I had a co worker tell me that they hoped I was not paying full price for my puppy because it wasn't full husky because its red and not black or grey. I honestly was not sure how to respond. I tired to explain that huskies can come in a lot of different colors and markings. I was corrected that pure huskies are black or grey with blue eyes anything else is not pure husky.

And there uncle or something breed huskies so they knew it was true.


I just walked way they didn't want to listen and it wasn't worth it but really?

Does anyone else get questions like that?

People often get confused when they see my purebred husky has brown eyes. They only connect huskies with blue eyes, for some reason. Thing is, oftentimes purebred huskies from reputable breeders have brown or parti eyes more commonly than blue. Sometimes they will ask me if she is purebred or wonder if she's part wolf because of her brown eyes. I simply tell them, no, she's purebred, and they take me at my word. Sorry the person you were talking to didn't have the decency to accept your answer and felt the need to correct the information you have probably researched very thoroughly.

Just because somebody's friend, relative, etc. bred huskies before doesn't mean they were doing it responsibly. Maybe they were breeding specifically for blue-eyed huskies or maybe they bred from lines where there simply wasn't the possibility for reds. Red is not the most common color but it is more common than other coat colors and patterns, such as piebald and sable.

When this kind of thing happens, you can either ignore them or, if you think they'll accept it, try to educate them. Maybe direct them to reputable breeders' Web sites or other husky books and resources that show red huskies and the many other coat and eye colors they can have. Maybe show them the AKC breed standard as well, which clearly states all coat and eye colors are acceptable.

Hope this helps!

Not being racist here, but often I got people say, oh sxxt that s wolf, n mostly I come across with are black.
Not worth to spend time to those people who aren't willing to listen or learn. Just let them be.

I've found over the years, and especially after studying philosophy, that if you value the truth and hold to it with conviction you must therefore ignore and dismiss most people you will ever meet.

Such an existential trap.

Existential trap indeed, because everyone's truth is their own and often no one else's.

Hmm, but surely truth can not be relative to the individual. Individuals might have different degrees of access to it or understanding of it, but truth does not reside in the individual; unless we are talking about something truly objective, like "what is beautiful?" or "what music do you like the best?", then those truths are relative.

You just can't tell politicians or politically correct folks that, ha.

The only thing you can really do is walk away. When people vehemently believe they are right and you are wrong; the window for a teaching opportunity is gone and is down on lock. You cannot have a conversation with people like that. They are right and that is the only thing they know. The best thing to do is present your side, and if they are still saying, "NOPE NOPE NOPE!" then gracefully bow out.

I actually was at the dog park with Embry and Zoey a few years ago, and this guy came up to me with 2 Siberians and he told me that Zoey was mixed with Akita because of her color and she has a really bad snapped tail. I was in shock that someone who owned the breed could be some incompetent.

No explaining necessary, just refer them to the breed standard.

I've gotten good at the ole smile-n-nod.

My absolute favourite is when I see a Splash Coat or Piebald pattern - and talking to the owner there is almost a sigh of relief when I don't ask what type of dog they have but rather a huge smile when I say splash coat or piebald. I also love seeing the pattern because it's something I don't see every day.

As Kelsey said, when someone is not open to learning, you are just wasting your breath. Save that energy for play time with your pups, don't waste it on someone who will never get it.

I get those types of question so often because my puppy doesn't look like a typical siberian. I also never get asked if he is a husky they always ask if he is a husky mix or a german shepherd. I always say that huskys come in a lot of different colors and that not every husky has blue eyes.

Even my mom when I first got Mishka asked me if his eyes were going to change to blue. I just told her no, that not every husky has blue eyes and that his eyes were going to stay brown.

People ask me all the time if Mishka is a husky or a malamute and if he has blue eyes. I generally just say no he's a sibe and he has brown eyes. I haven't quite run into anyone who is so adamant in their knowledge (sarcasm) that I have to just sigh and walk away.

