Siberian Husky - Before Buying a Siberian Husky Puppy.
Siberian Huskies are beautiful dogs. They look like wolves, and have thick, and soft coats that make them infinitely cuddly. Siberian Huskies also have piercing eyes, and wonderful masks that give them a roguish and unique look.
Siberian Huskies can make very good family pets. If properly trained, they can be very good with people, children, and other dogs. Indeed, Siberian Huskies are commonly known for their friendliness towards people.
Although they may look like fierce wolves, they have the heart of Casanova. All they want to do is greet everyone and give them licks.
However, many Siberian Husky owners have trouble with this breed and many Siberians get surrendered.
Consider these Siberian Husky facts, before going out and getting a Siberian Husky puppy, The Siberian Husky is a very special, and lovable breed, but they may not be the right breed for everyone.
Although Siberian Huskies may look like fierce wolves, they have the heart of Casanova.
Siberian Husky Fact 1
Siberian Husky Fact 1 - Siberian Huskies Shed, A LOT.
It is very important to train your Siberian Husky puppy to enjoy the grooming experience.
Siberian Huskies Shed – A LOT.
Be ready to have dog hair all over the house – floors, carpets, clothing, furniture, everywhere.
If you are allergic to dog hair, or like your home to be really clean, then the Siberian Husky is not for you.
When I was looking for a Siberian Husky, I talked to a few breeders in my area. The first thing they all said was, “Siberian Huskies shed a lot”. I mentioned that my other dog, a Shiba Inu, also has a double coat, and also sheds, but they all said, “Siberian Huskies shed a lot more“.
And they do! A whole lot more.
Therefore, it is very important to train your Siberian Husky puppy to enjoy the grooming experience.
Start with a soft brush, and lightly brush your dog’s body for a short period of time. Do this often, and pair it with food rewards. Once your Siberian Husky is comfortable with the brushing process, you can slowly extend the length of the brushing session, and switch to using the Furminator.
Frequent brushing is a good idea to keep your Siberian Husky clean, and clear out loose hair. The more hair on the Furminator, the less hair on the floor.
About twice a year, Siberian Huskies blow their coat. During this time, there will be more fur than ever. To keep things under control, try to brush every day. Remember to always keep brushing sessions fun, rewarding, and not overly long.
My Siberian Husky - Shania.
Siberian Husky Fact 2
Siberian Husky Fact 2 - Siberian Huskies Make Awful Guard Dogs.
Siberian Huskies Make Awful Guard Dogs.
Because Siberian Huskies look like wolves, many people assume that they are fierce dogs. Some people may even think that they are wolf hybrids.
However, a Siberian Husky is more of a lover and less of a fighter.
When confronted with a stranger, a Siberian Husky will likely run up to him, and try to give him many licks, preferably all over the face. As a result, Siberians make terrible guard dogs. They will not only welcome everyone into your house, but will also give them the royal lick treatment.
If you want a dog that is only loyal to you and your family, then the Siberian Husky is not for you.
The Siberian Husky is a happy, goofy, and trusting dog, that likes to be with everyone.
Siberian Huskies will not only welcome everyone into your house, but will also give them the royal lick treatment.
Siberian Husky Fact 3
Siberian Huskies are Extremely Energetic.
Siberian Huskies are extremely intelligent and athletic. After all, they were bred to pull sleds for extremely long distances, in the freezing cold. So be prepared to provide your Siberian Husky with a lot of mental and physical exercise.
A young Siberian Husky needs activity almost all day round. At around one-year old, my Siberian Husky sleeps for perhaps 3-4 hours during the day, and about 10 hours during the night. That leaves about 10 hours during the day where she is on the go.
She drains her energy most by playing with my other dog, a Shiba Inu. However, even my Shiba Inu can’t fully keep up with her.
Siberian Husky puppy Shania and Shiba Inu Sephy doing obedience training.
Siberian Husky puppy Shania and Shiba Inu Sephy having a wrestling match.
In addition to the playing, she works for all of her food, has long walks in the park several times a week, has dog play sessions, dog obedience training sessions, and still has energy left over to explore and dig in our backyard.
If bored, a Siberian Husky can become unhappy. He will likely escape or use your belongings and your house as chew toys. Unless your backyard is extremely secure, a Siberian Husky can easily jump over or dig under a fence to find adventure elsewhere.
If you are away at work for most of the day, then the Siberian Husky is probably not for you.
A Siberian Husky likes having company and activity all day long. It is possible that a Siberian Husky can keep himself occupied if you have other dogs, but he may also lead your entire pack into mischief!
Siberian Huskies do best when there is frequent human supervision throughout the day.
Siberian Huskies do best when there is frequent human supervision throughout the day.
