Hello everyone. I was wondering if anyone had some advice for me. I have recently gotten my first puppy as an adult. My wife bought me an Alaskan husky, and yes, it was from a BYB. I didn't realize how bad it was to purchase from a BYB. I feel like when people ask what kind of puppy he is I should just say Siberian so that I dont get looked down on for buying from a local musher. He is loved and taken care of very well. The breeder was very nice and taught us about the pups. He even offered to take him back if we ever had issues. Am I a bad dog owner because of where my pup comes from?

In my opinion no. You were uniformed but that doesn't make you a bad owner, many people unfortunately purchase from byb not really understanding the implications of their actions. A bad owner is my opinion is defined by a person mistreating or not providing for the animal. As long as you love you little pup and do the best you can for him then you are a good owner
Personally I wouldn't tell people that he is a Sibe when they ask, I would own up to the fact of what he is and where he came from and use it as an opportunity to educate people on byb, but what you decide to do in that regard is up to you.
Regardless of where he came from I hope you are having lots of fun with him and thouroughly enjoy puppyhood it is a blast! I do hope though that if at any stage down the line you decide to get him a buddy (FYI Huskies are kind of like potato chips you can never just have one) you will consider going down the ethical breeder route or rescuing

Oh and if you have photos we all looove puppy pictures here  

Hi there and welcome!

Just for your info, the name Alaskan Husky isn't really a breed. It's a fancy way of saying mutt. There are Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes. Other than that they're mixed. Are you sure your pup isn't a pure bred Sibe, or you know for a fact he's mixed?

Many people, myself included, purchased a pup from a BYB without really knowing the consequences. As long as you now know what's best for your pup and do what's best, and have informed yourself of what is a BYB, I think you're a good owner.

I don't think it makes you a bad dog owner. If you knowingly bought from a BYB after researching and finding out the detriments of doing so then I might disagree with your choice, but a bad dog owner is one who doesn't care for their dog and consider them as a lifetime commitment. As long as you love your dog and respect that you will be taking care of them for 15+ years you are a good dog owner. Now that you know this information you can use it to make a future decision when you want to get a husky.

I'll second what Rocio just said. Alaskan huskies aren't really a breed. Perhaps a particular kind of mixed dog, but not its own breed. Definitely don't call your dog a siberian, that would be misleading.

What makes you say byb? From what I hear, lots of huskies in Alaska are mutts but bred that way for working purposes. Was this person breeding for mushing? Most people I do not think as badly about that if it is the case.

Agreed with the above comments.  

You have your pup right now and for the forseeable future.  Your ownership does not extend backwards.  I don't think you should have any stigma about not having a Siberian Husky, which it sounds like you don't.  I agree you shouldn't say you do to try to make things more legit.  

The rest of you life with your dog starts tomorrow.  Make it as good as it can possibly be.  

That'll make you an amazing dog owner.

And while you're here on the forum, you can learn a ton of stuff about fulfilling your working sled dog's needs.  

Cheers.



P.s. Although not a pure bred dog or breed, many people consider the Alaskan Husky to be a superior sled dog than a Siberian Husky.

Don't say I told you that though....

Doesnt make you bad dog owner. I got koda from A byb. I didnt realize until a few weeks before i got him but i was already attached to him and woulsnt back out. I dont regret it at all. And the breeder was super nice and i will send her updates all the time. But i wont go back.

Great to hear! Thank you all for the support. Here in Alaska, yes it is very common to call them Alaskan Huskies. Most of the huskies here come from mushers. I am working on putting more pics up of him, but I am new to this. He is the pup in my avatar photo. Thanks again everyone!

I have posted some pictures here for you all to see. http://tubesteve.imgur.com/all/

Your photos are private.

