Just adopted a tiny 3 month old husky mix.
We had two escape artist dogs prior (Aussie cattle dog and an Aussie cattle dog/Aussie shepherd mix). I'm well acquainted with digging, climbing, jumping, and escaping from any sort of containment. My first pup climbed over a 4 foot tall wall while he was only 2 months old.

I spent last weekend puppy proofing and upgrading the kennel. We have a 40 square foot indoor kennel (in a finished garage) that connects via dog door to a outside kennel that is 225 square feet. He'd be spending his days and nights in this area with his new friend (the 10 year old mix mentioned above). The indoor area is fully contained and I have no concerns here. Outside though is only a 4 foot tall fence, which I know is a joke to a husky (as it was to the Aussies). Attached to the outside kennel is a large fenced in backyard that he'll only be in during supervised times.

He'll be getting 2-4 walks a day plus other activity. Right now he gets 3-4 15 minute walks per day plus other activity. After a year or so we plan to have him up to an hour long jog in the morning, 15-30 minutes of activity during the noon hour, at least a short 15-30 minute walk at 5pm, and another hour or more in the evening along with some additional backyard activity. And that's just the plan between my wife an myself. The kids love spending time with the dogs, so I fully expect him to get another walk and some more activity. I plan to take up some joring on the weekends once he reaches the appropriate age also.

We broke the Aussies from escaping with an invisible fence.
Do you think this would be enough to detour the husky from getting out also? Or do we need to upgrade to a higher and covered fence for the outside area?

I'm extra concerned due to his high prey drive. We have squirrels and rabbits in the neighborhood along with some people that let their cats wander around at will (and then complain about dogs barking at night). Do you think the prey drive will override the fence training?

Has anyone had success with invisible fencing and huskies?

Wow! What a setup you have for your buddies. I can't speak as to the invisible fence personally, however, my buddy from work has a Husky and tried the invisible fence. He said it didn't work because his Husky blasted right past it chasing a cat and apparently was out of range of it in seconds. While I have had good experiences with the e-collar, either my buddies settings were too low, the range is too short, or, his dog was just so excited that he ignored the effects of the collar.

Fortunately, Zhukov has only escaped our yard once (I left the dang gate open...) and he looped around to the front door to show Colby his magic escape powers and sat there staring at him until I noticed him (and almost had a heart attack).

It sounds like you are gonna be giving him plenty of exercise and companionship, so hopefully that helps.

I'm rushing to get out the door for a doctors apt sorry.  Look for posts from @MiyasMomma, I think it is she who has her two trained well with an electric fence. She'll also see this in her notifications so whether you find or she see's you may get some help.

@amymeme has the electric fence and hers are trained to it. She has had good success. MiyasMomma has hers on just ecollar. The invisible fences can work with enough training. Having the extra wire fence to slow the dogs down so they can't barge through the invisible at high rate helps. I have a wireless system I used when I was at a rental house. As for the 4ft fence being enough it will depend on your dog. If it's getting enough exercise, and it sounds like it is, it may never feel the need to push it. My girl has a 4ft fence in sections of our yard and she has never offered to go over. I would probably be more concerned with going under for a while. Boredom digging can sometime inadvertently lead to an escape when they didn't really mean it to.

Thanks Jenn; I had a 50-50 chance and blew it!! Figured someone would correct me ... last post till I get back this afternoon.

Mark Grubbs wrote:

 While I have had good experiences with the e-collar, either my buddies settings were too low, the range is too short, or, his dog was just so excited that he ignored the effects of the collar.

I have had wonderful "luck" with an invisible fence with 1 full husky with a tremendous prey drive and one husky mix ditto the prey drive.

I will guess your buddy either did not do the training properly OR he had the collar too loose and the dog was not getting the correction.

The collar really acts as a cue to the training which is...when puppy hears the warning tone OR feels the "mosquito bite" turn around and go back inside the boundary. I spent a full 30 days training and proofing by the letter to the manual. The only time, in the very early days with the fence, that puppy breached his boundary I found the collar had loosened and there was no contact with the prongs - when the dogs play, the grab each other by the neck, shake, pull, generally create mayhem.

Now - this is the proof positive as far as I am concerned: We have 30 acres, most in woods in HIGH deer country. As well as bear. The invisible fence is only around about 4 acres, mostly mowed. One day I was out in the north field checking out my new apple trees, dogs hanging out with me. A deer came into the yard, the dogs spied them and took off like lightening. Deer, spooked big time, heads north to the woods, dogs in hot pursuit. My heart sank - they were in full dead run chase, thought there was no way the fence would contain them and thus, I was in hot pursuit. Or as hot pursuit as an old lady with arthritis can be...did not find the dogs, headed back to the house to turn off the fence and tell hubby we had to go into woods to find the dogs. As I approached the garage, there, lying under the pine tree, panting to beat the band, were 2 very tired huskies!

Second example - had a bear visit my bee hives this summer. But caught in the act by the puppies. Bear took off, puppies followed. Bear figured out the dogs had a boundary and hung around just outside that boundary. Now, I never saw the bear, only the damage. And the husky mix, who alerts to intruders (which the other dog reacts with "oh goody, company!") stayed at the edge of his boundary, barking barking barking. The second dog wasn't so interested - I assume because "eh, I can't go there" and second, once the bear was out of the boundary, I assume he was no longer running which 2nd dog does not find interesting. This went on for about 2 weeks until I got a REAL electric fence up, baited it and Mr Bear decided to go elsewhere. Actually, probably Mrs as neighbors reported 2 cubs, also.

So yes - I think an invisible fence will work fine with a husky. Just a note - we have a 4 foot chain link around the backyard (there's a swimming pool) and before we put in the invisible fence, that was sufficient to contain the dogs as long as we were home - never tested it with us not home. We put in the invisible fence so the dogs could roam and chase away all the garden/landscape munchers: deer, woodchucks, rabbits, voles...

I am the one with success on e-collar, and I personally feel that Amy got it right where others fail with the e-fence. I have heard the old debate about the e-fence and the e-collar, and let me tell you, if properly trained both can be effective tools. The problem with those who say it can not work on high prey drive dogs are the ones who didn't train right. I think what everyone else said and combined with the e-fence it will work. I think doing a lot of training and exercise along with the e-fence training you should find success. A happy and fulfilled husky, who gets the proper amount of attention and exercise will not have the desire to escape thru an e-fence. My husky I trained on the e-collar, so she could take off if she wanted, I have no fence, but I am outside all the time with her, I have watched a cat come on to our property (as well as squirrels, road runners, guinea hens, you name the critter), she will chase the animal and once the animal has crossed past our property she will stop. I did a ton of training with the collar, I trained her as to the property boundaries, and I provide a ton of exercise. My puppy, my gsd, was always perfect off leash, I did not do property boundary training as extensive as my husky, gsd's are not as big of a wanderer as huskies, and she will run past my "safe" zone, Miya, my husky stops at the edge, Sofie my gsd will run past that "safe" zone. I can safely say that with proper training like Amy did, and what I have done will work.