comparable amount. I also break food rewards up into very small pieces.
3. Other Rewards
I try to use a variety of other rewards, in addition to food. For example, my Shiba loves playing chase games so I use that as a reward for him taking a bath.
My Sibes like going for long walks, so I use that to get them to wear collars and harnesses. I also use it to stop them from eating outside poop.
A key part of reward training, I found, is to use a variety of motivators, and try to identify which rewards are the most effective for different situations.
4. Nothing in Life is Free program
I follow the NILIF program with all of my dogs. This means that they have to do something for me before I give them anything in return, including food, toys, attention, and freedom.
5. Leash Training
When I stop, I also bring my dog in so that she is next to me. I just shorten the leash and therefore limit her freedom. We do not move again until she first does a Sit. She is not allowed to roam while we are in stop position.
When we start moving again, I usually give her a shorter amount of leash. If she walks nicely for a while, then I give her more freedom. When I want her to slow down, I briefly tighten the leash, and that is her cue to slow down. If she does not, then we stop.
I play around a lot with the length of the leash. The shorter the leash, the more control I have, and the less freedom my dog gets, and vice versa.
I am currently using the Premier no-slip collar for all my dogs during walks. It is great for preventing collar escapes, which my Shiba is really good at. 😀
Heh, yeah they are certainly a very independent breed and they can be a challenge to leash train. My two Sibes walk pretty well on-leash under normal circumstances. When they see moving deer or cat though, they will still pull. Both of them have pretty high prey drive.
I just stop and wait until the deer or cat is out of sight, and Sibe has calmed down some, before moving on. 😀
Hugs to your Sibe girl! Let us know how it goes.
Thanks a bunch!
I rescued a Huskie who had 3 owners within 13 months. He was totally out of control and was very fear aggressive….. the blood we have lost! I had 8 cats and now have 5, he has never harmed any of them. I do have a German Shepard who I let take control of him, and he is now a gem. The bred can be difficult, but if I had had him from a puppy, I am sure that that the horror huskie that I recused would never have been created. At first he use to escape, but now he does not; he simply does not want to, he is loved after all. Bring the breed up properly and you should have no problems. They really are lovely dogs
You sum things up really well! I think I will put it in the article. Thanks much and thanks for sharing your Husky story with us.
I have the cutest siberian husky living with my family and I and she is so crazy and hyperactive but what puppy isnt going to be like that. She’s about seven months old and Everyone loves her but not the things she tends to do in the backyard…. I’m refferring to her escaping and trying to look for adventure when no one is able to be at home at that moment. She also digs holes but we can tell she is intelligent because all the wholes are in a straight line with the same amount of distance between each one and the depth is just as similar as well. She has learneds the word, “kisses” from me personally and when i say kisses se’ll come up and lick my mouth. she is so beautiful and even though there cant be someone watching her every move everyday she still loves us and finds ways to entertain herself even if it is tearing up the yard and just making a total mess. GET A HUSKYYY! :):)
I am tired of sibes getting a bad rep. Mine is now a year old and is the most awesome dog I have ever known. I got her when she was 8 weeks old. She was a dream to house train and lives happily with another dog and 2 cats. The one cat never bothers with her so she is not aloud to chase him (and she accepts this). The other cat loves playing with her. The cat has never, ever been harmed. You have to be a certain kind of person to have a sibe. They are definately misunderstood. Mine is the most well trained and behaved dog I have ever seen at 1 year old. Mine also sees right through people. She is very loving and affectionate, but has shown distaste for “fake” acting people. They are a very intelligent breed and I think some people are afraid to own one because they realize the dog has more intelligence than they do.
Hmmm, very interesting with the cats. How does she act with new cats that she does not know?
Does she chase squirrels and birds?
Both my Sibes have very high prey drive, so they always want to go after squirrels, birds, and some cats.
I got my first sybe when I was 12. Have been in love with them since then. 20 yrs ago my sister gave me her sybe, they couldn’t control him, he was 10 months old. Ended up he was from a puppy mill. Duke had so many health & temperment issues. I was able to keep him for 6 yrs, but had to finally put him down. 3 months ago we decided to get a dog, of course I only wanted another sybe. this time I did my homework & bought from a reputable breeder. It was so hard to make up my mind that I brought home 2. Best decision I ever made. Potting training was easy, the breeder had a hand in that, they already knew all neccesary commands. We have had to make some changes in our lives, more walks, nothing left laying around, worth it.
Impressive! I think I can only deal with one Sibe puppy at a time. 😀 What are the names of your two? Are they male and female? Would love to see them if you have pictures.
