Considering a Husky...

[Xoras]

So my family is considering a Husky. Naturally, I've been doing my homework, reading up on the breed and watching a few videos on Youtube, but I've still got a few questions the internet can't seem to answer. So, I found you guys. =)

1) How well do Huskies get along with other dogs?

We've got one other dog, who's a pretty chillax guy so long as he isn't annoyed. We're probably getting a puppy, so is it possible to teach the puppy to leave him alone, or should we let the resident dog take a few nips at the puppy so he gets the idea? I don't want anyone getting hurt.

2) Would it be better to get a male or female?

Which ones are more relaxed? I know females tend to be smaller, but are they calmer? I know it depends on the dog, but if one gender tends to be more relaxed than the other, I'd like to know.

3) So I've heard that they've got quite a bit of energy. Are they good at agility, and would that be a good outlet for their energy?

I've always wanted an agility dog! We probably wouldn't compete, and even if we did, it'd just be local things, so if they can't perform super awesomely, that's no concern. I just want to jump over fences with my dog, lol. Of course, if we get a puppy, I WON'T make the puppy do agility or anything.

4) Slightly unrelated question, but I've heard they have a high prey drive. We have a couple squirrels living around us, and is there a possible way to keep the squirrels out of our backyard (where the Husky will hang out some of the time) so that the dog doesn't try to go after them/kill them?

Resident dog killed a squirrel a few years back and tried to bring it into the house, and it was nasty. I figure some of you guys might have had squirrel problems, so I thought it was worth an ask.

5) Are they affectionate?

I've heard they can be pretty aloof, but if we invite it to snuggle on the couch will it gladly join us, or would it prefer to stay on the floor/leave the room?

Whew. Sorry these are kind of weird questions, but I want to make sure I've got all my bases covered. Even if some of you can only answer one question, that's still a big help! =)

Thanks,

Blitz

[Collegeboundhusky]

I have had two huskies in my time and both have enjoyed other dogs. The first husky I had shared a living space with a chihuahua and did very well with her considering the size difference. My first husky was very prey oriented towards wildlife though. We would always find her with dead turtles and other random rodents. My current husky who is quite the energetic one gets alone with other dogs really well. That said Huskies are very energetic especially being work dogs. But Dante is EXTREMELY affectionate with me. he will lay his head on my lap while I watch tv and always tries to sleep in the bed with me. They can definitely be a handful but you will never have a dull moment!

[Xoras]

Excellent. I've talked to my mom and she said she doesn't want the Husky in the backyard unsupervised (even if it's older), so we don't really have to worry about them killing squirrels or anything.

Glad to hear that there'll never be a dull moment with them around, sounds like a lot of fun!

How hard is it to teach them basic commands ("sit", "stay" and "come here" [and perhaps "shake hands"] are really all they'll need to know). I've read they can be a challenge to train. Is that true?

[Joey.Zarly]

Hello and welcome.

You have defiantly come to the right place to ask questions

1) How well do Huskies get along with other dogs?

It depends on the dog, You cannot go "Huskies are ALL fantastic with dogs" because honestly it's not necessarily the breed more so the dog it's self, treat the dog with love and respect and you'll get some back! My male sibe is fantastic with other dogs he'll play all day but if there is a dog who's not wanting to play he wont keep bouncing on it he'll just relax, My female sibe is also great with other dogs although if another dog decides to pounce on her she'll heckle up and growl because they've crossed HER line but in now way is she aggressive!!

2) Would it be better to get a male or female?

Again it depends, I'd get a male to start with because i find them not as bitchy, Sorry i don't have an actual reason why it would be better to get either a male or female, might

have to get someone else to answer that question for you.

3) So I've heard that they've got quite a bit of energy. Are they good at agility, and would that be a good outlet for their energy?

Personally I've never done any agility with a Siberian Husky and my two sibes are only 4 and a half months and their too young, I take mine for walks and the occasional run, I play with them and take them to fenced dog parks, doing this mine don't seem to want to be destructive, they lazy about!

4) Slightly unrelated question, but I've heard they have a high prey drive. We have a couple squirrels living around us, and is there a possible way to keep the squirrels out of our backyard (where the Husky will hang out some of the time) so that the dog doesn't try to go after them/kill them?

