Many people hear the great benefits a Siberian Husky has to offer them, from their high level of intelligence, their ability to be awesome with children or their handsome good looks! Whilst these are all fantastic reasons to have a Siberian Husky in your life there are a lot of aspects to consider fully, believe it or not they can be a real handful! Having a Husky as part of your family will be unlike any dog experience you have had in the past so get comfy, make a drink and enjoy the read.
Akira about 6 months old
We have tried to lay this guide out into specific sections and provide a summary for each, this will help you to make an informed choice as to whether the Siberian Husky breed is right for you. Once you’ve read the guide here please take a look around our site and learn as much as you can about this amazing breed before committing yourself to a husky fur baby!
Husky Intelligence
Unlike most dogs, the Siberian Husky has a high level of intelligence and thus can become bored very easily, it is important with any husky that you allow them to be challenged and explore as failure to do this can result in a bored and destructive dog. As a rule of thumb Huskys are incredibly independent and generally speaking cannot be trusted to blindly follow orders like most dogs but instead will often think and sum up the options before acting on a command and thus it is is never recommended to have a Husky off the lead.
Exercise
The default action for any husky to run run and run a bit more, from the moment they wake in the morning they are a bundle of energy and will require you to be in a similar mindset too. Lots of Husky owners will take their dogs for jogs, runs and even allow them to pull sleds, scooters and bikes along! Its essential for a Husky to get lots of stimulation not only for their fitness levels and energy burning but also to help stimulate their mind and reduce their desire to go hunting!
Climate
As you probably guessed, the Siberian Husky is used to the cold temperatures of Siberia. A Siberian Husky can often be found doing the ‘splat’ on a cold surface (e.g. laminate flooring) or outside in the garden as the wind howls past them. If you love an ultra warm home with thick carpets then a Husky may not be comfortable but generally speaking if you have one from a pup they will adapt to suit their environment.
Don’t panic though, due to the nature of their coat they are able to adapt to extremes in temperature. Having a double layer coat can cause issues (see blowing coats) but for the Husky it allows them to stay in extreme cold and extreme heat for longer, before it becomes a major issue for them, clever eh!
Even though the UK doesn’t quite have the cold climate of Siberia, we do actually have a climate where most days are acceptable to a Husky, except maybe the hottest of days.
Coat Blowing
As we know the Siberian Husky has a lovely magical double coat which allows them to withstand not only the extreme cold, but the extreme heat. Unfortunately this comes with a major downside that can turn a lot of people away from the breed! Typically speaking a Husky will blow its coat twice a year (Spring & Fall), each time lasting around 3 weeks, expect to administer lots of grooming and dispose of a lot of fur and we mean a LOT of fur.
Just one days worth of fur, this is a daily routine for 3 weeks!
There is a whole range of products from shampoos through to grooming tools that can help with this process but we do recommend a good vacuum cleaner and lint roller as the fur will literally get everywhere. Our children refer to the fur as Husky Glitter during the blowing season!
Escape Artists
Due to the nature of a Husky (high intelligence, curiosity, energy) they are world renown as escape artists and will happily wiggle their way through the tiniest gap, undo the most complex latches or vault a fence so high you can’t see over it! It is strongly advised to have 6ft fencing around your garden/yard (ideally with no horizontal supports showing) with a concrete base or some protection to stop them digging underneath. It’s also common for Husky owners to try various devices to stop escapes such as child locks on cupboards, stair/safety gates in door ways to act as a deterrent and additional locks!
Yes it’s like having a toddler in the house!
Clean Dogs
Huskies are renown for being clean eaters and clean dogs, they tend not to suffer with the doggy odour often associated with other breeds. They constantly keep their fur in good condition although some assistance does help them a lot and actually creates a special bonding time with the Husky (I’ve yet to find a Husky who doesn’t want to be groomed by their owner). However, saying all this doesn’t mean a Husky doesn’t like a dip in water, mud or wherever else they see fit! be warned.
Separation Anxiety
One of the biggest issues a lot of Husky owners face is separation anxiety. Whilst it is true that a Husky wants to be an independent dog, who thinks and learns for itself and loves to go on adventures, you have to remember they are naturally pack animals. Whilst you can crate train a Husky, and train out the anxiety to a degree it is often only a few hours at a time. Our Husky Akira can only manage 3-4 hours before the anxiety leads to destruction, howling and misbehaviour.
The obvious solution for this is to have a play mate and it is very common to see Husky owners with more than 1 husky to solve this issue, oh and the fact you simply fall in love with them!
Feeding
Upset tummies can be a major issue for Siberian Huskies and often it takes a while to settle them down on a diet that they can adhere too. Luckily though there are so many food options available this is rarely a problem once the husky is established, from kibble to frozen food, to complete biscuit through to raw meat.
Finding the Right Puppy
Do you’ve read this far (and a lot more research too we hope) and have decided that a husky will fit your lifestyle or your familys lifestyle then that’s awesome news but how do you find the right puppy?
When looking at the puppies you should notice that their are plump and firm, a puppy that is either skinny or overly bloated possibly has issues or has been reared incorrectly so take note. They should be active and involved with the entire pack of puppies, always ask to see the parents if possible as this will give you an idea as to how they will grow up.
Females are deemed to be more sociable, mature quicker and stay slightly smaller in size, but again this is debatable. A female however won’t be as strong as their male counterparts, are less independent and potentially house train easier. However they do have the female issues which require dealing with each time they go into season.
Remember when picking your husky that most have fur that is darker than they will eventually end up being, their fur and eye colours often lighten up as they age and the patterns such as their mask become less defined as they age.
What About The Breeder?
So you’ve read up on the huskies, found a puppy that is active, happy, cute, nice colour etc but not too sure on the breeder? There is a few checks you can make to ensure that your happy with the breeder, these are
- The breeders should be happy to discuss/show the parents, and all dogs should be happy and socialable
- The breeder shouldn’t even consider selling the puppy until its at least 8 weeks old
- A decent breeder will ask you lots of questions and be interested in the puppies new home
- Ask about any registration papers, especially if advertised as pure bred
- Stay in touch with the breeder, ask them questions and see how they react
You should be all set now to starting the amazing adventure of having a husky in the family, welcome aboard!
Rescues
There are hundreds, if not thousands of huskies stuck in foster homes, at the kennels or with a warden and in desperate need for a new home. If you have some time to give, have previous experience or not fussed if you start with a puppy then rescuing a husky is one of the most rewarding things you can do! The process is really simple and requires a home check and a donation to the rescue charity and you can give a husky another chance at life, what can be more rewarding!
