File :-(, x, )
Pet? Anonymous
I have decided to get myself a dog, and to the right is my asthetically-based breed of choice: a siberian husky. Wikipedia says they're active, playful, but not without loyal and obedient aspects, plus they howl, and one too many times playing Zelda makes me think that's a good thing.

Thoughts/alternate breed suggestions?
Also tips would be nice.
>> Anonymous
>to the right
>right

Left, I mean. Damnit.
>> Anonymous
Huskies are nice dogs.

answer any/all of the following questions for alternate breed suggestions:
How often/for how long can you exercise the dog?
How often will you brush it or take it for professional grooming?
do you mind if it sheds a lot?
do you specifically not want a dog under or over a certain size?
Will the dog often be around babies/toddlers? young children? anyone under 12? old people?
how many hours per day will it be home alone?
do you have or want any other pets?
do you have a fenced space for it to run off leash?
have you ever cared for, lived with, or trained a dog before? what kind?
do you plan to take the dog to classes with a trainer? puppy class, basic obedience, advanced obedience, flyball/agility/tracking/etc?
do you want or dislike an especially smart(much harder to train!) or dumb dog? clingy or independant? calm or active? protective or friendly?
anything else?
>> Tasty Snakie. Anonymous
"asthetically-based breed of choice"

Keep that in mind at all times when choosing a dog, dogs are animals and need their free range time specially a husky, theyre sled dogs remember.

Fur, fur, fur,

Bark, Bark.
>> Anonymous
>>221601

Yiff yiff yiff
>> Anonymous
>>221592
Not OP, but I like Huskys
>>How often/for how long can you exercise the dog?
I guess an hour or so everyday sounds fine
>>How often will you brush it or take it for professional grooming?
every few days I suppose
>>do you mind if it sheds a lot?
I also happen to vacuum weekly
>>do you specifically not want a dog under or over a certain size?
no larger than medium size
>>Will the dog often be around babies/toddlers? young children? anyone under 12? old people?
No
>>how many hours per day will it be home alone?
8 hours I'll expect when I'm at work
>>do you have or want any other pets?
no
>>do you have a fenced space for it to run off leash?
Depends on what kind of place I move into in a few months.
>>have you ever cared for, lived with, or trained a dog before? what kind?
Yes, miniature poodle
>>do you plan to take the dog to classes with a trainer? puppy class, basic obedience, advanced obedience, flyball/agility/tracking/etc?
Should I? or can i do it myself by taking the dog around to visit people and places?
>>do you want or dislike an especially smart(much harder to train!) or dumb dog? clingy or independant? calm or active? protective or friendly?
I want a smart dog with an independent spirit that wont starve to death by itself
>>anything else?
what is the total cost of ownership expected to be?
>> Anonymous
>>221592
OP here, got bored watching this thread earlier, watched House and this thing about Stephen hawking on TV, but anyway, question answering time.

>How often/for how long can you exercise the dog?
An hour a day or so, several on weekends.
>How often will you brush it or take it for professional grooming?
I guess I could even go so far as to say once a day.
>do you mind if it sheds a lot?
I used to live with two cats. Those bastards molt -everywhere-.
>do you specifically not want a dog under or over a certain size?
I'm not bothered. Bigger than a large cat would be nice.
>Will the dog often be around babies/toddlers? young children? anyone under 12? old people?
None of the above.
>how many hours per day will it be home alone?
Up to 6.
>do you have or want any other pets?
No.
>do you have a fenced space for it to run off leash?
Garden with 2m high wooden fence. Sturdy though.
>have you ever cared for, lived with, or trained a dog before? what kind?
Never had a dog before, only cats.
>do you plan to take the dog to classes with a trainer? puppy class, basic obedience, advanced obedience, flyball/agility/tracking/etc?
do you want or dislike an especially smart(much harder to train!) or dumb dog? clingy or independant? calm or active? protective or friendly?
Basic obedience really, if it can understand the words 'no' and 'down' then I'll manage. I'd be happy to take it to a class if necissary to get that down.
>> Niggerhusky Guy !!2YW0PJZXbhy
Congrats, it's the first Husky thread in a while that doesn't have me cringing.

Let me help a bit.

In terms of grooming, you basically never need to take it to a professional groomer. Give it a bath every 3-12 months, comb it weekly, and you're shiny.

The exception? 2 weeks, twice a year, they will blow coat. Imagine a safeway bag full of hair. Almost every day. You might want to invest in the Dyson Animal Vacum. Expensive, I know, but so much hair during this time that most vacums will break.

The one who wants to vacum weekly might want to change it to every 3 days.

