My Lifestyle suitable for a husky ?

[Phallen]

Hey,

I'm thinking of getting a Husky sometime in the new year. I want to ask you experienced owners whether my lifestyle would suit having one.

So I have never had a dog before but my step dad has. The reason I don't want another breed is because I'm not really interested in them . Husky's just hit the spot and well I don't think I can wait 15 years to gain experience with another dog lol.

I have read up on them and know I need to prepare for the mass amounts of fur, at times. I have prepared for "the great escape" by splitting my garden into sections. The first section has a nice tall fence 8ft all they way round. Then a gated entrance to the rest of the garden. Its very long. Fortunately, I'm doing well in my job and can definitely afford to feed maintain a dog.

My mum has two cats at the moment and rabbits < Can they be trained not to eat each other

My biggest question. Does my work routine suite a husky ?

So .. My routine is 4 days on 3 days off 9pm to 7am (nightshift). So I'm out during the night (my parents / brother are in). My plan is to get back from work and take the dog out in a Walk / Run for a few hours. I would sleep for about 6 hours around 3PM and be ready for another Walking session / time with the dog until around 8pm when i have to leave for work.

My mum works form home so can deal with the dog between 9 and 3 when I'm sleeping.

Because of my work hours I don't see much of my friends during the week. I need a companion like a Husky

Before I decide I want to make sure it will be right for the Dog.

Thanks Guys.

[Andy]

First off. . .

As there seems to be someone home 24hrs a day you should be fine.

Are you getting a puppy or a rescue.

A puppy requires lots of patience and training and from 6months to 2 years if bored can be VERY destructive.

Also You cannot really run with a puppy until they are at least a year old as their joints and ligaments are

still growing and can suffer damage that doesn't become aparrent until middle older age.

Ask lots of questions

Huskies are a beautiful friendly dog, but they can be VERY difficult.

[basketcase687]

The secret of successfully owning a husky is that they become YOUR Lifestyle!!.No great secret really, they just need your attention, time , love and plenty of exercise!!.Simples:)

[Phallen]

Thanks for the info.

I would would want a Puppy. I want to be there from start to finish if you know what I mean.

Thanks for the heads up on the running thing. I read that they can have hip problems later in life but didn't know running with him could induce it. I have also read they need their claws clipping quite often.

I believe I have the time in an ideal part of the day for training him. I have a stable life and not many commitments at the moment so he will have a lot of attention. I work with computers so yeah I have a lot of patience ha-ha.

I would also want to find a good place to get the dog and what to look out for (I will have a browse through the forum).

Do a lot of people build kennels for their dogs ? Or are they fine to stay indoors? How would he be with cats ?

[Phallen]

The secret of successfully owning a husky is that they become YOUR Lifestyle!!.No great secret really, they just need your attention, time , love and plenty of exercise!!.Simples:)

Hey,

Could you explain how your day goes with the dogs?

What steps do you have to do each day to keep them (and yourself) happy ?

Where do you walk them ? How far ?

Do you walk them at all when they are a puppy ?

[Povodny]

We have cats and four huskies. Our dogs are fine with the cats because they grew up with them and when they came home as puppies they were actually smaller than the oldest cat lol. I work permanent nights and the dogs have always fit in round my schedule nicely. I'd do what you're suggesting and come in from work and spend two hours with the dog before bed but I never used to get 6 hours, that was mainly due to children commitments. If they're getting walked enough on hard surfaces their claws will wear down naturally, if you only ever walk on soft surfaces they may need clipping from time to time. I've not have to clip any of mine in almost five years.

[Mazz]

Hi Ryan, and welcome. So glad you are asking questions first. So many people get a Husky, and then start asking the questions and ultimately, either stick it out frustrated for a bit, or give up.

I think your lifestyle and that fact that there is most always someone home, is a big plus. I would suggest giving consideration to crate training. It will make housebreaking easier, and give your Husky a place of its own.

The rule of thumb on exercise for a pup is five minutes per session, per month of age. You will also not want to bring a pup home until it is at least eight weeks of age. The period of time from six to eight weeks is vital to help the pup learn bite inhibition. They learn this from their siblings as they start to play a bit rougher. When biting each other, the bitee often yelps when the biter gets a bit too rough. This yelping signals the biter to back off. Often, so called breeders will release pups at six, even at five weeks of age, and that is simply a red flag.

