Anyone know much abolut Siberian Huskies?

[mfd25wife]

I'm looking for people to tell me about huskies. Our neighbors have puppies, and DD wants one extremely bad. We are probably going to get something since it was truly her lab, Jenny, that passed away a couple of months ago. The parents are 50-60#. They are CKC registered, not AKC. Does anyone know what would be a reasonable price? We would get a female, I believe, but that is not definite. I know they need a lot of exercise. How is there temperament? How are they with other animals since we have cats and dogs? One thing that bothers me is that when my neighbors are walking them, it looks more like the huskies are walking the neighbors . I assume this is just a training issue, and not that they are just stubborn? I'm really not sure. They did tell me that their coats have to be raked, but not a lot. Heck, I've got two cockers so I doubt the grooming could be worse.

 

[freckles and boo]

My brother has three. His are not well-behaved (definitely a lack of training) and are constantly on the move. We have close friends who are on their second husky and while their pets are generally better behaved they are still somewhat hyper. Scout has chewed up quite a bit of furniture (and a chunk of carpet) and because it doesn't get the exercise it needs it is overweight at around 80 pounds. They are beautiful animals. I have no idea what someone would pay for one.

ETA - both families have cats and the dogs tolerate the cats quite well.

 

[TwingleMum]

I had a huge Alaskan Malamute growing up ~ 100 lbs. My adult nephew has a male Siberian Husky @ 50 - 60 lbs. . Its a 18 months old. I know they like to dig. As for the pulling ~ their sled dogs. Its in their nature to pull. So to counter this requires lots of training. He is a good dog otherwise. Good with kids.

 

[jsmith]

We had a siberian mix for years. They are VERY active-and if you get it as a puppy it should be okay but i would not bring a grown one into a home with cats-ours got on fine with them-but we had one cat when we got him as a tiny puppy and he was old when we got others. They are hunters-best mousers you will ever have-put cats to shame-but will kill squirrels, prairie dogs and so on-ours got a magpie once and my girlfriend who has a litter mate that is mostly an outside dog finds "gifts" on her porch all the time. They need training and a firm hand when it comes to discipline-and they LOVE cold and snow-ours would sleep on the deck in a blinding storm, just put his tail over his nose and let the snow pile up on him.

 

[JessicaR]

We had a male and a female growing up. They like to run and dig. They were always in motion. They were very good with us kids. They are strong physically. Not good watch dogs and either don't bark at all or very little. Our female had separation issues and hated to be left alone.

Exercise is key they like lots of it! Obviously they preferred the cold to the heat.

You can read about them here.
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/siberianhusky.htm

 

[shelly3girls]

My roommate had a husky. They are very sweet, loving dogs but they need a lot of exercise. They love to dig and tend to flee (roommate's constantly jumped the fence). She was very stubborn and required a great deal of training. Huskies shed a great deal. Every time we brushed her we ended up with a small animal! Overall she was a wonderful dog who was very good with kids and other dogs.

A friend of ours has a male husky and they claim he is the dumbest dog ever. I think it is a matter of training, they just require a great deal of attention.

 

[teacups]

I dont really care for their personality... well, the one I had I should say. I have a lab and the lab just loves us! Literally we are his favorite things on earth! The Siberian... eh, not so much. He was sort of like a cat in the way of "YOu are here to feed me and care for my every needs, then let me alone so I can run off and not look back so you can come chase me down"

Runners
diggers
not as loving or faithful

Again, this was my experience.

I had a malamute. VERY similar to the Siberian.
I am a lab gal I guess.

 

[clh2]

I have a neighbor with 2 huskies, both from a rescue, and are a male and a female. Before this, they had 2 other huskies. They LOVE the breed.

Of the two they have now, Jenna would let me walk into the house with my DD. We did this every morning as this particular neighbor watched my DD until the bus came in the morning.

About 2 years ago, they added a male, Magnum to their household. I would never dream of walking into their house in the morning anymore.

Magnum is pretty protective, especially when his favorite person (their 16 YO DD) is home. Definitely protective when her boyfriend is over.

The dogs are crate trained, and talk nice long leisurely walks every day.

