We are looking at buying two Siberia Husky female pups as family pets. We have read that they have a tendencey to run away. As a result, my wife is concerned that we would never be able to keep the dog off a leash other than when roaming in our fenced in yard. Is it really true that, no matter how trained, Huskies should never be off a leash and is their propencity to run (ie. run away) so strong that it should deter someone from getting them? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.
Siberian Husky - HELP Please
- Thread starter JLRESQ
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Well first I would do some research about same sex aggression since you are considering getting two female puppies, added to that, please research how hard it is to raise two puppies at the same time.
I am sure someone with experience with Sibe's can answer your question. I had one as a foster and there was no way he could be off leash. Tried it before and spent the whole night trying to catch him.
I am sure someone with experience with Sibe's can answer your question. I had one as a foster and there was no way he could be off leash. Tried it before and spent the whole night trying to catch him.
I am not sure how experienced you are with rearing two pups at the same time but for the most part I do not recommend it.
The pups will bond with eachother rather than you.
Can it done? Sure it can be done but I find that few people have the ability, time, or patience to train two pups. Remember while there will be similar puppy stages to work on...(housebreaking, teething, ect) each pup is an individual and will require individualize attention and training geared towards its specific personality.
Puppies are ungodly cute and adorable. They can also be major pains in the butts. Unless you are really ready to deal with this then I highly recommend getting one pup to start.
In regards to letting a Sibe off leash, absolutely not in any circumstances their desire to run is tremendous and they can never be trusted to be safe.
Also how high is your fence?
Sibes are notorious escape artists. They have been known to go under, over, and even thru a fence.
If you get a Sibe please make sure that at the very least you should have a six foot privacy fence and for safety measure you will want to run something underground or at the base of the fence to keep your Husky from escaping by digging
Some owners run hot wire along the perimeter, others use wood or concrete at the base of the fence while others still choose to bury wire fencing underground.
You will have to do constant perimeter checks for holes in your fence or in your yard that a Sibe can escape thru.
Given their predisposition for being escape artists, along with their intense desire to run and their high prey drive I do not recommend leaving this breed unattended..then again I don't recommend any breed being left unattended.
The pups will bond with eachother rather than you.
Can it done? Sure it can be done but I find that few people have the ability, time, or patience to train two pups. Remember while there will be similar puppy stages to work on...(housebreaking, teething, ect) each pup is an individual and will require individualize attention and training geared towards its specific personality.
Puppies are ungodly cute and adorable. They can also be major pains in the butts. Unless you are really ready to deal with this then I highly recommend getting one pup to start.
In regards to letting a Sibe off leash, absolutely not in any circumstances their desire to run is tremendous and they can never be trusted to be safe.
Also how high is your fence?
Sibes are notorious escape artists. They have been known to go under, over, and even thru a fence.
If you get a Sibe please make sure that at the very least you should have a six foot privacy fence and for safety measure you will want to run something underground or at the base of the fence to keep your Husky from escaping by digging
Some owners run hot wire along the perimeter, others use wood or concrete at the base of the fence while others still choose to bury wire fencing underground.
You will have to do constant perimeter checks for holes in your fence or in your yard that a Sibe can escape thru.
Given their predisposition for being escape artists, along with their intense desire to run and their high prey drive I do not recommend leaving this breed unattended..then again I don't recommend any breed being left unattended.
OKay, here you go, and I urge you to please read these and listen to what they say. If I could go back I never would have got both of my puppies. It is a constant struggle and pushes me to my breaking point a lot.
Here are some links:
Living with Littermates
Raising Two Puppies
Leerburg (Please read at least up until Adding a Third Dog to the Family, but I also recommend reading the questions lower on the page) FYI, I do not usually agree with Leerburg, but on this issue I tend to.
Please, please, please read all of these articles (If you want more I can gove you more). Spending this little time reading these and thinking this through can save you many headaches and heartaches in the future.
If you have any questions or anything, please feel free to post them here or PM me, I would love to address them. I have done a lot of research on this topic after having made the mistake myself.
Ren
Here are some links:
Living with Littermates
Raising Two Puppies
Leerburg (Please read at least up until Adding a Third Dog to the Family, but I also recommend reading the questions lower on the page) FYI, I do not usually agree with Leerburg, but on this issue I tend to.
