Siberian Husky

There are others on board who can more in depth as to the health of this breed, but I can chime in a bit on the overall personality.

Beautiful dogs, incredibly smart, incredibly independent.  Training them can be a challenge because they like to do their own thing.  "Come" may be in their vocabulary, but they very much like to decide when to obey.  For the Husky, it is not a matter of understanding, it is a matter of willingness.

They are not like a Labrador, Golden Retriever, or German Shepherd in seekng attention.  They do things on their terms and are extremely strong willed and stubborn.  They are also a highly prey driven breed.  Training is trying because they do not have a high sense of biddability (in my experience).  They like to dig, and the NEED to run.

They are not a breed to be trusted off leash unless in a fenced area (and sometimes not even then).  Going back to prey drive, they love to catch rabbits, squirrels, mice, cats, birds....anything that moves really.  They're good with kids if raised with them from what I've heard, but aren't incredibly patient.

I do know that eyes must be CERF'd, but I am not sure of the other issues of the breed health wise.

If you're looking for a dog who will dote on you and follow you everywhere, a Husky isn't the breed for you.

They do well in packs because they run as a pack in harness when used for sledding.  I do so love to look at them, and used to want one...until I worked in a kennel with a lot of them xD  Kinda soured me.  I'm content to randomly handle one for somebody in the show ring every now and again, and teach one at my kennel club, but I couldn't live with one.

Huskies are escape artists extraordinares.  If they can't go through it, they go over it, if they can't go over, they go under, and if they can't go under, they go through.  They figure out how to work door knobs, kennel locks, baby gates, etc.  And if it can't be dug beneath, it can certainly be chewed through ;-)

For the people on the board that own this breed, I admire your tenacity.  I need to stick with my "easy" Shepherds (who are difficult in completely and strangely different ways xD).

I think this is a great site:

 http://www.homelesshusky.com/

And ditto pretty much everything Xeph said-- except I enjoy training my huskies!   My youngest enjoys obedience and agility!
 

I would worry that a husky's style of play might be too rough for a giant breed.  Typically, they get on great with other dogs, but they love to wrestle, box, body-slam and neck-pull when they play.  

Did you say that you have kids or not?  If so, what ages? 

As for the cats, I don't have any trouble with my dogs and my cats, who were raised together, but many people cannot trust their huskies with cats.  Are you considering adopting an adult?  Getting a puppy?

They can be independent, crazy, wacky dogs, and you've got to be prepared for that.  I've got dogs who range from one lazy husky who is content with a 30 minute stroll around the park, and who would never consider running away to another one who can still be obnoxious after a 5 mile run, who would run off and play a game of keep-away if he ever got the chance.  And that second dog is the one with all the training!  I can practice recalls all I want, but if he feels like it, he'll still bolt. 

They tend not to give a crap about making YOU happy, like a Retriever or a Lab.  They do what suits them.  When training, you need to consider that.  You have to appeal to them and make learning fun and rewarding for them.

They can have enormous amounts of energy.  Are you prepared for that?  I don't find walks sufficient, unless they're like 2-3 hours long, which sometimes isn't practical. 

You have to be very diligent about keeping a husky leashed and safely contained.  Mine are never off-leash (unless in a secure area) and are never left unsupervised in the yard.  A friend of mine had to install 10 foot fencing with a hot-wire on the top and bottom for her huskies!  Her dogs live outside, and she had to install three layers of fence on their kennel.  They were escaping the kennel and the yard!

It's not always the worst-case scenario, but you should be prepared for it.  Too many people get huskies without understanding what they're getting themselves into.

As far as I can tell a Great Dane is a more laid back dog, maybe adding a Husky would not be a good combination.......now, I can speak for Huskies and Shepherds, that's a good combination ......high energy on both sides....I can never say enough about doing research on the breed....Huskies are not the usual type of dog....they only listen when they want to ...and I mean that........

I have to say that my husky has been the hardest breed to raise that I've known between all the dogs I've had, my family has had and friends have had. As much as I love the breed, I'll never get another one. I am the type of person who likes a dog who wants to stay near its family. A husky's main mission in life is to get out and run. By get out, I mean what Xeph said - under it, over it, through it, etc. My husky knows how to open sliding glass doors, windows, etc. and has even jumped out of a 2nd story window.

They need an incredible amount of exercise. This means lots and lots of running time. That is one thing that I do love about my husky. There is just nothing cooler than having a husky pull you around on roller blades or on your bike, etc. They just love to run and they can run forever.

They are clowns and can be very funny in their antics to get your to play. They use whatever means necessary (puppy dog eyes, howling, all the dog tricks they know) to get attention, food and so on. 