This neighbor, while not a cat person herself, would definitely not recommend having cats in the house. Her comment is something to the effect that a cat would be...well...lunch.

The rescue they worked with required a run, in addition, this family has a fenced in yard.

 

[mfd25wife]

I have a neighbor with 2 huskies, both from a rescue, and are a male and a female. Before this, they had 2 other huskies. They LOVE the breed.

Of the two they have now, Jenna would let me walk into the house with my DD. We did this every morning as this particular neighbor watched my DD until the bus came in the morning.

About 2 years ago, they added a male, Magnum to their household. I would never dream of walking into their house in the morning anymore.

Magnum is pretty protective, especially when his favorite person (their 16 YO DD) is home. Definitely protective when her boyfriend is over.

The dogs are crate trained, and talk nice long leisurely walks every day.

This neighbor, while not a cat person herself, would definitely not recommend having cats in the house. Her comment is something to the effect that a cat would be...well...lunch.

The rescue they worked with required a run, in addition, this family has a fenced in yard.

I waas hoping that if we got one, it would grow up being around cats and it would be ok. Maybe not...

We don't have a fenced in yard, but we did build a 30x40 pen that wraps around two sides of our shop so it would have some space. This dog would be inside/outside. We may put up a fence eventually, but not yet since we are in the middle of an add-on to our house. I'm not really set on a husky, but I am considering it and want it to be a good fit if we decide to get it.

Thanks, everyone for taking time to respond as I want to make the most informed decision that I can. When we get pets, they become one of the family so I'm putting a lot of thought into it.

 

[All American]

We've had Huskies and Malamutes, but since you asked about the Husky. . .

Konya (Con-Yuh) was a wonderful, faithful dog. Very sweet and never got into trouble. Unfortunately died unexpectedly when my parents took her in to get spayed. Bad reaction to the anestesia or given too much. I don't remember as I was very young.

Czar (COOLEST NAME EVER) was a different story. He was beautiful and boy could he run! He was always digging and charged at the first glimpse of freedom beyond the fence. With that being said, he was never aggressive but he howled alot when an ambulance or police car went by with the sirens on. It sounded pretty cool actually. Walking him was difficult, but I would recommend the Gentle Leader head collar. It has worked wonders with my Greater Swiss (powerful drafting dog) and for the shedding, I use a Furminator.

They can be great dogs, but they are not for the faint-of-heart. They definately need long, daily walks and a place to retreat if it's too hot outside. Good luck with your search. I hope you find the perfect dog.

 

[mickeymedic]

I have a Siberian Husky...her name is Heidi. It should have been Houdini, though, when she was a puppy. As a pretty young pup she would leap our fence and galavant around the neighborhood while DH and I were at work. Then when she heard our cars, she would jump back into the yard. She did this for weeks before the neighbors told us about her adventures. Then we got an invisible fence.

I absolutely LOVE huskies. I can't imagine my house without a husky. That being said, please go to one of the Husky club websites to make sure that you are up for the challenges that come along with owning a husky (or a husky owning you.)

Heidi is a very sweet dog. She loves to cuddle and, when she was younger, loved to play. We actually got her to be a companion animal for our Shepard/Hound mix, Ginger. Huskies don't like to be alone. So you should only buy a husky if there will be people or animals around all the time. Please don't plan to crate your husky for long periods of time - your husky will be miserable.

Ideally, huskies need lots of room to run and play. They require a fenced-in yard - but I HIGHLY recommend an invisible fence. Heidi once jumped a 10-foot high fence in a single bound!

Huskies are very stubborn. They will do what you want as long as what you want and what they want is the same thing. They become more compliant with age, but they are very stubborn puppies.

However, they can be trained. They just require a lot of patience. When we first installed the invisible fence, Heidi was quite miffed that she couldn't roam the neighborhood anymore. The first day she pooped all over her bed. The second day she completely destroyed a couch cushion. But by the third day she had adjusted to the change.

One last thing - if your husky gets out, they have a tendency to roam quite far. It's just their nature. They love to run and hunt. We were very lucky that Heidi actually came home from her misadventures prior to our invisible fence.

I hope I have not scared you off from becoming a home to a husky. But, all too often people buy huskies because they are cute and cuddly. But then surrender them (to husky rescues or pounds) because they just cannot handle the unique challenges of the husky breed.