Please, please, please read all of these articles (If you want more I can gove you more). Spending this little time reading these and thinking this through can save you many headaches and heartaches in the future.
If you have any questions or anything, please feel free to post them here or PM me, I would love to address them. I have done a lot of research on this topic after having made the mistake myself.
Ren
From a racer of Siberian Huskies and owner of two the consensus is NEVER LET YOUR SIBE OFFLEASH IN AN UNCONTROLED AREA!! Uncontroled meaning no fence. I admit to having let my one boy offleash a few times but at the time there was about 100 people keeping an eye on him at all times. My other boy I don;''t even unclip the lead without first walking the perimeter of the fence to make sure there''s no escape spots because he will take advantage of it and GO. With the Sibes I work with there''s no way I''d let any of them offleash. Their prey drive is, to put it simply, ridiculous. Screaming kids, yapping little dogs, cats, birds, chickens, sheep, cows, horses, pigs, ANYTHING can be viewed as prey if not taught otherwise. Even after being taught sometimes a screaming running child triggers it though they've been taught otherwise. Why? Because it resembles an injured animal trying to flee (lots of noise, hysterical, flailing arms, etc). My two are very successful hunters and the thrill they get from a successful catch is what fuels them to keep catching. Yes they both are trained to leave something alone when told to thanks to sledding commands but it''s nothing to rely on. With OC I can trust him fairly well, enough to take a picture with him and a duckling without him hurting it, but any of the other dogs, HA! That''d be a dream only. Anytime a dog gets loose at a race everyone''s heart pounds in their ears as they hope to god it gets caught or else that dog will be long gone. My buddy once had two escape from his dog yard and the next day they were a few hours drive north and the people who caught them said they were just raring to go for the next leg of their "race." LOL They love to run and run they will if they ever get the chance!
Nearly all the Nordic breeds make pretty crappy off-lead dogs. If it is really important to you to have a dog that could be a trustworthy off-lead companion, I would strongly suggest you reconsider breeds.
As others have said, Sibes are incredibly independent animals- I would also agree that getting two pups from the same litter is a decision worth rethinking. Same-sex aggression could rear it's head once they reach maturity- and that's the ugly thing about it. Two girls that get along just fine as puppies may be completely incompatible by adulthood. Of course this doesn't fall true for many breeds, but it's a very real possibility in the Nordic breeds. And while there are people that can deal with it- they are those who have had years of experience in managing multiple dogs, or raising litters.
If you'd still like two dogs relatively close in age I would suggest getting one girl first. Focus on bonding with HER. Socialize her, take her to puppy kindergarten, go to obedience classes, and teach her to be a good canine citizen. *Then* get your second dog.
People often say having two dogs is easier than just having one, because they entertain one another and keep each other company. My adult Shiba "taught" my girl a lot of the house rules- her puppyhood was far easier to deal with than his, and she could've arguably been a little hellion in comparison to him (and that's saying something- Tai was a little nightmare in his own right!)
But it's a LOT more work when you get those two dogs from the same litter, and have to focus on house-training, obedience training, and socializing two animals. That's twice as much work, and as people said they WILL bond to one another much more easily than they bond to you. If you get just one at a time YOU become the pup's source of comfort. YOU become the pup's pack- her family.
As others have said, Sibes are incredibly independent animals- I would also agree that getting two pups from the same litter is a decision worth rethinking. Same-sex aggression could rear it's head once they reach maturity- and that's the ugly thing about it. Two girls that get along just fine as puppies may be completely incompatible by adulthood. Of course this doesn't fall true for many breeds, but it's a very real possibility in the Nordic breeds. And while there are people that can deal with it- they are those who have had years of experience in managing multiple dogs, or raising litters.
If you'd still like two dogs relatively close in age I would suggest getting one girl first. Focus on bonding with HER. Socialize her, take her to puppy kindergarten, go to obedience classes, and teach her to be a good canine citizen. *Then* get your second dog.
People often say having two dogs is easier than just having one, because they entertain one another and keep each other company. My adult Shiba "taught" my girl a lot of the house rules- her puppyhood was far easier to deal with than his, and she could've arguably been a little hellion in comparison to him (and that's saying something- Tai was a little nightmare in his own right!)