I don't have squirrels where i live, we just have a lot of birds.

5) Are they affectionate?

Mine are and the ones i have met are, like any dog they need their space!

But in saying that if mine are outside and i call them in, yes they will come and wonder what i'm after i can invite them on the couch and they'll join me if they get up and leave after a few moments and i try to call them they'll look at me and think twice then continue going outside!

I hope this has helped.

[Joey.Zarly]

oh i missed one -

How hard is it to teach them basic commands ("sit", "stay" and "come here" [and perhaps "shake hands"] are really all they'll need to know). I've read they can be a challenge to train. Is that true?

I don't believe it to be true a little bit of a white lie in my opinion!

Joey and Zarly have both been an absolutely dream to train, they walk faultless on the lead, come when called whether that be at home or the fenced dog park, they shake hands, sit, stay, wait when given food, pray, Hi 5, roll over, lay etc.

It again depends on the dog!

[Collegeboundhusky]

Excellent. I've talked to my mom and she said she doesn't want the Husky in the backyard unsupervised (even if it's older), so we don't really have to worry about them killing squirrels or anything.

Glad to hear that there'll never be a dull moment with them around, sounds like a lot of fun!

How hard is it to teach them basic commands ("sit", "stay" and "come here" [and perhaps "shake hands"] are really all they'll need to know). I've read they can be a challenge to train. Is that true?

The only two commands that I have really taught my sibe are sit and shake. He actually got to the point where as soon as I have a treat he automatically sits and puts his paw in the air for me to shake. He kind of knows "wait" but he gets anxious and wiggles after a little while. So it is possible to train them if you do it the right way. Personally I think it was luck on my part haha.

[Xoras]

Ooh, thanks for the responses Joey, that helped a ton!

So far, they sound just as amazing as I've thought. I'm glad to hear (so far) that they get along well with other dogs, I think that was my main concern, but I'm feeling a lot better about it.

[Joey.Zarly]

You're very welcome!

I am very glad that it helped you out, They're very amazing dogs i wouldn't go a day without my two in my life and being apart of this forum is also wonderful!

xx

[becky85]

GREAT questions! I've only had one Husky and one Malamute. Not sure if there's much of a difference in behavior of the two breeds, but they have such similar backgrounds. I would imagine behaviors would be likewise. With dogs, as in with people, different personality traits are more dominant than others. There's no telling really, but you'll be able to see signs of an overly agressive dog from the beginning.

The Malamute was a dog we had when I was a little girl. From what I remember he was very affectionate and had a ton of energy. He was my favorite dog of any dog we had owned as a family. Unfortunately, he was EXTREMELY prey oriented. I was an older child, so he was ok with me. But my parents noticed once on a walk that he showed signs of agression towards a small child in the neighborhood. Thank God it was just a snarl and nothing more, but mom was about to have a baby and wasn't about to take any chances. So we had to give him away.

I currently own a Husky. Same story with affection and energy. He loves to be cuddled and wants to play unitl you pass out, and he'll still come back for more! He's not as prey oriented as the Malamute was, (In fact he is very gentle and affectionate with babies especially.) But I do notice he can't resist the chase when the squirrells are out. Although I've never actually seen him catch one. I really think he just likes the chase. We have two cats, and he does chase them around the house, but he's never shown the slightest sign of agression towards them. He mostly just wants to play. As far as his behavior towards other dogs, he's a bit of a wuss, and if they show any sign of aggression towards him, he'll usually cower and run away. And if the dog is friendly, he's found himself a new playmate. Of course this may just be my dog's personality. He's very gentle.

If you get a puppy, I would recommend allowing the older dog to nip and growl when he sees fit. But keep them supervised until you're comfortable, and you feel the older dog won't harm the puppy. If he gets a little too agressive, just break it up. It will teach the pup to respect the alpha, and by extension, you. And if your current dog is fully trained, he will even help to train the puppy.

I don't beleive there is such a thing as a "bad breed" of dog. But I do believe some dogs individually are more agressive than others. (Just like people can be.) Since you are planning to get a puppy, you have the best opportunity to prevent a dog's wild side of getting the better of him.

