How Can Husky Owners Have A Husky When...

[Shaiasaur]

You have to work all of the time?

I mean, you work around 40 hours a week, and you still have to make time for your husky.

 

I want a husky very bad, but I have to work too. I don't want work to be the only thing holding me back.

 

 

• How many of you work and still maintain your husky?
• What do you do with your husky when you do work?

[Mobezilla]

I work 20 hours a week, so not quite the same. But I did work 40 hours when mine were puppies which is the reason I switched jobs so I could have more time for them. When I worked 40 hours, I took them to a private pet sitter who had dogs of her own and watched them for me. Now that I'm working 20 hours, I just crate them when I'm gone. I work 5-6 hour shifts so they're not crated for long, and I have lots of days off for dog park time. If you're going to be working 40 hours, the first thing I suggest is taking a 2 week vacation when you bring your pup or rescue home (this is what I did) so you have some time to bond with your pup and get your pup settled. And I'd secure a dog sitter or daycare that I'd take him to at least once a week to get his energy out. While their young they can't hold their bladders for very long, so if you decide to go the puppy route you may want to also hire a dog walker to let him/her out every couple hours while you're at work, until he's older and can be crated for longer. Hope some of this helps you out.

[Jbrown1028]

I work from home, and when I do go to the office, I take her with me... I am the owner so I make up the rules

 

Actually, a friend of mine has 2 VERY beautiful long haired Mals. In his basement he built 2 very large 6 foot high rooms, placed dog pillows in there and they would stay there until he or his wife got home...

 

Here is the trick... Once you are home, no matter how TIRED, FRUSTRATED, HAPPY, HAVE TO GO DO SOMETHING, you are... It is excersice time, Walk, bike, run, roller-skate whatever you need to do to burn the energy off. It is possible and it can be done very nicely. BUT you have to burn the energy.

 

I also forgot to mention, in my case, I am training Maya for a couple of different things, 1 is SAR (Search and Rescue) really this is more of hide and seek, but she is getting REALLY good... I have hidden my car key in some pretty hard places and she found them. I am also training for DHSS (Diabetes, Heart Attack and Stroke Services). All dogs are very aware of your body, and by training them to sense these flucuations makes them use their brain more often. I have trained 5 dogs for DHSS and 2 for SAR... I will not use her professionally (mostly because she is my baby girl), it just helps with the excersice routine.

 

Also during walks, teach them:

gee - right
haw - left

hike - go

whoa - stop

go home - (obvious)

 

Then during walks use these commands, switch up their walking directions take them to different areas of your neighborhood...

 

Good luck, not everyone can have a husky but I wish the best that everyone can.

Jeff

[Andy]

I have a dog flap which lets out into a fully secure 150ft garden.

My guys have access to plenty of water and can come and go as they please.

[Shaiasaur]

Thank you all for the advice! I am thinking about hiring a dog sitter, but the trick is to find someone that you can actually trust.

 

I won't be getting a husky soon, that's for sure, but other than that, I'll always have one on my mind.

[Katie (and Zara the Husky)]

My first question would be do you have family or a partner who also wants a husky? They are a gorgeous dog, but as others have said it takes a lot of commitment in exercising, training, grooming and spending time with pup it's also a 12-15 year commitment to that dog so it's a good thing to take into account what you might want to do in that time and whether a husky fits with that. Having family or someone else to share the load and exercising really helps. The best thing is that huskies pretty much love all humans-ours certainly isn't selective so long as she's getting love lol

I'm glad we waited for the right time to get our pup, it means we can enjoy the experience fully.

[HuskyGuerl]

I go to school 18 hours a week counting the drive there and back and my hubby works 40 so no problem there because im always home intill i leave for school but then my hubby home so someone always here with them but i want to get a job again i hate not helping with bills...and before I use to be in high school and worked every night after school till 10 and my hubby worked 40 hours week and we had family or friends come check on dogs when we were absent..but also the dogs were walked every morning before I went to school..every night when I got home from school and before work..then my hubby would play and spoil them when he got home..then we would take them on a walk together when I got home(yes night time walk) also on weekends we normally went somewhere for a picnic/lunch date and they went with and we walked a lot...no matter what type of dog you get you HAVE to work to support as long as your loving and caring and not completely always away from the house it's fine..you can't not work then you both will suffer

[Storm Angel n Auroras Mum]

hubby works more than 40 hours a week.

i only work 12 hours a week.

i work in evenings so hes at home.

im at home with the dogs all day.

[Storm Angel n Auroras Mum]

My first question would be do you have family or a partner who also wants a husky? .

this made me laugh.

this was me!!!!

i wanted a.choc lab!!

hubby wanted a husky!

now i have three and im addicted!

[Stormy]

I have two huskies and I'm contracted to 34 hours but I end up doing a lot more even 6 days a week sometimes. My shifts are either early or late though so I'll either have most of the morning with them or most of the afternoon I do 8-9 hour shifts. I do however have a dog walker I found her by bumping into her and she posted flyers through doors... She owns three huskies herself so I'm quite lucky there

[Stormy]

To add though when I get home from work etc the dogs come first they are then walked etc and it is very very tiring but I love them

[Katie (and Zara the Husky)]

this made me laugh.

this was me!!!!

i wanted a.choc lab!!

hubby wanted a husky!

now i have three and im addicted!

Same! I wanted a beagle, cavalier or something a bit smaller but OH was set on a husky. Now I'm the one campaigning for our pup to have a husky friend!! ;-P I feel a pack coming on!!