But it's a LOT more work when you get those two dogs from the same litter, and have to focus on house-training, obedience training, and socializing two animals. That's twice as much work, and as people said they WILL bond to one another much more easily than they bond to you. If you get just one at a time YOU become the pup's source of comfort. YOU become the pup's pack- her family.
I had a husky, rescued her at about 2 years old, and she was a typical husky. Most are hard to train, very dominant in nature. I have also heard they are difficult to housebreak if not started extremely early, and I'm guessing this was the case for ours because for as long as we had her she was never housebroken. I would NEVER allow a husky offleash because if they feel like running you could possibly never see them agian. They love to run and as stated before are WONDERFUL escape artists so you must be careful that they do not figure out how to escape from your fenced yard.
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As a owner of 6 huskies I can definatly say never trust the husky off leash. You can pretty much just say good bye. Or be in for a 6 hour long search through a foot of snow in the middle of the night when its well in the teens.
They will do anything to get away, not that they dont love you, its just in thier blood, its what they were born to do. Aurora can jump clean over a 4 foot fence, climb over a 6 foot one, break through a privacy fence, and dig well under one too.
Just make sure you do tons of research before getting one. As cute as husky pups are, they are tons of work, and they are NOT for everyone.
If you cant handle a very dominate dog, just say no.
If you (or any one in your family) are not very dominate, just say no.
If you cant handle a stubborn dog, just say no.
If you cant handle a dog with its own mind, just say no.
If you cant handle a dog with more fur then Saks Fifth Avenue, just say no.
If you cant devote to a dog that needs its exersize to be measured in miles, not minutues, just say no.
If you (or your neighbors) cant handle a dog that doesnt barks, but rather HOWLS, just say no.
If you cant handle walks in the middle of winter, through and ungodly ammount of snow in blistering cold, just say no.
If you dont want to be owned, just say no.
If you have a nice yard, nice house, and nice clothes, just say no. Or be prepared to kiss them good bye.
If you want a guard dog, just say no.
If you dont want a dog that can really truely roughhouse, just say no.
But if you can handle these "bad" traits, and a 100% positive you want a husky, go for it! They're a great breed,
They will do anything to get away, not that they dont love you, its just in thier blood, its what they were born to do. Aurora can jump clean over a 4 foot fence, climb over a 6 foot one, break through a privacy fence, and dig well under one too.
Just make sure you do tons of research before getting one. As cute as husky pups are, they are tons of work, and they are NOT for everyone.
If you cant handle a very dominate dog, just say no.
If you (or any one in your family) are not very dominate, just say no.
If you cant handle a stubborn dog, just say no.
If you cant handle a dog with its own mind, just say no.
If you cant handle a dog with more fur then Saks Fifth Avenue, just say no.
If you cant devote to a dog that needs its exersize to be measured in miles, not minutues, just say no.
If you (or your neighbors) cant handle a dog that doesnt barks, but rather HOWLS, just say no.
If you cant handle walks in the middle of winter, through and ungodly ammount of snow in blistering cold, just say no.
If you dont want to be owned, just say no.
If you have a nice yard, nice house, and nice clothes, just say no. Or be prepared to kiss them good bye.
If you want a guard dog, just say no.
If you dont want a dog that can really truely roughhouse, just say no.
But if you can handle these "bad" traits, and a 100% positive you want a husky, go for it! They're a great breed,
A lot of people will tell you not to purchase two pups from the same litter, BUT if you are experience and HAVE time for both the dogs individually - it isn't much of a problem.
Perhaps if your wite trained one, and you trained the other it would work out best.
We got both our Shelties from the same litter. Yes they are bonded to one another, BUT they are very individual when it comes to training time and listening.
You definately need time for BOTH dogs.
Huskies *can* be off leash, but ONLY if they have extensive training and even though you'd have to watch them like a hawk.
If they are just pets, why not look at the humane society for some Huskie mixes?
Perhaps if your wite trained one, and you trained the other it would work out best.
We got both our Shelties from the same litter. Yes they are bonded to one another, BUT they are very individual when it comes to training time and listening.
You definately need time for BOTH dogs.
Huskies *can* be off leash, but ONLY if they have extensive training and even though you'd have to watch them like a hawk.
