Please read this if you want a Siberian Husky

San Diego CA

Description

Nothing is more adorable than a puppy and make that a husky puppy and it is irresistible. I am the proud human of now number 4 in my lifetime of Siberian Huskies. They were all brought home as puppies and lived with us for their entire lifetimes. I’d like to share some of the positives and sorry negatives of the breed we have experienced for first timers. Negatives, ESCAPE ARTISTS - They are escape artists. As a dog that was bred to run they will try anything to fulfill that goal. I’ve had huskies chew through drywall and wooden fences. I’ve seen Olympic feats in jumping over fences. Oh and digging under fences too. DIFFICULT TO TRAIN - They can be very difficult to train. I had a dominant female that I and 2 different trainers tried to work with. We all failed except for her. She only did something if it suited her needs no treats or corrections in the world made any difference. HIGH ENERGY - Because of that energy and run, run, run, breeding about 98% cannot be EVER trusted off leash. They also need a great amount of exercise and stimulation to avoid destructive behaviors. SHEDDING - 24/7/365 days a year. I ‘d be amazed when people would stop me on our twice a day walks snd ask if they shed. I can’t tell you how many vacuums I’ve gone through over the years. The fur is hollow cored for insulation and that means it floats too. Fur everywhere. I’ve found fur in the top of 6 foot book shelves. We never wore black. Sometimes if we really wanted to look nice we’d dress run out the door and then use a lint roller too. NOISE MAKERS - If you want a quiet dog look elsewhere. While the majority of huskies are not guard dogs or protective they do like to chat. That dominate female I spoke of earlier would answer the ring of the telephone to the point that you couldn’t hear for the first 2 minutes of the conversation. Great for unwanted telephone solicitations. PREY DRIVE - Some huskies have a very strong prey drive that may include small dogs, kitties, and whatever else they can run down. Positives, UNIQUE - They are very unique dogs. No two are alike. And they are not like most dogs. CLOWNS - Some are clowns. I had a male that would do things just to make me laugh. SMILES - They smile. NOT GUARD DOGS - Generally not an aggressive breed with the exception of the prey drive and lack of proper training. HEALTHY - We were lucky in that we had relatively few health issues. That being said 3 of the 4 huskies died of cancer around 10 years of age. Number 4 is 13 years old now. The reason I’m posting this is it saddens me to see the number of huskies in shelters. They are soooo cute as puppies but then they grow into large dogs. I’m hopping that if you are looking for a lifetime husky companion that you take these positives and negatives into consideration.