[DamirNYK]

I work 8 hours a day (so I'm away 9 h/day) monday to friday. I take Kira outside before work, she does her business and even before I leave she goes back to sleep. I don't know what she does all day, but when I come home she's all sleepy. First thing then is to go outside with her, play a little and most of the time we're together till bedtime.

 

Now the good thing is that for the past over a year my girlfriend is jobless (ok, that part ain't that good) so she takes care of her during the day, but she says that Kira mostly sleeps through the morning so I guess she learned to live with that routine, and is ok with it.

[mydiamond]

I don't work yet but I go to school from 7-5 on Mon&Tue and 7-3:30 from Wed-Sat. But just like any other Indonesian families I have a maid. She's the one who takes Dime out for a walk in the mornings. When I get home from school, Dime will be walked again. Sometimes later at night after dinner I walk him yet again. In total every day Dime gets walked for 2-2.5 hours, sometimes more when I have spare time. All of that exercise plus a Kong and tricks training created a very mellow, laid-back husky. Diamond is so lazy he sleeps all day, we don't even need a crate because he just stays in his play area. Sleeping  don't take it from us though... Crate training is really important for most huskies. Most dogs, actually. 

 

Bottom line is: huskies are a highly adaptable breed. They adapt to your lifestyle and daily routine. They know when to use and when not to use their abundant energy. Even if they do need more exercise than some other breeds, it's not like they'll be jumping up and down 24 hours a day. Unless you're holding a piece of cheese or a leash, they can usually be found "storing their energy" a.k.a sleeping. Working huskies that are used as a transportation method in Siberia certainly isn't this mellow. Their lifestyle demands them to take out every last drop of energy they have, which is why they're always sorta jumpy.

 

However, I've been told that some huskies are just born energetic. Some huskies I've met simply can't settle down and seem to have an infinite amount of energy  but that's individual personality. Another reason why picking a dog to bring home is not a simple task Seeing how much research you've done and how much you love animals I'm sure you're gonna make a good husky owner, Shai just make sure you're prepared for the shedding periods

[Storm Angel n Auroras Mum]

Same! I wanted a beagle, cavalier or something a bit smaller but OH was set on a husky. Now I'm the one campaigning for our pup to have a husky friend!! ;-P I feel a pack coming on!!yes

yeah! he often reminds me that he wanted ONE.

I reply "well you got me addicted"

[Andy]

yeah! he often reminds me that he wanted ONE.

I reply "well you got me addicted"

If he'd let you have the Choccy Lab, you'd still only have the one.

[Storm Angel n Auroras Mum]

If he'd let you have the Choccy Lab, you'd still only have the one.

yup

hes stupid really.

its all his fault

[Jbrown1028]

But just like any other Indonesian families I have a maid.

 

That settles it! I am moving to indonesia!

[Jay]

I work M-F from 7-4 and I have 3 huskies. In the morning they eat and potty and I come home at lunch so they can stretch their legs. Then after work its dinner time then walks play and more walks. They are crated when I'm at work and I haven't had any problems

[mydiamond]

That settles it! I am moving to indonesia!

 

LOL and we have perfect weather all year round. And cheap stuffs  

[Chula]

I have one husky and I work 40 hours a week, from 9:30-5. My other half usually works more than that, but his hours are dependent on both available work and the weather, so sometimes he may work 15 hours a week, some maybe 60, some not at all. 

 

I get up early, around 6. We cuddle and play for a bit. She gets a chance to go outside, potty, sniff and entertain herself a bit in the backyard. Then it's breakfast time. About 45 minutes after she eats, we go on a 2 mile walk. Then around 9 she potties again, and comes running inside knowing it's time for her crate and her kong/treats. About half the time she gets a mid-day break, but sometimes I'm too busy to go home midday. I get home around 5, 5:15. 

 

I've considered doggie day care, and as she gets older and demands more physical exercise, I'm thinking more seriously about doing it a couple days a week. 

 

The one thing to keep in mind is that once you get home from work, he/she will probably require almost every moment of your free time. We walk, play, cuddle, train, goof around in the back yard together for about 5 hours every evening. I spend way less time with my friends, and almost all of my life revolves around her. As she's gotten older and her personality is really beginning to shine through, it is actually really enjoyable to spend time with her though so I do not complain. Much.

Edited August 29, 2013 by Chula

[Shaiasaur]

Thanks everyone for the feedback!

I am most definitely enjoying reading everyone's posts.

[LittleLuka]

I work 40 hours a week. I just come home on lunch and i go straight home from work every day to let them out. Mine sleep almost the whole day anyways so they don't seem to mind. lol

[Removed #5]

LOL and we have perfect weather all year round. And cheap stuffs

 

And some pretty severe earthquakes if what the news says is right! 

[Elyse]

May I suggest adopting an older husky (4 years plus)? There are many advantages to this:

 

- They may not require as much exercise, they are getting old and 'creaky'. This is a bonus if you can't commit to a regular walking schedule, or if you can't commit to the possible 2+ hours of walks/jogs a day your husky may need.

- They do not need to go to the bathroom as much as a puppy. 

- They may be crate trained already - so you don't have to go through all that trouble. 

- You skip the whole puppy potty training stage - which I understand is a nightmare if you are working full time.

- You skip the whole rebellion/teenage stage they go through.

- Their personality has already been developed, so you can choose a dog to see if their personality matches you. (Example: I chose Suka because he is a lazy dog. I'm a lazy person. We still enjoy exercise, but we won't go crazy without it...we are a perfect match!)

- You are giving another dog a chance at life. Many dogs end up in shelters because of their owners - many shelter dogs I've seen and interacted with are very good dogs.