Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am freshman college student and I've wanted a husky for a while now. I've decided that after I graduate and get my own place, I would like my dog to be a siberian husky. When I lived at home I had a chihuahua, who I love very much, but he is more attached to my mom than to me. I love the look of the siberian husky and I hear they are very playful. Other than that, I have no knowledge of them.
So for the next 3 years I want to fully prepare myself so when I get my own place and get a husky, I will be a well qualified husky owner.
Any advice? Basic info? Best place to get one? What to look for? etc etc. Thanks!

I don't have siberians, but you may want to find a local siberian husky club in your area. There's nothing like first hand knowledge to get you prepared for owning a dog. This forum has some great people on it as well and I'm sure they'll be along to naswer some basic questions.
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Chelle and the rest of the crew including, but not limited to Kita and Taiko (the shiba inu wrestle maniacs), Adi (reserved and dignified tabby cat), and all 28 reptiles

Ahhh!! It's scary how familar i am with your situation. I am a sophmore in college and own 2 sibes. I got my first when i was just a senior in high school, and recently added the second. I have the option though my parents didn't want another dog but once i brought it home they love her, it's my mom's "granddog" no kidding! I also am getting married in june and my fiance works where my parents live so they watch the dogs during the day cuz there home alot and he takes them at night i also come home everynight and only go to school mon wed and fri so i have alot of time for my dogs and a great yard. I researched huskys for atleast 6 months before i got one, when buying my second husky it took me that long to find one, i live in rural nebraska so shelters don't have alot of dogs and big shelters won't adopt more then 200 miles from them so i had to buy from a breeder. I got my 2nd from a great breeder who raises them for his sled teams and the first i got from a bad breeder who had no idea what he was doing great dog though, but i would never go back. I would start looking around at breeders or searching shelters atleast 6 months ahead of time, i went to many breeders before i found the second breeder that took good care of his dogs and bred for the right reasons. As for huskys themselves i love their personalities except for at 4 in the morning There so full of energy. My opinion is if your going to get one thing seriously about two if you can. Once i had the first one i had to have a second. They love their playmates and if your going to have your job they need someone else to playwith so their not alone and believe me it's so much easier to potty train 2 at once then a year apart. Well i've rambled long enough hope that was somewhat helpful. Good luck.

There are loads of books available at the library or you can Google the subject and get all the information you need.

I've owned two Sibes over the last 20 years (one after the other).

The biggest drawbacks are the shedding, digging, and destruction if they are bored. My dog is 6 and will still dig a hole to China if there's a critter under the ground. Also, you need a fenced yard, as they are escape artists and will run forever until they feel the need to come home.

The upside is that they are extremely intelligent (but willful), loving (to the point of dependency), and social. Try to find a purebred, so you can expect these traits. Sibes are so social that you will practically break it's heart if you leave it alone all day. I agree that if you both work, you'll need a second dog (doesn't have to be a Sibe) to be with it in the yard while you're gone.

Sibes shed twice a year and it seems like it will never end. You need to get an undercoat "rake" and rake it every day during shed. Shed usually starts at the back legs/hindquarters.

Sibes are SO smart. I think they are the smartest dogs, but don't get the credit because they are willful and only do what they want. If they WANT to do what you tell them, they will. If they DON'T want to do what you tell them, they just won't.

They are the friendliest dogs around (purebreds). As a rule, they're not aggressive and won't bite people. If another dog challenges them, though, they will stand their ground and hold their own quite well. Then they'll go back to being little sweet babies and you'd swear it was a Jeckyll and Hyde thing! My dog goes the the dog park and NEVER has a problem with the other dogs. She is always submissive and makes friends with them ALL.

Of course they are also beautiful and have that built-in smile. People will stop you on walks and children will be attracted as well. Teach them to kiss you on the chin, as they love it. They will jump on people to get to their face to kiss them, so teach your dog that's not acceptable. They may still do it anyway. My dog has the habit of "goosing" people (HARD) from the front and back to get their attention. Yours may show other quirky traits.

While they are great with children, you have to be careful with toddlers (1-2 yrs old) who are just crawling/walking because they will knock them down or paw them without thinking and the child can get hurt/scratched. They don't know they're hurting them, they treat them like a puppy. This might be a concern to a young newlywed who might be thinking of starting a family soon. Close supervision of the child and dog should suffice.

You picked a great breed. As long as you know what you're getting into, you'll be fine. If you can find a dog park nearby, visit it often until you find a Sibe and watch it. Also, you can visit some breeders before you're ready to buy and check them out. Be careful, though, because you'll want to take every Sibe you meet home!