I would research a bit with regard to breeders. Just realize, that forum rules don't allow posting sites that sell animals, so you really can't ask for specific breeder contact information. You can, however, request what to look for, what questions to ask, etc.

Also, if you don't have a vet in mind, you may want to check a few out beforehand, so when it comes time to bring that furbaby home, you have a vet all lined up.

[Andy]

Hey,

Could you explain how your day goes with the dogs?

What steps do you have to do each day to keep them (and yourself) happy ?

Where do you walk them ? How far ?

Do you walk them at all when they are a puppy ?

Rule of thumb for Puppy exercise.

Once they've had all their injections. . . .

is 5 minutes per month of age a couple of times per day, but don't forget he/she will be running around at home all day too.

[basketcase687]

Hey,

Could you explain how your day goes with the dogs?

What steps do you have to do each day to keep them (and yourself) happy ?

Where do you walk them ? How far ?

Do you walk them at all when they are a puppy ?

Hi Ryan ,

Firstly, we are a big family so someone is almost always home. My husband works shifts and I work part time, we are like ships that pass in the night, although we don't see much of each other it works great for the dogs!! They are hardly ever left alone.(About an hour 2/3 times a week max)

Regarding exercise, they get an hour or more in the morning and the same again in afternoon or evening.As we have an exceptional area to exercise them in, their energy is always permanently drained,and that makes for tired but happy huskies!!

As for how we exercised them as pups...once they had their jabs they came out on walks with the older ones,mostly just walking along next to me, sometimes trying to keep up with the adults but they knew their limitations!!

Best of luck with whatever you decide.......Karen

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

welcome to the pack

ive never cut my huskies claws yet (ones 3 the other is 4) lots of pavement walking (and them pulling on their walks) helps keep them trim

have u asked your parents if they are ready to care for a husky? will they just be looking after it at night or will they be walking it too? huskies are very strong pullers so train him early to walk nicely on the leash , and im sure ur aware as u know they can escape that they also cant be let offlead?

the fur is the fun part my girl looses LOADS when she blows but she is alot fluffier then some huskies

huskies can be trained to get on well with small animals (if from a pup) but should NEVER be left alone unsupervised

[Emma]

Welcome to the site. Only thing I can think to add that may help would really be to consider the long term situation and start putting some plans into place such as savings specifically for petcare incase you have moved out and find yourself without a job. Believe me, it helps! Take care and good luck. X

[Jay]

I was a first time dog owner as well when I got my first husky. I work during the day M-F and crate train them. As long as you are patient and consistent with training I think it would work out great. The fact that you are asking questions BEFORE you look for the pup says that you are ready!

[Elyse]

Everything sounds good so far. Just want to add/repeat a few points I think are important:

Huskies are different than other dogs. They are very stubborn (read: can be hard to train), high prey drive (can't be let off lead, and if raised with small animals there is NO guarantee they won't suddenly kill them one day. Instinct and all that.), need a lot of exercise (with the 5 minute rule of thumb of course!) when they are adults, they are pullers, some of them can be really noisy (but yet some are very quiet, like mine), some of them like to dig (dog-aggeddon in your back yard!), and some are very destructive when left alone.

So, in short, they aren't for everyone.

But, you've made a GREAT decision to stop and ask questions first. Some people come on here complaining their husky does [insert commonly known husky trait here], get really frustrated, and end up giving it up because they didn't research the breed beforehand.

I recommend crate training, as that seems to be the best for your situation.

Just one thing...though...

You might want to think about the long-term too. The average lifespan of a husky is 12-13 years, so if you get one (any dog, actually, doesn't matter the breed), you should commit to spending your life with them until they pass away. Dogs are for life - not until they become boring, inconvenient, when you have to move, or until they aren't cute puppies anymore.

Also, you might want to get pet insurance if you can afford it. It's saved my butt MANY times.

Before you get a puppy from a new litter, please ask around to see if there are any very young puppies in shelters (I've seen lots of pups around 9-12 weeks ending up in shelters. It's really sad.), or if the breeder has gotten a puppy back because its previous home didn't work out.

Good luck...and if you have any questions about ANYTHING...we're here.