Husky's are truly amazing dogs and if given the right upbringing can be a wonderful addition to your family. Good luck!

[becky85]

As far as training goes, Sit, Stay, Paw, and Lay down were easy enough. But we've been having a bit of trouble with the more "polite" tricks, like getting him to go lay down when we come home instead of rushing us at the door, or walking on a lead without dragging us down the street.

[Xoras]

Do Huskies needs a specific diet (like, do they need extra protein or anything like that), or is it okay to just feed them a regular dog food?

[Joey.Zarly]

Do Huskies needs a specific diet (like, do they need extra protein or anything like that), or is it okay to just feed them a regular dog food?

From what i have read they can be quite sensitive to some foods.

I recommend a BARF/raw food diet and a good quality dry food (I use Bonnie and am just switching over to Science Diet (Hills) sensitive).

[jayjay060708]

Hey! I did not read through every one elses answers so im sorry if I repeat anything. All huskies are diffrent no husky is the same and huskies are like no other breed. I have owned two huskies (not at the same time) both of them loved other dogs. Right now Akira's (our 14 month old husky) best friend is our 10lb chihuahua Diesel. They do everything together it is funny to watch but huskies are very smart and she knows her own strength and seems like she has from a very young age. We also have 3 kids two of them are 6 and one is 4 and she is always very gental yet playful with them and again always knows her strength with them when they play tug with her she hardly pulls but when she plays tug with my husband and I she will pull a lot harder. She is very very affectionate always wanting to snuggle and be close to us. She also gives lots and lots and lots of husky kisses . In the morning she sits next to the bed untill we tell her she can come up and then she lays on her back right between us and snuggles in hehe. She is high energy but with her 3 walks a day and a trip to the dog park plus all of the playing she is usaly actualy pretty mellow (if she dosnt get her walks and so on she can be pretty crazy). We also do a lot of training with her she goes to training classes once a week and we work with her every day. During the winter (we live in WI) we take her dog sledding as often as we can with some friends of ours. Back to the training for agility yes a husky can do agility but again it probably depends on the husky Akira loves training but I have heard of a lot of huskies being bull headed but if it is fun they usaly enjoy it. Akira dosnt seem to chase small animals like a lot of other huskies do I do not know if it has something to do with her best friend and fur brother being a tiny dog or what. She how ever likes to chase and bark and woo at birds untill they fly away then she just turns around and does something else. A husky should never be trusted off lead though. Even with all of Akiras training we still do not trust her off lead unless we are at the fenced in dog park. In our own yard we do not let her off the lead she is on a tie out becuase some of our fence is only 4ft high. You should have a fance that is at least 6ft tall we are going to be getting an 8ft fence next spring. Do a lot of research on the breed befor you get one if you are prepaired for all of the ups and downs of owning a husky then the downs will not be a big deal. It is the people that get a husky pup because they are soo cute and do not know what they are getting into that end up taking them to shelters because they can not handle the down sides. Also relize that huskies chew anything and everything more so when they are still puppies. They can also be very mouthy(put their mouths on everything and everyone) they need to be taught when it is okay and when it hurts if they are not taught properly they will bite and it will hurt but they do not relize that they are hurting you. Trust me husky puppy teeth are very sharp! I would recomend checking out some shelters near you (even if you are going to get a puppy) and hang out with a husky for a day. Go to the library and take out some books. Make sure you have money saved up for the new puppy incase of an emergency. Make sure your whole family is prepaired for the husky. Also for the blowing of the coat. We have had Akira since April 17 2009 and we have spent way over $5,000 on her and that is not includeing the things that she has chewed. I would not change that for the world but not every one is the right type of person to be owned by a husky. You are doing the right thing by researching. Good luck! If you and your family decide a husky is right for you then congrats! Your life we not be the same because life is not the same with out a husky ! (Sorry for spelling mistakes and jumping around a lot I had a lot I wanted to say and I need to get to bed its almost midnight lol)

[jayjay060708]

Thought I should also quick add that I see your from the states and we feed Akira Taste Of the Wild its a great food and its grain free google it to find out more. Akira does great on it and we get her a diffrent flavor every month and she never gets sick from it like she did from most foods. It is very high quality for a good price.

