Siberian Huskies

Anybody have a husky that HATES water/baths?
 
I work at a groom shop and I know we have a lot that we have to muzzle when they get into the tub, because instincts kick in and they dont' care what's in front of them when that water turns on. With the northern breeds, it's every dog for themselves. Also when you give a husky a bath- you will get soaked from head to toe. Many joys of bathing a husky....

I started noticing this was a very common thing with huskies, mals, and samoyeds. I did a little research and then I realized why they do this-
In the tundra, they are in snow all day long. If water gets to their skin, it means instant death because of the cold. That's why when you try to wash them- and you have to go to the skin, they do everything in their power so that it doesn't hit their skin! That means shaking off any water as soon as it hits them.
 
Just a useless tidbit about huskies. They are very pretty though- many are just not very taken care of in my area, and not very socialized.

I think I had mentioned it before but thanks for mentioning it again. It is a breed characteristic. Huskies do not like to go into water for the reason you mention. At -70 F, falling into water is not just inconvenient, it is fatal. A husky has to be independent and smart enough not to pull everyone into the water. That is, they will disobey a direct command and save your life. Most people don't want their pets disobeying.
 

Ron...keep going.  I'm hooked!  lol

Laura,  2 weeks ago I had two husky puppies that hated being bathed.  They have since been replaced with two eager little water dogs and a perpetually muddy bathtub!  My dogs learn early to love the bath.  My son has allergies to dog saliva.  I bought a handheld shower head so I can rinse better.  They love the hard stream.  Right now they get a shower almost everyday.  No shampoo most of the time but a good rinse.  Its really really really really really mucky outside.  I have to keep the shower doors closed all the time because one of my dogs will get in there and roll in the tub.  Crusher even knows how to turn the water on to get a drink.  I dont think my dogs have read the book on instincts.  Chickadees are safe in the backyard with my big dog .

Shadow once killed a squirrel by playing with it to hard. But he leaves the birds alone. Why bother with something that can fly away? I have bathed Shadow before, he just doesn't like it. As a little puppy, he would not go in water and I don't force the issue. When I have bathed him, he doesn't mind the lathering part, but he doesn't like being under the hose, even though I restrict the flow to a gentle one and rinse him by hand. As soon as I'm done and let go, he's off like a shot trying to run fast enough to knock the water off of his back. Then, he wants in the house to get away from any more hose. I'll make him wait until I've towel dried and brushed him. During winter, I will use pet wipes. He loves those. We've been grooming him nearly every day as he is still shedding undercoat.
 
His previous owners never got him used to being bathed or having his nails clipped. So, a word of advice to any dog owner, especially when they are just a puppy, get them used to being bathed and clipped. I've only been able to clip Shadow's nails once and that was after having him sedated. Otherwise he will try to bite you away from his nails. They do wear down from walking on pavement and even some hard soil. But a racing husky will need constant attention to the feet, including the wearing of snow booties, especially of they have a cracked and bleeding pad or toe. I have been working over time with treats and dragging the clippers across the nails to convince him that nail clipping can be good. But, I would imagine hitting the quick while he is awake will have some negative consequences.
 
My vet had pointed out that most dogs can wear down their nails walking on pavement and many of his patients live on farms. Their nails don't get too long. Others, of course, may groom their dog every month and the dog is used to it. Do wolves have pedicurists? Just the same, if I had a safe, non-toxic way to make him relax so that I could clip nails I would.

Crusher doesnt care for the gentle setting on the shower head.  He really likes the hard massaging stream.  I did force the issue.  I had to otherwise we would not have huskies or any other dog for that matter.  Crusher likes the initial getting wet and the lather but he is not really fond of taking away his bubbles.  He will stand for it though.  Because he love love loves the towel drying.  When we go to the lake I can't keep him out of the lake.  I have to tie him up an hour before we leave so he will dry off enough to get in the car.  Its irratating because the lake at my friends house has a red clay bottom and he always get stained.  Ya I'm anal.

Ron during the summer I put a stake in the ground and put a bunt pan around it half filled with ice.  I freeze water in the bunt pan the night before and then top it off with water in the morning if Crusher has to be outside.  He cant tip it over because its on the stake otherwise he would.  For a long time evertime I left him outside for any amount of time I would put a bucket out there with him and he would dump it immediatley and lay in the puddle.  If there was ice in it he would just eat the ice while he lay in the mud.

