» Site Navigation
2 members and 756 guests
Most users ever online was 47,180, 07-16-2025 at 05:30 PM.
» Today's Birthdays
» Stats
Members: 75,905
Threads: 249,105
Posts: 2,572,113
Top Poster: JLC (31,651)
|
-
huskies
anyone on here own a husky? i looking forward to getting a puppy for my mom tomorrow(IF things go my way) and i need as much info on them as i can. i bought a book on huskies and have been doing research on them so i know what to expect. anyone have persoanl experiences with them?
-
Re: huskies
Only thing I ever noticed about the ones I've been around is their amount of ENERGY. Holy cow, these things are worse than the energizer bunny. They tired me out. :P Great animals though, good luck! :)
-
Re: huskies
Huskies are high energy, and can be very hard headed and escape artists. They are so very athelic that they can learn to climb fencing, and sometimes will play deaf to any command no matter how much you've tried to train them.
They need loads of exercise normally, but tend to be pretty people happy dogs.
The coats are double coats and they shed LOTS, and therefor need a lot of brushing, and a bath is a big undertaking.
Unless your mom is ready for a large dog that requires a LOT of time, I would re-think it. If your mom is good with it, then make sure you find a good breeder, not a pet store or flea market.
Good luck!
-
Re: huskies
haha yeah thats what i've read/heard over and over. i told my mom and she said she's up for it. and for the shedding thing, at the petco where i work at we have a grooming salon plus we sell "The Furminator" (which is one of the best de-shedding tools) so shedding's not gonna be a problem. i saw an ad in the paper(more like one of my co-workers told me) that someone was selling puppies and i'll call them later and see if i can arrange a meeting tomorrow.
P.S. it's a surprise for my mom (more like early b-day present) so she really doesnt really know im getting her one ;)
-
Re: huskies
Two years ago I went out and bought myself a husky puppy as my first dog to raise on my own. Huskies are cute, playful, social with people, and CRAZY. At about 6 months my husky was jumping our 6-foot fence daily, running amok in the neighborhood, getting picked up by animal control, and stealing food and toys from the neighbor's dog. We tried the whole invisible fence with radio collar, which did not work. He also wanted to be the Alpha dog in the house, always challenging the 6-year-old intact male that had lived there its whole life. There were some pretty nasty scuffles. He also had separation anxiety and was very destructive. Tore up carpet, linoleum, the couch, stuffed animals... etc, etc. The best thing I ever did for him was crate train him. Ever since then, he has been much easier to live with. I would also agree that these are very one-minded dogs... if they have something on their mind, it is very hard to interrupt them. They're not overly territorial dogs, not good guard dogs, and usually very good natured. As far as shedding... unless you've had one, you have no idea what it is like. They pretty much shed the whole year except for winter. I have a Furminator at home, and yes, it works wonders, but even after brushing him for over an hour with it, hair will still come off when you pet him. Just be ready to vacuum... a lot. He is not fond of getting wet or getting bathed, but he is not horrible about it. It's important that he trusts you and knows who's in charge. He is smart and an awesome dog... and I wouldn't trade him for anything.
-
Re: huskies
I would say ditto what has already been said. These dogs are a challenge, and my first 8 months of ownership were quite rough.
My husky stopped returning to me when she was let off the leash and it would take practically a search of the whole neighborhood to find her. I have cried over this dog, felt powerless to train her because of her independence, felt confused and stunned by her behavior... and then, things changed.
Something clicked with her and me, and things are different now. I figured out how to work with her, and training became simple. They are very intelligent, and I found it surprising how loving and affectionate they are, despite the reputation as hardheads. I have to say despite my initial challenges, and her stubborness at times, it is by far the most rewarding relationship I've had with a dog, ever. It is worth the trouble they put you through. So don't let the negative things you hear stop you; understand what you put into this dog, you'll get that plus more in return from him.
This is my girl Roxie and my husky/rottweiler mix, Maxie:
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/b...louo/dopes.jpg
-
Re: huskies
Great and amazing dogs. My second dog was Jazz. A siberian husky. They have NO territory, they happily patrol as large an area as they can. Difficult to train yes, but possible. Jazz was my first ever obedience dog. We did 4-h, we did open obedience shows and then she came with me to my clients as an example dog when I was teaching dog obedience.
-
Re: huskies
well i called the guy and he cut me a deal with the price on one of the puppies. luckily they've had their first shots so no worries there.
but how can anyone resist a husky puppy?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1193696456.jpg
*note- that ISNT my puppy. i took it when a customer came in with husky puppies (i was supposed to have gotten one from her but she never showed when i asked her to so i moved on to someone else).
but tomorrow i get my own!! :D
-
Re: huskies
the only other thing i can think of that nobody else has mentioned is the fact that they're kind of 'one man dogs.' (at least my dad's and cousin's were) they get along great with everyone but will mostly only listen to their 'master.' also, not always very patient with little kids or other dogs. somebody please correct me if i'm wrong on this, though! my family always seems to find the odd ducks!
-
Re: huskies
We have a client who's husky died, and she rushed to replace her with the first one she could find, from an unregistered litter by a backyard breeder...the dog is psycho, unpredictably agressive towards humans, lunges and snaps when you put a leash on her, is agressive towards the other dogs in her house, and had a severly deformed leg joint that required a $1,000 surgery to correct. We are holding our breaths that the other leg doesn't blow out too, because she was a nightmare patient.
I have to say I really worry about a breeder who will "cut you a deal" on a puppy over a phone call. That throws up huge red flags...say, like he's not selling them as quickly as he'd hoped, and his get-rich quick scheme is not as easy as he thought. Good breeders keep them as long as they need to find the right home (but really, they never need to...they have waiting lists for litters). Minimum age a puppy should leave the mom is 7 weeks...backyard breeders sell them at 5 or 6 weeks, but 7 is crucial for developing good social skills.
Please...research the breeder as closely or moreso than you would a ball python breeder. As much as can go wrong with a snake, you can see 10 times that with a dog. Bad breeders do not deserve your hard earned money.
You want a breeder with hips certified by OFA or Pennhip, you want guarantees against genetic disease, you want a man who is proud of the dogs, who loves the breed, who can tell you at length how he breeds to improve the dogs...he should be able to point out the best and worst points of his breeding dogs, and tell you how the cross improves the lines. Also, he should not have puppies for sale and ready to go...good breeders have waiting lists. A friend of mine just put a deposit down on a puppy that hasn't even been conceived yet...that's the kind of breeder you want a dog from.
Take your time, it's worth it.
Backyard breeders thrive on impulse buys, the cute appeal, and the rescue impulse..."I couldn't leave her there, it was filthy!". You should -not- be on here saying "I'm buying a dog tomorrow, can anyone tell me about the breed?"...take a few months to do your homework and you'll have much less risk of complications.
If you are set on getting one for your mom, instead of a live puppy buy her a little stuffed toy husky, and give it to her with a card that promises you'll research the breeder together and find a dog that's a good fit for your family, and a responsible choice for the future of the breed.
|