We have just rescued a Siberian Husky puppy and I have no experience with them. I have read up on them and they see like good loyal pets, but very active, which is fine. How should I introduce my Golden (who is very attached to me and very jealous of everone) to this new puppy? What is the shedding going to be like??

By Boxzgrl on Monday, April 14, 2008 - 11:46 am:

Siberian Huskies are great, yet stubborn dogs. They are very loyal but they are VERY well known for their howling, digging, running and being escape artists. Dog training is an absolute must to having a well behaved husky. That said, with training I think they are one of the best breeds to own. I want another Husky but I can't seem to "replace" my dog that passed away in 2006 quite yet. That's why I got a Bichon instead. LOL

They shed all year long, worse when they start shedding their winter coat. I vacuumed twice daily with my husky. A good fish oil supplement can help with the shedding but only minimal. It will help keep a shiny, soft coat though.

As far as introduction, the first thing that I would say is to pay more attention to your golden than the husky so she/he doesn't feel replaced by the new puppy. It's a gradual process but I think dogs generally do well overall with getting a new family member.

By Jtsmom on Monday, April 14, 2008 - 01:50 pm:

Thanks alot! I am worried about the shedding, but hopefully everything will be fine. He will be an indoor dog so the digging will not be a problem or the escaping (I hope). I am really excited about getting him. He will be 6 weeks old next week.

By Ginny~moderator on Monday, April 14, 2008 - 05:54 pm:

Huskies are not - repeat NOT - indoor dogs. They are indeed beautiful, and have loveable natures. They are also working dogs, and generally need lots and lots of exercise. They also tend to challenge to sort out who is Alpha in the household heirarchy. Here's a site where you can go through a questionnaire to see if you should get a Husky. Husky Here is one comment from that site: Siberian Huskies will TOLERATE some unintended mistreatment from a child. They may not put up with typical child handling such as pulling of ears, tails, etc., or taking or "sharing" of the dog's bones, food, toys, etc. Siberian Huskies may not be recommended for households with children under the age of six unless you are previously experienced with this type/size of dog.

Please understand - I think Huskys are beautiful dogs and I know people who have them. They are wonderful pets, but require a lot of exercise and attention. They are beautiful, and their eyes and smiles/grins are very hard to resist.

You should seriously consider crating a Husky if you are going to be away from home - my bored Rotty just climbs on the couch and sleeps; bored Huskies can find lots to entertain them, and it can include tearing pillows apart, pulling things off of shelves to chew, etc. They are big, strong, and can knock a child over with overwhelming affection. They are very protective of their food. As the comment from the site says, they are more prone than many other breeds to snap if an ear is pulled or an eye poked. With another dog already in the house, you will have to monitor both dogs very, very carefully until they have sorted out who is alpha, and as the Husky pup grows you can expect challenges to your Golden.

Mostly, they are very much working dogs, and need lots and lots of exercise. A well fenced yard or run is a necessity, and you can expect a Husky to dig, dig, dig.

I appreciate that you have already given your heart to this pup. But, I strongly suggest that you think hard, several times, about adopting a Husky, especially if you expect this Husky to become an indoor dog.

By Cat on Monday, April 14, 2008 - 10:17 pm:

We had a Husky/Wolf hybrid when we lived in Panama named Nakita. We shipped her to my brothers and she lived with each of them for a few years until about 3 years ago when she got sick and we lost her. She was an AWESOME dog! Very smart, very stubborn, and an accomplished escape artist! lol If she saw a door open one inch she'd take it! My oldest brother's back door opened easily and she actually figured out how to lean on it "just so" and it'd open. We got her at 8 weeks and child trained her right away--pulling on her ears and tail, grabbing the inside of her legs, etc--because the boys were only 1 and 3 and we didn't want her being aggressive towards them. We also kennel trained her for when we were out of the house. Otherwise she'd tear things up. She was great about it though and learned quickly where to go with just the word "Kennel". She saw the kids as part of her pack and would play with them as if they were other puppies. That did include her mouthing them, so we had to be careful when they wore sleeveless shirts or none at all. Puppy teeth are sharp! She shed all the time!!! They do have two shedding seasons a year though, usually late spring and early fall when she'd REALLY shed! lol She was also a jumper. Four foot fences were nothing for her. I'd say to be safe have at least 6 feet or even higher. We have neighbors with Malamutes right now and they have a 5 foot fence that they were jumping. They ended up burying one of those wireless electric fences about 6 feet in from the other fence. Huskies do need daily exercise or they'll find something to do. Nakita used to "talk" to us, and we'd call her Chewbakah. It was really cool. We always said if a dog could be ADHD, she was! lol She had SO much energy. Remember the big dogs are puppies for at least 2 years. Nakita never dug, but I've known lots of Huskies that did. She loved to go outside, but she was definitely an indoor dog. I think your pup can be a great family pet with the right training and expectations.