Okay, thanks for the help. Sorry, again, I'm new haha. The link should work now.   http://tubesteve.imgur.com/

TubeSteve wrote:

I have posted some pictures here for you all to see.  http://tubesteve.imgur.com/all/

What a sweetheart

Awwww. I love that pic of him chewing on his leg. Ha ha

When I had gotten Nala I knew NOTHING about huskies or even owning my own dog so I had done a lot of things backwards when it came to researching the breed and things but when I had seen her I knew I had to have her, I don't think it makes me a bad owner just a young and naive that was almost 2 years ago, I actually got Nala from a pet store, which knowing now I would NEVER do again. But she was a healthy pup who is AKC registered and healthy and happy. Knowing now though I would probably adopt the next one or get one from a good breeder.

Honestly you could just say he is a husky mix and leave it at that unless someone asks. I feel like where you get your dog doesn't make you a good or bad dog owner.

You could have gotten him from a rescue or a responsible breeder and then not treated him well and you would be a bad owner.

How you treat the dog(s) you have is what makes you a good or bad dog owner. And now it sounds like you have looked into it and know how to make a good choices in the future as far as where you get your dogs from.

The pictures are great he is super cute.

Ok im new to this forum. Whats so bad about buying from byb? Or bad about muts alaskan mixes bred for work. I think as long as the dogs or pups are being fed provided for an well maintained it shouldnt be a issue if they work. Is there something I should read or know that im missing everyone seems so negative about byb or mutts.

The mushing dogs I think are exempt. I do not think many in the dog world frown about it as they tend to try and focud on making excellent and healthy sled dogs.

For byb it is different. They are named this as they have no clue what they are doing. They are in it to make money or clone their dog while perfect to them does not match breed standards. Often they are breeding dogs that are not health tested and carry genetic disorders. Over time you find the popular breeds have a horrible gene pool like labradors where many of the pets end up with avoidable health conditions that the pet owner may or may not be able manage and treat.

BYB usually do little to ensure the their puppies go to good homes which is important for working breeds like huskies as many are fascinated by their beauty and when the cute puppy becomes a teenager it is too much and they end up in shelters and rescues. Good breeders on the other hand work with owners to ensure good fit and take their dogs back at any point in their lives reducing risk of increasing the pet overpopulation.

I have owned 4 cats and 3 dogs as an adult. All but one were rescued. The only one not rescued was my lab who is a puppymill puppy. I learned. My lab is way over sized. At 8 or so he started having joint issues due to his size. My current bengal has a skull deformity that causes her ear issues. Bengals do not tend to be on streets so she is likely from mill or bad breeder. Her brother who passed away had the equivilant of feline herpes like his sister and constant eye problems. My shepherd mix has epilepsy which is often a genetic condition. My husky is just a baby but he is way to tall and cowhocked. He will likely face joint issues pretty early in live and we are trying to do things to prevent it. A well bred husky is likely not to face these issues or face them as young. These are the types of issues caused by bad breeding. After working in a shelter though I have a weakness for rescues and opt not to get from good breeders. Yet if I did I would want to make sure the breeder I chose was doing full health testing and be available if needed for the live of my pet. Others probably have a lot more. But basically I see BYB as creating unhealthy animals and selling them to people who are unaware of the consequences just to make a profit. And when the pet owner has a issue the breeder is not their to help them and assist in taking responsibility for the live they created.

Ok now the topic makes total sense. Techigirl78 thank you so much for the info. Thats was a detailed explanation
So for future references I wil know. On the other hand dont you guys think that it would be good for good experienced pet owners to go to byb to "save" the pups. I can see where some wouldnt want to due to high expenses.

"Saving" their pups = promoting their business.

Save pups in rescues if you must.

All "saving" means is providing a home for a puppy right? Well you can save a puppy from a breeder with integrity and who will sell you a healthy puppy, just the same.

seattlesibe wrote:

"Saving" their pups = promoting their business.

Save pups in rescues if you must.

Couldn't agree more. By purchasing a pup from a BYB you are only encouraging them to have future litters because they realize they can make $$ this way.