That is a very good point! Potty training difficulty is also very dependent on what they are used to at the breeder’s house. I will have to add that in the article. Thanks!
Yeah I agree. Sibes are awesome dogs.
Hi,
I recently adopted a very young Husky pup. She is 12 weeks now. I have a golden retriever who is socializing her. My pup bites at my retriever all day and she puts up with it, but lets her have it from time to time. She bites with us playing too and we are working with her to stop biting at us. I’ve noticed lately though that when I tell her “no’, she bites at the air looking at me as she runs away, really sassy like. Is this something I should discourage? I have no idea how to. Also, should I tell her to stop biting my golden all day? I think my golden is just too laid back. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hello Crystal,
What has worked best with my Sibe puppy is to teach her that when she bites she gets no attention, but when she is calm and follows commands, she gets rewarded with attention, affection, and treats.
When puppy bites, I non-mark her (No or Ack-ack) so that she knows it is an undesirable behavior. Then I redirect her biting onto a toy. This teaches her that it is ok to bite on toys but not ok to bite on me.
If she bites on the toy, she gets praised and I play a game with her with the toy. If she ignores this and keeps biting on me, I withdraw my attention by folding up my arms, standing up, and turning away from her. Once she is calm, I can give her attention again.
If she jumps on me and bites at my clothes, I calmly say time-out and put her in a boring time-out area.
Here are more of my experiences with puppy biting.
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-biting-how-to-stop-puppy-biting
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-biting-tips-solutions
In terms of interaction with the older dog, I usually stop puppy from being a pest if my other dogs are not interested in playing. Here are some of the things that I do when introducing puppy to my existing dogs.
Congratulations on your new Husky puppy! Big hugs to puppy and let us know how it goes.
huskies-CUTEST DOG IN THE WORLD!!!!I currently own one…..I recamend a Husky BUT NOTHING ELSE!!!
Hi, I was wondering if you had any tips for my new Siberian Husky. I adopted her about a week ago and introduced her to my already existing 4 year old female Siberian Husky and my 14 year old male Rotti/Shepherd (both spayed/neutered). She is just 10 months old now and has not yet been fixed. I have an appointment to have her spayed in about 8 weeks as she is in heat right now.
The problem I am having is that she is bullying the 4 year old Husky and showing severe food aggression to the other dogs. She is not aggressive to myself or my husband, or any other person for that matter, but whenever there is food around she attacks the other dogs. She has drawn blood on the other Husky. I have read a lot of conflicting information on how to handle this situation and so I was hoping that you may be able to give me some insight.
Thank you very much.
Annaleise
Yeah that seems to be the case with pretty much everything about dog training.
Some people believe that the best thing is to leave the dogs to work it out for themselves but I am not one of those people. I believe that we should be the ones to set the rules, and if there are disagreements, we should step in and resolve them fairly and consistently. That way, our dogs always know what to expect, and they know that they should bring issues to us rather than use their teeth.
Your adopted Sibe is still very new to the pack, so it will take some time to earn her trust and vice versa. In general, you want to manage things so that she doesn’t feel like she has to protect her food. The more she practices aggression around her food, the more it will become a habit.
Some of the things I do with Sephy and Shania –
1. No Stealing
When Sephy and Shania are eating I stay there to supervise. I don’t use regular bowls to feed them, but rather they earn their food by doing obedience commands, and through interactive toys.
However, Shiba Sephy is a bit of a mooch and he will wait until Shania has done all the work in getting the food out and then try to mooch off of her. So I always make sure that he doesn’t come close and bug Shania when she is working on a food toy. Nowadays I just sit next to Shania and Sephy knows he is not supposed to come too close. If he does I shoo him away. By the same token, Shania is also not allowed to steal from Sephy. I give them each their own food things to work on and there is no stealing.
When Shania is done, she usually leaves then Sephy can come over and get the rest of the stuff if he wants.
2. Fair and Consistent
I make sure to be always fair and consistent. Nobody steals, so there is no need for anybody to protect. Each always has their own toys to work on, which I give to them after they do something for me.
3. There is Always More Good Stuff
Both my dogs know that I always hold some of the good stuff in reserve. Therefore rather than bugging each other, they will come over to bug me instead 😀
I always follow the NILIF (Nothing in Life is Free) program so they must work for all of the food.
4. Absolutely NO Aggression will be Tolerated
I am there to make sure there is no stealing, so there is absolutely no reason for the dogs to show any aggression. Sometimes, one of them will take the food toy and move farther away from the other. That is fine. But if anybody shows any aggression, then I take the toy away and nobody gets it.
