Xeph
Posted : 10/21/2007 2:06:34 AM
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).