Please feel free to PM me if you have any other questions. Huskies are wonderful dogs, pets, friends, companions. Like I said, I can't imagine my house without a husky.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

The dog will be happiest doing what it instinctively needs to do: run and pull. If you can provide that for the dog, then it will be a good fit. If you can't, then it might not be. I worked with a girl who had several different huskies all of whom bolted from her yard out of boredom and got killed in the road, yet she kept getting them and subjecting them to the same fate. As cute as they are, try to get a dog that fits in with your lifestyle so everyone's happy.

 

[720L]

My sister has 2 Siberian Huskies. They are very sweet dogs and good with my kids. As a previous poster mentioned, when my sister brings them for a walk, they walk her lol! She was told by the person she bought them from that Huskies are runners, so if they ever get out, they may not come back. Their kennel is in the garage and her garage always has big balls of hair rolling around.

 

[beattyfamily]

Everyone has pretty much touched on what having a Husky is like.

They are beautiful dogs. Great with kids and for us, great with other pets.

But they need to be walked, need a fenced in yard and need exercise.

They will pull you.
They will flee if given the chance.
They will jump the fence if possible.
They will dig under the fence and flee.
They don't come when called once they've escaped.
They are not good watch dogs.

At least the above was our experience.

 

[java]

I am not sure on this but I remember our neighbor having one growing up. And I think I remember her telling me that in warmer climates they don't live as long?
Her dog was a great dog. But she was ALWAYS walking him.

 

[live4christp1]

We are getting one for DS for Christmas so I have been doing a lot of research. From all the info I've found they are very friendly affectionate dogs. They are very intelligent but also very stubborn and very strong willed. They can be trained, but if they don't see a point in doing what you ask, they aren't going to do it. They also tend to think they own you and not you own them from what I have read. They are very active and need lots of exercise or they can become destructive. They like to work, believe it or not but those dogs they show pulling the snow sleds actually do enjoy it.

Good luck. We have already found our puppy and it is being held until Christmas Eve.

 

[beattyfamily]

Good luck. We have already found our puppy and it is being held until Christmas Eve.

Congrats! What a wonderful Christmas gift!

 

[chager]

We had a Husky for about 3 months several years ago. He was 8 weeks old when we got him. We had trouble from the very beginning. He did all the typical puppy stuff only on a much larger scale. We got him in Sept. and we had to rehome him in Jan. becuase I found out I was pregnant and was unable to handle him. I carefully screened families and he went to live with a local family that my MIL knew. This family had extensive knowledge of Huskies and Malamutes. Even they were not ready for Shasta! We had thought since we got him early he would be ok around our cats. That was not the case. He constantly chased them. He was also an escape artist. No matter how he was confined during when we had to leave the house(this was before crating was popular) he would HOWL until we came home and he would escape confinement. At his new home he broke 5 BIG HEAVY outside chains, escaped from the run they had, ate the drywall in the new addition they building, and was basically a trouble maker. He did however fall in love with one of their friends. He would listen and obey him. SO he went to live with him. With in a week he jumped through the screen door and disappearred for 3 days. He was eventually found and as far I know lived the rest of his life with this guy and was rather happy although it took a while for him to finally settle down.
Would I have another Husky? ABSOLUTELY! I love the breed although we have not had one since. We almost adopted a puppy, but she failed the cat test. (We tested her with a very laid back cat we had. In Trixie was absolutely the best cat we ever had and she died much to soon for us!) So we ended up with an Eskie. We now also have an Australian Shepherd that we adore. We have had her since she was 12 weeks old and her puppy stage although rough, was not near as bad as Shasta's was. She is now a 72lb baby..lol.
I will say I am not sure that Shasta had alot of early socializing now that I think back to it. If I had known what I know now I would have approached his training very differently. I remember seeing his parents and although his mom was very calm his dad was hyper. The pups were kept in a garage like building which now I understand the people were backyard breeders. They apparently just breed for money and did not spend time socializing the pups.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[teacups]

Ours was named Zeus Blue.

He was handsome and sweet as anything... but I wont have another one due to the negatives.