5. Interrupt Early
I usually try to notice early signs and interrupt before anything at all happens. If I notice staring or a raised lip, I will interrupt, non-mark, and then I will either ask for space, and/or do some obedience exercises.
These two articles have more information on what has helped with Sephy and Shania –
http://shibashake.com/dog/second-dog-introducing-a-second-dog
http://shibashake.com/dog/stop-food-aggression-stop-resource-guarding
Your adopted Sibe is still very new to the family so I would go slow with her, and initially just carefully manage the environment so that she doesn’t feel the need to have to protect her food or resources. Once there is some trust and more of a bond, then you can slowly train her to accept having other dogs around her in the presence of food.
Let us know how it goes.
its so cute.
awesome dog
hi i used to breed and raise huskies,and wolves. Niether of which have given me any problem yes sometimes you will get one that is hyper or into everything but most of them were layed back and very obidient. I kept them in packs so that helped a lot with the order of things. after my first husky died r.i.p. shookey. i sold all of mine he was with me from the time i was 3yrs old till i turned 14. I just got my first husky in 4 years a solid white female. Little Luna is the same way calm clean and she does fine by herself for a couple of hours. i mess since we brought her home. I think that you need to write on your website that disaplining your husky is better done without popping or anything physical a husky will never forget it females more than males.
thanks
Amity
Hello Amity,
Luna sounds absolutely wonderful. I am thinking of getting another dog but cannot decide between getting another Sibe or a GSD.
“I think that you need to write on your website that disaplining your husky is better done without popping or anything physical a husky will never forget it females more than males.”
That is very true. In general, I would encourage everyone to use reward techniques first with dogs of all breeds. Controlling resources has worked very well in creating discipline and routine with my dogs.
Hugs to Luna! And Shania sends many licks.
My Sibe seems to be a good enough guard dog. He’s watchful and alert if he sees anyone he doesn’t know inside the house. He even barks/howls endlessly. Is this a sign of problematic behavior?
Hi Rizza,
In addition to the vocalizations, how does Tango act towards the people? Does he approach them, run away, try to protect you, or something else?
How does he act with people outside the house?
Shania sometimes vocalizes because she is happy or excited. People sometimes think that she is being aggressive, but not every vocalization is an indication of aggression or stress. Sometimes it is just excitement or happiness.
Shania also likes howling/singing. Get a squeaky toy going and she will start singing. Sometimes I even sing with her and that will also get my Shiba Inu to join in. 🙂
Hmm… if the “stranger” is inside the house, Tango would bark and stay back at first, but then he would get closer and sort of touch his nose or mouth to the person’s hand or leg then back away again. He’d repeat it a few times until I reprimand him, but he’d still keep on barking. Deafening (o_o). So sometimes I’d have to keep him with me in my room while my dad or someone else entertains the guest.
There’s this one visitor in particular, when Tango barks at her she’d try to calm him down herself by saying “No, Tango” in a calm and soothing voice, but it seems like it makes him want to bark more. And I noticed if she has her hand on my arm or back he’d jump on her and “bite” her arm. It’s not really biting, just um, touching his open mouth to the arm? Haha, sorry I don’t know how to say it.
If he sees a visitor outside in the yard he would bark and sniff a bit but leave the person alone after a few minutes. There was even one time he played with a kid he saw for the first time.
For the first 2 situations I don’t think he was excited to see the visitors. He seemed like he was in “guard dog mode” but having read in many articles about Sibes being poor guard dogs, it got me thinking maybe there was something wrong, or if he’s an exception to the norm. Hm.
“Shania also likes howling/singing. Get a squeaky toy going and she will start singing. Sometimes I even sing with her and that will also get my Shiba Inu to join in. :)”
Yeah! I noticed Tango would imitate the sounds we make. We were so amused and suprised. Just made us want to hug and cuddle him more.
Ack! Sorry for such a long post!
Hi Rizza,
Sounds like Tango may be a bit unsure of people. One thing you can try is to help him associate people with positive things – e.g. yummy food.
1. No talk, no touch, no eye-contact – This is important, especially the eye-contact part. In dog language, eye-contact can be seen as a sign of dominance so instruct your guests to just ignore Tango. As you observed with the woman who tried to talk to Tango, sound will often just make the situation worse – not better. Ignoring is best. Ask guests to fold up their arms.
