We are thinking of getting a second husky (a puppy). When we were in Florida, we met another couple who had a Husky that Slush could always play with. However, when we had to move we have had a harder time finding another dog for her to play with. We work all day and come home and walk/run her/train her and give her attention but at times it can be a little overwhelming. She is 2 and loves playing with other dogs and our friends whose husky she used to play with just got a husky puppy and say it has worked out great so far with the older one.

Do those of you who have two huskies recommend getting a second one? We know it will be more work to raise a puppy and train it but are there any other issues we should be aware of? Will they play all the time and get energy out this way?

We move a lot so we are also concerned it may be difficult to find a house to rent that accepts two huskies.

Any input would be appreciated! Thanks!

Rental can not give an opinion in that as we only had one sibe and one cat while renting, and most of the time it was a combined weight limit not to exceed.

For years now I have always had two or three dogs at one time. (Sibe, Sibemix, or Aussie Shep). I will be hard pressed to ever go back to just having one dog. Actually bidding my time to go back to being a 3 dog fam again soon. I have found that the older teaches the younger and the the younger entertains the older! They exercise each other in our backyard and in the house. Some say they be twice as much but I believe that it is more like if you have one dog adding another is like only adding 1/2 the work since some of you work load is simultaneous. I take my dogs together for most things. There are a few things that one gets and the other doesn't but that is more because one dog get excited for rides, one gets excited for the bike, etc. Yes there are double the baths or vet but I feel that once you get over the puppy training there is a decrease in exercise or training as you do it simultaneously and they stimulate each other so it is not double the walks, fetch, exercise, play, etc. It really can be like having the built in best friend. Some places you can even find discounts for multiple dogs: kennel together, vet appointment together, etc.

I don't exactly have 2 dogs but sort of have my son's husky mix almost half time most of the year. When Archer is here, the antics are a delight to watch. And BOTH dogs get wonderfully exercised and tired - we do have a large outdoor area for them to romp and they do use it. When they are not together, each dog demands a lot more human input - walking, playing. Not that it is a chore - I love time with my dog.

So I would say, 2 dogs, if you can afford it and manage the housing thing is great.

I don't have two Sibes, my other is a german shepherd mix, but it has worked out well for us. It's a little bit more of a pain if you take your dogs a lot of places as maneuvering two through a store is a skill to learn but they keep each other occupied well.

We have a 3 year old sibe and just brought home an almost 6 month old. We were in a similar situation in that our older one loved his play dates with other huskies and we wanted to get him a sibling. We had talked about it for awhile but always put it off because it was not the "right time". Finally, we realize there wasn't going to be a right time.

They have adjusted pretty well so far. I can tell you though, getting a puppy is going to be a ton of work at first. With us, we are in an apartment right now so we are now taking two dogs out on a leash to potty every single time. And if one has to go, the other one wants to also. They also play very hard ALL the time.

In terms of renting, it's definitely something you need to take into consideration. We have rental shopped twice with just the one husky. The first was a house and the landlord was super flexible and we got lucky. The apartment we are in now I chose blind because we were moving across the country and was having a very hard time finding rentals where huskies weren't on the restricted breeds list. However, we knew that this was going to be a risk when we got a husky. We were looking to get into a rental house now that our lease is going to be up, but had a very difficult time finding one in our budget that would allow multiple dogs, let alone huskies. So that means we have to make the sacrifice to stay in the apartment longer to save more to buy in order to keep our dogs.

As long as you are not overwhelmed by the first, and can handle double the play and double the attention on your work schedule and life style, then you would be fine to get another.

We have six dogs between my boyfriends two samoyeds, my three siberian huskies and my american eskimo dog. The red boys play together in the backyard allll the time, theyre inseperable. The apartment is definitely something to consider though I had a very very hard time trying to find a place to rent that would allow even one siberian husky, I'm just thankful the house worked out.

I have three, they're constantly playing and love each other's company. Luckily they all get along fine and we've never had issues. The transition from 1 to 2 was pretty easy, but my female was 4 months when we got her from the breeder and was already housebroken and crate trained which made things a lot easier.

If you're moving a lot, I wouldn't recommend it honestly. I found it very difficult to find a place to take us when we had 2 bigger dogs. It took us over a year when we were still renting to find a place that would take 2 huskies.

In between the hours of 10pm and midnight tonight, I will have two huskies

In my observance, huskies are okay by themselves... but better with a second + dog(s)

They are a very social dog, and humans can't quite interact with them in the horse play that they love, because well, we don't like to play rough (at least most of us don't lol)

I am getting a second to make sledding more beneficial for us, I have found Okami us very squirrly and loses interest in pulling really quickly... so I think a second dog will keep her in line if I train in the fan formation.