[valkyries]

1) How well do Huskies get along with other dogs?

We've got one other dog, who's a pretty chillax guy so long as he isn't annoyed. We're probably getting a puppy, so is it possible to teach the puppy to leave him alone, or should we let the resident dog take a few nips at the puppy so he gets the idea? I don't want anyone getting hurt.

If your getting a pup they will be fine as the pup will grow up with your other dog and learn fromhim.

2) Would it be better to get a male or female?

Which ones are more relaxed? I know females tend to be smaller, but are they calmer? I know it depends on the dog, but if one gender tends to be more relaxed than the other, I'd like to know.

As in all breeds you just don't know, i have 2 boys and a girl in my pack, it's one of the boys thats more relaxed, but i have friends who's girls are. I think it has a lot to do with the invironment they grow in if the household is calm the dogs are, but not true of all.

3) So I've heard that they've got quite a bit of energy. Are they good at agility, and would that be a good outlet for their energy?

I've always wanted an agility dog! We probably wouldn't compete, and even if we did, it'd just be local things, so if they can't perform super awesomely, that's no concern. I just want to jump over fences with my dog, lol. Of course, if we get a puppy, I WON'T make the puppy do agility or anything.

Any dog can ne tought any thing, husky's are extreanly cleaver but at the same time can be so stuborn lol as for energy yes they have lots of and can be very distructive if this energy is left to build, or if they are board they need mentle stimutalion as well as pysical. They need to be walked daily on lead, never let a husky off lead unless in a secure area, they will run if something catches their eye and you wont catch them.

4) Slightly unrelated question, but I've heard they have a high prey drive. We have a couple squirrels living around us, and is there a possible way to keep the squirrels out of our backyard (where the Husky will hang out some of the time) so that the dog doesn't try to go after them/kill them?

Resident dog killed a squirrel a few years back and tried to bring it into the house, and it was nasty. I figure some of you guys might have had squirrel problems, so I thought it was worth an ask.

lol a husky as a very high pray drive that kicks in round about 1 year to 18 month, if they want it and catch it chances are they will kill it. as for keeping the squirrels out of your garden i don't know, hopefully seeing the dog will put them off but don't bank on it.

5) Are they affectionate?

I've heard they can be pretty aloof, but if we invite it to snuggle on the couch will it gladly join us, or would it prefer to stay on the floor/leave the room?

Again this is an indevidual thing two of mine will cuddle up but one wont, some like their own space and will lay on the floor or in their crate.

Whew. Sorry these are kind of weird questions, but I want to make sure I've got all my bases covered. Even if some of you can only answer one question, that's still a big help! =)

[KSNS]

There is nothing i can say that is not here. But the squirrels wont be around for long with a husky their prey drive is second to none.

But im so impressed with the questions one thing you will learn is what questions you never think to ask as every single husky is different neither male nor female can be genralised every dog owner will say their dog has unique personality well they have never had a husky every single one is differnt.

You say yo want an agility dog they are not the same most agilit dogs run along teh owners weaving in an out firstly ur husky will not run laong side you unless on harness they will be infront you taking you lol 2ndly if you run a husky on an agility course where it needs to be off harness no only will it run infront of yo it will run away from you an make for nearest exit 80% of the time though as i said they are not al like that but a seriously high majority are.

Mine went through a very destructive stage caused a ot of damage but is now a dog i could not live with out she is my baby :-)

Again loving the home work

Good luck :-)

[SarahNukka&Shadow]

1) How well do Huskies get along with other dogs?

We've got one other dog, who's a pretty chillax guy so long as he isn't annoyed. We're probably getting a puppy, so is it possible to teach the puppy to leave him alone, or should we let the resident dog take a few nips at the puppy so he gets the idea? I don't want anyone getting hurt.

Its all about how you bring the dog up... if they're brought up well socialised with lots of different types of dogs then you wont usually have a problem... My girl has never met another dog she doesnt just want to play with!

2) Would it be better to get a male or female?

