We'll be bringing our husky, Semper, home on the 25th as long as his vet visit tomorrow goes well. I'm concerned though because everything I've been reading says they do better when there's another dog in the house with them. Is that really necessary at first? Eventually we'd like to add another in, but we were thinking about waiting at least a year or two so that Semper gets more attention at first on his own for training and everything. Will he be alright being the only dog for a while do you think? Kind of worried about this. Thanks!

We have had Loeki by himself for 9 months or so now (he turned 1yo today) and he has been pretty good. I try to get him to the dog park and out as much as possible to socialize and get his exercise in. You will learn quickly that a tired husky is a good husky (single pup or not)... a friend will surely help to wear him out. He has his temper tantrums but I think it's pretty much the usual for the first year or so. We will be getting him a companion after our Honeymoon later this year.

I was concerned about the depression and such with being an only pup as well but he gets his share of attention from us. Just give him a lot of love, play time and treat him as a family member as you are now his pack... he will do fine.


Good luck! Cute pup.

I have had Okami by her lonesome now for almost a year (in february) She turned a year old in December. We do have a cat and a bird, but she is the only dog, and she does just fine.. we give her lots of attention exercise and spoil her rotten... there will probably be more in the future, but she is happy either way.

Attention and exercise is definitely a must!! Huskies tend to get bored easily. Just get him as many puzzle toys as possible...he'll be good!

Thank you all! I was really worried about that. We have children too, so I'm sure he'll be kept busy and get a TON of attention. I can't wait to bring him home! Only 10 more days!

Congrats on getting the new pup! I agree with the above that they are totally fine with the proper exercise. I've had mine for almost 2 years in an apartment, no problems at all.

Agree with all of the above. Ajax has been alone with us for a little over a year and he is fine.

That being said, once I get a bigger backyard i'll be getting another playmate. I can't imagine not talking to or interacting with anyone for most of the day so i'm guessing he'd hate it as well.

They are very social but if you can find him a friend or two that can play a few times a week he'll be perfectly happy.

And like the others said. Exercise, exercise, exercise. A tired husky is a happy husky.

If you second guess your choice, look up litter mate syndrome. Your plans on waiting 1-2 years to get another dog is a perfect choice. I got my first 2 about 7-8 months apart and I would have waited a little longer knowing what I know now.

Congrats!!! Ya he will be fine! Just socialize him a lot like other people said. Also he looks a lot like my koda when he was a pup!!! Lol

Thank you all! I'll be looking up that litter mate syndrome in a minute.

If Semper ends up looking like Koda then he'll definitely be beautiful!

With littermate syndrome I think it largely depends on the dogs and on how far apart you get them. Everything I've read about littermate syndrome discourages people from bringing home two puppies at the same time. I think after seven or eight months, once a dog reaches sexual maturity, is an appropriate time for a second puppy if you so choose, provided you are comfortable with where your first dog is in terms of training and manners. But, yes, bringing home two puppies from the same litter, usually not a good idea.

As for the original question, our Layla is an only husky and does very well with us. I'm home with her 95 percent of the time so she's always got someone to be with. She's doing very well in her training and as long as she has enough exercise and mental stimulation, she's a happy husky. We are planning on adding a second pup to our pack around early May, when Layla will be eight months old, but that's more because I suffer from MDS -- multiple-dog syndrome. What they say about huskies is largely true: Once you have one, you will want more. Plus, our dogs will not only be pets but also working dogs, at least recreationally, so we need more than one for a team.

So, it all comes down to personal preference. If you would only like one dog, it's totally doable with a husky. To be honest, I think some Sibes prefer people to dogs, anyway.

capellalayla wrote:

We are planning on adding a second pup to our pack around early May, when Layla will be eight months old, but that's more because I suffer from MDS -- multiple-dog syndrome. What they say about huskies is largely true: Once you have one, you will want more. )

That's one thing I'm kind of scared of! MDS! lol! I've heard it can be incurable! lol!

We have the space and room for 2, I don't think I could handle more than that though! We have a pretty busy household already with 2 adults, 7 children, 2 cats, and soon a puppy. I think we're already certifiably insane! lol!   The children have already been told their duties with the puppy. Priority # 1 is playing with him and keeping him happy! (My husband and I will be in charge of the feeding and training of course).

We've been preparing to bring Semper home for a really long time it seems like. A good breeder can be hard to find! Now we only have 9 days till he'll be home! I can't wait! We're going to see him on Saturday for a visit too!   

Wow, that's a large family! For us it's just me, my husband and Layla, so adding a second pup isn't too much of a jump ... but then we're going to start trying for a baby later this year, too, so we'll see how hectic it can get. I figure if you can make it work with seven children, two cats and a dog, I can certainly make it work with one child and two dogs!

Sounds like everyone in the family is on board and knows his and her duties for the new member of the family. Congrats on the new pup and have fun at the visit! Take lots of pics for us!

lol! Yep, they're all on board and really excited! To be honest, I was kind of against it at first because although we've been discussing adding a dog to our family for about a year now, we only decided on a Husky at the end of last year. I had dogs growing up but not a Husky, so I didn't really know much about them. Once I began researching the breed a few months ago I could see why a Husky is actually a perfect fit for my family. I've been doing so much research it's insane! lol! Then when we met Semper a couple weeks ago I just absolutely fell in love with him! I know having a Husky is going to be a LOT of work, but I definitely think it's worth it!

Oh, and just to clarify, I've been around Huskies before, just haven't owned one myself. One of the families that I babysat for when I was in high school and junior high had 2 Huskies and they were awesome!

They are more than worth it! I have Axle (who is 2 now) by himself and he has been amazing! I take him out to run for an hour a day and socialize him a few times a week with other dogs, I know he gets lonely and I will definitely get another one sometime this year, but he has been just fine by himself. He does not chew on anything and does not run either (which is pretty commendable for a husky!) get ready for another child in the family!

I have my bud as the only dog and brought him home at 9 weeks. He's done well on his own, but you definitely have to make a serious effort to socialize them. Once he was old enough at about 17 weeks, I started taking him to the dog park (but be careful some bigger dogs are too rough with puppies). I also began sending him to doggie daycare around that time, which is the best thing I could have done for him. He went 2-3 days a week and not only did it tire him out, but it was great for socialization and helped a ton with bite inhibition. He now loves his playtime and gets upset and edgy if he goes too long without some playtime with doggie buddies.

I agree littermate syndrome is usually 6 months apart or less. For me I think I will want a year or more apart in future