[simhauu]

Seems perfect for the pup. But what about future, how long do you see yourself working such hours and others spending time with yours? Just kidding. You'll adjust to your future husky.

For me, ever since I have Ghost, he's my priority no. 1 (sometimes he's on par with sleep ). I do have a couple of friends here, but I don't often go out. Even when I could go out or go on a holiday with bf I'd rather stay home with Ghost. This year, I was offered to go to Switzerland with his family but refused because I'd rather be home with Ghost, who I wouldn't want to leave somewhere at a hotel or with my mom on Christmas. And will probably miss out on quite a number of other things.

As far as cats and bunnies go, I'd say if you make the boundaries known, there shouldn't be a problem but never leave them alone together.

Fur, if you keep your husky indoor all year, you'll have to deal with shedding all year around.

Make sure your family will be there to support you with the training of your pup so you all are consistent. Like you say no table scraps, and someone else gives some out - be the leader!

As for hip dysplasia. Lately, it has a lot to do with how you "work" your dog. If you walk it too much when small (rule of thumb is 5 minutes a month a walk), if they walk up and mainly down the stairs and so on. So even if you had found perfectly scored parents of your possible pup, s/he could still develop HD.

[Removed #5]

irst I'l get my wise crack out of the way:

My mum has two cats at the moment and rabbits < Can they be trained not to eat each other

Cats don't normally bother rabbits that much, little cotton-tails might be a problem but not so much with adults.

Now seriously, though it's been mentioned before, if your parents are at home most of the time that you're not that's a big benefit - but have they been around any huskies, do they have any idea what they're in for? Since you're suggesting you're living at home (with them) are they prepared for all the angst a Husky can bring - hair, holes, etc. You might want to introduce them to the "fun of being owned by a Husky".

The other comment I have, as others have mentioned again, have you given thought to the eventuality that you might not always be at home, that you might actually develop a life somewhere, somehow (I'm a computer type person, I speak from experience!). "Jack, meet Rocky my dog." ... "That's no dog, that's a wolf!" friends and associates need to have some awareness of how friendly a Husky can be ... getting tackled by a 50lb dog at first meeting seems to be a rough introduction.

Belated in the message, welcome to the forum and thanks for asking the questions BEFORE you bring the furry bundle home!

[Elyse]

Also, I would try to foster a husky before you make a decision. That way, you and your family will be able to tell if you will be able to handle a husky. You can ask local shelters or special husky rescue groups if they need any fosters.

[Phallen]

Wow thanks for all the replies ! From all over the world. (SolitaryHowl I envy you. It's my dream to live in Canada!)

Whats the difference between Pedigree and KC Registered ? I keep seeing one or the other on peoples posts for selling Huskys.

I have a dogs trust near me. I will pop in and have a word with them.

[Mollys_mum]

Adding to all the good advice, where are you in Middlesex? Some of us on here meet up near Feltham each weekend - you're very welcome to join us.

Lol! I have 3, (2 Huskies and a Malamute) and you are most welcome to walk one of mine around for an hour to 'get a feel' if you like.

If you are interested, let me know.

[Phallen]

Thanks for the info guys.

I have a dogs trust near me. I will see if they have any for foster / puppy's to re-home.

It may prove difficult convincing my mum ha-ha.

[RJS]

Wow thanks for all the replies ! From all over the world. (SolitaryHowl I envy you. It's my dream to live in Canada!)

Whats the difference between Pedigree and KC Registered ? I keep seeing one or the other on peoples posts for selling Huskys.

I have a dogs trust near me. I will pop in and have a word with them.

A Pedigree is a pure bred ie, the bloodline hasn't been crossed with another breed of dog. KC registered basically means that the dog's bloodline can be traced via the Kennel Club. My opinion is the first is more important than the latter. Kodi, is a pure bred Malamute, but isn't KC registered. Doesn't make him any less of a Malamute.

The KC is basically an organisation that track the breed standards for dogs.

[Phallen]

Adding to all the good advice, where are you in Middlesex? Some of us on here meet up near Feltham each weekend - you're very welcome to join us.

Lol! I have 3, (2 Huskies and a Malamute) and you are most welcome to walk one of mine around for an hour to 'get a feel' if you like.

If you are interested, let me know.

