Husky Questions?

Jeeper_Rus · 08-29-2006, 02:20 PM

Here in about 8 weeks I will be the proud owner of a cute little husky. I just have a few questions about huskys. First off do alot of you husky owner keep your dogs outside or inside with you? The reason I ask is because inside is kind of off limits for me because currently I still live at home and the parents don't want a dog inside their house.

So I have to keep him/her outside which brings me to my next questions. What kind of living arrangements do you have setup for your husky outside? And do you have other dogs to keep him/her company while your out at work? Lastly if you got it as a puppy how did you do it then just leave them outside or did you let them stay with you at first and gradually get them use to being outside away from you? Any help would be greatly appreciated I can't wait to get my lil husky home.

Curbside Prophet · 08-29-2006, 02:54 PM

How long will the pup be unattended during the day? What is the possibility of you and your family enrolling the pup in puppy school? If you did extra chores around the house, do you think you could talk your parents into letting your pup be an indoor pet? As far as outdoor arrangements, the space needs to be puppy safe...free from items that can be chewed and destroyed. It needs to be shaded, and you need to provide protection from the weather. It needs to be big enough for a potty area, and be escape proof. At 8 weeks, the pup can not be left alone outside, unsupervised, for long periods of time. I would not leave a dog outdoors unless I could trust it, and it had all it's vaccinations. Yes, the pup will need socialization around other dogs, but it needs to be supervised, and both dogs need a certain level of vaccination. I'm not a fan of keeping dogs outdoors, so maybe someone else can help you further with outdoor arrangements, and suggest an appropriate age for this.

Bonnie · 08-29-2006, 07:19 PM

We had our husky for 13 yrs, she was one of the best dogs we have every had. Although she loved it outside in the cold she didnt spend any extended time outside. One thing that you should be aware of is that Huskys are known for being escape artist! They can get out of ANYTHING! In fact if you ask most Husky owners where they got their dogs they will tell you that they either found them or got them at a shelter.
Its just my opinion but I dont think any dog should be left outside all the time, what would be the point in having a dog if they are never with you?
Bonnie

Jeeper_Rus · 08-31-2006, 09:02 PM

Well I dont think keeping him/her inside is even a question until I get my own place. Me personally I wouldn't mind keeping it inside but like I said above the parents wont have that. As far as how long would it be alone I work 4 ten hours I leave at 5:30Am and get back home at 5Pm. But he/she will never be totally alone because my brother has his hunting dog outside all the time. And when my husky gets grown up they will be pretty close in size. I already have plans to put up a 6x12x6 cage with a sunshade roof. The cage will be put in concrete so he/she can't dig under it. And I will put their house on the concrete along with their food and water bowl. And I do plan to install some kind of mister or polar pad(I think they are called). To keep he/she cool during the summer months. Me personally I have never had a dog live inside except for when I go to my girlfriend's home where they have always had their dogs inside. So I am getting use to the idea but that will have to wait until I get a home of my own. Which is probably at least a year or two away.

Bonnie · 08-31-2006, 09:19 PM

I see that you live in VA? Thats seems kinda warm to leave a Husky outdoors. The mister won't help their fur repels water. Is it possible for you to wait until you move? Or maybe consider a different breed? Please don't take what I am saying as judgemental I don't mean it that way at all I just think maybe you should do a little more research on the breed before you decide to get one. I just don't think a Husky will do well in your situation.
Bonnie

tirluc · 09-01-2006, 08:37 AM

i used to breed huskies and none of mine wanted to stay in the house for very long.....they were housetrained as pups and kept inside till about 4-5 mo, but about that time they started to want to be outdoors.....they were all brought in in extreme conditions but they had some of the best show coats on them because of the outdoors......be prepared for yours to "blow coat" 2x a yr and you can/will get another dog out of their fur when they do....also, as mentioned, they are escape artists...not only do you want their pen to be on the concrete slab but make sure there is mesh over the top and anchored down well.....the dog house(s) i had were custom made so that they could stand up in them comfortably but when they lay down they couldn't stretch out--they had to curl (which they generally do anyways) to conserve heat in the winter......

one of my bitches even had a litter in her house (which was a bit bigger for her as she was prego) during a blizzard......i had her in the house at first but she wouldn't do anything....put her out to potty, she went to her house and refused to come out so i just kept checking her.....when all 7 of her pups were born i brought them all in the house......but the doghouse was warm and VERY sheltered from the wind/weather...

kellymac · 09-01-2006, 10:13 AM

My parents have a Wolf/Husky mix. I think in the 7 years they have had him,, he has been inside maybe 10 times or so. He does not like to come inside at all. If we brought him in to visit, he would try to get back outside. He always has plenty of food and water, even though he only eats every other day. He is quite the escape artist. He has dug his way out of the yard many times. He always comes right back though. I think the only reason he does not like to come inside is because he gets so hot. He digs holes all over the yard. During the summer, he digs little holes inside the big holes. If you stick your hand inside the little holes you can feel cool air coming out of them. During the winter he covers the little holes and just has the big hole and he curles up in ball inside the hole and stays warm. He has a house, but he only likes to use it when it is raining or he is bored. Normally he just lays outside. My family is always outside, so they play with him all the time. My brother takes him for walks on his leash some too.

OwnedBySix · 09-01-2006, 12:11 PM

Why don't you just wait until you move out of your parent's house? If you want him to be an indoor pup eventually, you are going to have a hard time both wanting him to COME indoors, and doubly hard time teaching him how to BEHAVE indoors.

Unless a dog is working outside, I think it is wrong to go and get one if it is going to be kept outdoors. And as a little pup? They are SO suceptible to SO many things - I would not chance it. I urge you to reconsider - maybe look into a rescue dog that prefers to be outside.

Jeeper_Rus · 09-02-2006, 10:05 AM

Not to be mean or rude by this comment but isn't the Husky known as an outside dog after all they are trained to pull sleds in the bitter cold and they love every minute of it. To me it seems like mean to keep them couped up in a house when they really enjoy being outside. These dogs are masters of the cold and outside survival. Haven't you seen the movie 8 Below. Great movie if you haven't seen it a little sad at times but they stick it out and make through everything.