Which ones are more relaxed? I know females tend to be smaller, but are they calmer? I know it depends on the dog, but if one gender tends to be more relaxed than the other, I'd like to know.

Its all down to personality, when you go to see a litter of puppies just watch them play with each other before you dive in to say hello.. you'll be able to see pretty quickly who is more dominant, who is more submissive and who is more laid back and then pick the one that best suits your personality and abilities as a dog owner/trainer.

3) So I've heard that they've got quite a bit of energy. Are they good at agility, and would that be a good outlet for their energy?

I've always wanted an agility dog! We probably wouldn't compete, and even if we did, it'd just be local things, so if they can't perform super awesomely, that's no concern. I just want to jump over fences with my dog, lol. Of course, if we get a puppy, I WON'T make the puppy do agility or anything.

They all have ALOT of energy, and as people have said if you dont keep them busy they can get destructive... They CAN do agility but becuase of their stubborn and independant nature they wont always excelle at it... as Keith said you'd have to be careful about how you go about training maybe a really long training lead might help with this? If agility is what you want to do above all tho a REALLY good agility dog is a collie... they are just as intelligent just as high energy but they are more bidable to training for agility thats why if you ever see competative agility comps they will be mostly full of collies! Good workouts for huskies you have to look to what they were bred for, running.. they make awsome jogging partners, you can run them along side a bike if you like to cycle or you can get a scooter to run them infront of (although you shouldnt run a pup under a year old on any wheels just short little jogs to start with)

4) Slightly unrelated question, but I've heard they have a high prey drive. We have a couple squirrels living around us, and is there a possible way to keep the squirrels out of our backyard (where the Husky will hang out some of the time) so that the dog doesn't try to go after them/kill them?

Resident dog killed a squirrel a few years back and tried to bring it into the house, and it was nasty. I figure some of you guys might have had squirrel problems, so I thought it was worth an ask.

Again this is down to personality just how much prey drive they have mine will chase a cat or other small furry but only if it runs away where as some go into immediate stalk mode just upon seeing a small furry!! Either way they do have quiet a drive and thats one of the big reasons they shouldnt go off lead as chaseing the cat will be soooo much more fun than coming back to you!

5) Are they affectionate?

I've heard they can be pretty aloof, but if we invite it to snuggle on the couch will it gladly join us, or would it prefer to stay on the floor/leave the room?

They can be very fussy and affectionate but it is often on their terms, when they want a cuddle they'll let you know! But again this is alot down to personality.

6) How hard is it to teach them basic commands ("sit", "stay" and "come here" [and perhaps "shake hands"] are really all they'll need to know). I've read they can be a challenge to train. Is that true?

Basic commands are as easy to teach as with any other breed as far as Iv found but its all about finding out what motivates your pooch... if their a foody (mine will do anything for abit of cocktail sausage) then thats what you use as the reward if they have a fav toy then theres your reward for doing as you say... they can be stubborn and do go through a teenage phase about a year to 18months old when they might descide they dont want to sit on command but as long as your consistent with you training they get through it and are generally fine.

7) Do Huskies needs a specific diet (like, do they need extra protein or anything like that), or is it okay to just feed them a regular dog food?

They can be quiet fussy eaters and they can also go through phases of not wanting to eat, they can also have tummies that some things just dont agree with like alot of wheats and grains so you'll be best checking the ingredients of any food you plan to feed and making sure that the primary ingredient is pure meat and that its not full of addetives and fillers... or you can infact just feed them pure meat! My girl gets a mix of a quality wet food "nature diet" (not sure if they sell it in the states?) and raw meat... beef chunks or chicken wings mostly which she LOVES!

So their some food for thought any more questions throw um at us!!

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

1) How well do Huskies get along with other dogs?

We've got one other dog, who's a pretty chillax guy so long as he isn't annoyed. We're probably getting a puppy, so is it possible to teach the puppy to leave him alone, or should we let the resident dog take a few nips at the puppy so he gets the idea? I don't want anyone getting hurt.

ive got 3 dogs 2 huskies and a staffy x whippet we had the staff x before we got any ov the huskies n they all get on fine - when bings had had enuf ov blaze annoying him bings wud tell him off then go and sit sumwhere out the way or go 2 bed - blaze learnt that when bings told him enuf was enuf he then went 2 play with his toys

2) Would it be better to get a male or female?