Siberian Husky Fact 4
Siberian Huskies are Independent Thinkers.
The Siberian Husky has a very independent mind and spirit. He will only perform, if you make it worth his while.
If you want an obedient dog, that lives to please you, then the Siberian Husky is not for you.
A Siberian Husky is not a “yes sir, no sir”, kind of dog. To live well with a Siberian, you need to be fair, but firm. Be consistent with enforcing your house rules, or your Siberian Husky will take over the house.
The best way to train a Siberian Husky is through the control of resources. Teach him that the best way to get what he wants, is to first do what you want. Use reward obedience training and follow the NILIF program. Harsher techniques, can make a Siberian distrustful, and ruin the natural trusting and free spirit, of the breed.
Siberian Huskies are independent hunters. Their original breeders, the Chukchi of Northeastern Asia, would let their Siberian Huskies free during the summer months to hunt for food on their own.
Siberian Huskies are independent hunters.
This has two very important consequences for living with a Siberian Husky today:
- A Siberian Husky is not to be trusted with cats, or other small animals. He can be trained to live with cats, but his instinct is to hunt them;
- A Siberian Husky is not to be trusted off-leash. If he sees a small animal, he will likely bolt after it and forget about cars, commands, and everything else. By the time he comes to his senses, he may be lost and far from home.
Siberian Huskies are bred to run and pull. This makes them more difficult to leash train than many other breeds. To train a Siberian to walk on a leash, you need to have an immense amount of patience. Always be firm and consistent with the no-pulling rule, and reward good behavior.
If you do not have a large backyard, bring your Siberian Husky to an enclosed park, or soccer field, so that he can have some nice off-leash time to run, run, run.
If you do not have a large backyard, bring your Siberian Husky to an enclosed park, or soccer field, so that he can have some nice off-leash time to run, run, run.
Siberian Husky Fact 5
Siberian Huskies are Not Easy to Potty Train.
Siberian Huskies are not the easiest dogs to potty train.
Certain dogs, like the Shiba Inu, are naturally clean, and absolutely do not like soiling their living space. Because of their natural cleanliness, they are extremely easy to house train.
Siberians do not have that natural sense of cleanliness. In fact, they do not mind playing and running around their own waste products. Therefore, you must make it worth their while to potty outside.
Supervise your Siberian Husky puppy at all times until he is fully potty trained. Reward him well for pottying outside with high priority dog treats, play, and praise. If you are consistent with your potty training, your Siberian Husky will learn quickly, and be happy to go outside after a few weeks.
Where to Get a Siberian Husky Puppy?
Where to Get a Siberian Husky Puppy
If you still want a Siberian Husky, then visit the Siberian Husky Club of America for a breeder list. Also consider adopting one from your local Siberian Husky rescue.
It really makes a BIG difference to get a puppy from an accredited breeder.
Please do not buy a puppy from online buy-a-puppy sites, or pet stores. Most of their puppies come from backyard breeders or puppy mills. Buying from them, will only help support and continue the dog cruelty of puppy mills.
If you are concerned about the initial cost of a Siberian Husky puppy, consider that backyard breeders and puppy mills frequently produce unhealthy and unbalanced puppies. They will end up costing you a lot more in terms of vet bills, dog training bills, and property destruction.
Be kind to a Siberian Husky puppy. DO NOT buy from online-buy-a-puppy sites or from pet stores.
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its so cute.
awesome dog
can i get this cute dog for free i really want it please give it to me in florrsant,mo in hazelwwod 2005 monkes hollow dr
Hello Amity,
Luna sounds absolutely wonderful. I am thinking of getting another dog but cannot decide between getting another Sibe or a GSD.
“I think that you need to write on your website that disaplining your husky is better done without popping or anything physical a husky will never forget it females more than males.”
That is very true. In general, I would encourage everyone to use reward techniques first with dogs of all breeds. Controlling resources has worked very well in creating discipline and routine with my dogs.
Hugs to Luna! And Shania sends many licks.
hi i used to breed and raise huskies,and wolves. Niether of which have given me any problem yes sometimes you will get one that is hyper or into everything but most of them were layed back and very obidient. I kept them in packs so that helped a lot with the order of things. after my first husky died r.i.p. shookey. i sold all of mine he was with me from the time i was 3yrs old till i turned 14. I just got my first husky in 4 years a solid white female. Little Luna is the same way calm clean and she does fine by herself for a couple of hours. i mess since we brought her home. I think that you need to write on your website that disaplining your husky is better done without popping or anything physical a husky will never forget it females more than males.
thanks
Amity
“The Siberian Husky is a very special, and lovable breed, but they may not be the right breed for everyone.”
