Husky puppies

My wife has always wanted a Husky dog. Does anyone own one? Are they ok dogs to get? Are they ok with children and other dogs?

I heard that they are pretty independent and jump A LOT. How can you fence them in?

huskies are beautiful and loyal, but can be challenging.  they're very athletic, and yes, they can and do jump.  you will need a high, strong fence - at least 6 feet.  they also dig, so you may need to bury the fence a foot or two into the ground.  they bark, too, so can cause strife with neighbours.

the ones i know have been good with kids and other dogs.  the biggest challenges are keeping them contained.  once off leash, they can be impossible to catch; it becomes a game, and they are always faster than you.  typically, you have to ignore them and wait until they get bored and come back, hoping that they don't get into too much trouble in the meantime.

they're good natured, but adventurous and always into trouble.  unless you have lots of time to spend with them, i wouldn't do it.

My grandma had one and it was the devil. It had to be locked up when we all came over for family gatherings. It was awful with kids.

Thanks for the info. They sound like a lot of work. We have a border collie mix now who is the BEST dog ever! It would be hard to add such termoil in the mix.

But my wife REALLY wants one.....maybe a mix breed would be more calm?

Hey mix breeds are always the way to go.  Plus it's easier to find cutie-pie puppies at the shelter, which means you get the double-bonus of doing a good deed AND saving a ton of cash.  Mix breed dogs tend to have far fewer health troubles than purebreds (because the mixing brings out the good traits and recessess the bad ones).

We got our pup from a shelter - she's mainly lab, but she's also beagle and german shepard.  She is (and we got lucky) the most well-behaved dog I have ever met, with lots of sweet personality, and much more manageable than the usually-very-excitable-and-will-eat-bricks labrador purebreeds are :)

Thanks j-snyder....we rescued our dog now and he is awesome...love him to bits. The shelters are where we have been looking.

I think if we found a mix breed that LOOKED like a Husky but was more chill, I think I could handle that.

husky's are beautiful, but i really don't think they are a good breed to choose for a family. especially if you are used to a border collie mix! (awesome awesome dogs) 

why is your wife so set on a husky? is it just the look of them? i'd suggest you have her do some research on the breed first.

it's always been my opinion is that huskys just aren't really meant to be "house" pets. i know a lot of people will disagree, and i'm not saying that they NEVER make good house pets, but i think they the type of dog that is meant to be working and spend a lot of time outdoors. if you lived on a big farm in maine, then i'd say go for it, but if you live in a normal house in the suburbs...not so much.

Remember that Huskies are bread to pull sleds hundreds of miles, unless your able to put it on a serious exercise regime you'll end up with a hyperactive and unhappy dog.

My parents have two.  One is jumpy, has attacked my son, my dog, and is just obnoxious.  The other is skittish, but very sweet and quiet once she gets to know you, but is jealous of my mother because the dog thinks she is the Alpha female - read: she pisses on my mom's stuff. 

They are both rescues, so that could have something to do with it.  When we were growing up we always had some kind of Husky.  Wolf/husky mix - best dog we ever had, she taught me and my siblings how to crawl. no lie.  Husky/Swedish elkhound mix - great sweet dog.  super obedient, nice, never bit anyone.

 

I wouldn't get a full bred one.  They just aren't like our mixes were. 

Thanks Jules - She has just always LOVED the breed. She thinks they are beautiful. I have shown her things I have found on the net regarding the breed but she can always changes it around because she wants one so bad.

I know every dog is different. Thoroughout my life I have had several and no two dogs are alike no matter what the breed. I was just hoping maybe some people here actually have had personal experience with them.

We just bought our first house so she has been really wanting a second dog. I guess I should be happy....at least she doesn't want a BABY.....not yet anyway!

I have a husky-border collie mix.  Both breeds are very excitable and active.  She is a beautiful dog and I love her to death, but she can be a little crazy.  Fortunately although I have read about the escape artist tendencies of huskies, she never tried it (although our other dog, an Australian shepherd- border collie mix, used to jump over our 6' fence all the time and go visit all the neighbors).

The main issue we have with her is all the fur and shedding.  She requires a lot of grooming - I take her to the groomer about every 6 weeks to be trimmed and bathed.  Even with daily intensive brushing she still sheds what seems like pounds of hair all over the house.  We have to vacuum every day to keep up with it, and it's pretty much year round.  The only time she doesn't shed too much is in the winter.  However if you live in a colder climate and have a longer winter than we do (we live in TX so winter is 2-3 months) you might have a longer reprieve.  Also due to her coat, she is extremely hot-natured and tends to get overheated outside.  We have to very careful with her on walks and hikes, etc, and always be sure to have plenty of water, and go places where she can swim and cool off.  Unfortunately, due to the nature of their coat, Huskies are not supposed to be shaved (damages their fur, so I'm told). 