2. Create positive associations. When he comes near, have them throw a piece of really yummy food on the ground near him. Remember still no talk, no touch, and no eye-contact. Just keep repeating this so that Tango will learn that people in the house means yummy food. After a bit, time the throwing of the food so that you only throw when he is quiet.
3. Once Tango is calm and not barking, then the guests can give him affection. But affection should stop as soon as he starts to bark again. Also note that dogs may see petting from above as threatening. In general, you want to approach from below the dog’s head and scratch his chest.
4. Also no jumping. When Tango jumps, ask your guest to turn away from him – not move away, just turn away. As soon as he sits, you should mark him for good behavior (Yes), and praise and treat him.
Let me know how it goes 🙂 If nothing works, you can also try a time-out but I would only do that as a last resort.
Wow, thanks so much! I do give guests food and let them give it to Tango. I’ll do the others that you mentioned. I always tell the guests not to try and calm the dog themselves because the dog seemed to get more agitated. Some people just don’t listen, sort of like wanting to prove to others that she’s a friend to all dogs and dogs instantly loves them.
I also tell them about not making eye-contact and not raising their voice, and they’ve worked well.
Thank you so much again! You’re such a dog-saver!
“The Siberian Husky is a very special, and lovable breed, but they may not be the right breed for everyone.”
I just want to add something about this. When my cousin saw I had a Sibe, she was green with envy. She said it’s her dream dog, she’s always wanted one, etc etc. But I told her before she gets one, she has to understand that a Sibe is very energetic and can’t be left inside the house all the time. The dogs she has in her home are the small toy breed, and I’m sure having a Sibe will be very different, not to mention very stressful for her, but most especially for the dog. I don’t want any Sibes being given up because they’re not understood. =(
really I have two sibes and they were very good in the house never an accident. You just need to take them out often whne there puppys and praise for going outside like any dog.
Hi cj. You are absolutely right, if you take them out often and are consistent with the rewards and praise, they learn pretty quickly. I hope I didn’t come across as too negative. Relative to some other breeds though (e.g. Shiba Inu) , they are more difficult to house train.
When I first read your blog title, I almost thought you were selling your Siberian Husky. Scared me for a moment there! Shania is really pretty. 🙂
By the way, what do you think of American Eskimos? My boyfriend’s friend owned one, but unfortunately it passed away a while ago and I never actually got to play with it. But we did see a few while visiting animal shelters. Their white fur is beautiful!
Linda,
I’ve always loved the look of big, fluffy, white dogs like Samoyeds and Eskimos, but after after experiencing how quickly and thoroughly my Siberian’s white “socks” become mud drenched and caked after being in the yard for a bit, I sympathize with the winces I used to see on the faces of the Sammy owners in the dog park. Be prepared for more of an “off-white” dog most of the time, especially if eskomos are as active as siberians, which I *think* they are 🙂
Hi Linda, How is Mochi? Hope you are having a good holiday season. I haven’t been blogging much because I started playing Diablo again in anticipation of Diablo 3 coming out. Can’t wait! 🙂
I have never owned an American Eskimo but a neighbor of mine has one. She told me that her Eskimo is aloof wrt. people and dogs; and really full of herself. Sound familiar? 🙂
Hi Sebastian – The few American Eskimos I saw at the shelter seemed pretty active. So you are right, I’ll probably end up with an ‘off white’ furred dog. LOL!
Hi Shibashake – Mochi is doing great. She used to be so well-behaved, and I went and blabbed about it to the world, so she felt her reputation as a shiba was threatened.
I got some bitter apple spray to prevent her from chewing furniture and carpet. I give her lots of dog toys to chew on, but boy, she goes through them quickly. She’s a little chewing monster! As for aloof and being full of herself…oh yea, that sounds strangely familiar. 😀 In fact, I think Mochi has selective hearing. She’d only do ‘come here’ when she’ll get something out of the effort of walking 3 steps!
How are your little Prince and Princess doing? I call Mochi the Princess because I feel like everyone in the house are her servants. LOL.
LOL – I call my Shiba “Prince of Darkness”. He can be a crazy chew monster too. He cracked one of his teeth last year chewing on a processed deer antler. Now I am really careful about what I give him. Shania is really good for my “Prince of Darkness” though. She will usually come over and bug him to play with her before he can get himself into trouble. 🙂
Wow – a lot of very thorough information on Siberian Huskies
Thanks healthgoji. I did not do much research before getting my first dog, a Shiba Inu, and it was a very BIG challenge to care for him initially. So for my subsequent dogs I try to find out as much as I can 🙂