siberian_wolf Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 Thought this may be useful for new owners. Information from the Siberian Huskies for Dummies book. Have put it into own wording and a few little bit I added too. If anyone else want to add anything or explain anything in more detail please do so Is The Siberian Right For You? Most people nowadays will look at a Siberian husky and think straight away I want one but this breed is not an easy breed to keep as many Sibe owners will say from experience and it is essential to research about keeping this breed before getting one. One factor of keeping a sibe require you to be a well adjusted and happy person and to be part of a stable family as if you are an unhappy person who is easily stressed and living in a n unstable family can lead to a sibe picking up on the tension and can cause many problems. These problems can be one or more of many problems such as: 1. Un trainable 2. Separation anxiety 3. Aggression 4. Socialization problems Many un-experienced dog owners, wanting a siberian, usually expect this breed to be as easy to keep as other intelligent breeds such as the collie, Labrador, etc, but this is not true. People who think this will find themselves in for a rather big surprise. The sibe is very much a free spirited breed than many other breeds. Intelligent they definitely are, without question, but this intelligence does not mean they are easy to train and keep. The sibe is a very sociable dog and they require a lot of attention. Being as friendly and sociable this breed is actually a disadvantage for this breed as they are easily stolen and they are also an escape artist, they are not guard dogs at all. They are very strong-willed dogs and this one reason why they are better suited to an experienced dog owner not a first time dog owner. However, it doesnt mean you cant have this amazing breed as a first dog, but you do have to know what youre letting yourself in for and what to expect with this breed. Many people may say that this is a very stubborn breed but being a natural sled dog they require to have perseverance and determination qualities to be good sled dog. Sadly, many people will go a get a siberian without having a sufficient understanding of their background. What is now better known as the siberians bad qualities, were actually vital components for dogs being raised in the arctic environment. These elements which make the siberian such a good sled dog can become more of an inconvenience when the sibe is transported to a very different lifestyle. If you are a prospective sibe owner, it is your responsibility to understand your future dogs heritage, and make the necessary accommodation for him/her. Never get a siberian if you have ANY doubts at all about owning this breed or general doubts about owning a dog at all. Luckily, the sibe can be very adaptable to many different situations. One part which could a big difficulty with a sibe is becoming a one man dog as they are definitely NOT adaptable to staying with one person. The sibe enjoys being a part of the family, which can be a positive for families with children. The disadvantage of this is they also like strangers, hence why they are not guard dogs. If this is what youre looking for then do not buy/adopt a siberian. Few sibes may alert you to someone elses presence but many sibes will just rather stand wagging their tail in delight of someone else if they know them or not. If you, like many sibe owners, an owner of two or more sibes you may find that the least dog-wise thieves may stay clear of your home thinking the sibe as dangerous, but if this is what they think, then they would be very wrong. Most people like this will think the siberian dangerous mainly due the sheer amount of noise they make when there is 2 or more. Many huskies do howl and they howl extremely load when they do, this is not tem being aggressive at all. In fact, they will be doing the complete opposite but this something you would be best to keep yourself and only tell friends or other family members that visit your home while your away or while your there. A small tip to take into account before getting a siberian is to make sure everyone else that live in your household want a dog and agree that the husky is the right dog for you as this breed is very family/pack orientated. Make sure everyone is aware about the difficulty of this breed as this breed can live up to 14 years or more, so you want to be more than 100% sure that you are able to keep this breed for this long. Many sibes end up in rescue shelters because many people dont do their research properly and do not take into account just how complex this breed can be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 Fantastic thread S.W added to rep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raindog Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 Following on from Siberian_Wolf's post, this is a useful online profiler so people can check whether a Siberian is a suitable companion dog for their lifestyle. (Thanks to Charles Mayfield for providing the profiler) http://shusky.hypermart.net/husky.htm Mick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siberian_wolf Posted February 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 Great link Mick, added to rep! Just taken the test myself. Filled it in as from the position I was in before we got Gizmo (i.e. new husky owner, no other dogs, etc) and it said the sibe was suited to me, made a great choice there ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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