Now I did have a guy at the dog park the other day swear that Mishka was displaying aggression when our dogs were meeting because his hair / hackles stands up when he's excited. I just kept saying no, that's not aggression. There was nothing aggressive about anything he was doing. Hackles were up, yes, but he was also play bowing at the dog. I mean, come on people...

Hackles up just means they're so aroused (not sexually, mind you) that the skin on the hackles pinches together so that the hair stands on end. Often this signifies stress or unease but not usually aggression. Aggression in dogs is actually VERY rare and is incorrectly blamed for so many types of behavior. Mishka was probably a little stressed/excited but was communicating with a play bow to everyone that he was not a threat and just wanted to play.

Yeah a lot of people ask about Nikolai because he is white and say that there is no way he isn't a german sheppard mix and that he couldn't be a siberian. I just calmy say umm no. I've met both of his parents and I can promise you that he is a husky and I just kind of walk off. I don't get to many comments about Siku because I think he looks like a "normal" husky accept for the little kids yelling down the street that a wolf is coming.

I get into arguments with other people about stupid stuff such as off leash training. My biggest ones are mostly my friends and families. They all think they are husky trainers and that I'm just doing it wrong. My brother even pulled the whole if Siku loved you enough he would stay around you like my two do. I was like oh yeah bravo, you have a rotty that you rescued a 4 weeks old so of course he is attached to you and they are a very obbedient breed, and then he has a pittull who is just as crazy but stays close, again a obedient breed. So I finally screamed at Thanksgiving AND Christmas dinner that everyone was going to get Siberian Huskies for Dummies for their birthdays this year so they can see that I'm not an issue!   

You will also learn that you hate bumping into strangers who used to have huskies but they had to get rid of them or that they ran off because they were to crazy, and didn't listen. Those are the ones that will really bother you!

siku&nikolai wrote:

You will also learn that you hate bumping into strangers who used to have huskies but they had to get rid of them or that they ran off because they were to crazy, and didn't listen. Those are the ones that will really bother you!

I see these people all the time. Most common phrase ever heard, "I USED to have a black and white one", but I've never had someone argue with me about if she's really a pure bred due to her being red. I have had a ton of people come up and ask what breed she is because they thought she was a Siberian but wasn't sure since they had never seen a red before. They aren't common around here at all. I've never seen another in person and have only met one guy in person that actually had one. He had to take a picture of Kenzi to send to his daughter to prove there really were other reds in the state. I've had more people question her being a mix based on her behavior rather than color. Even the vet had a weak moment since she would actually cooperate for him in the office. I guess the other Sibes he gets in are nightmares to treat.

siku&nikolai wrote:

You will also learn that you hate bumping into strangers who used to have huskies but they had to get rid of them or that they ran off because they were to crazy, and didn't listen. Those are the ones that will really bother you!

It seems that every person I pass on the street or who stops to say hi to Layla will say, "I used to have two huskies," or, "My [insert relative here] had huskies," or, "I bred huskies for [insert number] years!" This has seriously happened 80 percent of the time someone stops to talk to me when I'm out with Layla. I find it hard to believe that every one of these people has had a husky because I only know of a couple other huskies that live within a three-mile radius! If so many people own(ed) huskies, where are they now? I'd hate to think the answer is a shelter.

capellalayla wrote:

Hackles up just means they're so aroused (not sexually, mind you) that the skin on the hackles pinches together so that the hair stands on end. Often this signifies stress or unease but not usually aggression. Aggression in dogs is actually VERY rare and is incorrectly blamed for so many types of behavior. Mishka was probably a little stressed/excited but was communicating with a play bow to everyone that he was not a threat and just wanted to play.

