First time buyer

[LOUKA]

My daughter is about to graduate college and wants a Siberian Husky.I thought I'd come here and ask those that know,where to go and what to do.She is "fairly" responsible and should be able to be a good owner,I think.She wants a large type dark black or dark gray SH and we have been discussing the care and maintenance that entails owning such an animal together.We understand that buying a puppy may be good- by way of starting a devoted relationship together,but also that a older dog may also have it's advantages too,if it hasn't been abused,mistreated or is sick.She would like me to start training the SK-basically in just obedience behavior and than showing her what to do.I have a limited knowledge of dog training,but nothing formal.I told her getting a new dog is like having a child and will require a great deal of responsibility outside of just feeding and walking him,that this breed requires attention and brushing often and is much more than just another pretty face.I think she "gets it" ,so I'm asking here for any advice and or direction that any of you Husky owners may care to provide.We/she don't intend to show or use the dog in any "events",and the pedigree isn't as important as the temperament to us.I live in Michigan USA and have seen several SH around,as the weather here seems to suit them well,but I don't know where,or to who,I should be refereed to start considering buying one.Thank you.

[Smithy]

Huskies are beautiful, affectionate, loving but

They need lots of exercise

They are very clever, training daily is a must ( give them an inch, they take more than a mile)

They moult VERY heavily twice a year

They cannot be trusted off lead

They will destroy / chew things if bored

They are very stubborn

And most importantly........... you cannot stop at just one...

[Kaiya]

They are the best breed ever, just ask anyone here and they'll tell you. But with that being said, if she is just graduating college, she "might" want to consider another breed. They take a ton of devotion and time and those are resources that may be scarce for someone trying to forge a career as well.

[Kaiya]

Oh, and check out this thread http://www.husky-owners.com/forum/index.php?/topic/5891-to-husky-or-not-to-husky/

There is also one pinned to the top of this forum.

[Sarah]

Suppose it depends on what she's going to do once she finishes college. If she's going to be going out to work full time she will probably want a social life as well and having a sibe might make her feel tied down?

With regards to temperament as opposed to pedigree - the pedigree gives you a history as to the "family history" of your sibe so you can be sure that there are no health defects hip displacia for example.

If she can link up with anyone around her and get to see what is involved i think that would be good for her -although even better if she signs up here

Welcome to the pack - feel free to ask anything and everything

[Hock]

Flav, I'm in Kentucky so not to far from ya. The best place to start looking is on the web of course by going to the AKC website and searching for husky breeders. Theres another website called doggies.com i think that lets you search breeders based on your zipcode. Look at the breeders websites, call them, visit them. Ask questions and do your research. I joined this sight two months before getting my dog who i pick up next Thur and learning from everyone here and researching has proven invaluable.

[erikkj2001]

I am a firm believer that a person getting a husky for the first time should get a puppy. This isnt just for the bonding but also for the knowledge that the owner gets. Taking in a rescue can also meen having to correct behavioral issues and unless you know a bit about the breed you could really struggle. Here are my thoughts and other info on some other topics involved here.

Training

While much of the training can be done at home there is no sustitute for training with a trained animal behaviorist. This usually doesnt cost more and are affiliated with animal hospitals or vets. 1 on 1 training is ok but the dog also needs to learn how to listen with distractions.

Socializing

Most dogs need to socialize with other dogs. With Huskies, if they dont they can sometimes become animal aggressive or just plain mean. Dog parks and playdates are a must AFTER they have gotten all of their shots.

Breeders

Below is a link to a list of breeders hopefully by you. I picked a random MI zipcode(Cadillac, MI). Please make sure you check out the breeders and visit them before you agree to anything with them. They should ask you a lot of questions. If they dont it often shows that they dont care where there pups are going and are just in it for the money... not a good sign. However, If they ask you to send them a picture of the dog when it gets older that is a good sign... Other things to know is that a puppy SHOULD NOT be seperated from its mother or atleast siblings til 8 weeks of age, before then and they will usually have socialization problems. Im sure others will post what you should ask breeders. I know it has been posted on these forums before.

http://www.breeders.net/search.php?action=search&doglist_id=236&zipcode=49601

I hope this helps.

[Mazz]

If I knew then, what I know now, I probably would never have owned a Husky. Having said that, I would not have any other breed.

Our first one was a beautiful animal, but tore up quite a bit in the way of furniture, carpet, shoes. Escaped more often than I care to count. Jumped a five foot fence with ease, darted through a door that was only slightly open, in the blink of an eye.

Huskies are very smart, become bored very easily and then become very destructive, require a lot of human contact, have selective hearing - so once they escape, calling them is of little use. They have a very high prey drive, so small pets, cats, rodents are all fair game. They require a lot of exercise, more than many other breeds. Huskies have finicky and sensitive digestive systems - so many suffer from soft stools from time to time.

