Lobolair Siberians

What it takes to keep a siberian huskie
Keeping a siberian huskie:

Kennel: Siberian huskies require a very strong and preferably a 6 ft. fence. Some learn to climb or jump and vault themselves over a fence. If they are kept outside they need to have shade and water available at all times. Summer is hard on them because of all their fur and they need to have cool water to be able to put their feet in and drink to cool off. Winter is just right for them if not for you. There are various surfaces that people use for their kennels. We use a strong fence buried under road gravel. It has to be renewed with more 2-3 times a year. We also use farm lime washed in every couple of months to freshen up and absorb odors. Our kennels during the summer are opened up on the sides but always covered with a metal roof. We usually have a fresh source of water all day during the summer in every pen. We use 3 ft. long x 1 ft high sheep tanks with a continual supply of running water. I realize with water limitations in some places this would not work. Our dogs love it and it keeps them cool. Children’s solid plastic swimming pools work real good also. During the winter the pens are completely enclosed with strong reinforced plastic.

 

 

                                                        

 

                                                                                                      
Exercise: All of our dogs get to run in 2 separate pastures that are all totally fenced in. We have 2 so we can separate them if we have bitches in season. Otherwise they all run together and get along fine except for a few misunderstandings once in a while. We never leave them alone while they are out running. You never know when they might figure out how to climb the fence. They are very smart!!!  We have tried exercising with our ATV and it works fairly well.  If you join a kennel club one of the neat things to do with your siberian huskie is agility. It is good exercise for them and also for you. If you have places to sled or go skijoring or ride your bike with an attachment for your dog they will love it. They also like to dig and seem to hear or smell small creatures so hopefully you don’t mind a few holes here and there in your landscape.

 

 

                                                  

Temperament: Siberian huskies love people and love kids especially. We have had only two that were shy. They like to be around people or other dogs and like to give kisses. We have had several of our dogs do pet therapy at nursing homes and the residence love them. They seem to relate to little kids very well and would do great in a place with children as a companion or an incentive for the children to apply themselves more verbally or physically. Most cannot be trusted around small animals including cats. There are however some people that have been able to have them with their cat if introduced when young. They see most small animals as prey and they have a very high prey instinct. They are very independent and sometimes it takes some strong commands and training or they will be the master and not you. They are very intelligent and it really does not take that much training for them to learn simple obedience commands.

House dog: Most siberian huskies are perfectly happy being a house dog as long as they get to go out on a leash for walks or run in the yard for their exercise. They can be perfectly happy taking over your couch or your bed or just laying at your feet. If you want a dog that will fetch toys they are not the ideal dog for that. They may do it a couple of times and then simply look at you with a (you threw it so go get it yourself) stare or just quit fetching. They can be trained in obedience but have the same attitude about it as they do fetching. They can also do agility with the same attitude.  Some of our dogs love to get in the show ring and others will do it but don’t really want to. Most of our siberian huskies love stuffed dog toys that squeak and will play with them until they are all torn

apart. Make sure you don’t leave any food out that they can get into as mine are always looking for something to eat. One last thing and it is by no means trivial. If you don’t like dogs that shed or it really bothers you to have hair from your dogs on your clothes or your couch, your carpet, your bed or for that matter anywhere, a siberian huskie is not for you. They usually shed twice a year and at least one of these times quite a bit. Siberian huskies on the whole keep themselves very clean and usually do not have a doggy odor like some dogs but they can’t comb themselves when they are shedding and it will be up to you to keep them brushed especially during shedding season.

 

Should I breed my dog: Below is a a document that I have provided a link to that has a wealth of information about what to do before deciding to breed your dog.  It is a well written article and I think that you will find it very useful. With this last litter of mine I have encountered several problems that I had never had previously. Although I have had siberians for years I am always learning something new. I hope this information is useful to you.