I JUST BOUGHT A SIBERIAN HUSKY CALLED ALASKA, I HAVE HAD HER FOR 3 MONTHS, ANY ADVICE??

Question

i got alaska at 71/2 weeks and she is now 3 months, i have read a lot of books on huskies but actual no experience in huskies or dogs for that matter, so if any one owns a husky can give me any advice of what i should expect, right now she's really docile and takes lots of naps!! but i heard the teenage months are particularly testing with huskies, so any tips this way

thanks.

Answer 1

Hide the cat and alert the neighbours that have cats.  I understand that the Huskies particularly are death to cats,. They are very clever, and quick.  Make sure that you spend all of your spare time with this dog while it is maturing, and it will see you and know you as it's alpha.  

Answer 2

You will need to walk/run her FREQUENTLY.  The main problem will be if you live in a hot area... during the summer months you will need to walk and run with her in shorter periods but more frequently.  This will keep her from getting heat exhaustion but it will give her the exercise she wants.  Other than that, they are great dogs and very loyal.

Answer 3

Siberians are wonderful puppies. They come when called, are the stars of their obedience classes, learn quickly what is/is not acceptable, etc.

Then, one day around 9 months old, they wake up and look in a mirror. They realize they are Siberians, and they don't have to care what you think.

This is when they start ignoring you when you let them off-leash.

This is when they start eating your house because you're not giving them enough exercise.

This is when they scream and carry on until your neighbors complain because they are bored and you (their pack) are not home.

We usually see them in the shelter/rescue between 3-6 months after this transformation.

Tips:

1. Enroll your puppy in an obedience class, and start working on walking on leash and coming when called (recall) NOW. Don't wait until your puppy is an adolescent and can drag you down the street.

2. Don't be one of those people who thinks their Siberian will be the exception to the rule, and will always stick around off-lead, and will always come when called. It happens, but not usually.

Expect that your adolescent/adult Siberian will not be off-leash reliable. Train to get the most reliable recall you can.

3. If you haven't already, invest in a crate and crate train your dog. Your crate will be your best friend when you are not home, as it will stop your bored, lonely dog from eating your house.

4. Start Siberian-proofing your yard, NOW. Make any fencing under 6 feet tall higher. Block low spots in the ground where the dog might dig under the fence. Put up a free-standing kennel in your yard if you don't intend to leave the dog in the house while you are at work. Put it on cement, or gravel with chain link laid underneath, and put a lid on top of it for good measure.

5. If you don't have a fenced-in yard, get one.

6. Find friends/relatives/neighbors with friendly dogs for yours to play with. Playing with other dogs is a great way to exercise this breed; they really aren't meant to live without another dog (or a very involved human, who spends a lot of time at home).

Good luck!

Answer 4

I have a Malamute x Husky, and they have much the same temperament. If you keep your dog outside (mine only likes to be in the house when i'm in, and even then he'll whine to go and play outside after ten minutes)

Walk him A LOT!!

Dog proof your garden, and if you think you've done it properly, do it again, my dog got through 6 foot of thick bay tree, over a 5 ft wall and through the fence panel we'd nailed in place just to go and see his friend next door. they are dog Houdinis

You can train them to a certain extent, although they'll follow hints more than orders. They can never be 100% reliable off the lead, but with a LOT of training they can get pretty good at recall. I only let mine off the lead when i'm walking on the beach at night, cos their are fewer distractions. It helped me when i was training recall to walk with a friend and her dog who was well trained, so mine came back whenever hers did

Watch him in summer, he'll need plenty of shade and loads of water. Kodi has a paddling ppol to play i when he gets really hot. I also only walk him at night/early morning in the summer so he doesn't get too hot. He also may have food issues in the summer, so feed him early morning and late at night when it's cool. You may have to be a bit inventive with his feed, as they can go off food when they get over heated

Expect a very friendly dog, not a guard dog. I know Mals are great with kids, and mine certainly is, but he is too clumsy at the moment to be left alone with anyone too small, including my mother in law!

Good luck though, they are fantastic dogs and well worth the extra effort you will have to put in to train them. Hope this helps