I just want to add something about this. When my cousin saw I had a Sibe, she was green with envy. She said it’s her dream dog, she’s always wanted one, etc etc. But I told her before she gets one, she has to understand that a Sibe is very energetic and can’t be left inside the house all the time. The dogs she has in her home are the small toy breed, and I’m sure having a Sibe will be very different, not to mention very stressful for her, but most especially for the dog. I don’t want any Sibes being given up because they’re not understood. =(
Wow, thanks so much! I do give guests food and let them give it to Tango. I’ll do the others that you mentioned. I always tell the guests not to try and calm the dog themselves because the dog seemed to get more agitated. Some people just don’t listen, sort of like wanting to prove to others that she’s a friend to all dogs and dogs instantly loves them.
I also tell them about not making eye-contact and not raising their voice, and they’ve worked well.
Thank you so much again! You’re such a dog-saver!
Hi Rizza,
Sounds like Tango may be a bit unsure of people. One thing you can try is to help him associate people with positive things – e.g. yummy food.
1. No talk, no touch, no eye-contact – This is important, especially the eye-contact part. In dog language, eye-contact can be seen as a sign of dominance so instruct your guests to just ignore Tango. As you observed with the woman who tried to talk to Tango, sound will often just make the situation worse – not better. Ignoring is best. Ask guests to fold up their arms.
2. Create positive associations. When he comes near, have them throw a piece of really yummy food on the ground near him. Remember still no talk, no touch, and no eye-contact. Just keep repeating this so that Tango will learn that people in the house means yummy food. After a bit, time the throwing of the food so that you only throw when he is quiet.
3. Once Tango is calm and not barking, then the guests can give him affection. But affection should stop as soon as he starts to bark again. Also note that dogs may see petting from above as threatening. In general, you want to approach from below the dog’s head and scratch his chest.
4. Also no jumping. When Tango jumps, ask your guest to turn away from him – not move away, just turn away. As soon as he sits, you should mark him for good behavior (Yes), and praise and treat him.
Let me know how it goes
If nothing works, you can also try a time-out but I would only do that as a last resort.
Hmm… if the “stranger” is inside the house, Tango would bark and stay back at first, but then he would get closer and sort of touch his nose or mouth to the person’s hand or leg then back away again. He’d repeat it a few times until I reprimand him, but he’d still keep on barking. Deafening (o_o). So sometimes I’d have to keep him with me in my room while my dad or someone else entertains the guest.
”
There’s this one visitor in particular, when Tango barks at her she’d try to calm him down herself by saying “No, Tango” in a calm and soothing voice, but it seems like it makes him want to bark more. And I noticed if she has her hand on my arm or back he’d jump on her and “bite” her arm. It’s not really biting, just um, touching his open mouth to the arm? Haha, sorry I don’t know how to say it.
If he sees a visitor outside in the yard he would bark and sniff a bit but leave the person alone after a few minutes. There was even one time he played with a kid he saw for the first time.
For the first 2 situations I don’t think he was excited to see the visitors. He seemed like he was in “guard dog mode” but having read in many articles about Sibes being poor guard dogs, it got me thinking maybe there was something wrong, or if he’s an exception to the norm. Hm.
“Shania also likes howling/singing. Get a squeaky toy going and she will start singing. Sometimes I even sing with her and that will also get my Shiba Inu to join in.
Yeah! I noticed Tango would imitate the sounds we make. We were so amused and suprised. Just made us want to hug and cuddle him more.
Ack! Sorry for such a long post!
Hi Rizza,
In addition to the vocalizations, how does Tango act towards the people? Does he approach them, run away, try to protect you, or something else?
How does he act with people outside the house?
Shania sometimes vocalizes because she is happy or excited. People sometimes think that she is being aggressive, but not every vocalization is an indication of aggression or stress. Sometimes it is just excitement or happiness.
Shania also likes howling/singing. Get a squeaky toy going and she will start singing. Sometimes I even sing with her and that will also get my Shiba Inu to join in.
My Sibe seems to be a good enough guard dog. He’s watchful and alert if he sees anyone he doesn’t know inside the house. He even barks/howls endlessly. Is this a sign of problematic behavior?
Hi cj. You are absolutely right, if you take them out often and are consistent with the rewards and praise, they learn pretty quickly. I hope I didn’t come across as too negative. Relative to some other breeds though (e.g. Shiba Inu) , they are more difficult to house train.
really I have two sibes and they were very good in the house never an accident. You just need to take them out often whne there puppys and praise for going outside like any dog.
Thanks healthgoji. I did not do much research before getting my first dog, a Shiba Inu, and it was a very BIG challenge to care for him initially. So for my subsequent dogs I try to find out as much as I can
Wow – a lot of very thorough information on Siberian Huskies