They are very smart dogs and I have found that my husky loves to learn. However, repetition isn't for her. You have to keep lessons fairly short and interesting or they'll lose interest.

They are very determined dogs and very independent. If you're looking for a family dog, there are better choices out there imo. 

If and when I do add a husky to the family, I've already got one high energy dog(Maze) so by that time, she'll be old enough and still have the stamina to keep up with a husky. I've already got the family dog as well. The GD is for my BF so that puppy would be his project.

Thanks ahead of time to all who help me out with this. I don't want to buy a puppy just to find out it isn't for me. In the end I wouldn't have the heart to get rid of it.  

Ihearthuskybutts

I think this is a great site:

 http://www.homelesshusky.com/

I would worry that a husky's style of play might be too rough for a giant breed.  Typically, they get on great with other dogs, but they love to wrestle, box, body-slam and neck-pull when they play.  

Did you say that you have kids or not?  If so, what ages? 

As for the cats, I don't have any trouble with my dogs and my cats, who were raised together, but many people cannot trust their huskies with cats.  Are you considering adopting an adult?  Getting a puppy?

 

I've checked out that site. It is very helpful. With the rough play, as I stated I do have a fairly young dog at the moment who plays really rough with others, so when the time comes, she'll be able to play with the puppy.

I don't have any kids just my pets. And I'm considering a puppy. I would adopt an adult but in truth I have no experience with adopting an adult.

I also plan on getting the dogs in to agility or flyball..  More likely agility. I've always loved the sport

 If you're planning on doing any activity with the dog that requires off-leash control? I'd skip a Sibe. Some Sibes do great in performance- I know one with a UD who is OTCH pointed!- but the vast, vast majority of them aren't. Most of them just don't see why they should listen to you instead of making up their own exercises. :P Sibes were my first love and I still enjoy them, but for me, who loves doing stuff with my dogs and having a dog who is trustworthy off leash, this isn't the breed for me. The prey drive can also be frustrating- even in dogs that are raised with cats, some end up not being trustworthy, or the cat does omething new and different or gets out into the yard, and the dog goes "OOH, SNACK." They're opportunistic by nature, and it's one of the fun things about them- but can also be maddening to live with.

If you like the wolfy look, check out Keeshonds (smaller, but I've seen oversized dogs before), who are a different branch of the Spitz family and work much more closely with people. Elkhounds are another agouti-grey spitzy looking dog, but are also very independent offleash- definately a hound, and not what I'd recommend for performance, although my rally instructor has one who is a hoot! And if you've got your heart set on a northern breed, check out Samoyeds- they're a combo draft-herder heritage that makes them a lot more people-focused than your average Sibe, they've typically got a lower prey drive, and while they love to run, they also love to work! You also find a LOT of "Sibe x GSD" type mixes in shelters, including puppies, and this is one of those mixes that seems to typically turn out really nicely with some of the best traits of both breeds. When I have room for 'just a pet' (and scooter dog :P) in a few years, this is probably what I'll end up with.

 If you *do* get a Sibe, I would actually suggest getting an atypical adult from rescue who shows an interest in working with people more than is typical and is very food motivated (many sibes find running and exploring and doing their own thing more rewarding than any food or any other reward you can supply while tryingto get them back on a leash they've slipped, unfortunately). If that's not a possibility, I'd look for a breeder who is themselves competing heavily in performance sports (and not just racing). I believe OFA for hips (and elbows?) and yearly CERF are the main health tests; I babysit for a couple of huskies with thyroid problems so it wouldn't surprise me ot see breeders checking that either.
 

There is a sibe owner on this site that does agility with her dog. Hopefully you can talk to her about her experiences.

I also plan on getting the dogs in to agility or flyball..  More likely agility. I've always loved the sport

If I were getting a dog for the purpose of doing agility with, I wouldn't get a Siberian.   It's not *really* their thing.  LOL.  My lil' guy that does it, he's got an odd little spark to him.  He likes training, and it's a fun thing for us to do.  Much more exciting for him than obedience! 

It can be really frustrating a lot of the time, like when I want to practice at home, and he wants to smell things and chase birds.  It was hard in the beginning to get him to see agility as his 'work.'  It's not like running or pulling, which makes sense to him.  At the start, I got a lot of, "why would I want to do that!?!?" looks.

