Siberian Husky Owners
- Thread starter czacza2007
- Start date
MalaSibe...do you have any dominance issues with your males? I have a 10 month neutered male black lab and am considering getting a Sibe in the next 6 months to a year. I am very partial to male dogs but was told to NOT get another male, especially if I was getting a breed like the Husky or Malamute. Glad to see someone who has a male of EACH of these breeds and would love to hear your experiences!
I have two male Siberian Huskies. Ronan is my red male and Oceano is my wolf grey male. I have many pictures of them up around the forum.
I also work hand in hand with a kennel of roughly 20 Siberian Huskies primarily used for sprint racing with a little bit of conformation showing on the side (just as something to do during the summer). I have been competitively sprint racing for 4 years now.
I also work hand in hand with a kennel of roughly 20 Siberian Huskies primarily used for sprint racing with a little bit of conformation showing on the side (just as something to do during the summer). I have been competitively sprint racing for 4 years now.
I've always admired the breed, but have been (I guess) warned off from ever considering getting one.
Generally (from those of you here with actual experience
), how are they with dog/dog introductions?
Dominance issues?
How intense is their prey drive - manageable, or once you have one is small animals or dogs out of the picture?
And what's their activity level like?
People I've rescued with have always told me not to get one when I've admired them from a distance. They said if I had a Sibe or some type of Husky or mix, it would be difficult to foster anything. Or that they were hyper, unmanageable, etc. I know that all dogs are unique, and I have a feeling this is all exaggerated info I've been given, but I'd love to hear from everyone on here who actually has experience with them. You can read books or websites endlessly, but actually experiencing it is different!
It's a shame - they're such a beautiful breed. People buy on impulse, and its usually a bad match and then they end up in pounds (after jumping fences or darting out doors?) or homeless, somehow . . .
Generally (from those of you here with actual experience
), how are they with dog/dog introductions? Dominance issues?
How intense is their prey drive - manageable, or once you have one is small animals or dogs out of the picture?
And what's their activity level like?
People I've rescued with have always told me not to get one when I've admired them from a distance. They said if I had a Sibe or some type of Husky or mix, it would be difficult to foster anything. Or that they were hyper, unmanageable, etc. I know that all dogs are unique, and I have a feeling this is all exaggerated info I've been given, but I'd love to hear from everyone on here who actually has experience with them. You can read books or websites endlessly, but actually experiencing it is different!
It's a shame - they're such a beautiful breed. People buy on impulse, and its usually a bad match and then they end up in pounds (after jumping fences or darting out doors?) or homeless, somehow . . .
Siberian HUskies are supposed to be very dog friendly. They are supposed to be able to be hooked up with any dogs and be compatble to work as a team. Also when other teams would come into the village there should not be any agression. Dominance fights happen, but it shouldnt be a blood bath. So in general, dog-agression is minimal to none (thanks to some backyard breeders though, yu can come across some Sibes with high dog-aggression and even human aggression which is NEVER supposed to occurr in the breed). Remember though, if we are talking about little dogs, sometimes Sibes dont see them as dogs but rather another furry mammal (like a rabbit) and prey drive takes over. This should not be confused as dog-aggression.
On average, Siberians are dominant. Not to the extreme as some breeds, but it is still clearly there. If they are not with a human that clearly lays down the rules and are consistant with them, they have no problem stepping up and are more than willing to run the show. This has happened in the relationship between my parents and the boys. My parents dont know how to be "top dog" so the boys have no respect for them. Luckily though, the Husky's immense love of humans keep things peaceful as well as me always over-seeing things.
Prey drive is VERY high in this breed. If you get a puppy and raise them around small critters you might get lucky in them seeing them as part of the pack however it really is a toss up. Some Huskies are so laid back that a possum could pass under their nose and they wouldnt even flinch. Others accept the kitties in the house that they grew up with but any other cat they come across is fair game. Others, like OC, have the rule that as long as it isnt a dog or a human its chatchable! And then there are others like Ronan that has such a high prey drive that even small dogs are considered prey.
Activity level is very high but how high tends to depend on what lines the dog comes from. OC is from show lines so 1hr walk every day (minimum) is enough to suffice for him but he is always ready to go beyond that such as running in harness. Ronan however is from racing lines so 1hr/day is just barely enough. He NEEDS work he CRAVES work he isnt happy unless he gets work.
These guys are not unmanageable at all, they just take a diligent owner who knows how to deal with dogs and isnt afraid to make some big changes in their lifestyle to accomodate the dog. For example, if the change is not made to accomodate the excercise requirements, it is not uncommon for a HUsky to literally tear a house apart, furniture and all LOL
On average, Siberians are dominant. Not to the extreme as some breeds, but it is still clearly there. If they are not with a human that clearly lays down the rules and are consistant with them, they have no problem stepping up and are more than willing to run the show. This has happened in the relationship between my parents and the boys. My parents dont know how to be "top dog" so the boys have no respect for them. Luckily though, the Husky's immense love of humans keep things peaceful as well as me always over-seeing things.
Prey drive is VERY high in this breed. If you get a puppy and raise them around small critters you might get lucky in them seeing them as part of the pack however it really is a toss up. Some Huskies are so laid back that a possum could pass under their nose and they wouldnt even flinch. Others accept the kitties in the house that they grew up with but any other cat they come across is fair game. Others, like OC, have the rule that as long as it isnt a dog or a human its chatchable! And then there are others like Ronan that has such a high prey drive that even small dogs are considered prey.
Activity level is very high but how high tends to depend on what lines the dog comes from. OC is from show lines so 1hr walk every day (minimum) is enough to suffice for him but he is always ready to go beyond that such as running in harness. Ronan however is from racing lines so 1hr/day is just barely enough. He NEEDS work he CRAVES work he isnt happy unless he gets work.
These guys are not unmanageable at all, they just take a diligent owner who knows how to deal with dogs and isnt afraid to make some big changes in their lifestyle to accomodate the dog. For example, if the change is not made to accomodate the excercise requirements, it is not uncommon for a HUsky to literally tear a house apart, furniture and all LOL