In the US, there are breeders that breed for the show circuit, there are backyard breeders, there are puppy mills, and there are breeders that breed for health and temperament. When we started to look for our second Husky, we looked for a breeder that bred for health and temperament. We found one, and Zoya has been an absolute sweetheart of a dog. She has not chewed one item of furniture, nor touched one shoe. She does, however, dig. Our back yard is strewn with excavations.

You are starting out on the right path. Check out the links provided above, and start talking with breeders. Some breeders will not take deposits until pups are born, others will take deposits the minute they know that puppies are on the way. I would avoid the latter. Any reputible breeder is more than willing to spend time to answer your questions, even if you decide to buy a dog from another source. It's not about the money, it's about the breed.

[wasp]

I don't know how up-to-date their info is but http://www.shca.org/ (sh club of america) should list breeders in your area as well.

[LOUKA]

I don't know how up-to-date their info is but http://www.shca.org/ (sh club of America) should list breeders in your area as well.

Thank you all for the rapid responses and getting directly to the point.I knew I came to right place.There is some excellent and informative advice here.I sort of thought that the "responsibility" would be even greater than I or she perceived.I expect she will need to come here and read all of this and start making some decisions herself;so I'll be sending her here.Thanks again everyone.

[Dunc]

We have a great team on here and from everyone your welcome to the advice given

[lynnmw1208]

A husky is the first dog that I have actually owned myself (instead of my mom taking care of a toy poodle lol) and I wouldn't have picked any other dog. They do require LOTS of attention with walking, playing and petting. Also food choice is a huge thing too. We had problems with a sensitive stomach as many on here have had and eventually ended up buying Wellness dog foo (one of the top brands).

As for behavior, puppy training is a GREAT way to start bonding and getting basic etiquette down. Not only are they smart, but they LOVE working their brains. I also believe that destruction behaviors and escaping depend on the dog's personality and how much you can watch them. Pongo has never chewed a single piece of furniture, shoes or anything else that belongs to us. He's only had a couple of accidents in the house (some were our fault) and he's the most friendly dog I've ever known. When you pick one out of the litter make sure you pay attention to personality more than color. They are all beautiful in their own way, but if you'd rather have a more laid-back dog, then don't pick the one that is mounting other littermates and such. Also make sure you can turn them on their back and can touch their paws, this is a sign with submission and a dominant dog will not like it much. we wanted a red husky and ended up with a diluted black and white because of his personality Another great thing is to buy the book huskies for dummies and once you're done with the book decide whether this is the dog for you. That book helped me soooo much with what to expect with a husky Good luck to ya!

[ice]

the only dog i ever wanted was a husky, i now have 3 under a year old

[AngieK9]

Good luck. There's lots of information on here:

http://www.siberianhuskyclub.com/

and here:

**Link removed due to site rules**

Terry and Mick at SHWA are very helpful and know everything about huskies.

My first sibe Tishka was a rescue and was very quiet and gentle, walked nicely on the lead.

Our two boys don't, they are both very boisterous and full of mischief!

Saskia is very clever and does tricks and has her Kennel Club Goood Citizen bronze and silver, she does lovely heelwork. Will try to find photos.

[Marc]

Terry and Mick at SHWA are very helpful and know everything about huskies.

Nobody knows everything about a husky LOL

[Dunc]

Nobody knows everything about a husky LOL

No disrespect to Terry and Mick but am sure they will be the 1st to correct you, Marc is right Nobody knows everything about a husky

[SarahNukka&Shadow]

Well since you sound slightly unsure as to whether or not your daughter is up to the challege of a husky I would deffinatly advise that she needs to join this site and ask ALOT of questions before she/you start to find a breeder etc.

I think you actually put your finger on it straight off "Its like having a baby!" Accept its actually more of a challege as most shops and public places will let babies in and most people see babies and go aaaww; Most places wont let a dog in and if they do you will meet some people who see the dog and think "aaah big dog = DANGEROUS" So its actually tougher to socialise and such!

She has to understand that all dogs but huskies especially need ALOT of attention and if you leave them alone they will make their own amusement (Chewing your things, howling digging and trying to escape) So they have to be considered in EVERY aspect of your life i.e can I take the dog with me where I'm going? if not is there someone who can watch the dog for me? ETC

Also if she does deside she can handle the responciblity she needs to be the one that trains the pup or dog, as training is part of the bonding process and huskies in particular (as has been said before) can be very picky and stubborn, the person who spends the most time playing and training them tends to be "Their human" and that will be the person they pay most attention to and are more likely to obey so although you can help and guide I think it needs to be her that does the training.

All that aside if you and your daughter do get a husky you will find out they are without a doubt THE BEST BREED EVER!! They are smart and funny and cheeky and naughty and cuddly and beautiful and will never stop amazing you!! Welcome to the wornderful world of husky ownership your gunna have a blast!