Hello,

I'm new here, so sorry if this is in the wrong area, but I'm doing my research on huskies as I'm interested in owning one in the future. I've read a lot online and in books, but a book can't tell me what it's /really/ like to own one of these dogs.

In the past I had a GSD - he was VERY intelligent, but could be very stubborn when he wanted to be; wouldn't always come when called simply because something else was far more interesting, for example. While he was very loving and 'loyal' to me in terms of I was his favourite person because I was the one who raised, trained, fed, walked, and played with him, he would also happily greet strangers. He would bark every now and then when someone approached the front door, but not always. My boy wasn't exactly typical of what I had read about Shepherds. So when looking into a new breed, I plan to do it right by learning through actual owner's experiences.

I've read Sibes are notoriously 'unfaithful', but is that really true? I know they are very friendly dogs and may not help you in your hour of need, but are they really disloyal? They don't see you as anything special and treat all humans with the same amount of affection? I think a lot of people miscontrue stubborn behaviour with lack of loyalty but my Shepherd was very stubborn and I wouldn't consider him disloyal.

The most important thing to me is having a bond with a dog. Or at least this is very important to me.

I've also been looking into Huskies due to their activity. I felt like my GSD aged so fast, and our 2.5 hour walks declined in length as he got older, which was hard for me because I loved the time we spent together on walks. Older Huskies I know haven't really slowed down at all, and are still youthful at heart. There is also less of a worry with hip dysplaysia and DM, which is what really concerns me with getting another Shep.

Any advice you could provide on Sibes that's different from the books would be great! I would really love to hear your opinions and experiences.

Welcome to the forum! I have to say that husky puppies could care less what human is with them, loyalty is not a high priority, lol. But after about a year I will say they become your dog because they thrive on being with their pack. Are they stubborn, yep, have they ever met a stranger, well most nope, haha. They might want to chase prey and take you with them, but in reality they are a great breed that bonds real well with their human. They definitely are the "what's in it for me" type breed, they are not big on pleasing their owners, but it kinda is a two way street, you give them love, exercise, training and boundaries, they will show that loyalty. You will form a wonderful bond that will appear more of a mutual bond, vs a gsd that eventually does stuff to make you happy. It's just a different type of bond, and yes they are equally as intelligent, just have to channel the energy some.

Huskies have more of a pack loyalty than a single owner loyalty. They are also friendly, outgoing dogs, so they pretty much want everyone to be part of their pack....thus they seem less loyal than some other breeds. They do bond with owners and families though.
If you are playing with him in the yard and the mailman comes by, your husky is going to get excited to see a new person, and will want to say hi and will ignore you temporarily to pay attention to another person. That's not a lack of loyalty though, it's just their personality.

They can be pretty stubborn. But again, this isn't a loyalty issue. They are just very independent dogs. They have their own minds, wants, needs, and they express that. They take a lot of time, effort, and work to train. But with consistency, they do just fine.

They are a VERY high energy breed. They also tend to stay active pretty long into their lifespan...but keep in mind that every individual dog is just that, an individual. Some huskies are lazy slobs, while others are Olympic athletes for life. They tend to lean towards the more active side.

For me it depends on the dog. I have two huskies and a gsd mix. One husky I rescued around 4 years ago and she is loyal to me and me alone. If I was in trouble she would stand her ground and protect me. She will come when I call her and do as she is told. My other I have had about 2 months, so still too early to really bond, but he will run away and never return given half a chance. As far as activity goes it is going to come down to health. If you get a puppy make sure you get from a reputable breeder who health tests generations back. Things like cataracts and HD are in huskies too (my male husky, and my gsd mix, have HD) and this will shorten how active they are in old age. My girl is around 8 now and she can still do a 10 mile day when my boys struggle, but it is hard on her. She has pretty bad arthritis. The heart will be there until the day they die to keep going but you have to really do your homework on health if you get a puppy. A rescue dog over 2 you can have checked for structure health and should.