Huskies in Oklahoma

[SJTiger]

I was talking with my friend today about huskies and their thick coats. She said that raising a husky in our hot Oklahoma summers would be cruel. That's a little disappointing because I was thinking about getting one for my next dog. I just hope that I don't have to move to Colorado to raise one. Haha.

What do you guys think? Is she right about raising them in certain weather.

[~Dixie's_Mom~]

I don't think so. I had a husky in Texas. She just never grew a winter coat, because she didn't need it. Her coat stayed really short and she never acted like the heat bothered her. She just had plenty of water when outside and when she was inside she layed on the cool tile floor in the air conditioning and was just fine.

My other two huskies I've had in Tennessee. Summers get 99-100F and winters get down in the teens, and they've been great. As long as they have access to the indoors, they will be fine.

[Sparrow]

Summers can be in the 80s in Alaska, so it's not like they never are in the heat. But they do LOVE the cold! It would depend on the individual. We have Alaskan Huskies (basically sport mixes) all over up here that are lean and thin coated.

[MandyPug]

Thought this said "hussies in Oklahoma"

Carry on.

[Lyzelle]

Yes, their double coat protects them from the heat and the cold. Without it, they suffer in both the heat and the cold. So don't shave them, and they will be fine with plenty of water and shade.

[milos_mommy]

Yes and no.

If this is going to be an outdoor dog, or you can only exercise him or her during the hottest part of the day, or you're looking for a dog to compete in hot outdoor events, then no, a husky is not a good choice, and yes, they can become overheated and uncomfortable in hot climates.

If you can exercise the dog (and they need a lot of exercise!) during cooler times, mornings or evenings before the sun is up, and provide the dog with an air conditioned or cooler area to rest during the hottest periods, it will be fine. They may need a little extra accommodating in the heat than breeds such as a ridgeback or hound, but there's no reason it can't be done.

[SJTiger]

"Hussies in Oklahoma" haha. The problem with OK weather is that you don't really know what it's going to be like any given day. We've had an unusually warm fall/winter so far.

[monkeys23]

My sled dog mutt lives for sunbathing in the 90-100 degree summer weather here in Idaho. She's such a weirdo, love her! LOL

The solidly 75% GSD sled dog mutt on the other hand is very much a cold weather girl. She has the long stock coat (aka lots of feathers and her butt and tail kinda fro because of her dash of husky in her makeup lol) and my other dog has a standard GSD/husky type of coat. Anywho Scout lays in the shade while Lily sunbathes lol.