I currently share my life with two Siberian Huskies – puppy Lara (7 months old) and Shania (3.5 years old). Both of them are very silly, and very energetic. They love to play, explore, and hunt for earth critters.
Siberian Huskies are beautiful dogs who love people and love life. They can be great family dogs if properly trained. However, because of their high energy and high prey drive, they require a lot of daily exercise and are not to be trusted off leash. When bored, a Husky may chew, dig, and escape to look for adventure elsewhere.
Before getting a Sibe puppy, find out all you can about the wonderful nature of Siberian Huskies – the good, the bad, and the quirky.
Siberian Huskies – The Good
1. Siberian Huskies are love bugs.
Sibes are very affectionate dogs. They are especially friendly with people, even strangers.
Husky Shania has very many friends in our neighborhood and she enjoys going to say hello to them every day. Her most favorite friend in the world is the Awesome Cookie Guy. Whenever we pass his house, Shania always stops and waits. When her Cookie friend spots her and comes out, he comes bearing gifts – a yummy low-fat cookie for Shania!
Shania also comes to me when I am sad or upset. She will lie down next to me or lay her head on my lap and give me licks.
The people trusting nature of Siberian Huskies make it easy to find caretakers for them when I get busy, or when I need to leave on emergencies or vacations.
2. Siberian Huskies are athletic and have a strong zest for life.
Lara and Shania are frequently on the go. They enjoy re-landscaping our backyard, attacking bushes, pulling down trees, running, jumping, and digging. They both enjoy playing chasing games and are always ready to go out for a walk and explore. They get very excited whenever anybody comes to visit and enjoy spending play-time and rest-time with their pack.
As part of their zesty life program, Huskies also love to eat.
Both Lara and Shania will eat and eat and continue to eat more if they can. To keep them healthy and slim, I set up a fixed eating schedule and only give them their allotted amount of food. If I give them treats, then I reduce their regular meals a bit so that they keep a fairly constant caloric intake.
Sibes are not shy about stealing food or begging for food. Both Lara and Shania will steal each other’s food if they can. They will also steal from my other dog, Shiba Inu Sephy.
I always supervise them closely during meal-times. Food stealing can encourage food aggression, so I train my dogs not to steal and teach them that if there is any stealing, I will handle the situation.
Siberian Huskies can also get impatient about food and may get slightly overzealous when taking food out of your hand. Bite inhibition training is a must.
3. Siberian Huskies are clever and independent.
Reward Training
Sibes are smart and will quickly learn new commands and figure out interactive toy puzzles; especially when food is on the line.
Lara learned how to Sit on command as soon as we got her home (8 weeks old). In fact, if we use positive reinforcement techniques, we can start obedience training puppies as early as 6 weeks old. However, puppies should not be removed from the litter until they are at least 8 weeks old.
With clever and independent dogs like the Siberian Husky, it is most effective to use reward training techniques. I teach my Huskies that the best way to get what they want is to do what I want first. Here is more on how I trained my Husky puppy.
- If they want to go play in the backyard, they must first do a simple Sit next to the door.
- If they want their food toy, they must first do a Handshake.
- If they dig where they are not supposed to in the backyard then they lose their backyard privileges.
Since we control all of our dog’s resources, we can encourage good behaviors and discourage bad behaviors by tying those behaviors to our dog’s most desired resources.
With reward training my Sibes are always motivated to work. They are never hand-shy and love being with people. Siberian Huskies have a wonderful independent spirit, so we should not shock them, choke them, or physically dominate them into submission.
Siberian Huskies – The Bad
1. Siberian Huskies shed a whole lot.
Sibes blow their coat once or twice a year. During this time they will shed most of their undercoat and replace it with new fur. Frequent brushing will help to control some of this shedding and keep our Husky comfortable and clean.
Even though they may only blow their coat twice a year, Sibes actually shed all year round. There is Sibe fur everywhere in our house, including carpets, tile floor, counters, tables, chairs, blankets, and beds. Hair can also get onto kitchen utensils, food, and drinks.
