Calling all Siberian Husky owners

**juxie** · 01-19-2007, 06:15 PM

Ok, after some thought and talking to a good friend and dog breeder, we decided to forego a Chesapeake Retriever and get a Siberian Husky. We were looking for a large breed, and huskies sure are large !

So, I will undoubtly have a zillion questions once our little bundle of joy arrives here. Technically, she hasn't even been conceived yet, the breeder is waiting for the prospective mom , Envy, to go into heat

Then , once the pups are born we go to see them and choose ours.

In the meantime I am doing some heavy research on the breed and puppy training in general. But, as good as that is, its always better to 'hear it from the horses mouth' . So, I know there must be a few Siberian mommies/daddies out there who can offer me tidbits of advice? I'll probably fill a filing cabinet in the next few months with puppy info and tips lol.

Thanks in advance!!

**tikeyas_mom** · 01-19-2007, 07:42 PM

umm have you done any research at all on huskies?
Huskies are not really that big of a dog, they are a medium sized dog.. Full-grown males measure 21-23.5 inches at the withers and females are slightly smaller. Weight ranges from 35 to 50 pounds for females and about 10 pounds more for males.. However I consider a large dog to be one like a Great dane, or mastiff.. Your opinion might be different. Are the parent of your future puppy registered, and shown? I think you should think of all those questions before even putting money down ont he puppy.. There is alot to know about he Siberian husky.

**areias** · 01-19-2007, 09:50 PM

I think she was being sarcastic about the large dog part.

From what I gather...although I am not a husky owner...they jump, climb, and dig under fences, regular houdinis. Once they get out it can be a very long time before you get them back. They have oodles of energy and show it. They shed a TON, and a lot of them "speak" to you, all the time, in a high pitched whiney voice. If you ever heard a husky talk, you know what I mean. They have a HIGH prey drive. If they are not kept from being bored, they WILL find something else to do! They really need lots of socialization. They have health problems from A to Z...thyroid, epilepsy, etc. Make sure you breeder health tests, I cannot stress this enough, especially with this breed.

Husky people, I find, are kind of special in being able to deal with their breed

. And husky people love the breed for those points. Other people who don't research the breed and just get a cute puppy always are in a world of trouble. I always prefer to tell people the negative points of a breed first. Huskies are great dogs, and other PTers will fill you in on the good stuff.

**pessimisaurus** · 01-19-2007, 10:33 PM

the best info on the breed I found was on sibe rescue group's websites. do a search for "siberian husky rescue" and you will find a ton of great info about "the good" AND "the bad" of the breed. good luck!

**juxie** · 01-20-2007, 04:58 PM

Well, while not HUGE dogs, to ME Huskies are large. My mom owns a 6 lb Yorkie, so a 80 lb Husky is big.

I have been researching the breed a lot, and have read all of the things mentioned in one place or another.The shedding, prey drive, digging etc. I am looking forward to no (or little) dog smell, the independance, energy and love of outdoors that they seem to have.

The parents are both registered, and are involved in competitive sledding.

I am currently searching for a well run obediece class in my area, which I think will help a lot with the puppy training.

**Glacier** · 01-20-2007, 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by juxie

Well, while not HUGE dogs, to ME Huskies are large. My mom owns a 6 lb Yorkie, so a 80 lb Husky is big.

.

An 80 pound husky is a poorly bred or grossly overweight husky. Within the breed standard the biggest a male should be is 60 pounds. It's also far too large to be a working dog, especially in any kind of competitive way. A breeder turning out dogs that far out of the breed standard is not a good breeder.

What kind of fence do you have? How much time can you commit to exercising the dog on a daily basis? The more miserable the weather, the more a husky will want to be out in it. How will let him truly run without disappearing? The vast majority of huskies can never ever be let off leash. They don't come back, no matter how much obedience training they've had. Come is the first command a husky forgets when he sees a chance to run.

How you will keep your mom's yorkie safe from your husky? Anything that small is a snack to the vast majority of huskies. It does not matter if they were raised together. Prey drive is instinct and it can't be trained out. Do you have other small animals? How will you protect them? I have a husky who can open the latches on gerbil and rat cages which does not end well for the small creatures. My huskies have killed a cat that they knew for over five years and given the opportunity they'd do it again without hesitation.

Obedience class will help with socialization, but don't expect a Sibe to excel in any way, shape or form at obedience. It's not their strength, they truly don't care what their owners ask them to do. Desire to please is NOT a husky trait. Desire to do whatever they want regardless of the consequences, that's a husky trait!