hi im new to this so any help will do thanks

i have liked huskys for years i have read about them and really what 1 i have to kids age 2 and 5 there nan has a german sheperd dog who is 2 now and had seens a puppy the kids play with her and r fine with her. we meet a husky puppy on hoilday and the kids stroked her. this will be mine and my partners frist dog togever we have looked after my mums go she has got a staffy and my sisters she has got a lab so we now about haveing dogs and training them and being top dog but my partner is a bit unsure about having a husky we have a midum size garden and i would walk the dog i go to college on a tuesday and friday all day but my times will change september i have looked in to dog walkers and my friends have said they will walk the husky to so can you help with information about this breed please and wether its a good idea for use to have 1 thanks

They are beautiful dogs but not sure if you know that they shouldn't ever be off lead as they have a very high prey drive. We have a few near us and a couple of them have attacked small dogs so I am very wary of them having small dogs myself. I wouldn't have said they were a dog for a beginner really but that's just my opinion.

i have read a lot about them and no about them not being off lead thanks for the advice

Siberian Husky - Basic Q & A

Q. - I’ve heard that you can’t let them off lead and they will run away if given the opportunity. Is this true??

A - They don't actually run away - this would imply that they are trying to get away from you, which is not the case. What they are doing is obeying an instinct which is hard-wired into them - their prey drive. The Chukchi Inuit people, who first developed the breed were summer village dwellers and winter nomads. In the winter, they would put the whole family onto their sleds and follow whatever game was available to hunt. In the summer, they would let the dogs loose around the villages and would rarely feed them, leaving them to hunt and feed themselves. As a result, they have an awesome prey drive and extremely good hunting skills. When they "run away," they are usually following this drive. The answer, is to exercise them in harness if possible and always walk them on lead in unenclosed areas.

Beware over-confidence however, many Siberians will be very clingy and obedient as young puppies, then when adolescence hits—everything changes and the plaintive cry of “He’s always come back before” is heard from the distraught owner.

Q. - I’ve heard they will chew everything in sight and will destroy my house

A. - Puppies of all breeds will often chew all sorts of things - especially when they are teething. Adult dogs much less so, although all of them may act destructively if they are bored or distressed. They also seem to find ripping things into small pieces therapeutic. If we leave a kitchen roll or toilet roll within their reach, our dogs will shred it into tiny pieces in seconds. If you have a lifestyle where the dog will need to be left alone for long periods of time, then a Siberian is definitely not for you! They love and need human company. A bored husky is one of the most destructive forces in the known universe!

Q. - I’m told they are not obedient and will never listen

A. - I don't think that sibes are any less likely to listen than other breeds. The difference is that they will listen and then make their own minds up as to whether they are going to obey you. Siberians are more pack oriented than many breeds and they are more likely to obey you if they accept you as the pack leader. On the other hand, bribery (especially with food) works wonders with 99% of sibes.

Q. - Apparently they will chase and kill cats and any small animals

A - Yes and no! This relates back to their high prey drive as explained opposite. The Siberian’s natural instinct is to regard any small animal (and some larger ones like sheep) as a combination of sport and food. This is hard-wired into the breed and is difficult, if not impossible to change. Having said that, many Siberians manage to live affably with cats - as long as they regard the cat(s) as part of their "pack" - other cats will still be fair game. It is sensible however, not to introduce any new non-canines to the household once the dog is established (unless you can keep them very securely separated—remembering that huskies are extremely efficient at breaking and entering.)

Q. - Will they ruin my garden?

A. - Guilty as charged - they can dig huge holes and miraculously make the dirt disappear so that you always have more crater than earth. If your idea of an ideal garden is a recreation of World War 1 battlefields, then the husky is your ideal dog. If you want a wonderful garden landscaped to your plans and not your dogs, either (a) don’t get a Siberian; or (b) ensure that the dog has an escape-proof dog run of its own. The ideal husky garden is a concrete enclosure with 8 foot husky-proof fences all round.