Good Luck!

Walt

I have 3 siberian huskies right now and a 4th one just passed away. I love these dogs to death!! My husband had the older one, the one that just passed, when we got married. It took me a little bit to get used to him but soon we were best buds.

Siberians definitely have to be entertained! Mine play very well with each other and keep each other occupied. But they still need lots of attention from their "mom" and "dad" though. And yes, I have been through 2 couches, 2 coffee tables, 1 feather bed, 1 sheet set, 1 mattress and have had to have all my corner baseboards replaced. And my backyard looks like the surface of the moon. But it's all worth it when you walk in the door from a long day and they all greet you with those big smiles and howl at you!! And especially when you fall in one of their holes in the backyard and all 3 rush up to you, as you are lying on the ground praying that you didn't break anything, and kiss you till you can't breathe!

Definitely invest in a great vaccuum. I vaccuum at least once a day if not twice. I'm a maniac about making sure my house doesn't smell like dog. Everyone gets brushed each evening outside on the deck. It's what I call "our time". And it looks like it is snowing every time I brush them!

They are great dogs and I wouldn't consider any other breed. I do have problems with Lexi, she is a pure bred - she has seizures but she's on medication that stops them. Otis, our other pure bred (the one that just passed) had the same problem. But my other two who are mixed breeds have no seizure problems.

I'm a big proponent of rescuing dogs. Our first siberian we got from a breeder, the two mixes we got from the shelter, and my newest, Lexi, I found on the side of the road. She had been abused and was in horrible shape when I first found her but now she is in perfect health and has a wonderful demeanor now. I think that with lots of love - those dogs can overcome anything!

Good points!

When we built our new house, we have NO carpeting on the main floor, and the upstairs is gated off. The dogs are not allowed up there. Hard flooring lets you get the hair up easier. It makes "dust bunnies" that are easier to sweep together and vacuum up. Get used to hair on clothes and in your car, though.

Also, when they ride in your car they want to be close to you and close to the air conditioning vents! In fact, they will want to be in your lap, so you have to have some kind of barrier between the front/back seats (or cargo area in an SUV).

Sibes have a few hereditary defects that can show up in specific dogs, or may not show up at all in your dog.

The first is epilepsy. My first Sibe has petit mal (minor) tremors on a couple of occasions and then never suffered from it again. However, some dogs can have it worse. You'll know a seizure when you see one. The vets can't do much if anything for it if it happens. There may be drugs if it gets real bad.

The second is eye problems. I don't know the specific problems, but you can look them up on the Web.

Last is hip dysplasia, but I don't think they're as prone to that as Labs/Shepherds. The biggest worry is the epilepsy.

When you're looking at puppies, you can try to avoid these problems (no guarantee, as the parents may be clear but still pass a submissive trait to the pups) by ensuring the sire and dam are OFA and CERF certified. OFA is the organization that looks at hip x-rays and verifies no dysplasia. CERF is the organization that looks at the doctors eye report and certifies no problems. Both cost the breeders a bit of time/money, so some don't do it. If they look at you like "Huh?", leave and find somebody else. Don't take the breeder's word that the sire/dam's hips and eyes are clear. Ask to see the paperwork. I don't know how to guarantee it's for THAT dog, but at least you verified they know to do OFA and CERF certification.

Walt

Hi
I'm too thinking about a sibe, I choose a sibe because of there aperance and how friendly, happy and playful they are, i have been trying to adopt for a long time know, the first husky that i got to see was a big sibe, she was so hyper and playfull she keep nocking my dauther over trying to play with her but never hurt her, (dauther is bigger now) and trying to play with my small lhasa who spend the whole time in a corner trying to get away from that big maniac dog. I love my lhasa to death but she is stubborn never listen when you call her, almost never play,is lazy and sometimes moddy, so i wanted to get a dogs that is very friendly. Sibe are a handfull when i adopted the sibe i leaft him alone one night for 4 hours and it took everything out of the drawers in the kitchen my bed quilt was destroyed and part of my wall was eated. This time when i get a sibe i'll make sure i'll crate train. what does pleople think here about crate training?? Itobean do you crate your dogs because it seems that you have gone thru a whole lot of furniture.

No, I don't crate my Huskies. I personally don't like the idea. They have free run of the place! As they have gotten older they are better behaved. They are 3 now and let me tell you - those first 2 years were boogers!!! But they are great!! I wouldn't trade them for the world!