Which ones are more relaxed? I know females tend to be smaller, but are they calmer? I know it depends on the dog, but if one gender tends to be more relaxed than the other, I'd like to know.

i have both a male and female - and ive found the male is calmer than my girl in the house - but outside skyla is better than blaze

3) So I've heard that they've got quite a bit of energy. Are they good at agility, and would that be a good outlet for their energy?

I've always wanted an agility dog! We probably wouldn't compete, and even if we did, it'd just be local things, so if they can't perform super awesomely, that's no concern. I just want to jump over fences with my dog, lol. Of course, if we get a puppy, I WON'T make the puppy do agility or anything.

once he is old enuf then i cant see y u cant teach ur dog agility - u can start some basic training whilst he/she is a pup making follow certain comands just start small and slow

4) Slightly unrelated question, but I've heard they have a high prey drive. We have a couple squirrels living around us, and is there a possible way to keep the squirrels out of our backyard (where the Husky will hang out some of the time) so that the dog doesn't try to go after them/kill them?

Resident dog killed a squirrel a few years back and tried to bring it into the house, and it was nasty. I figure some of you guys might have had squirrel problems, so I thought it was worth an ask.

once the squirells are chased by ur sibe they will learn 2 stay out - no animals come in our garden now if the dogs are out birds still come in the garden but only when they dogs arent out there - they have A VERY HIGH prey drive - they wont have it as a pup but as they get older it will start to come in - my girl skyla had her prey drive since we got her at just under 4 months tho - she stalks ANYTHING even beer cans and rubbish ppl have chucked on the floor!

5) Are they affectionate?

I've heard they can be pretty aloof, but if we invite it to snuggle on the couch will it gladly join us, or would it prefer to stay on the floor/leave the room?

our male LOVES cuddles - but we have always cuddled him from a pup so he is used 2 us grabbing him lol our female prefers having a quick cuddle and a fuss then likes 2 b left alone 2 sleep on the floor

How hard is it to teach them basic commands ("sit", "stay" and "come here" [and perhaps "shake hands"] are really all they'll need to know). I've read they can be a challenge to train. Is that true?

Blaze knows - sit, down, drop, leave, give, hug, sit up and wait and skyla knows - sit, down, leave, drop, sit up, and wait - we even changed her name when we got her from roxy 2 skyla and she learnt her new name within a day - just find a treat they LOVE have short training sessions - few mins at a time - as they get older u can increase ur time - and ALWAYS end on a high note - make them do a trick they no and give them lots ov fuss and praise and a treat - even if its a trick u taught them AGES ago and are workin on sumthing abit harder

Do Huskies needs a specific diet (like, do they need extra protein or anything like that), or is it okay to just feed them a regular dog food?

i personally wouldnt feed my dogs dog food it gives them the runs my 3 have raw and wainwrights puppy kibble - but it depends on the dog - sum dogs have more sensitive stomachs then others

hope this has helped

[Melli776]

Huskies are very active especially if they dont get to excercise enough. I dont know if there is a different in the activity level between male and female, at least our female Fia is VERY active. that said, we live in an apartment and we take her to the dog park every night after work and she does very well. For affectionate part she like to be close to us but its more on "her time" rather than if I try to cuddle her she may not be in the mood for that at all at that moment But at night when she is tired, she likes to cuddle next to us in the bed ( yes she is allowed on the bed ) We have a lot of squirells, lizards, frogs, bird etc and when we walk her she will chase every single one of them. But she has not yet gotten a hold on one.

She was our first husky too and we fell in love with the breed. it a lot of work, especially now that she is blowing her coat ... but so worth it

[taz291819]

From my experience, as long as you raise a pup with other dogs, he/she will get along with those dogs. I'll take my 6-month old pup over to my parent's house and he'll get along with all the dogs in the neighborhood, which can be up to 7 off-lead dogs in the front yard at a time. And these are dogs of all different breeds and sizes, ranging from basset hounds to german shepherds. Also, be sure to socialize the dog with other dogs outside the household.