Q. - I’ve heard they are not very intelligent and impossible to train

A. - They are frighteningly intelligent! As far as training goes, it depends what you mean by training - they are actually very easy to teach - it's the obedience that is the problem. Sibes are very independent and will weigh up the pros and cons of a situation and act accordingly (which does not mean automatic obedience). If you throw them a ball, they might bring it back the first time, but if you throw it again, they’ll just give you that look which says, “You threw it, you go and get it! Do you think I’m stupid?” (Or they will just eat the ball!)

Q. - Do they need vast amounts of exercise each day?

A. - Husky exercise is a strange one. They seem to be equally happy running 20+ miles each day in harness or sleeping 20 of every 24 hours. The trick is to vary their daily exercise. If you walk them for five miles every day at 6.30am, then on the day you want a lie in, they will be howling for their walk at 6.30am!!

Don’t walk them too much as puppies—five minutes per day for every month of age is a good rule of thumb.

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Before you make a decision about getting a husky - make some contacts in the husky world and visit some husky owners - in this way you can see what they are really like to live with. If you contact me by PM, I can probably put you in touch with husky owners in your area.

We always say to people, getting a husky will totally change your life! If it doesn't, you aren't doing it right and you should never have got one in the first place! Unfortunately, too many people jump in with both feet, without having done any research on the breed and a few months later, when the cute puppy has turned into a howling teenage brat, h either sell them on, or give them up to rescue. Since 2007, when we formed the Siberian Husky Welfare Association (UK), we have taken in and rehomed over 500 unwanted Siberian Huskies - the majority from owners who didn't do their homework and didn't realise (until it was too late) that the Siberian Husky was not the breed for them.

If, after all your research and home visits etc, you are still determined to get a husky, your troubles are just beginning. Bad breeders outnumber good ones in the UK by 100 to 1, and finding a good breeder is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. If you stick to these guidelines, you won't go far wrong, but if the breeder doesn't satisfy even one of these conditions, walk away and breathe a sigh of relief:



Good Luck

Mick

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DREAMCATCHER SIBERIAN HUSKIES
Siberian Husky Welfare Association (UK)
"For I am a raindog too!" - Tom Waits
"Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see" - Benjamin Franklin
"As long as people believe in absurdities they will continue to commit atrocities" - Voltaire

We've just got our first malamute, and it's taken us nearly 10 years since we first thought about it, to research it and be in the position to be able to have one!
Obviously you've done your research, which is the beat advice I can give. You've given us a lot of details on your home life, but really only you know in your heart of hearts if a breed is right for you. So many of these dogs end up in rehoming centres because of people not thinking properly first, so well done on really looking into it!
The only thing I will say is they can be destructive if left for too long, so the dig sitter or a friend is a great idea
There are loads of people on here with huskies so I'm sure you'll ge some great advice, good luck and don't forget to let us know what you decide!

I don't know much about Huskys but just wanted to add that as well as researching the breed, make sure you research current ideas on dog training too - for instance the whole 'top dog' dominance thing is very outdated now.

I would also keep in mind that Huskys become very big and strong dogs and could easily knock a young child over accidentally. I would also make sure that you can afford a professional dog sitter/walker if needed - friends have the best intentions but sometimes after the excitement of a puppy interest can wain and you don't want to be in a position where there isn't anyone to look after the dog when you need it.

Good luck

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raindog thanks for the info i would love to vist people who have huskys sorry dont now what pm means but would love your help with that

lewis m15 thanks i will keep you posted

mckenzie thanks for the training info i have looked in to clicker training as well as training schools in my area

I LOVE clicker training!!!

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a lot of people have said that

raindog.. those basic q's and a's made me laugh, i think someone swapped my children for huskys at birth cos that description fits my kids perfect, knew i was going wrong should have scrapped the kids idea and just gone for huskys as babies xx