As I mentioned in my other thread; the boyfriends family are looking for another dog. They want a GSD but have mentioned a husky. I have recommended against it mainly due to difficulty of training them. Any experiences with huskies, good or bad appreciated
sibes are very very different to gsd's.... sounds silly but ask them.. 'do u like cats' if they say no...defo not the breed for them ;-)
By that I guess you mean they are very independent? Owning huskies how do you find them? I've heard recall is very difficult, they can be strong willed and independent. Do they howl often? Are they more destructive than other breeds? Do they hunt more than others? How high fences can they jump? Are they attentive to training, or interested in other things? If given access to the outdoors at all times, are they unlikely to want to spend lots of time indoors? I realise that lots of these questions are dog specific rather than breed specific, but its great to get some real life experiences of what they are like to live with so that I can pass it on... To give people a bit of background on my boyfriends family - there are always loads of people in the house, usually a few of the same people, but also lots of others come and go... I worry that GSDs get very attached to certain people and the fact they are not always there may be hard on them. Are huskies more or less able to cope with this?
I fostered a huskie she was hard work to start with but did improve (she was one and had been left to her own devices for all of her life) She responded well to training and needed a fair bit of excercise around 2 hours although sometimes she had less and as fine.She never tried to escape she probably could have if she wanted though she was very good with the kids. I came to the conclusion that although I love the breed probably not the dog for me when i already had others spent all day walking LOL She went to a home that raced her and their other huskie and intended to get a pack team together eventually. She wasn't destructive other than a chew on the settee but like most dogs if they get bored i would imagine they can cause LOT's of damage. We never tried her off lead.
Thanks Egyptgal thats interesting to know... sounds like your foster was reasonably well behaved! From the reading I have done they sound like they can often be quite difficult! Any other experiences? Are they more likely to dig in a garden than other breeds?
She did like a certain spot under a bush and would have a good dig but saying that one of mine seems to like that spot as well so maybe something under the ground? we back on to a grave yard afterall She didn't dig all over the place though and only a bit not enough to escape under the fence I think you can live with any breed if you do your research and are prepared to give them what they need to lead happy lives if 2 hours of excercise come rain or shine having HUGE fur balls in your house when their coat blows grooming and having to bath it if it liked sitting in muddy puddles as much as my foster did ...sounds good then should all be ok if not they need to think again. Could they not foster for sibe rescue to see if they really want this breed first? Just a thought better than making a mistake.
you can never truly wear out a sibe..they 'self regulate' hence they can work all day once conditioned. sibes are very good at chilling and like their home comforts too. they are very intelligent,and one prob is they can often be one step ahead of you if allowed. high prey drive. landscape gardeners, some can be very vocal and some can be a silent as a mouse(until they hurt themselves then u hear the husky scream stormy adolescence's but if you come out the other end(after your tears n tantrums lol) if they havnt 'broken' you u will be a convert forever. high dug in fencing is a must. and no-one truly understands the coat situation when it blows till they have seen it first-hand(exp as their coat isnt very long,but oh so thick!) and i find males easier(if thats the word) than females.
My friend's husky is a nutter She is very vocal, especially when excited, you hear her ten minutes before you see her (although I love the howl, I don't think the neighbours do). She literally NEVER stops. Shes a very dominant bitch with other dogs, terrible manners, and can't be let off lead around them, so she rarely gets off lead as the secure places are full of dogs! They have a treadmill and a scooter for her but still doesn't tire her out for long. She is very very smart, very strong willed. Totally over excitable, they are struggling to stop her jumping at everyone. She's quite destructive in the garden. She has a really string chase instinct and lunges at motorbikes and bicycles etc. She's a real handful. And they work really really hard with her, but she's still a b*gger I absolutely love her to pieces, she's a wonderful happy funny dog but I'm always glad that I don't have to live with her full time, it would be like sharing your house with the Duracell bunny! She may not be breed typical but, much as I love her, I would never want to own a husky. Hug 'em and give 'em back
I dont think this is something they could deal with but JMO! They have a beautiful landscaped garden, very big but not one to be dug up As I said their garden is beautiful, high fencing but about 3 acres so no way of digging under. The GSDs shed alot so can only imagine a sibes if its worse!! Personally I dont think they quite understand what they are in for if they were to go for one. I dont think they can be likened to a GSD Thanks for all the info, I will be passing it along. I have taken the Plus/Minus points from the siberian husky club to give to them too.. Wow she sounds like a bit of a handful I think they have been very lucky with their GSDs, 4 of them (2 at a time), and never any chewed furniture, dug up garden, aggression etc (apart from the male who can be DA). If she is representitive of huskies I dont think they have the time or motivation to put in to them
ive never had a sibe that lunges at motorbikes or bicycles...sure she isnt a collie x lol all my sibes have great 'canine language' too (think about it,they are meant to work in groups) its like any breed there are the 'extremes'
huskies don't shed ,it's like having huge tumbleweeds blowing about your house when it comes out Mind you the one i had looked more like a mal her coat was so thick It took about 4 sessions at the groomers to get it all out (the person that I fostered for had her owns groomers so free;-)