Huskies have great agility. When play fighting with the neighbors 5-month old chocolate lab, mine jumps up in the air and twists his body (think of those scenes of great white sharks jumping out of the water while attacking seals on the discovery channel).

Squirrels can be a major issue. This past weekend (while visiting my parents), mine caught and killed 2 squirrels in a 3-day period. He didn't eat either one, just played with their dead bodies. I used a piece of cheese to lure him away, and disposed of the little critters. My folks were happy, because they actually have a squirrel problem. Like I said, he's only 6 months old, his prey drive hasn't really kicked in yet.

As far as food is concerned, I have no doubts that a BARF diet is probably the best, but a husky can eat regular dog food also. I feed mine dry Natural Balance mixed with chicken and rice. Chicken and rice is cheaper than buying canned food, or it is for me. I fed my first husky dry Iams, never had wet food, and he was just fine with that also. IMO, simply feed him/her the best you can afford.

[Chewbacca_&_me]

The others have already done a great job of answering your questions so Id just like to say hello and welcome.

Huskies IMO, are some of the most loving and wonderful dogs and they usually do make a good choice as companions

for other dogs and people. If you spend lots of time loving up to them and training them, they will def be happy to cuddle

and spend time with you on the sofa, just beware that once the sitting on the couch habit is started you may never get

them to sit anywhere else, hahahaha. Some will even talk back if you tell them to get down so you can sit down, lol.

[Sarah]

great replies peeps!

Welcome to the pack

[Jdarr2113]

I didn't see that this post was a "Considering" page. I'll repost elsewhere lol But ANYONE thinking about getting a husky.. DO IT!! They are amazing!!!

[persephona]

1) How well do Huskies get along with other dogs?

We've got one other dog, who's a pretty chillax guy so long as he isn't annoyed. We're probably getting a puppy, so is it possible to teach the puppy to leave him alone, or should we let the resident dog take a few nips at the puppy so he gets the idea? I don't want anyone getting hurt.

I don't have a lot of experience with this as I only have one dog, but I think it should be a combination of both. Any puppy should learn to leave other dogs alone if they are annoyed, so as long as things don't get violent, I would definitely let the older dog tell the puppy to leave him alone.

2) Would it be better to get a male or female?

Which ones are more relaxed? I know females tend to be smaller, but are they calmer? I know it depends on the dog, but if one gender tends to be more relaxed than the other, I'd like to know.

In my experience, females tend to be more affectionate and caring, but not necessarily calmer (well, not the females I've seen).

3) So I've heard that they've got quite a bit of energy. Are they good at agility, and would that be a good outlet for their energy?

I've always wanted an agility dog! We probably wouldn't compete, and even if we did, it'd just be local things, so if they can't perform super awesomely, that's no concern. I just want to jump over fences with my dog, lol. Of course, if we get a puppy, I WON'T make the puppy do agility or anything.

Some huskies love agility. Of course, you first have to train recall and some other commands, but except if your husky will be one of the lazy ones (yes, there are lazy huskies as well) agility is a very good outlet for their energy. I have only tried my dog on the ramps, tunnels etc. we have in one of our dog parks and he enjoyed it quite a lot. It's a pity those are all rusty and we can't really use them.

5) Are they affectionate?

I've heard they can be pretty aloof, but if we invite it to snuggle on the couch will it gladly join us, or would it prefer to stay on the floor/leave the room?

Ours usually likes to come up on the bed and snuggle, but sometimes he prefers to be left alone.

How hard is it to teach them basic commands ("sit", "stay" and "come here" [and perhaps "shake hands"] are really all they'll need to know). I've read they can be a challenge to train. Is that true?

Teaching the commands was the easiest part, what was more difficult was making him listen to them when we wanted to, not when he was in the mood. Training a husky can be challenging, but we also use NILIF and that helps a lot with getting used to obey the commands when told. They are very smart dogs and quick learners. I would also add to your list of basic commands "lie down", "leave it" and "drop it" as these are very important (especially when there is a dead squirrel in your husky's mouth :eek:). Another thing I think should be done with huskies is emergency recall.