Another issue to consider is pet allergies. Many people are allergic to dog or cat hair. Although Siberian Huskies have little doggy smell and are not one of the most allergy-causing breeds, a serious pet dander allergy of a family member should have you reconsidering a dog for your choice of pet.
~~[Siberian Husky Club of Canada]
Because they shed so much, try to make brushing and handling fun for your Husky. I always pair brushing sessions with food so that it becomes a fun and rewarding experience. I start with a soft brush and slowly switch over to using the Furminator which is awesome at getting out a dog’s undercoat.
2. Siberian Huskies are awful guard dogs.
Sibes look wild, like wolves. For this reason, many people think that they make fierce guard dogs.
In truth, however, a Husky is more likely to invite strangers into your home with open paws and give them many licks.
Siberian Huskies are happy, goofy, and naturally trust all the people that they see.
My Siberians may sometimes make a fuss when people are at the door, but it is out of excitement rather than a warning cry.
Also, my Siberians will happily follow anyone home as long as they have some yummy pieces of food.
3. Siberian Huskies have very high prey drive.
Husky Shania is a very accomplished huntress.
When we first got our backyard landscaped, we had a big Earth Critter Attack. There are a fair number of rodents including gophers, voles, and mice that live in our area and they decided to throw a big party on our newly planted grass. Holes were appearing everywhere and the organic scent-based pest control we used did not seem to have much of an effect.
We were worried that our yard would not even last the year but then huntress Shania went into action. After a few days of hunting and marking, we noticed that the Rodent Gang had moved their party location somewhere else!
However, this high prey drive also makes it extremely risky to let a Sibe go off-leash in a non-enclosed space. If she spots a deer or squirrel, she will be gone and away before you can shout Stop. Siberian Huskies are very athletic and can cover large distances in a fairly short amount of time.
High prey drive also means that a Husky will have a strong instinct to chase and hunt cats and possibly also small dogs.
4. Siberian Huskies love to pull, pull, pull.
Sibes were bred to pull sleds, and today, they still love to PULL!
One of the biggest challenge with my Huskies is teaching them how to walk without pulling and/or to only pull on command.
The easiest way to leash train a Husky, is to start when she is young and still small. I have tried a variety of techniques with my dogs and what has worked best are the red-light,green-light technique and the 180-turn-around technique.
I started leash training puppy Lara almost as soon as we got her. First I trained her in our backyard. After she was fully vaccinated, I started leash training her around our neighborhood.
While leash training a Sibe, it is very important to be totally consistent. I stop as soon as puppy Lara starts to pull and if she pulls too much, I turn around and walk in the opposite direction. This teaches her that the fastest way to get to where she wants to go is to walk along with me at a measured pace.
5. Siberian Huskies love to sing.
Sibes have a great singing voice. However, neighbors may not particularly enjoy it when Siberians decide to sing or howl to the moon.
Husky Lara is a very vocal dog. She barks when excited, frustrated, scared, and sometimes when other dogs are barking. I have to spend more time and effort training her to stay quiet because her natural instinct is to vocalize.
Husky Shania is a more quiet dog. She almost never barks and the only time she vocalizes is when she is playing with my other dogs. She also sings beautifully when she hears a squeaky toy.
My Husky breeder tells me that there are some Sibe bloodlines that are more noisy than others. Lara’s mother, for example, comes from a more vocal bloodline.
6. Siberian Huskies are a big time commitment.
Sibes are very energetic and affectionate. They like being with people and they also need something to do. Otherwise, they will get bored and get into at least 10 kinds of trouble.
All my dogs work for all of their food, either through obedience exercises, grooming sessions, play sessions, or through interactive food toys. In addition, they go for 1.5 hour daily walks and wrestle with each other several times a day. Sometimes, I join in on the fun and play flirt pole or the water hose game with them.
