This will be one of the most exciting times with your husky, but can also be scary for both you and your new puppy. In this guide we will try and cover all the items you need for your new husky puppy so you don’t have to worry about forgetting anything.
ID Tag & Microchip
Microchipping your pet should be at the top of your list, it provides the best possible means of identification for your dog should they become injured, lost or stolen and ultimately helps to link the dog back to its rightful owners.
In the UK it is now a legal requirement for any dog over the age of 8 weeks to be microchipped and the chip kept fully up to date with the owners details.
We also recommend that you purchase a suitable ID tag to place upon the dogs collar, this will allow for quick and easy identification from the general public if your husky was to escape (we all know they are escape artists) without the need of the RSPCA, Warden or similar involvement.
Collar, Harness & Lead
You will probably want at least one of each of these depending on how you wish to walk, run, exercise and control your new fur baby. Most huskies will have a collar on that contains their ID tag although some will only wear a collar or harness when they go out, that choice is down to you.
It is important to ensure when buying a collar or harness to get the right size
The most common collar is a flat collar, we use the Julius K9 Collar as it has a handle and they allow you to attach an ID tag, hold and control the husky if required around the house/garden and also allows a lead to be connected quickly and easily for short walks. You can also buy speciality collars such as the Halti which connects around the muzzle of the dog and stops them from pulling, a great training aid. Lastly there are also various styles of ‘choke’ collars (that pull tighter if the dog pulls, or have spikes/studs) and we would never recommend those on a husky.
A lot of husky owners will opt for a harness as the main walking aid, there are many different types of harness on the market for a husky too. The main advantage of a harness is to allow the huskies pulling power to come from the chest and stops any damage to their neck, for our husky Akira we use a Julius K9 harness with great success. The downside to a harness is a Husky can pull out backwards and escape, to counter this you can use a double lead to a collar, or have a link lead between harness and collar.
The last part you need is the lead itself, we have 3 leads but some owners may be fine with just one. They come in various lengths, materials, colours and some are fixed length whilst others retract back into the handle. Ideally you will have a short lead for close walking and then a long retractable lead for allowing the husky lots of running freedom when out in the countryside.
Lastly, it’s worth noting in this section there are speciality leads such as a lead which will clip to your belt, or leads that connect a husky & harness to a vehicle such as a bike, scooter or sledge. If this is your first husky then this is something you can consider once your puppy is home, settled and you’ve undergone the initial training.
Bedding
Due to the nature of Huskys we have found they normally prefer a lighter bedding as they don’t like to be hot and snuggled down. We have always opted for a simple bed, in a good cleanable material (either detachable, or wipe clean).
You will find your husky will develop a personality and their requirement for bedding will change, we have seen huskies that have to sleep on a cold hard surface and simply refuse to sleep on any form of bed, likewise we have seen huskies who want to wrap up like a baby.
The best advice in regards to bedding is to allow your husky to have a blanket bed, or some light dog bed and go from there, it will soon become obvious from your dogs behaviour as to whether they find the bed too warm or too cold. It’s also worth remembering the position in which you place their bed becomes an important factor and thus most husky owners will opt to ‘cage’ their husky from a young age.
Cage
For many husky owners the cage is one of their most important assets as cage training a husky from a puppy has a lot of benefits for the owner. We won’t cover the topic in this article but essentially crate training a husky allows them to have a safe place to retreat, can ease separation anxiety and can add to the safety of the dog if and when you do have to leave the husky alone.
When looking for a cage you will need a large or extra large cage due to the size of the breed, always check the recommended dog size for the cage in question as it would be unfair on the dog to be cramped in a smaller cage. You may find that you have to buy a cover for the cage as some huskies prefer it to be like a cave or den and covered over, likewise you may also need to invest in additional locking mechanisms as we all know how much a husky likes to impersonate Houdini.
We like to recommend that a husky cage has a suitable floor material either a blanket or bed of your choice that the husky feels comfortable with and that if locking in the cage that fresh water is available. There are some fantastic products on the market which can help with this.
Food & Treats
There are so many food choices for huskies it can be a crazy minefield to work out. A lot of husky owners will swear by raw food, otherwise will advocates of specific brands, especially those made for huskies. Generally speaking a husky will always like food high in meat content, in the wild they will often avoid carb loaded foods such as potatoes and rice but a lot of dog food will use this as a way of bulking out their meal.
It’s worth remembering when hunting for a choice of food that huskies can be prone to upset stomachs and certain foods can really wreck havoc with their insides. It’s for this reason most owners will stick to a raw diet or speciality sledge dog food such as CSJ.
When treating your dog, remember that the treats are normally high in levels of bad fats etc, the best treat we have found you can give for a husky is dehydrated meats such as chicken, most good pet shops should be able to provide these for you.
Grooming
Huskies will blow their coat twice a year on average (Fall & Spring) as well as having a double coat to maintain through the year. There are many solutions available and you will hear many different recommendations so do some research but you will need a selection of grooming equipment to manage their fur.
You may also wish to purchase some pet safe nail clippers, wash mit, shampoo etc so you are prepared to handle this yourself. It’s a great bonding experience to groom your own pet although we appreciate for some owners this can be easier to get done professionally.
Toys
We have already established that huskies are an intelligent, curious breed and thus toys are a great way of keeping them occupied, challenged and busy which in turn stops a lot of the destructive behaviour. Having a selection of toys for your husky, especially as a puppy will provide a useful outlet to vent their energy in a safe and harmless way.
There is an entire range of toys from balls to frisbees, or ropes to hidden treat toys! The best solution is to buy a small selection and see which one(s) your husky puppy interacts with more. For our Akira she was never one for chasing balls but she would love to tug on a rope or sit for hours with a Kong toy trying to eat the treats out of the middle!
Remember each dog is unique so have fun learning and exploring with your puppy to find out what toys and games they prefer.
Medications
An often overlooked area when bringing home a new puppy as owners forget medication covers more than just when a puppy or dog is sick. It is really worth considering having the puppy enrolled in scheme with a local or national vets as they can help with
- Vacinnations
- Worming treatment
- Flea treatment
- Health checks & advice
You can of course get this done yourself rather than enter into a monthly payment plan, however it is essential that your new husky puppy has the right vacinations, is chipped, wormed and flead. A decent vet will also do a yearly health screen for common husky ailments such as eyes and hips.
Insurance
Insuring your husky can be a life saver, not only do the insurances cover areas such as illness, loss of life and other similar medical issues but they are also invaluable when looking for a lost dog as most will have allowances for reward money, posters and advertising.
Its important to find a good insurance company so always ask at your vet, or with fellow owners of similar breeds of dogs on their experiences with the companies. You should also be able to search online for reviews, testimonials and ratings of specific insurance companies too.
Other Pet Products
There are of course other products you will need for your husky, whilst not essential they will make life so much easier in the long run. Some of these products and options can be found in the list below and we will try and keep links updated if we make any articles on them in the future.
- Shampoo’s and cleaners
- Deodorisors
- Pet Plugins (e.g. natural scents for keeping a husky calm)
- GPS Tracking Tags
- Books on husky welfare, training or breed information
- Photo Frames (You will take pictures)
- Car acessories (e.g. seatbelt leads, boot protectors)
Lastly, Enjoy Your Puppy
To sum this up, just enjoy your puppy! As long as you have these basic areas covered we are sure you will have years and years of fun ahead with your husky, they are full of personality, character and will make you laugh, cry, happy and angry, just like a child would! In return you will have a bundle of furry fun and endless love and affection back from your fur baby.
Enjoy being a new parent.