By Karen~admin on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 - 07:13 am:

Ditto Melissa and others. My sister owned a pure bred Siberian Husky, Tasha, and after years of the dog escaping and roaming, she gave her to someone who owned a LOT of land; this was actually where her dog roamed to in the first place. I remember it nearly breaking her heart. They have 2 coats and shed constantly. And yes, they are stubborn. They ARE just beautiful animals though, aren't they? :-) My dog is part husky and I am SO OVER her 24/7/365 shedding.

"I appreciate that you have already given your heart to this pup. But, I strongly suggest that you think hard, several times, about adopting a Husky, especially if you expect this Husky to become an indoor dog." Those are my sister's exact words too.

By Jtsmom on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 - 08:01 am:

I am glad to be getting both sides of a Siberian Husky. I am definately more concerned now, but I am thankful he is a puppy, so maybe I can child train him right, my kids are about to be 4 and 8 so they are through with the pulling and poking of animals stage, thank goodness. Plus they are use to dogs, since we have a Golden and a Shih-tzu. I am now worried about him escaping, our fence is only 4 feet tall, I will have to make sure he gets plenty of walks in during the day. (which will be good for me too!!) I will try to post pictures when we get him. If I figure out how. I have been here for about 7 yrs and still haven't posted a picture

By Karen~admin on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 - 08:15 am:

Well, let your first pic be of your husky!

By Tink on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 - 09:36 am:

We had a husky for about 18 months and it wasn't a good fit for our family. She ended up being extremely protective of anything she decided was hers and would growl and snap at anyone that came near. She would charge the door whenever anyone came in or out and got out so many times. We have a 6 1/2 foot fenced-in yard and she still managed to escape a few times. She was very territorial and wouldn't tolerate strangers coming over and everyone but immediate family was a stranger in her opinion. She stole food off counters, off plates and out of people's hands. Actually, digging is one of the only problems we didn't have with her. We spent a lot of time researching the breed and spent so much money on classes and training sessions and it never made any difference in her behavior. After having her, everyone we talked to about huskies said her traits were common for the breed and, if we were wasting our time and money when it was obvious the first couple of rounds of classes weren't "taking". We ended up calling her breeder and she was able to place her with a family that had another one of her littermates but we've heard that she had a lot of trouble adjusting to her new home and isn't happy there, either.

I still love the breed and think they are beautiful dogs but I STRONGLY urge you to think it over. They can be difficult to give the time and energy they need when you have a family and other obligations. If you do get him, Good luck!

By Ginny~moderator on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 - 10:53 am:

And don't, please don't consider an electric fence unless it is well inside a regular fence of some height, like Cat's friend. One of the problems with electric fences is that a dog will, when excited, dash past the electric fence, but because the dog knows it hurts, will be reluctant to pass through it again to get home. In the last month I have twice rescued the same charming Golden, whose owners have an electric fence, and from what the owners say when they pick him up, he very frequently dashes out of the yard, and then wanders around the area, often crossing busy roads, trying to make friends at the gas station (which is where I have picked him up twice), etc. Scott is beside himself trying not to tell these people what he thinks of them when they pick Bailey up. They don't want to get a standard fence for any part of their yard because of the appearance - they should think about the appearance of a dog hit by a car.