When bored or lonely, a Husky will figure out her own activities, which may lead to property damage or escape expeditions.
Do not get a dog, especially a Siberian Husky, unless you have a lot of free time to spend with her. If you must work long hours, consider dog daycare or hiring a dog walker. Sibes do best when there are many interesting activities throughout the day and frequent human supervision.
I Love Siberian Huskies
Sibes are awesome dogs. They are always ready of adventure, and they will be there to give you licks and support when you need it, or even when you don’t.
I got my Huskies through the breeder list from the Siberian Husky Club of America. I also considered adopting from my local Siberian Husky rescue, but did not find one that fit well with my Shiba Inu.
It is best to avoid backyard breeders, pet stores, and online pet stores. Such establishments almost always sell unhealthy puppies with poor temperaments.
Source: Siberian Husky Pictures.
I have a question about interaction with other dogs. My puppy is about five months old now and he goes to the dog park about three times a week. He is getting too big for the small dog area but he is still too small for the large dog area. When he sees other dogs, he acts very alpha and I understand that as a Sibe he likes to play and sometimes tends to be dominant. How do I help encourage him to play nicely with other dogs? I’m afraid that when I finally introduce him into the large dog area he might be too aggressive for the other dogs and instigate a fight with the others. Is there any way to improve his alpha behavior?
I used to take my Shiba Inu to the dog park, but unfortunately, he ended up learning a lot of bad habits from there. The problem is that enclosed dog parks are usually very high stimulus, not very structured, and there isn’t much supervision.
More on our dog park experiences.
Shiba Sephy does much better in smaller play-groups that are highly structured and supervised. In this way, I can ensure that he learns good social and play behaviors, and also learns to associate other dogs with positive experiences.
More on dog socialization.
Smart socializing.
More on puppy socialization.
Hello!
I was wondering if you could give me a bit of advice.
My partner and I have a 2 year old female Husky named Ahri and a 6 month old male named Hunter. They seem to get along fairly well but on occasion their playing can start to get aggressive and the hair on their backs will be raised. This usually happens out in the backyard when they arent being supervised. They make very loud constant whining/howling noises and we’ve even had the neighbours complain about the noise.
I have been training my pups to sit, stay, lay down, wait etc. But this is one problem I don’t know how to break them out of. I would really love for them to get along as it would bring a lot more peace to the house!
If you have any idea what I could try I would be very greatful!
Thank you so much! 🙂
Aimee.
With my dogs, I try to manage their excitement level during play by throwing in many play-breaks. These short breaks help them to refocus on me and to calm down. When my dogs get too excited, they start to lose control, so I try to keep their play-level at a comfortable pace. In this way, nobody gets overwhelmed, everybody has fun, and play does not escalate into something else.
http://shibashake.com/dog/second-dog-introducing-a-second-dog#play-time
I also set up clear dog-to-dog interaction rules, and I have safe zones that a dog can go to if she is feeling overwhelmed.
My 9 month old Siberian named bandit gets into my kitchen and his so tall he gets on counters and steals food if you turn your back for one second if yoy try to take it he growls and had even but me, if he gets into trash and i try to take he goes under bed and if i try to take he does the same, doesn’t hardly eat his food He is hard headed and had bit me twice when i try to take something from him, my son in law says he’s to old to train and I’m scared for him i love him so much, he knows to sit and watch me to lay down and speak but only if i have treat he won’t do with out, and at times he will do all command at once without saying if he sees the treat. I don’t know what to do, plz help
Why dogs get aggressive over food and toys.
Stealing food off counters.
When I had issues with my Shiba, I also got help from several professional trainers. Dog behavior is very context dependent, so each dog and situation are different. Therefore, it was helpful to have a trainer observe my dog within the context of his environment and routine, and help me with training, timing, and reading body language.
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/finding-professional-help
In cases of aggression, it was important for me to fix things right away, in a safe and effective manner, so I read up a lot on how dogs learn and I got help from some good professional trainers.