As far as temperament, other than being high strung she is sweet as can be.  Never happier than when she is running, though - she is a bundle of energy.  Although we don't have kids, she is fascinated by them and always whines and wants to go up to them when we see some in our neighborhood.   Also her border collie side comes out around kids and small dogs - she loves to "herd".  One good thing is doesn't bark - due to the Husky part, I guess, she occassionally "howls" or "sings" but rarely, rarely ever barks.

i'm a big believer that any one dog is better than any two (or more) dogs.  because they're pack animals, if you have one, they're completely devoted to you and dependent on your approval.  the minute you bring a second dog into the mix, your approval becomes a whole lot less important.  and it's not just the new dog you have to worry about; i know lots of instances where beautifully-behaved first dogs turn to gigantic pains-in-the-ass when a second dog joins the family.

i suggest you stick with the dog you already have and love.

Thanks everyone for the advice and information!

I had a husky when I was growing up and he was a very sweet dog, but only with the family. He would warm up to strangers if they came over often though. He was also VERY destructive and had tons of energy. It was my job to walk him everyday. My mom wanted to kill him after he completely destroyed her plants and flower garden. We also had trenches in our back yard from his digging. I think he would have been a better dog if we had taken him to training classes. Even though he was a pain we all loved him to death. Super sweet and affectionate.

My roommate in grad school had a husky, Alpha.  She didn't want to neuter Alpha, in case she decided to breed her, which meant that Alpha went through heat over and over and over. She'd start "nesting", gathering up all of her toys, and wrapping around them, like they were suckling pups, and freak out if one was missing.  I suggest that neutering might prevent this kinda neurotic behavior, and my roommate told me that "it was unnatural to neuter a dog and we shouldn't strive to make them more managable."  I pointed out that in nature, she wouldn't be going through this, because she'd have access to males! Eventually, it got bad enough that she did get her neutered, but I left soon after so I don't know how that turned out.

But that really doesn't have to do with huskies - just unneutered, unmating dogs. Alpha was underwalked (my roommate was unable to properly exercise her, and rebuffed my offers to take her even out to pee) and understimulated.  When she felt abandoned, she would howl. She sat calmly next to my friend on the couch, and then almost bit her face off.  She also tried to bite my boyfriend when he reached to pet her. While I was gone for T-giving break, my roommate also left to visit her husband. I asked what would happen to Alpha, and she told me that her friends would take care of her. I assumed that meant they would keep her at their place - imagine my surprise when I returned to the apartment to find the couch torn up (glad I close my bedroom door) and the entire place smelling of panicked dog - the friends had came by ONCE a day (usually ~3am) to take her to pee and feed her - for an entire week.

So maybe my experience was more about horrible dog owners than huskies, but I do know that "energetic, destructive, hyper, high strung, loyal, reaching over-protective" could all be used to describe the one I knew. After I left, my roommate had a baby - I've always wondered if Alpha is super protective of the baby or tried to kill him... I could imagine either.

beena's dog is the perfect example of what happens to a dog that doesn't get enough exercise (and i'm not criticizing you or your family beena, i'm sure he was very well loved and taken care of!) but unfortunately leash walks just aren't enough for a big high energy breed, and so he eats your whole garden :)

murphy redecorated my house before i started taking him to daycare to wear him out. by redecorate i mean shred my curtains and eat half a door. my neighbor told me it sounded like a herd of elephants rampaging around. since he's been getting exercise, he hasn't destroyed a thing!

  

I am a proud owner of what some people would call an alaskan husky (husky mixed with other breads for optimum performance).  He is mixed with akita and german shorthair.  He is a beauty...

With that said, he is very much a pack dog and will test me often to see if I am going to pull my rank.  He sleeps in bed with me but at the foot of the bed and he is extremely loyal and great with people and kids (just too hyper as he's not yet 2).  He is extremely smart and needs a lot of stimulation that includes play time, tricks, and A LOT of walks and jogs.  If he doesn't get his activity in for the day and I leave him to his own devices... my shoes suffer the consequences.  However he has never chewed the house or furniture.

He really is my best friend, but they are not easy keepers and they need a ton of attention.  They also will build a special bond with one person but will whore around like a lab when other people come to visit... so your mom and friends can all think that they are your dogs most favorite person EVER (they all seam to like that).

They also will build a special bond with one person but will whore around like a lab when other people come to visit... so your mom and friends can all think that they are your dogs most favorite person EVER (they all seam to like that).

Lol!  So true!  My husky mix is TOTALLY like that!

I grew up with huskys in my family...they are great! Never any problems with children and they were just really friendly. Yup, its a good dog :)

Great dogs.  As a breed, they don't listen worth a damn.  You also can't trust them off leash in non Husky-proofed areas.  They are likely to run off (just for the sheer joy of running) and then get lost.  They blow coat twice a year (lots of hair balls everywhere).  Very friendly with strangers and other dogs.  Very excitable.  Lots of work.

I completely agree with you jules! Jake was a great dog but our yard really wasn't big enough for him. Huskies need lots of room and lots of play time. :)