Huskies are awesome with kids, but as with any breed you need to supervise. Normally, a dog will bite because he feels cornered by the child. But most Huskies have a high tolerance for these kinds of things.
>> Anonymous
OP here, just thought of something.
I live in the uk, and while it's crappy and rains most of the year here, we do sometimes have decent summers, up to 30 degrees and maybe higher if we're lucky. Huskies clearly aren't so used to that, is this going to be an issue?
>> Anonymous
>>221635
Sounds fine for a husky. Taking it around like you said is great socialisation but you/the dog definitely will benefit from taking classes. If you keep its mind busy with training it's less likely to destroy your house... with being gone for 8 hours it's important that you have a variety of toys available (in rotating shifts– every week or two put out different toys so they always seem new) and the dog gets at least 20 minutes of good exercise before you go to work (the rest can be any time). Cost is really dependant on where you live so I have no clue.
Other breeds: there are lots of dogs that would work with this situation– Brittany, most sight hounds, smaller AmStaff, APBT, Keeshond, Sheltie if you don't mind the hair, or Papillon if you don't mind something tiny.
>> Anonymous
>>221606
You'll definitely benefit from taking training classes. The dog shouldn't have any trouble learning no and down but you'll need to teach it a lot more than that if you want to keep it sane and happy (learning to come reliably is also essential for safety), and a trainer will make sure you're developing the right sort of relationship with the dog. god that sounded wrong, i just mean that if you do not assert yourself as a (benevolent!) dictator the dog can quickly get out of hand. Huskies are not the most easygoing dogs like goldens and they may test your dominance a bit. For a first time owner it would be good to start puppy classes as soon as the dog is old enough, and since you have time on weekends the dog would appreciate hiking or doggie sports. The main thing is keeping the dog from getting bored and spoiled. Also they're escape artists so don't leave it unsupervised outside even when it's fenced. Other breeds that could work are most retrievers (less independant, but more trainable) except curly-coated and duck tolling, Keeshond, shorter-haired spaniels (due to breeding for the show ring, the amount of hair on a spaniel seems inversly proportional to its intelligence, and those things can get pretty stupid), Basenji (also essential to take to early training classes), norwegian elkhound, German shepard (make sure it has good hips, you may want to check out Shiloh shepards), american eskimo (either of the larger 2 sizes. The littlest ones are yappy marshmallows), Belgian shepard (any variety, and like the huskies you had better keep them physically and mentally exercised or they will destroy your house. But they're great dogs), and collies. You can probably make most of the common breeds work well for you, so picking based mainly on looks is probably not that bad of an idea.
>> Anonymous
The weather should be fine, I know several people who do well with northern breeds in the southern united states. You might have to do longer, slower walks, or multiple shorter walks, but as long as the house is comfortable for people and you keep the dog hydrated it shouldn't matter.


I feel obligated to say that breed rescues are a great place for getting purebreds, regular shelters and rescues are good for finding mixes similar to any breed or type that you might want, and never purchase a dog being sold at a pet store!


Also, sorry for 3 consecutive posts. Too long.
>> Niggerhusky Guy !!2YW0PJZXbhy
>>how many hours per day will it be home alone?
>>8 hours I'll expect when I'm at work

A bit much, but should be okay. Might want to think of getting a second dog one day. But it should be fine.

>>do you have a fenced space for it to run off leash?
>>Depends on what kind of place I move into in a few months.

I would not get a Husky until you are sure where you are going. They really need to be off leash at times.

>>have you ever cared for, lived with, or trained a dog before? what kind?
>>Yes, miniature poodle

Two breeds that are different as day and night. About equal in intelligence, but you would not think so. Lots of people mistake independence for intelligence. The Husky is significantly more independent. The Husky is content sleeping in the corner of the room away from you, but in your sight. Not, well, ON you. LOL.

So training them will be tricky. Pick up a few dog behavior books, even if you feel you have no issues. "The Other End of the Leash" and "Culture Clash" are two excellent books. It will help you understand why your Husky appears to not be listening to you.

>>Should I? or can i do it myself by taking the dog around to visit people and places?
>> Niggerhusky Guy !!2YW0PJZXbhy
I suggest basic obedience at the minimum, socializing them is really important. Most people don't fully understand how to socialize. But if you read the books I recommended, you should have a pretty good idea on how to do it and might be able to do it yourself. Remember, socialization period can last up to one year. The most important part is in the first few months, but they are still very impressionable for one year.