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-dogs-learn-how-dogs-think
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-i-trained-my-husky-puppy
Damon our Siberian husky went missing on Saturday 6th December 2014. We are very worried and cannot sleep wondering if he is OK. He is very beautiful black and white, male (Neutered) with brow and blue eyes. A reward is offered. He went missing in the Plumstead area
did you find your baby husky?
Hi
I recently bought a husky. He is 2.5 month old. And he bites a lot. At first it wasn’t that bad. But now it’s becoming very painful. I tried telling him ‘NO’ every time he bites. But he seems to get more energetic after I tell him no and bites harder. It’s becoming a big problem. Can you help please?
What I do when my puppy bites on me-
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-i-trained-my-husky-puppy#bite-training
In addition, I also manage my puppy’s biting by controlling his excitement level and teaching him self-control.
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-biting-tips-solutions
I just took in a 6year old husky she’s gorgeous and very shy almost I can’t get her to eat and she’s so skinny the only thing she likes is cheese so far… I can tell she’s had a hard life so far she was used as a breeder dog by aweful people I’ve never seen an adult husky look this bad but she still has spirit left in her I just hope it’ll help having a loving family in her life she’s been an outside dog all her life but I can barely get her to go outside again I don’t wanna be pushy with her I don’t mind her being inside by any means I don’t believe in dogs being outside all the time any way. I think she might be slightly depressed because it looks like her babies were prematurely taken from her I gave her a bone which seemed to cheer her up she takes It everywhere with her lol she just seems to calm for a husky
I am so glad that she has found a good home, and can start to heal and learn to trust again. I really wish there were more controls in terms of breeding and selling dogs.
Four paws up to you for helping out a Husky in need. Big hugs to your Husky girl!
kudos to you for this. I love husky dogs – my Koko is the very 1st dog I’ve ever had in my life and he is such a joy to me. I used to be afraid of dogs (especially larger dogs like huskies), but my Koko has taught me many things about being a dog owner and he is the love of my life.
My 2yo Siberian Male has started to pee on people .. ( Not in my home ) Never ever has he done anything like this !!! Nothing has changed within our home environment . Nothing has changed with his daily outings . I have always taken him to the paw park ( Dog park ) and recently he has started peeing on PEOPLE . Yesterday , he peed in one of the water buckets ! Help ?
Is he neutered? Does he only do this at the park? Does he do this the entire time he is at the park or only at the beginning or only when there are certain dogs around? Does he lift his leg when he pees on people? How is he with people, e.g. is he shy around people, over-excited around people?
When trying to change my dog’s behavior, I first start by trying to identify where the behavior is coming from and what triggers it. Once I better understand this, the behavior becomes much more predictable, and I can more effectively retrain or redirect my dog.
Wow! That’s great advice. I just know nothing about a raw meat diet except that it sounds good for a dog. I mean I like sushi and my steaks kinda’ rare so I figured maybe my dog would too. But I also didn’t realize how expensive it could be. I will definatley check with my vet about switching his dog food. It just sucks that he doesn’t like blue wilderness because it really works in keeping him healthy and his hair soft and shiny. Also if I did take up hunting (my husband likes to hunt but since I hate killing animals he doesn’t) would that kind of freshly killed meat be good to feed my dog? I’ve come to terms with the hunting thing over the past few years where if we use the food and hide I Dont mind as much….I just really want to give my dog everything he should have so he can really be happy and in touch with his “wild” side. I see a lot of his wild instincts come out in his actions sometimes and I really like that. As long as he knows right from wrong, in other words is trained to behave around other people and pets the right way then sometimes when we take him out and he chases a squirell or growls at something he hears in the brush, its kinda nice to see his dog survival instincts kick in some. Anyway thanks for the advice and let me know what you think about fresh meat like deer?
