Deciding to bring a dog into your home is a big commitment and should never be taken lightly. It’s a long-term commitment with both time and financial resources to be considered. Although dogs require a lot of time for training and exercise daily, they will also need food allowance and regular vet visits, and insurance to cover any unforeseen occurrences.
Choosing the right breed that suits your lifestyle is also highly advisable. For example, the Siberian Husky is a stunning dog, and many people love their looks and playful personality. However, the Siberian Husky is a high-maintenance breed, a high-energy, independent thinker, a Houdini-level escape artist, suffers from separation anxiety, and is not for the faint-hearted.
Do Your Research on The Siberian Husky
The Siberian Husky is, without a doubt, a gorgeous-looking dog with a great personality who gets along with other dogs and people. However, if a Siberian Husky lacks mental and physical stimulation, it will become destructive and escape to find its own entertainment. Often getting into trouble by getting hit by traffic, shot by farmers, or lost miles away from home.
The Siberian Husky is intelligent and can be trained easily using positive reinforcement techniques; however, once it has learned something, there is no guarantee that the Husky will agree to follow your instructions. The Siberian Husky was bred to be a thinking dog and will consider whether or not to follow your instructions. So if you are after a people-pleasing, blindly obedient dog, the Husky is not for you.
The Siberian Husky was bred to pull sleds over long distances and loves nothing more than running. However, this trait also means that if you don’t train and exercise your Husky and takes itself off for a run, it can end up miles away from home. Many Huskies end up in shelters being found wandering because of this reason.
Pros of Siberian Husky
It’s not all bad news, ask any Husky guardian, and they will tell you how much they love the breed, myself included. Here is a list of reasons why the breed is so special:
- Very friendly – The Siberian Husky loves everyone.
- Very curious – The Siberian Husky loves to explore and investigate.
- Playful – The Siberian Husky loves to play with humans and other dogs.
- Good-natured – The Siberian Husky was bred to get along with humans and other dogs.
- Energetic – The Siberian Husky has boundless energy and endurance.
- Intelligent – The Siberian Husky is a super smart dog and learns easily.
- Goofball – The Siberian Husky doesn’t take itself too seriously and will have you laughing daily.
- Beautiful animal – The Siberian Husky is very distinctive with its wolf-like appearance and piercing eyes.
- Clean – The Siberian Husky doesn’t have the usual doggy odor that other breeds have. The Siberian Husky is cat-like in its cleanliness, it grooms itself regularly, and its coat has a protective coating that helps it stay clean.
- Easily trainable – The Siberian Husky can be trained quite easily using positive reinforcement methods.
Cons of Siberian Husky
Having a Siberian Husky in your life is hard work and not all fun and games. Some qualities don’t suit everyone:
- Independent – The Siberian Husky loves people, but they don’t ‘need’ people to survive, and they know it. The Siberian Husky is not a people-pleasing breed; they are happy to do their own thing. They are the cats of the dog-world.
- Intelligent – The Siberian Husky is a very smart dog and will outsmart you to get their own way. They will look for weak spots in your home and garden as a possible escape route. They will train you as much as you train them! A bored Siberian Husky will become incredibly destructive.
- Obedience – unlike many other dog breeds, a Siberian Husky will not automatically trust you and follow your instructions; you have to earn its trust over time before it will cooperate with you. A Siberian Husky will not automatically follow your instructions; it will decide if it wants to cooperate with you. The Siberian Husky is not a people-pleasing breed and will cooperate if there is something in it for them.
- Energy – an adult Siberian Husky needs up to 2 hours of exercise daily. A plod around the neighborhood for a couple of hours isn’t sufficient, but it needs a chance to explore its environment and stretch its legs. A Husky with pent-up energy and frustration will destroy your home and become very vocal, disturbing your neighbors too.
- Singing – The Siberian Husky is a vocal breed. They chuff, huff, talk, and sing to communicate – most Husky people love this about them. However, a Husky who is left alone for long periods will often howl for hours on end, which can cause neighbors to complain or report you to the authorities.
- Separation Anxiety – The Siberian Husky does not do well being left on its own for long periods; some can tolerate a couple of hours at the most. However, this is often a problem as most people need to work away from home for at least 8 hours a day. Separation anxiety is a serious problem, resulting in destructive behaviors and constant howling.
- Shedding – The Siberian Husky has a luxurious double coat. It blows the undercoat twice a year, usually in spring and autumn. However, the Husky sheds throughout the year, but spring and autumn are when the fur really gets everywhere! It would be best if you brushed your Husky at least once a week and every day when they are blowing their undercoat.
- High Prey Drive – The Siberian Husky has a very high prey drive. The prey drive can be dampened through training. However, it is an innate quality that will always be there and can make it very tricky for the Husky to live alongside smaller animals and livestock.
- Training – Although the Siberian Husky can be trained like other breeds, it gets bored quickly. Training has to be kept fun and reinforced regularly with a Husky. The Siberian Husky will learn things, but it will be up to you to find what motivates your Husky to want to follow your instructions.
- A secure area – You will need a secure garden; it is recommended to have a 6-foot fence, often going down into the ground, as Huskies like to dig under if they can’t go over. You will also need to be close to a secure area where your Husky can go offlead to run.
Final Thoughts on The Siberian Husky
This article may sound like I’m trying to put you off from getting a Siberian Husky and that I don’t think the Siberian Husky is a good dog. However, nothing could be further from the truth. I love the Siberian Husky; I have a Siberian Husky and can’t imagine my life without her. However, because I love the breed, I wanted to highlight that the breed isn’t for everyone.
Many Huskies end up in shelters because people don’t realize how much work it takes to bring a Husky into your life. Having a Siberian Husky is a lifestyle. It takes a lot of work to train a Husky, find out what motivates a Husky, and exercise a Husky to turn that Husky into an excellent dog. As a result, there will be days when you question your sanity and life choices.
The Siberian Husky suits someone who loves the outdoors, spends a lot of time walking, hiking, or biking, and isn’t away from home for extended periods throughout the day. The Siberian Husky loves cold weather, so be prepared to spend longer outside in the winter. In the warmer weather, be ready to go out early or later in the day, so your Husky doesn’t overheat.
In other words, when you have a Siberian Husky, there is no day off. You will be out for at least 2 hours a day, no matter the weather. But if you are prepared to do the work, the Siberian Husky will reward you with much love, laughs, and companionship that cannot be equaled.
I hope you have found this article helpful.
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