>>I want a smart dog with an independent spirit that wont starve to death by itself

Many people don't realize, and I don't want to sound condesending, but I hope you understand that by independent spirit, which Huskies are, means they won't do everything you want them to do all the time. If you are of the belief the dog should sit every time you say so, and take every little thing to be a heirarchy challenge, then Huskies are not for you.

>>what is the total cost of ownership expected to be?

Depends on how much you want to do. Do you want to sled with the dog? Ski-jor? Bike-jor? scooter? How do you want to feed him? High quality food like Solid Gold will set you back $50 a month. Feed raw? More complicated but about $40 a month.

Probably $1000 a year? maybe more.
>> Anonymous
>>221663
Many thanks to you sir.
>> Niggerhusky Guy !!2YW0PJZXbhy
>>An hour a day or so, several on weekends.

If you mean a hour of running, that's fine.

>>I guess I could even go so far as to say once a day.

Once a day during blowing coat is fine. Once a week for the rest of the time works.

>>I used to live with two cats. Those bastards molt -everywhere-.

If you want cats again, do it at the same time as you get the Husky. if you don't, he will always see cats as prey.

>>Up to 6.

Perfect.

>>Never had a dog before, only cats.

This is either good or bad. Bad in that, Huskies are difficult dogs. Good in that, you're a blank canvas. What works with obedient and dependent dogs doesn't work with Huskies. Read the books I recommended, please. It'll help you far more than you realize.

>>Basic obedience really, if it can understand the words 'no' and 'down' then I'll manage. I'd be happy to take it to a class if necissary to get that down.

For some Huskies, that's asking too much. However, with some creativity you can get most Huskies to be obedient. I'd like to help you more here, but I'd end up writing a book. Just be open, ignore any dominance theorists, learn dog behavior and positive reinforcement, and you should be golden.
>> Niggerhusky Guy !!2YW0PJZXbhy
>>221660
>>221661

This guy knows what he's talking about.

My only mild disagreement is, Huskies don't do well being left alone inside a house. They are immensely destructive, toys won't help you if they think the couch is more fun.

I personally kennel my dogs. Given water, a roof, 6' fences, 12'x12' of space, concrete lining around the edges and grass to lay on, will make for a content Husky while you are gone. You can crate train them too.

But if you want to try your luck, that's OK. Just remember that it's extremely hard to train a dog that's destructive when you are gone. To the point it is fighting a battle of attrition.
>> Anonymous
>>221671
Will do on the books, reccomendations are good, and I'm not going to set a deadline or anything for when i want to get this thing.
At some point in the future you may find a thread here with pics, at which point you can congratulate yourself.
>> Anonymous
i would definitely advise against getting a husky as your first dog.

they are UNRULY. keep in mind that they are incredibly hard to train and WILL retain an appetite for disobedience and destruction no matter what you do. if a husky doesn't have company (either another dog, or you, not 4 hours a day), it will die early, the loneliness will kill it.

huskies are recommended for veteran dog owners.

having said that, you will never get bored of a husky. it is without a doubt one of the most fun breeds that are available. it is very very playful, intelligent, loyal and tolerant.

TL;DR:

be prepared to give it a LOT of time and allow it independence.
>> Niggerhusky Guy !!2YW0PJZXbhy
>>221713

The loneliness is a bit of an exaggeration, however it IS far more pack oriented than most dogs. If you've ever seen 5-10 huskies at a dog park, you would know what I mean.

With 50+ dogs there, and about 8 huskies, (three of which were my dogs and a friend's.) within 20 minutes the Huskies formed a pack together apart from all the other dogs. The other dogs tried to take part, but their behavior was, as best as I can tell, offensive to the Huskies. There was a few other breeds that were also pack oriented that took part, I don't recall what breed off hand though.

So they depend on having family.

Aside from that, they are my favorite breed to have around. I enjoy all my other breeds, but all the Huskies I've ever had were relatively far more unique than most of my other dogs.
>> Anonymous
these people are all correct, huskys need allot of attention, if you want to get a dog because you want to train a dog, you will do fine with a husky, they are extremely intelligent and can learn just about anything
do not get this dog just because you like the way it looks, this is a bad idea, huskys are to smart to be left on the back burner of your life, if you want to get a dog that you can be fairly relaxed with (not have to pay a ton of attention to) then get a breed that isnt so smart.
the best dog i ever had the opertunity to take care of was a pit bull they are big and powerfull, but they are also not too smart for their own good they can learn basic comands and are happy with a walk a day, they can be a bit difficult to train becasue they have a short attention span, but as long as you just looking for a dog who will sit on command and wont run away pit bulls are perfect(they are NOT mean dogs by nature if you threat them like a baby and show nothing but love it will be extreamly friendly just like any other dog)
other breed sugestions almost any kind of hunting dog is wonderfull, this includes labs, hound dogs, beagles and retrievers
hunting dogs are great because they are bread to be calm and obedient (like with any kind of dog their are exceptions) they are bread to follow master, stay with master, point/retrieve for master (in other words bread to not ruin the hunt) these qualities make them excelant companions.

