Info needed for Huskies Questions

A colleague of my husband knew we were looking for a dog when we move house in the new year, and her Husky bitch has just gotten pregnant. The pups are expected end of Feb and would be looking to get them around April time. I know a little about huskies but not known anyone to own one.
Does anyone have any advise on looking after one? Both parents are pure bred, so any info on genetic problems, amount of daily excersise (I understand that it would be quite a bit), food, behaviour etc would be grateful.
We want to make sure that we have the means to look after one before going through with it. Oh and if they are good with smaller animals as I have 2 guinea pigs.

Have a look through this website as it seems pretty comprehensive, and I am sure one or two of the husky owners we have on here will come along and tell you what their dogs are like

http://www.siberianhuskyclub.com/abouthuskies

I would love a husky but just don't think they are the right breed for me unfortunately. They are stunning dogs.

It does look like they will be a bit of hard work, I saw some pics of the damage they can cause! Prob have to think long and hard about it before going for it. They are such beautiful dogs. On the plus side they are truely loyal.

definitely read up REALLY well on them as they certainly arent the right breed for everyone-and i personally would not have any small furries anywhere within a huskies reach-even though im sure the guinea pigs would be in a cage ive heard of lots of huskies chewing thro cages/runs and killing the wee ones....just my opinion tho

MMMMM..truly loyal....LOL-dunno about anyone elses husky but mine wouldnt pee on me if i was on fire-always someone or something(treats/other dogs/cats..etc) more interesting.................

Oh, we would have their cage in a locked shed but in the summer months they will be in a run in the garden. But I know the mesh isn't very strong.
How were your huskies with training?
I have seen a couple in our village that have a couple of huskies, I see them in the summer months more, one thing I wondered was do huskies get really hot during the summer?

If you are looking for a stunning dog who is intelligent and loyal - have a look at Ellie the gorgeous longhaired GSD bitch in the rehoming section!

the shcgb is a really good site to look at for information.

genetic problems include hip displasia and some do have eyesight problems.

they do require alot of exercise but you have to be careful not to over do it when they are younger as long walks when their bones havent formed properly can do a lot of damage

food wise they dont eat as much as other breeds their size, unless that is your planning on working in harness!!!! (once you've seen the pictures and been to a rally you'll be hooked, trust me!!!)

behaviour, they can be a bit wappy and over excited but thats what makes them great. if you can find a local trainer and work towards your good citizen award, it teaches you control but also when you come to insure your dog it should make it cheaper.

when i had my guinea pigs they were introduced bottom first for a sniff. if the dog bites a bottom it wont be as bad as if they got the head!!!! so long as they only meet under supervision and are socialised early enough there shouldnt be a problem

hopefully that addresses the points you raised but i would advise you to do as much research as possible before deciding

food wise they dont eat as much as other breeds their size, unless that is your planning on working in harness!!!! (once you've seen the pictures and been to a rally you'll be hooked, trust me!!!)

I've had a husky sledding experience in Lapland and it was brill!

when i had my guinea pigs they were introduced bottom first for a sniff. if the dog bites a bottom it wont be as bad as if they got the head!!!! so long as they only meet under supervision and are socialised early enough there shouldnt be a problem

It's good to know that if we did get a husky we would necessarily need to get rid of the piggies!

Moobli - do you know if the Allbreeds place has a website as she does look stunning, a big softy!

I am not sure whether Anne has a website or not, but she is a member of Dogsey, and here are her contact details

