The Siberian Husky was once only found in Siberia, living with Chukchi tribes where its sled pulling skills made it a popular dog. Now huskies can be found as pets in homes around the world.
The Siberian Husky is a powerful and energetic breed, and some say quite stubborn. Is it a dog that makes an ideal pet?
As long as they are responsibly trained, Siberian Huskies are rewarding pets. They get along with other dogs and behave well around children, though careful supervision is always recommended. Huskies do have a high prey drive and may pose a danger to smaller pets so this is something to bear in mind at all times.
If you are an energetic person looking for a dog to take on long hikes or runs every day then a Siberian Husky would be great for you, but its high-energy levels mean it’s not the ideal pet for everyone. In
What Constitutes a Good Pet?
Everyone has their own agenda when choosing a dog as a pet and so branding a particular breed as a”good pet” is not an easy task. People have various reasons for wanting a dog and have a variety of expectations of one.
Bear in mind, the results in this table are generalizations. A Siberian Husky inherits its basic temperament from its parents. How it is raised and trained will have a huge effect on its personality, nature, and behavior.
Siberian Huskies Are Gentle
These dogs are sturdy and remain calm around boisterous children. They are tolerant of noise, attention, hugs,
A word of warning – Siberian Huskies are not gentle with cats unless they are raised with them. They can’t resist the temptation to chase and seize any fleeing creature so make sure you keep any other small pets securely out of their reach.
Siberian Huskies Are Good Company
Siberian Huskies thrive on human company and hate to be left alone. Your house is in danger if you go out for any length of time as often a Siberian Husky will fret, get bored and destroy your stuff.
They will chew up most things (even walls), un-stuff sofas, tear up plants, the list is endless. Some owners crate their dogs as a precaution and find they respond well to this.
They also do well in pairs and this is something to seriously consider – after all, they are a pack animal. Being raised with a sibling is ideal and will prevent loneliness.
Siberian Huskies Are Friendly With Strangers
If you expect a Siberian Husky to be a good guard dog, you might be disappointed. This breed is not naturally aggressive towards anyone, not even a stranger.
Huskies often make strangers feel welcome. On the other hand, one can make a good watchdog and will bark or howl at anything it deems unusual on its territory. This would probably be enough of a deterrent to any would-be intruder.
Siberian Huskies Are Tolerant of Other Dogs
Siberian Huskies are generally sociable with other dogs and do well in multi-dog homes. They are also fine when they meet other dogs when out of the home.
Many owners of German Shepherds like the idea of having a husky too so it’s wise to find out how well Huskies and German Shepherds get along.
Siberian Huskies Are A Challenge To Train
Siberian Huskies are renowned for being one of the hardest breeds to train. As pack dogs, they follow a leadership order and are often strong-willed, stubborn and independent.
If you treat a Siberian Husky as an equal you will find it very difficult to get it to obey you. Therefore, you have to ensure it knows you’re the boss from the start. Training a puppy is easier as it will not have any learned behavior.
If you’re wondering if a Husky will chew your furniture, your not the first to consider this.
Siberian Huskies Are Not Aggressive
Siberian Huskies are not aggressive towards people if they have been socialized properly from puppies. The same goes for their behavior towards other dogs.
As long as they are socialized with other dogs from a young age they will be tolerant of them. Puppy classes are the ideal place to give them controlled exposure to plenty of other dogs.
If other dogs make a Siberian Husky nervous and agitated, it might display aggression as a protective reflex.
Siberian Huskies Are Playful
A Siberian will play fetch for hours and never seems to run out of energy. But it’s only safe to do this in an enclosed space where it can’t suddenly take off which Huskies are prone to do.
They are ideal if you have children who are happy to amuse them in this way. See the reviews and video for these excellent, durable Fetch Balls on Amazon.
Siberian Huskies Are Good-Natured
They are good-natured breed, always ready to receive attention or accompany you on a walk or a run. They thrive well in busy, bustling families, especially if there is always someone around.
What Makes A Good Siberian Husky Owner?
So, Siberian Huskies can be good pets but can you be a good owner? They require dedicated owners who will bring out the best in them.
A Siberian Husky needs to know who’s the boss and needs to be consistently trained from the start. Training isn’t a 15 minute a day thing with one of these dogs, it’s a lifestyle thing, ongoing.
A Siberian Husky seems to have the ability to decide when it will and will not obey and as an owner, you will have to establish how best to motivate your dog.
For instance. offer a treat but only when your dog has accomplished exactly what you required. As you can’t ever trust a Siberian Husky off the leash you have to leash train it from a young age to prevent it from pulling as it grows up.
It’s a strong dog and you always need to be able to control it on a leash – walking a pulling dog every day is tiring and not at all enjoyable.
A Siberian Husky will require at least 40 minutes of brisk exercise every day. It will happily jog alongside you so is an ideal companion if you’re an avid jogger or a runner. The ideal way to walk a Siberian Husky is with a harness and this one has excellent Amazon reviews.
You can’t take a Siberian Husky to a field and let it off its leash to play fetch. One sight of something to chase and it will be gone and calling it back will have no effect. If a Siberian Husky has enough exercise it will be relatively calm around the house, if it hasn’t you’ll soon realize.
You can play with a Siberian Husky in your yard but if you want to leave it out there for any length of time unsupervised, you must be sure it can’t dig out or climb out.
These dogs are great escape artists so you will have to take measures to ensure your fences are dug in deep and are over 6 feet high. Siberian Huskies have been known to scale chain-link fences so these are not a good idea.
If you have to leave a Siberian Husky indoors alone for more than half an hour, its a good idea to put it in a crate. You shouldn’t do this for long stretches of time as it’s not fair on the dog, Up to 3 hours is the maximum, definitely not a whole working day.
Lonely Siberian Huskies are known to howl and this will make you unpopular with your neighbors unless you live in a secluded location. So crate training from a young age is a must.
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Another thing you will need to keep on top of is grooming. Siberian Huskies have a double coat and they shed relentlessly. Some owners recommend grooming every day to keep shedding to a minimum and to prevent matting.
A couple of times a year they shed their undercoat so you will notice a lot more shedding at these times.
Be prepared to hoover and sweep up hair regularly too. And keep a good supply of lint roller handy too – they are invaluable for removing dog hair from your clothes.
If at all possible get two Siberian Huskies as they will enjoy playing with each other in a way that can’t be satisfied by another breed of dog.
Many Siberian Husky owners organize play dates with other Siberian Huskies on a regular basis as it offers them the chance for pack socialization which is important for their mental well-being.
Is a Siberian Husky Right For You?
Having read this article, I hope you now have a better understanding of what owning a Siberian Husky involves. If you were wondering if a Siberian Husky makes a good pet, I think you can see one can – but it takes a dedicated owner to bring out the best in it.
So be sure you are up to the task before you make a decision to own one of these magnificent dogs.
Find out all there is to know about Siberian Huskies in our Complete Siberian Husky Guide.