breeds beginners should stay away from
dalmations
huskeys
cattle dogs
their may be others but these are the fist that come to mind these dogs are intelligent and athletic and they need an owner who can keep up with them.

oh ya also its hard to go wrong with a terrier
just ask Bruce from the kids in the hall
>> Anonymous
Mutt
someone at the pound needs a rescue.
>> Niggerhusky Guy !!2YW0PJZXbhy
>>221794

Not that I disagree in the least, but you can still rescue Huskies. I see there are about 70 Huskies available from rescues in CA alone. They are turned in very often because most people can't handle them after buying them just for looks.

Niggerhusky is a rescue as well. Contrary to popular thought, not all rescues are damaged. There are many perfectly normal dogs that are surrendered only because the owner felt they couldn't give them enough attention.
>> Anonymous
.221661 this is

mutts are fantastic!
>> Anonymous
I wouldn't recommend a pit bull, if you spend 8 hours away. My sister has one, and whenever she's away, even for a minute, he becomes inconsolably sad. He won't eat or drink, he'll just lay there and run to the door at any sign of noise. When she's with him however, he's about the most energetic and happy dog you could ever find.
>> Anonymous
Wow, I never know /na/ is so amazingly knowledgeable.>>221606would like to thank anonymous.
>> Anonymous
rotties are the best and most loyal dogs in the world. They are stupid as hell to others but you know the truth. Smart when they want to be and they will love and protect you until they die.
>> Anonymous
>>221798

Blah, blah, Huskies, blah, blah, blah
>> Skipper
>>221863
Rotti people love rotties.But I once watched as a rotti grabbed a passing poodle and shook it like a rag doll. The poodle broke free and dived into the river; the elderly woman holding its leash didn't fare too well, either.
The rotti proceeded to drag its owner into the river in pursuit of the poodle.
No, no rotties for me, thanks.
>> Anonymous
>>221903
I would have died of laughter that day.
>> Anonymous
Pardon me, but I don't think anybody should leave a dog for 6 or - even worse - 8 hours alone. Dogs are social animals, it's against their nature to be without their pack. Screw toys, they don't ease the loneliness. All kind of behaviour disorders (nonstop barking and howling, destroying stuff, autoaggressions) are imminent.

4 h a day at most, for a well trained and adjusted dog, but not for a puppy.

If you work that much, get a cat or better two cats or a guinea pig or a fish.
>> Anonymous
>>222015

Also a bit of an exaggeration, it varies breed to breed and then dog to dog. Conditioned to your absence properly, most dogs will be fine alone for 8 hours.

And some breeds are more pack oriented than others. Huskies, for example, have been raised with large groups of dogs for thousands of years, as such are more social than dogs that were raised to work with their owners independently.
>> Anonymous
If you tire a dog out properly in the morning and exercise or play a bit as soon as you get home, most of them can adjust to up to 8 hours alone since they'll sleep a good bit through the day and be ready for more activity when you get home.
>> Anonymous
>>222015

I would wager a guess that the majority of dog owners can't afford to work for 4 or less hours a day. 8 hours is a bit long, but it's do-able, I had dogs when I was growing up and going to school. Getting the puppy trained will just be more difficult. To get him/her used to your schedule, don't get him on a weekend or sometime when you can spend a lot of time with him and then "abandon" him as the work week starts - get him used to your schedule from the start. Maybe spend one whole day with your new pup, but don't take off a whole week to spend time with him or you're gonna have trouble on your hands when you go back to work.

A friend's neighbor has a husky, this poor thing probably doesn't see it's owner any longer than it takes for them to dump food in her bowl and walk back indoors. She's obviously lonely and tries to get everybody passing by on the sidewalk to come play with her, but she's friendly and doesn't act any worse off than any other breed left by itself. Occasionally she howls, but it's more a "bark bark wooooo" and then she stops. She could easily jump the fence, but doesn't. A very good dog (for those wondering why I don't report it, in my state, it doesn't matter if anybody ever pats their dog as long as it's fed/watered/sheltered - sad but true).
>> Anonymous
>>222137

:( i wanna play with that dog
>> Anonymous
>>222137

i'm surprised that husky hasn't destroyed her yard by digging
>> jessi
huskys are very hard to deal with. you have to be patient because if they don't want to do something they wont do it. my sister-in law just got a husky, he is adorable but you have to show then you are boss. they are very protective of their owner when they know you are boss. they do howl, the closest to a bark is yapping. they are playful and need your full attention. my sister-in law has a 8gallon pitcher of water and the husky goes through half of it each day. they need a lot of exercise to keep them in shape because their bodys are so huge because they are sleigh dogs, that if they get fat they can break bones. all in all they are great dogs for companion ship or for a guard dog, but they need a lot of attention.
>> Anonymous
Huskies are absolutely not guard dogs in any way whatsoever.