AllBreeds Rescue
London
allbreeds@ntlworld.com
020 8933 3431

I have had siberian huskies for 14 years now, my sibes have been quitev well behaved , not had a real problem at all. If exercised enough daily , ie--walked , run in harness pulling a scooter, rig, or even running next to a bike, attached to a metal springer device is good. They don't need a large amount of food surprisingly, but when i run my sibe bitch i do increase her food intake a little if running her a few times that week. They are best kept on the lean side though. My garden has 6 foot wooden fencing & thick squared mesh on top of the wood fence, this is buried in concrete around the base to stop digging out,, the mesh protects the wood fence from teeth :twisted: they can be good jumpers of fences too, if allowed to get bored, so 2 i think are better than 1 sibe on its own if left for a period of time . sibes can be destructive when pups & when bored too as you may have seen on sibe site. Another issue is letting off leash , i don't let mine off leash at all only run in harness or loose in a tennis court, as they will not be listening if you call them if they see something they want or if theres nothing in it for them. They don't guard your home either . They are too friendly with all. They have a high prey drive too, so i wouldn't have any critters nearby with a husky, forgot to add to garden that its best to have concrete or slabs down or you won,t have a garden left as they dig alot. My sibes do get hot in the warm weather but i put a fan on or they lay in the shade, if your getting a sibe pup the parents should really be hip & eye tested first . Huskies can get gluacoma & other eye defects, hip problems can occur too, thats why testing eyes & hips is important. Any other info just ask, i am happy to help.
rose xx:smt002

Training sibes is a challenge for some, my sibes have been quite good with training, like my bitch mishka knows that she won,t get in the front door until she sits 1st, all i say is MISHKA & she sits down, she knows what i mean, Another is sitting to cross the road, this one is more difficult for her as she wants to get on with her walk, i can say SIT a few times b4 she will sit, so can be very stubborn. you need to let them know who is boss at an early stage. My sibes are in a quite relaxed atmosphere 3 females, at the end of january i will be getting a male siberian puppy so will then have 4 dogs again.

Hi,
I have six Siberian Huskies and have owned them for nearly 10 years. As with all breeds there are exceptions to the rules but a few points should be mentioned. Huskies will normally eat small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs. My friends ate their daughters rabbit, mine have gone for chickens and I have seen then grab pheasants on a run. They do not do it for fun they will eat them. I certainly would not hold a small animal at any end up next to any of my huskies, unless I was thinking of saving on my food bill that week!
Huskies also have one of the best records for their hips and I would not say they are prone to hip dysplasia as a fault,there may be cases but it is certainly not a common problem. All reputable breeders hip score and eye test their dogs before breeding and I would not buy a puppy unless I had seen the certificates of each parent.
The husky is a wonderful dog but you need to know what you are doing or owning one can become a nightmare, as some of the people we have helped over the years can attest to. Please speak to someone from the Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain before taking on a puppy as it is heartbreaking to get one and then have to give it up as you can not handle it. Expect a puppy to do the normal husky things, such as be escape artists, lousy guard dogs as they love everyone, definetly not a loyal dog, friendly, boisterous, not to be let off the lead, eat small animals etc and then if your puppy is better at one of those things it is a bonus. You do need to know you can deal with the good and the bad.
If you like the look but want a dog you can train to a good level of obedience try a Northern Innuit dog. Make sure you go to a breeder who will support you through all the stages of owning a new dog.

Do you or have you used a crate with them or are they well enough behaved without 1? Just need to factor in for different costs included as we will be moving into first bought house soon so budgeting is paramount!

Hi,
I do use a cage for quiet time when bitches are in season and when transporting them as they find them comforting. My friend leaves hers in a cage when at work but she does work regular hours. I have built a slabbed run with a mesh roof and a wooden kennel for my dogs. I then do not have to worry if held up at work. They seem happy outside. IF left inside and loose they can get bored and eat the house for you. My friend says her dog is calm and relaxed in the cage when she is out but gets stressed and chews when left loose. You will need to work with your dog to see what suits.

Not an husky owner myself,but own a malamute.

We had a pet rabbit when we got her,and she ripped through the wire until she got to it whilst we were out one day,came home and found the head clean off,not a nice sight,upsetting that she'd done it,daughter was inconsolable.

Not good when left alone,she gets bored,then starts to nibble on something she's not supposed to.

Has anyone told you about the moulting side of things??

Oh, we would have their cage in a locked shed
you should never leave any dog in a shed in cage. thats is the worst thing you can do with any dog let alone a Husky. Its just darn right cruel, you need to be at home all day or build a run outside and a dog walker to come in at least once a day to give the dog some company, Huskys need companionship or they can go stir crazy and wreak havoc,
Please dogs need space and trainning not locking up.
Terry

i think she was referring to the guinea pigs

Whoops hope so
Terry

me thinks she meant the piggies too