Anyone own a Husky?
 

I'm dying to get a dog and the breed that appeals to me the most is definitely a Husky.

I know a ton of you are dog owners. Any of you own a Husky? Any main stuff you feel I should know?

Yes, I can Google or watch Dogs 101 but all that stuff is contradicting. I'd like to hear from the owners directly.

plus: they look cool and they don't bark

minus: they don't like it warm and they need to run A LOT

Well, I live in a shitty cold country so we're good. I did read that recently and I am planning to move out of here ASAP. Is it just not done owning a Husky where it's warm or just preferably not?

I realize it's a long-term deal so I gotta consider every option :)

i am no expert, but this sounds very much like what i heard from others who had Huskies:

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/siberianhusky.htm

pure breeds are shorter than you might think, most people get them confused with malibu's which are much taller. Just something to take note of, because when i first saw some at a show I couldn't believe it myself. If you want a bigger dog go with the malibu. Both are great dogs though.

I've heard they have very little connection with their owners other than for food and will run away the first chance they get, as they prefer to roll solo.

But maybe I heard wrong, just passing it on.

At first glance at thread title I thought you meant does anyone own a Husky (gas) station. ha

My last dog was a collie-husky cross. Huskies are often very frisky and hyper-energetic. In my opinion (and experience) I advise giving them some extra training, as well as getting them fixed a bit earlier than usual. I waited til mine was about 1 year old and then got him snipped, and it helped tone his craziness down a bit, but I still had to spend a ton of time with him training, which as it happens I loved and would have done anyway.

But if not for that snipping and training he would have remained a hyper ball of crazy jumping barking energy.

Oh, and be prepared for a lot of shedding.

I know a guy that has one here in Tampa. Sweet dog, eyes full of life, but she just looks miserable when outside in the heat.

Don't do it man. Trust me. Get a German Shepherd if you want to have a big hairy dog. And Ma Dalton you're right they don't bark much, they fucking howl.

I've got two. A pure bred and my husky + akita mix.

Hope you've got a ton of time to train them and brush them nearly daily, enough money to buy one hell of a crate since my pup has literally torn apart his metal crate rendering it useless, and one awesome vacuum.

The mix is a lot better behaved but she is a bit older so that may be why. The pup is about a year and a half now and still causes trouble, urinates in the house when hes pissed off, and despises carpet and tears it up at any chance he gets (he's already cost me over a grand to replace carpet). He also likes to eat cat shit from the litter pan in the basement, and when he does, he gets sick around 3-4am every single time and shits in the bedroom. So now I have to replace that stained carpet as well.

They're very time consuming and can get very expensive but I wouldn't trade them for the world...well maybe.

Oh, one more thing - make sure you run and work them A LOT. They're working dogs and hate to sit around - this causes them to create trouble. So spend a good amount of time running them or walking them daily as well.

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Super hyper, super shedding, very smelly when wet. Escape artists when left alone. Very independent-minded and have no qualms about wandering off to go on adventures without you. Friends of mine have one and it's great around the baby and the cat, but is a bit of a handful. Oh, and it howls when they go out.

Very active (high energy) dogs.

They shed like crazy, but cool dogs if you have the time for them.

A lot of great info here. I'd say 99% of it is similar and accurate. They LOVE to wander off on their own, they definitely do howl instead of bark, they shed like a leper and their energy is second to none. If you have the room for them to roam but it's secure enough they won't get out they'd be a great addition to your family. On the flip side, if you live in a small place w/o much space then do the dog a favor and let it be in a different home where it can 'enjoy' its life.

Just a note, I own a pit bull and he's the greatest dog ever. You hear a ton of shit about how bad of dogs they are but it's not so. Huskies are listed on the top 10 most dangerous dogs list as well but if you raise it properly and care for it you'll have no problems!

Post pics when you get him/her!

Husky is one of my favorite dogs. Last winter I was riding sleigh with 6 of them. Great fun! So tender and gentle dogs. BUT, the howling part that they can do if bored ... hmmm :)
If my wife will agree, I will get a Leavitt Bulldog. Strong, tough and also very kind - unless you try some funny business, then they let you know who´s the boss (teeth-wise :) )
Just see this one: http://www.leavittbulldogassociation...tos/photo1.jpg

Huskies are pretty badass, but have a shitload of energy. I remember my aunt had one and he figured out how to pop the latch on the gate with his nose and get out. Also used to try to fight with our Akita. He always got his ass kicked, lol.

Speaking of Akitas, that Akita-Husky mix is beautiful. That's pretty awesome.

German Shepherd and malamute husky. You see way more of the shepherd in him in this pic, but hes a bit of both.

http://www.lumpyimages.com/tazztongue.jpg

ok definitely don't do the early snipping... this highly increases the chances of getting bone cancer with many breeds. I would wait until they are fully grown and have balanced out the hormones before getting it done. My gf was talked into doing this with her yellow lab (she was pretty young at the time) and he has battled cancer for the last 3 years. We've managed to control it with severe diet restrictions but believe me i wouldn't wish this on anyone.. The extra training would go much further in the end.