I also think that me not having a fenced in yard, will allow for them both to benefit from having each other to horse around in the house to tire them out until I can actually get off my butt again... going through a large amount of dental work for a while, and I am bed ridden with pain right now... poor Okami thinks I am the most boring person that ever lived right now. I mean, I still take her for walks, but we haven't rode the bike for maybe a month... I get the two main painful ones out next
Thursday (was supposed to be today ; Dentist is on emergency medical leave and isn't expected back till next week. )

Anyways, do I think there should be more than one dog? Yes. Do I think everyone can handle it? No.
I'd say, ask yourself, how are you doing with just one right now? What level of stress does one give you? Because when you have two, you double everything. Double the food, medical expenses, toys.
There will always be excitement and  don't forget, double the crazy!

Not trying to psych you out... but it is things to think about.
It is things I have thought about. When I am not a bed ridden invalid, I am such an active person so I could probably handle 4 or 5, my husband would never allow that though!!!

You all raise some good points. Do you think that two means it takes up twice your energy and twice your time?

Or does having the second to play with the first mean they take up less of your time and energy?

CyberSlush wrote:

You all raise some good points.  Do you think that two means it takes up twice your energy and twice your time?

Or does having the second to play with the first mean they take up less of your time and energy?

When Archer is here, it is less work than Ami alone... they play with each other. Hard. So I can get away with playing with them intermittently through the day and walks are sort of optional. We have 4 ish acres for them to run so they get lots of exercise when together. Ami alone? He needs 2 long walks per day. Minimum. And we get zoomies if he's not exercised enough. And he gets rough in his play after a few days.

The extra work is picking up 2 food bowls instead of 1. But 1 huge water bowl... well I have water bowls on 4 places so that is a bit of a pain but they share.

Down side? Sometimes they seem to get each other worked up and 2 digging a whole is exponentially a bigger hole than 1.

Having two huskies...yes, they tire each other out, however, it doesn't eliminate their need for *you* to tire them out, they still need the long walks/runs/playtime from *you* . So if you are thinking that there will be times where you can miss walks with them, or don't have to worry about playing with them because the other husky is there, it's simply not the case. Their exercise/mental stimulation with you is something needed by them and in reality is a totally different kind of physical and mental stimulation than they get with another dog. Having two means they can be more tired than they would be if the other wasn't there, and healthier because their mind and body is being exercised more with another dog, but an *extra* dog won't and shouldn't be a replacement for you when you are too tired or whatever. And with your housing situation and moving a lot, I would put extra consideration into it. Not trying to talk you out of it at all ...it's just not something to be entered into lightly.

So the answer to both your last questions are yes and no to each my two NEED their walks each day and night and they and I do benefit from them having each other to keep each other entertained

I may be a little biased going through the puppy stages right now, but at first while the 2nd is still a puppy it will bee more than double the work you're used to.

We raised the first one as a puppy, so we remember how much work it was to initially train her. We would get the second one CGC trained and certified like the first, so we're committed to putting in that work. Plus we enjoy walking, running, and training Slush.

It's just that extra energy after all of that (we don't currently have a good dog park nearby) that can sometimes be overwhelming AFTER we have already ran, walked, and played with her that day. Our friends who just got a second puppy say that the two play all the time and so it helps keep them a bit more occupied in those off times.

We know the housing will be a challenge, and are just trying to decide if we want to make that sacrifice or not...plus we may be expanding our human family in the next couple years and become even busier than we already are.

Your friends are correct. Especially at times like after a walk (they're all wound up like a wind up toy and bam, all that energy gets released) a second dog is really good with keeping the other busy and tired. Personally I love having two, I really wouldn't want it any other way...I had Kohdi alone for one year and it was great! But adding Mishka...it's like releasing a entirely different side in Kohdi, and Mishka adores him (and vice versa) . Last night, it was 1 in the morning and I wake up to low grade noises, I go out to check on them and they are playing with a toy in the dining room, lol, so yeah, they do help each other release some pent up energy. In your case, the housing needs a lot of thought, it's all do-able though, however my only concern is the "moving a lot"...huskies really seem to thrive on routine and consistency and any disruptions in that can cause a lot of stress for them. Depending on the dogs personality, it can be a minor little thing or something much bigger. I wish you the best in whatever you decide!

I have 2. I've had them since they were puppies. I did get them about 3 weeks apart. They play with each other and wear themselves out well. I still have to run them or they drive me nuts and dig craters in my yard. I did a lot of research before I got my first one (that's how I found this site). Plus they help me get exercise frequently. Plus for me they are just plain fun. Each has their own personality so it always keeps on our toes.
I am waiting until they are maybe 3 or 4 yrs and I'm hoping to get 2 more. I want my own dog sled team.