The bundt pan around a stake is an excellent idea.
 
Even though Shadow doesn't often smell like a dog, it doesn't bother me when he does. Most time, his fur smells like trees, like a musky forest. I guess that makes him a musky husky.

Oh my dogs don't stink.  Even when I dont bath them.  But since they do clean themselves similar to cats, they get alot of saliva on thier fur and that is what my son is alergic to.  It gets on everything and its just easier to keep them clean.  The puppies havent really started to clean themselves yet but Crusher chews on them enough to keep their fur spiked.

I feel sorry for your son's allergy. There ain't nothing better than a big, wet, doggy slobbery kiss.

Don't feel too sorry for him.  He gets lots of them.  His allergies have come a long way since we got Crusher.  I think he's growing out of it.  I just wash his face when he gets a puppy kiss.  When he was younger he would get a severe red welt immediatly after a dog lick.  I used to have a rotty before.  He had to go to a new home because of Kale's allergies but as he got better and I did more and more research we decided to go with the non slobbery huskies and they have done great!

As a childe, I had asthma, which kept me from being eligible for military service other than the selective service that I kept updated until the cut-off age. Anyway, I had sever allergies, most of them food allergies. I did grow out of them but I had been under a regimen of allergies shots wherein dead forms of the allergens were introduced until my body could quit reacting to them so much. Now, I eat anything I want and get paid to play in the dirt.
 

I really think being around my dogs is helping my son with his allergies.  My mom says different but she is a medicine junky.  She likes to dope him up on Benedryl "just in case".  I do not.  Kale hasnt taken any allergy meds for 3 months.  I mean sure if we go to my friends where she has 2 cats and 3 dogs in  a carpeted house with wood heat, I'll give him a shot of it, but otherwise we just tough it out.  He has athsma too but we manage it with Flovent and rarely use his ventolin anymore.  I'm really glad.  This year he was even in a running club!  The dogs get him out running around lots and he really love them.  All of the stories he writes at school are about his puppies!  Also he is not afraid of dogs anymore like my mom brainwashed him to be.  There just arent many out there that look intimidating after you live with Crusher!

Even though I post the latest pic in Photos for Sharing, I wanted to post it here, as well. As he ages, his colors and patterns become more developed. Here, you can see the mask showing in the colors in his face. Black and brown with some white around the eyes.

Hi. My dog is a husky too. is about 6 yrs. old. She was dumped out on the streets during a hot June in 2000. Wasn't a puppy anymore, and has seizures (mild if there is such a thing) Guess they didn't want the trouble of a 9.97 mth .  RX along with spaying.  She's a good girl, very laid back, mellow, loving  and gets along with other critters just fine. I have discovered through visits to pet supply stores she is fascinated with parakeets. As to whether she wants a snack (ick) or may have been around them in her previous life, who knows. She always wants to see the parakeets though. And she totally ignores the backyard birds so..who knows?

Here is her most royal  beautful high K9 Goddess (her opinion only....naturally [])

She is beautiful and looks purebred. I'm puzzled by the seizures. The only health problems that huskies usually suffer in old age are eye problems. She might have suffered some trauma that causes them.
 
Once in a blue moon, Shadow will chase birds just for fun, not food. Other times, he let the birds swoop down and pick up a piece of his food that has landed on the patio. Squirrels are another thing, though. He will chase them off. He killed one once, though I think it was from playing too hard. He left it where it lay, not eating it, and pointed it out to me when we got back from a walk and settled down to eat his food.
 
And yes, I amazed at the oddity of humans that will spend a sizable chunk of money for a pure breed dog. Huskies are not cheap. And then, they won't take care of the other things that are miniscule in cost comparison.
 
My dog was previously owned by a friend who bought him at a pet store for $200. A year later, living at home, she couldn't keep him anymore because her mother was going to have him put to sleep, just to be mean and had already euthanized two of her cats.
 
This last December, I had the time and money and had him neutered. He gets vet visits when necessary. Barring any problems before then, we'll be seeing the vet in August to get his shots updated. We have the 3 year protocol here.
 

hey ron i have a lab/husky mix too but i think he s predominantly lab

his father is a pure breed siberian husky - some ppl have told me to pray that he gets most of the lab temperament cos huskies are a bit naughty/unobedient - is that true?