Pretty much dead on. They are extremely smart animals. Ours are great around our 6 month old but love to chase my wife's cat and any rabbit in the yards. They have an extreme hunting instinct.

:1orglaugh That's awesome and thanks :) She's an absolute sweetheart!


Two more pics of the brats :winkwink:

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I like their blue eyes,that pup is so cute

We had one when I was growing up and pretty much everything posted here is spot on. They are very hyper and have endless energy so you need to be ready to deal with that. If you don't play with them and walk them and exercise them they will do it for themselves. Ours destroyed the couch one day. My mom was at work and my brother and I at school. We all got home and the dog had literally torn all the stuffing out of the couch. They are also serious diggers. You will have holes in your yard.

While it may not be typical, ours also eventually found out how to get into our chicken coop and killed every one of the chickens we had in there.

Or your carpet...this is one of two spots. He doesn't care much for his crate and tried to dig his way out. :1orglaugh

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Awesome stuff so far here guys, thanks a lot. What most of you list as "problems" sounds pretty cool and challenging to me, though. I have infinite patience (seriously, test me) and when it comes to animals I can't blame them for acting the way they do.

Running, getting out of the house is far from an issue, I'm no couch potato myself.

Some of you pointed out to get an Akita, I have been considering that for years, together with a Husky, aswell. Still undecided on that.

Akitas still need activity, but they're usually content with lounging for most of the day. They might get depressed if cooped up all the time. They're also a lot larger than Huskies (about 50-100% larger) and might challenge your dominance, if that's an issue.

I prefer Akitas because of how loyal they are. They still might run off, mainly due to prey drive, but not as often as a Husky. My dog has darted out of the door a few times to chase deer. Silly animal.

just get something like a golden retriever, makes your life more peaceful ;)

AKitas can also be quite dog-aggressive. You need to keep socialization in mind.

Extremely so.

But they're great with pets that you bring into the house (in general.)

My dog would let our rabbit eat out of his dish, but would kill all of the rabbits in our yard, and then lick the babies to death and put them in a neat line.

1. Very beautiful dogs!

2. Need to run a LOT! I read that they can run up to 35mph! Cant chase them. lol!

3. Double-coated and Shed constantly!

4. Stare at the moon and howl!

5. Independent.

6. Very friendly and sweet!!! They make great companion dogs! (Not a guard dog)

7. (My husky was dumb. He didnt like to sleep w me! LOL)

8. The most adorable puppies!


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Way too many other better breeds out there to choose from.

yeah, they can be murder on carpet. The house I grew up in was mostly hardwood and linoleum floors so ours didn't get the carpet, but we had an outdoor kennel for her to go into during the day and she eventually dug through the wall of the shed it was built against and she dug under the fence. She was wild.

A friend of mine has an Akita. He is big, a lot bigger than a husky will ever get and he is strong. He is also one of the coolest dogs I have ever been around. They are protective of their family and can be aggressive against other animals (although they have cats and once he realized the family wanted the cats he was fine with them and now he even snuggles with them), but they are loyal dogs, amazing watchdogs and aren't as high maintenance as husky although he does shed like crazy in the spring.

yup!...... or a lab...

I really don't want a retriever or a german shepherd, etc.. I like all dogs but nothing comes close to a Husky or Akita for me. Chow-chows are pretty funny aswell.

Before I get any breed though I'm gonna read like a thousand books probably. Any recommendations? Is there a good "series" of books for dogs like Lonely Planet is for travel guides?

Theres just too much info out there, not even counting the hundreds of forums.

Watch out Where the Huskies Go & Don't You eat That Yellow Snow
 

GF used to raise them. When she wakes, I'll ask her about them.

Had 2 as a kid and as others have said they need to run a lot, mine used to pull me around on my skateboard when I was a teenager.

Friendlily dog but as others have said they are pretty independent. Example I had a Golden retriever as well and I could take it out for a walk with out a leash and it would go a bit ahead but always stay near by. The Husky would haul ass and do what ever it wanted.

They are also very strong dogs, so they will take "you" for a walk...very cute as puppy's though but they shed a lot in the summer.

Goldens
 

Golden Retrievers are very smart. Met a lady who trained them as service dogs for handicapped people. She used steak fries on the nose as a training method. Once had a family emergency and forgot a dog had one on it's nose. Came home 2 hours later, potato still on the nose. Shaky dog was so happy to hear the command to eat the reward.
They're not smart, but I always thought Irish Setters were the best looking dogs.

Smart high energy dogs that need lots of training/attention. Some elderly friends of mine have one that is not trained very well and has had some issues with people/other dogs. One day it attacked my pit bull and after I separated them it attacked me. Just make sure you have plenty of spare time to spend with it, especially in the first 5 to 6 weeks of getting it.

Damn all these posts just make me wanna get a dog even more.

GF finally answered the question. She had about 20 pups at a time. Said you need a big farm. They love to run and run and run. Said you better have 300+ acres.

LOL@300 acres. Is she still half asleep?