Sounds like a good idea. I'm in Ickenham. I will keep my eyes on the forum after the Christmas hols and see when you guys are about. I bet they cant wait for it to snow

How are Huskys at night ? e.g When I'm at work (family is asleep?).

Is it recommended for them to sleep outside / indoors? Do they bother you much at night? Don't want to bother my family too much lol.

Also, if my mum goes out shopping or something, whats the best way to keep the husky entertained for a couple of hours on his own ? I'm pretty sure it wont be often but there are obviously times where everyone will either be out / asleep for a little while? I'm a hands on person and could easily build a kennel / Husky proof the garden. I've read about a sort of elastic lead you can attach to them so they can roam around the garden but not run away.

What about holidays abroad ? Do you guys take the dogs with you or leave them with family or something ?

I've been watching loads of videos about them. I love their stubborn personality. That's one of the things that draws me to them. Ha-ha

I know things are different between a Puppy and an older dog.

[Mollys_mum]

Sounds like a good idea. I'm in Ickenham. I will keep my eyes on the forum after the Christmas hols and see when you guys are about. I bet they cant wait for it to snow

How are Huskys at night ? e.g When I'm at work (family is asleep?).

Is it recommended for them to sleep outside / indoors? Do they bother you much at night? Don't want to bother my family too much lol.

Also, if my mum goes out shopping or something, whats the best way to keep the husky entertained for a couple of hours on his own ? I'm pretty sure it wont be often but there are obviously times where everyone will either be out / asleep for a little while? I'm a hands on person and could easily build a kennel / Husky proof the garden. I've read about a sort of elastic lead you can attach to them so they can roam around the garden but not run away.

What about holidays abroad ? Do you guys take the dogs with you or leave them with family or something ?

I've been watching loads of videos about them. I love their stubborn personality. That's one of the things that draws me to them. Ha-ha

I know things are different between a Puppy and an older dog.

Lol! Lots of questions here, so I have put the answers in bullet points.

- Ours sleep all night. We leave food out for the foxes each night and they don't bark at them, even though they know the foxes are right outside the front door. (Pups have different needs though.) I'm probably making a generalisation here, but Huskies tend to howl rather than bark. It was on our 'check sheet' when we were considering which breed of dog would be best for us - I can't be doing with 'snappy, yappy' dogs, or dogs that bare their teeth when anyone comes even close to the drive way.

- Inside. Huskies are pack dogs, and will probably want to be close to you - the rest of the pack. That said, there will be those that can't stand the central heating and will crave the outside - go with the flow.

- If you are going out for a few hours, my advice would be to keep him/her indoors - simply because there have been a lot of thefts of Huskies in the last 2 years from back gardens. Yes, these nasty people have scaled a 6 ft fence and dragged the dogs over them. Unbelievable, but true.

- A rawhide/ pig's ear usually keeps mine occupied for a couple of hours.

- I can't advise about hol's abroad. I can't afford them, don't want them and prefer somewhere that I can enjoy my time with the hounds. If I were to go abroad, I guess I'd try and persuade someone that the dogs trust to come and stay at my place for the time that I am away - or ask my fairy God Mother, Biggles.

Hope this helps.

Do keep an eye out on the 'UK Meets' section with titles such as: 'Black Park', 'Virginia Waters' or 'Bedfont Lakes' if you'd like to come along. Also, feel free to PM me and I'll keep you in the loop that way. The offer still stands, I'll give you one of mine to walk around on a meet to see how you feel about the level of pulling you can expect. If you want, you could take all 3 (one at a time), so that you can experience different levels of pulling.

[Phallen]

Thanks for the in depth reply

1 more question. I'm browsing through ads for a Pup. Why is there such a difference in prices. I mean there are some for £150 - KC reg etc. Then there are some for £600.

Does price reflect the pup or I guess some breeders just don't need the profit as much as others ?

[Phallen]

Hey,

What would you guys say about getting a 6 month old pup ?

[Rosemary]

A 6 month old pup sounds good to me. At that age they are usually house trained and lead trained - hopefully

Be careful when buying your pup even though it is KC registered (?). When buying a pup the breeder should ask you lots and lots of questions and give you the third degree, if they don't - walk away. If they don't have a contract you must sign - walk away.

The cheaper pups would worry me a bit ............. just because I have a suspicious nature, and people are evil