It sounds like you are misunderstanding his "guarding" for "poor socialization".

I also must wonder what you mean by "show them who's boss". Something bizarre, straight out of a exciting wolf show, I'm sure.
>> Anonymous
>>222137
aww. can you go play with her?
>> Anonymous
>>222015
Pardon me, but some of us can't be home browsing 4chan all day.
>> Anonymous
>>222283
Then you shouldn't get a dog, doh.

People who work full time and don't have any family members/ friends/ dogsitter to take care just shouldn't have a dog. It's plain egoism to want a dog for your personal entertainment, if the poor thing has to lie around wait for you for 8 hours every day.
>> Anonymous
>>222284
You're a moron. 'Personal entertainment'? gb2PETA
>> Anonymous
>>222285
very smart answer.
>> Anonymous
>>222286
Thanks, your mom helped
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>222289
oh oh oh "your mom"-response. so you are home all day browsing 4chan, yes?
>> Anonymous
>>222294
Oh you see right through me!
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Yay, INTERWB ARGUMENT! And I won.
>> Anonymous
>>222301
Yay! I'm a cute puppy!
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>222305
Ya, well....
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Argh! ARGH ARGH ARGH! I hate people who say they love Huskys/ Irish Wolfhounds / Big Breed XYZ because they are so natural/ cool/ wolfish looking. You are just like the people who die their Pooples pink: You go for the IMAGE of a dog.

If you tell me you want Huskys because you like sledge races or Wolfhounds because you like hunting, fine. But if I see another person basing his choice on the look and image of a breed, I'll rip his fucking head off.
>> Anonymous
>>222353
Your poodle sucks.
>> Anonymous
>>222354
So do you, but I don't mention that.

PS: That's Googles Poodle.
>> Anonymous
>>222354

... you didn't read that post, did you, newfag?

Also sage for all this husky furfaggotry. Seriously wtf.
>> Anonymous
>>222353
>You are just like the people who die their Pooples pink:
>just like the people who die their Pooples
>people who die their Pooples
>people who die
>die
>> Anonymous
>>222389
Oh dear, spelling nazi overlooked "PooPles"

Also, sage
>> Anonymous
some people get huskies because they're strong, loyal, brilliant and copiously energetic. It's not all about looks.

Sadly though, a lot of people do get them because they're "pretty" without knowing jack shit about the breed and it ends in flames. So, eh. Just make sure you could handle such a high maintenance energydog before you get much farther.
>> Anonymous
>>222487
Energetic? Should be!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogsled_racing
"Dogsled races may be sprint races over relatively short distances of 4 to 25 miles/day, mid-distance races from 28 to 200 miles, or long-distance races of 200 to over 1000 miles."

Better be ready for some long "walks" with huskies...
>> Anonymous
>>222355
>>222365
went way over your head

don't feed the trolls
>> Anonymous
>>222284
>>If the poor thing has to lie around and wait for you for 8 hours a day..

Yeah, because that isn't what our women do all day long...
>> Anonymous
My uncle lived out in the country when I was little and he had a husky and a dalmation mutt. Both loved me to pieces and let me hang all over them.

I look at some of those pictures of me now and go "WHAT WERE THEY DOING, LETTING ME DO THAT?!". Ah well. Guess I was like their puppy, or somesuch.

Huskies are great OP, but if you're just going for the look, why not look around shelters and find a dog who looks like what you want? A rescue shelter is fine too. Just don't buy from the puppy mill!
>> Anonymous
>>222353

Your logic is flawed. My German shepherds were not herding dogs, nor schutzhund. I stopped trying to get my hound to hunt after I found out the horrible tactics you must use to "break them from chasing trash animals." All of my dogs were wonderful pets, who happened to look nice.

A person who gets a husky because they like how they look will do just fine as long as they've researched the breed and know what to expect and will take care of the dog.

>>222247

I will throw her a toy and give her lots of petting just for you.
>> Anonymous
>>222392
some fag