If they are just pets, why not look at the humane society for some Huskie mixes?
my Addie is a husky mix, and I can tell you that the digging is a reality. she can dig a hole large enough for her to fit thru in an hour, so you would have to do the instructions for fencing as has been addressed. that digging may not be something you will be fond of in your yard in general either. she can dig up a chipmunk in mere minutes. Addie also runs.......and runs....so, nope I can never let her offleash. she is fast as lightening, too, so she is gone before you can register it....leaping like a deer thru the woods. she has to have tons of exercise, doesn't enjoy being indoors (even tho I insist she come in for as long as I can), sheds like you wouldn't believe in the spring (she doesn't look like she has much fur, but she has that husky coat in winter). she could care less if someone comes, so they are truly not great watchdogs. I don't know what she is mixed with, but I have experienced the husky traits. she is loving, but she has to be boss (of the 2 dogs, not us)...very much her own little strong personality, especially as she matures. I have friends that got a Sibe in the suburbs and quickly realized they really didn't have a large enough yard for the dog's needs. just some thoughts.
I have two malamutes from the same litter(my breeding) I can tell you it is very hard work, and sibes are very similar to mals in many respects, ALL serious siberian husky and malamute owners will tell you NEVER let them off lead, you may have a dog that is perfectly trained, will always come back, and then one day bam it gets it into its head to do a runner and that is that they are off, personally I would take no notice of people saying that they can be off lead (unless in a very secure area) because too many times have I seen well trained sibes/mals, all of a sudden take off for no apparent reason, and if there are roads about then the sibe/or mals do not stand a chance. as for two from the same litter, are you prepared to maybe keep them totally seperate from each other should they grow and no get on with each other? this is a realistic situation not myth, they can get on perfectly fine as pups and at a later date want to kill each other as soon as look at each other, also they need major exercise once grown, the odd walk round the block is defiantely not enough, if they get bored they will destroy your house/garden etc, they need constant stimulation.
Mo
Mo
Every once in a while you find a Siberian that can be trusted off-lead (Windy is one of them) but they're rare and it takes years of extensive training to create one.
If you don't at least have a six-foot fenced in yard, you might have a hard time getting someone to place a Siberian with you. When I operated my rescue, I did home checks. Unless the fence was at least six feet, and attached to the house, I didn't place the dog there.
Here are some typical Siberian antics....
Bolt through doors.
Kill cats, guinea pigs, ferrets, hamsters, birds, possibly toy dogs, livestock, etc.
Shed like you wouldn't believe.
Can be rather vocal.
Dig under, climb over, and chew through fences.
Be independent and have selective hearing at times.
Bust through screen doors.
Run around and around you, just out of hand's reach, when you try to get them.
When let off-lead in an unfenced area, they often bolt and don't look back. And they are FAST.
The Siberian is not for everyone. If you are interested in learning more, check out http://SHCA.org and http://SiberianRescue.com
Raising two siblings at once can be done, but I only recommend it to very experienced owners.
If you don't at least have a six-foot fenced in yard, you might have a hard time getting someone to place a Siberian with you. When I operated my rescue, I did home checks. Unless the fence was at least six feet, and attached to the house, I didn't place the dog there.
Here are some typical Siberian antics....
Bolt through doors.
Kill cats, guinea pigs, ferrets, hamsters, birds, possibly toy dogs, livestock, etc.
Shed like you wouldn't believe.
Can be rather vocal.
Dig under, climb over, and chew through fences.
Be independent and have selective hearing at times.
Bust through screen doors.
Run around and around you, just out of hand's reach, when you try to get them.
When let off-lead in an unfenced area, they often bolt and don't look back. And they are FAST.
The Siberian is not for everyone. If you are interested in learning more, check out http://SHCA.org and http://SiberianRescue.com
Raising two siblings at once can be done, but I only recommend it to very experienced owners.
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Reminds me of Ranger's antics last night. Dogs going crazy at 3 am, went out, there was a possum sitting on a tree branch! Well, dad knocked it down with a stick, and the dumb thing ran right tward Ranger. No need to play dead this time- he already was. One bite is all it took. Took us about 10 minutes to get it away from him.
Ahhh, life with huskies, isnt it grand?
Took us about 10 minutes to get it away from him.Ahhh, life with huskies, isnt it grand?