Rose
Hi. I am writing about my 8 1/2 month old husky once again (Sterling). He has been eating Blue Wilderness large breed puppy dry food since he starting eating real food( well dog food). He also eats Blue Wilderness can wet food. He doesn’t seem to like it very much anymore. There is only one flavor in the dry food but I mix in different flavors of canned food and I have pretty much learned what he doesn’t like and what he will eat. But he really doesn’t seem to like the taste much at all. He even would rather eat other dogs foodlike Purina or pedigree or iams but I only want the best for him. Anyway I kinda have a couple questions. I would like your advice on what you think about switching his food to a different brand and what brand do you think I should try. I was also thinking about adding in raw meat to some meals but I read some scary things about raw meat. I go shooting but I Dont hunt so do I buy raw meat from the grocery store or a butcher and just give it to him? Do I cook it a little? And would it be healthier for him than just dog food? Oh and what kind of meat would I get? Thanks for all the great advice so far and hope to hear from you soon! Thanks!
I had a ton of fears about meat as well! I refuse to buy meat for my dogs from the store unless its organic- they tend to be loaded with tons of unhealthy things- try looking around and finding a farmer who raises organic meats, and always cook it! My lab was very picky and only ate bottom of the barrel grain- I couldn’t get him to eat high quality food, so I switched them over to a more “organic” raw diet and they are doing great!
Canines were meant to eat meat- not grains- at least not directly.
They both have high energy (he has Lyme disease, and cancer, so imagine my surprise when he joined us on a six and a half mile walk the other day and was ready to go again the next day! He’s in better shape now then he was at four. The vet was amazed at how well he’s doing), healthier coats, and are on proper diets. You can check with your vet, and get an idea on dog food recipes if you have time to do “home made”. Home made food is much more costly than dry food, so I tend to stock up meat goes on sale I.E turkeys at thanksgiving, chickens from my neighbor, pork from the farmer down the street. Or buy packages from my local butcher which ranges from $50-$500.
I kept my lab on puppy food until they were a year and a half old. The brands that worked best for me, were Natural Balance, Canidae, and Blue Buffalo. The DogFoodAdvisor is a wonderful site, where you can compare all the major dog foods, and read reviews from pet owners.
Two weeks ago I adopted a three year old husky, and she’s done equally as well on the new diet, I hope this helps or gives you some ideas!
Hello Rose,
I am currently feeding my Huskies Wellness CORE Original recipe kibble. They also get boiled/microwave chicken, deboned, nothing added, and well cooked. I cut the chicken into small pieces, and use that as rewards for various things. I feed my Huskies grain-free kibble because it has balanced nutrition, is easy to handle, and I can put it in interactive food toys, so my dogs work for their food.
What the American Veterinary Medical Association says about home-cooked meals and raw meat-
There are various dog diets, and each of them has their own pros and cons. Here is more on the different dog diets.
There is a big debate about raw diets, so there are many opinions and arguments from both sides. I rely most on scientific studies, articles from top veterinary schools, as well as established professional organizations such as the AVMA.
My younger Husky, Lara, used to stay out at night and hunt rodents in our backyard. After a short time, she developed tapeworms and she also got Giardia.
Now, I am very careful about what my dogs eat.
I wanted to mirror everyone else and tell you how much I love this webpage. I have had the pleasure of being a Siberian husky mother for almost ten years now. My male is my life but he has been having some issues that I would like your advice on. He is house trained but recently has started going potty in the house when left alone. I started giving him a pee pad in case he cannot hold it due to age but he will pee all around it and not touch the pad. He knows what it is there for but just won’t use it. My other question is that I have had to start regulating his water intake because he will drink until he throws up and drink more. I feel bad because he is constantly trying to get in the toilet. This also means that he has to go out several times a day. He is also sleeping about twenty hours a day. Is all of this normal?
I would consult with your vet. Based on what I have read, sudden excessive drinking can sometimes be the result of a medical issue.
When there are sudden changes in my dog’s behavior, I try to rule out physical issues first. Once I am sure that everything is ok physically, then I start looking at behavioral fixes.
Big hugs to your boy.