He focuses quite well in class, but he gets to a point, and that's it.  And there's not much I can do to get it back.  Some weeks he's good for the whole hour of class, other weeks, I get 20 minutes out of him.  I would love to practice all day every day, but he wouldn't have it.  Sometimes I get serious Border Collie envy.  LOL.  My guy does okay.  We manage to keep up with class, and we keep plugging away at it.  I don't really have any goals  for him in agility, other than to take it as far as I can, one step at a time.

We do other activities that appeal to him, like bikejoring and sledding. 

I've considered Flyball, but I would worry about dragging a whole team down with me when he decides he's having a wacky day.  I wouldn't expect them to find it as funny as I would if Kena took off munching on the ball during a tournament!  My agility instructor is also a Flyball coach, so I  figure if Kena was right for it, he'd say something, and he hasn't.  *shrug*

Oh yeah, that reminds me!  You should have a good sense of humor if you intend to own a husky!  If you embarrass easily, they might not be the dog for you! 

And I feel like I should mention...  I feel like I'm pretty good at being stubborn and persistent in training, and my lil' guy had me IN TEARS a few times during his obedience classes!  My instructor was very proud of me for not dropping out.  It took a lot of hard work for us to overcome. 

They are very determined dogs and very independent. If you're looking for a family dog, there are better choices out there imo.

Even sometimes I find myself thinking, "who would get one of these things!?!"  LOL! 

I know how much work I have to put in, and I can't imagine an average family having one.  Too many times I run in to people who tell me how they used to have one, or their brother/cousin/friend used to have one but it ran away and/or was hit by a car.  Or they gave it away because "it ate/chewed stuff."  And there's running into current owners and hearing the good ol' "mine don't listen.  Does yours?" or the "mine ain't no good off leash.  We take him to the woods and he keeps running off!  He comes back eventually..."  AARGH!

Even sometimes I find myself thinking, "who would get one of these things!?!"  LOL!

haha My thoughts exactly. When I see sibe owners with 2 or 3, I think "they must not have a blade of grass in their yard". Yes, they are sweet natured, funny and beautiful but man, they are hard dogs to own. You literally have to steel your heart to them at some point because they will run away at the drop of a dime. I've seen my husky cross 5 lanes of busy traffic, run down the fast lane of another 5 lane road for half a mile, stopping traffic (even a police man stopped to help).  If I freaked out every time mine ran away I'd be in the loony bin. I'm extremely husky escape savvy but that doesn't matter. If she doesn't find a way through normal means, she will take advantage of friends and family when they come to visit. A cracked door to pay the pizza guy - bye bye husky. It's so frustrating.

Also, to the OP - I don't think that anyone mentioned that husky's dig. It's an instinct for them. They dig to get cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Mine even digs in the carpet - trying to make herself a hole to lie in.

If you want an agility dog with high energy get a border collie or an aussie.

I don't want to buy a puppy just to find out it isn't for me. In the end I wouldn't have the heart to get rid of it.

You know I have respect for people who ask about a breed and do not go into getting a puppy blindly, err, like I have done!  But if you have this in your mind already about getting a puppy (quote above), I wonder if you really ought to be getting any puppies at all.  You can't predict what you are going to get even if you know the breed inside and out~     I think the feeling ought to be more like "i can deal with a puppy and have enough emotionally and physically to take care of and train him/her"

Huskies are exuberant personalities and I just love hearing about other husky owner experiences and how much love there is in this...But I think that to be a good owner, it takes all you have got to give.  And the joy you receive back is more than doubled. 

It is so painful to read about unsuccessful apprehensive situations, where things aren't working out and the first thing on their minds is "I just love this dog But, I have to get rid of him".  I mean they are not really asking for help to fix but apparently looking for some kind of solace that the sitch is impossible and they need to get rid of the dog.  And only really want reinforcement for that.  When they receive the opposite here...because most here at this site believe in working out the problems...The op will turn on their heel and disappear never to be heard from again!

Just a little thought to think about.  I kind of analogize it to having children.  Sometimes you get a challenging child. They are just born with differences.  And you still love them and work with them, and it is truly a growth experience.  The love helps you to overcome. (and to learn more yourself)

I completely agree with the example with children. If I truly felt that I did all I could for a dog and I still had problems with then I'd consider getting professional help. And yes I have found out that huskies dig, and it doesn't bother me none. Maze digs, my front yard looks like a mine went off. Lol. As I'm reading everything, I think I could handle owning a husky puppy. But I won't get one till I'm 100% sure and have the space for one.

Sounds like a healthy attitude to me~  Best wishes!  There is always help, you just got to look.  Even when we plan things to the details, there is always going to be a need for something.  It makes us grow and become better people.   Lots of wonderful references talked about on this site.  The dog behaviorists are the absolute best!

Good luck!