Yeah. His hackles go up when he's really excited. They're like that a lot at the dog park. I just find it funny since he was play bowing and the guy is like...that's aggression. I just want to   at times. But I did tell him that he was displaying dominant behavior and was not being aggressive at all. Some people are just SO SCARED to let their dogs be dogs and play and just let them figure it out on their own. I find it ridiculous.

siku&nikolai wrote:

You will also learn that you hate bumping into strangers who used to have huskies but they had to get rid of them or that they ran off because they were to crazy, and didn't listen. Those are the ones that will really bother you!

I've had that happen a couple of times. I usually just go... o.O okay. I also can't stand the people who ask a ton of questions and say they can handle one when they obviously have ill intent with any animal they would get. You can just tell the skeazy people when they ask questions. Ugh.

My hubby works with a guy whose parents have two huskies. And when he saw how big Karli was, he kept telling me she was gonna get bigger and weigh more than she does. I finally told him that she would not and that she was within breed standard. He then tried to tell me about his parents dogs and I finally told him that they must've been poorly bred to be as big as he claims they are OR they are part Mal. It shut him up pretty quickly and he now knows better than say anything about Karli. Sometimes you just gotta pick your battles and decide when to just let it go.

By telling someone their dog must've been poorly bred I'd be afraid of backlash from them to the like of, "No, their parents had champion bloodlines, blah, blah, blah," or, "They were a rescue so I had no say in how they grew up," etc. There're just too many unknowns for me to make that call. That being said, Roxy, I'm glad you were able to stick up for your dog against this clearly uneducated person and that it worked for you.

Our local dog training club 'excuses' any dog that raises hackles (zero tolerance). Luci couldn't even make it through one session. She does it any time she's excited. And these people supposedly know what they're doing, since they hold AKC obedience, agility, and rally events. ugh.

To tell the truth, unless it's outrageously obvious I can't tell what breed most dogs are by looking at them. In fact I really only new one person who could and she was kind of an anomaly, she studied the breed standards for all dogs and could call them quite well. I too have people ask me what breed Maya is but for the most part they accept the answer. So I do understand what the rest of you are going through, something like the person who owns a St. Bernard and is told by some stranger that it can't be a St. Bernard because it doesn't have one of those little wooden kegs hanging from his neck. It's like the guy said, "You can't fix stupid".

I've given up trying to explain/correct the many misconceptions that comes with owning a husky to the ignorant people I run into on a daily basis. Now I just tell them that my dog is part tiger.

It's funny when people take it seriously.

Every single family member, except my mom, told me that Kobi was not a husky because he didn't have blue eyes (lol). Some said he was a white Shepard, some said he was a wolf mix because he had "really big paws". I even got into an argument with my dad over it all, because he said I should get rid of him or his wolf side was going to turn on me when he got older. I can't remember how many times I had to explain to everyone, tablet in hand with the breed standards and that I have met the breeders and his parents, but still not budge. I gave up and just stopped bringing him around my family lol. As for strangers, they call wolf when they see him walking down the street lmao (mainly kids). Everyone else just comments on how pretty he is. Had a few mention they used to have husky's. I learned to ignore most people and just keep on my way.

capellalayla wrote:

Hackles up just means they're so aroused (not sexually, mind you) that the skin on the hackles pinches together so that the hair stands on end. Often this signifies stress or unease but not usually aggression. Aggression in dogs is actually VERY rare and is incorrectly blamed for so many types of behavior. Mishka was probably a little stressed/excited but was communicating with a play bow to everyone that he was not a threat and just wanted to play.

I was walking Juneau last night and we came upon a loose dog. His hackles were raised and he was focused on Juneau. Shortly after, he started lunging for her and tried attacking. Thankfully I'm not scared of stray dogs and I was able to keep him away. Does this mean he was stressed? Was he trying to appear bigger? Juneau raises her hackles when she gets excited to play with toys and other huskies that we pet sit.


To the OP:

You will always get 'experts' to come up and tell you what they think. They're usually wrong so I either a) educate or b) ignore. I volunteer with a husky rescue booth and we get ALL kinds of oddball questions or several people who claim wrong facts. lol