Hello, Im a young male around 20. I will be done trade school in a year and am thinking about getting a husky. Ive been an animal lover for all of my life and have owned many dogs. I love the breed and have cared for my step brothers husky in the past. Right now i am in school for 7 hours a day. I get home at 3 and have nights off. I really want an active companion who will go hiking, biking and camping with me every weekend, and play with me at nights, as i dont have many friends around.
I do care about the dog's wellbeing and would not want to cause it any stress or anxiety being away. I would be able to drop it off at my family members probably 1-3 days a week, where someone is home most of the day and there are 3 dogs. The other days i would plan to drop it at day care perhaps once a week, and the rest have family or familiar people come walk it or let it out at least once a day while im gone. After school, i will likely have a 7-330 job and try to keep the routine going. Is this practical for a husky or would i be better off with another breed? Thanks

Many people work a full 8 hour day plus commute and their huskies area fine with this. Perhaps you might consider a young adult dog instead of a puppy.

We adopted Misty as a two-year-old and she stays alone in the house while we're at work/school. We crate-trained her, and she's gotten comfortable enough with being left in the house alone that we're considering retiring her crate by the end of the year.  We also always leave a radio on for her when we're out.  We make sure she gets a really good walk and gets to spend some time in the back yard every morning before we leave.  She's been perfectly fine while we're gone.  

Every dog is different, and a lot is going to depend on the personality and any prior experiences of the dog.  With Misty, routine is everything -- As long as the same things happen every morning at the same time (i.e., she gets her walk, gets her outside time, gets her breakfast), she feels secure and is happy for the rest of the day.  Even when we stay home all day (weekends, holidays, days off), she naps most of the day, just as if we were still gone for the day.  Then at about the time we would normally get home, she's awake, alert, and happy to be let outside, have her dinner, and have some playtime.  

Misty was totally bonkers when we first got her, and it took about a month and a half to get her trained, settled, and comfortable with her new surroundings and new routine. Since that rough patch, though, she's become a really great family dog.

Additional note: Misty is my first Husky, but hardly my first Nordic/Spitz dog.  I've adopted young dogs and older dogs, and my older dogs (we're talking five years or older) were much, much easier to train and adapt to my household.  The older dogs were just much more mellow and easy-going, and not fazed by anything -- They were VERY easy dogs to deal with. The pups and younger dogs, though, tended to be a bit crazy for at least the first two months I had them and they required a lot more work and training -- and patience!

@Tyb - the question isn't "Will a Husky work for you?" but "Will you work for a Husky?"

See, most any breed will work for many humans; most dogs adapt well and given the basic requirements, they're happy.  (( and boy is that an over simplification when it comes to a Husky!! ))

It's the human part of that duet that is the really important part to consider.  You're 19 and from your own comments are going to be delegating much of your pups care to others - now that's not a good place to start.

You're in school and project that you'll be working a day job (first shift) but you don't know that.  As other here have found there's many a slip between the projection and the reality.

You have changes coming up in your life and, to be honest, most people and most dogs don't adapt well to change.  You're going to be graduating school (and if you don't mind my asking, what trade?), getting a new job about which you know little or nothing, probably moving into a place of your own (who wants to be under papa's thumb all the time?) Some Huskies adapt well to change, others don't and your neighbors will let you know - quickly - that you have a problem!

Personally, I'd advise you to hold off on getting, specifically, a Husky for now.  I'm going to suggest that a lab or maybe a retriever would fit your projected life style better.  When you're more settled then reconsider a Husky.

Reasons:
Huskies, typically, want to be with their human (if we ignore the tendency to want to run away.)  Having several others watch him is apt to have consequences you don't want.  Who feeds him what, who trains him how, you get the idea.
You mention camping and I've liked to camp for most of my life.  Most of the dogs I've had during my active camping years have been labs because they camp really well.  Huskies are more of a challenge,  you can let a lab hike with you and not necessarily on a leash; an off leash Husky is an accident waiting to happen (they run off after a rabbit in strange territory and you're quite apt to never see him again.)

Huskies are great dogs, jus not really right for everyone at the time ...

aljones wrote:

the question isn't "Will a Husky work for you?" but "Will you work for a Husky?"

LOL!!! you said it best Al! I also agree with Al on all the things he mentioned. I have to admit that I am very lucky that my job allows me to work from home. My bf and I adopted our girl about 8 months ago when she was only about 1yr and 4 months. She was a very mellow dog. But even as a mellow dog, she needed to get use to our surroundings and get comfortable that this became her furrrrever home. She had a little anxiety and the first couple months was very crucial to make sure we were there with her the whole time. The time she had an accident was when I had to travel for work and my bf had to work swing shift the day I came home. It was only a 6 hour gap and she end up having 2 wet accidents and poop in our office bedroom. Even after my bf gave her a long walk before he went to work. But I think this happened because it was the first time we left her alone since we had her.

Since then she has been great but to be honest with you, if I didn't work from home, we would not have adopted her because of how much attention they need.

An example that I always give is my sister who adopted a husky 2 months after we had our girl. She was hoping for the same temperament. Oh boy, she was not expecting what she got. Even with her life all situated with a full time job, she was having a handful. Crate training in a condo unit was the worse. Her HOA had complaints from neighbors due to her howling. Almost to the point where if it wasn't fix, she would have had to get rid of her husky. Luckily she was able to adapt and roam free in the house with less howling. But.....more destroying of the house. lol. It's gotten better for her but there are those moments.

Good luck on your decision!!

Thank you everyone for your feedback, suggestions, and experiences.. Seems like it would be in the best interest that I wait until I am settled in with my job and new home when I get my own place in a year. At that time i may have a better feel if my lifestyle and schedule works for a husky.  

@aljones I am studying electrical now. I do not aspire to become a service electrician but instead work as a maintenance technician. There are a few companies that ive been looking into that hire many students from my school.  The hours should be consistent and I will be living with someone (friend or girlfriend) who will raise the pup with me. For now, I feel as if my schedule is still open enough to raise another breed. I would be able to walk and feed the dog in the morning before school, as well as feed it in the afternoon and share many hours for playtime and exercise after school. Additionally, I have weekends off, as well as semester and holiday breaks that range from 11 days to 3 weeks off at a time.   I feel like those three week breaks would be a good time to bring a young adult dog home to get it adjusted, start the training process, and ease it into a routine schedule.
I am willing to make sacrifices and realize it would be a time commitment. Maybe somewhere down the road I will be able to get a husky and then id have a dog pal for it to grow up with for the times I cant be there.

@tyb thanks for your understanding ear. Give it time and patience, there's a Husky out there just waiting for you to be able to give it all the time and love it needs, when it's right.

As you know, from caring for you step-brothers dog, they're unique. I'd hate for you to jump in right now and find out that "the situation" didn't work.

Well, these are supposed to be working dogs. After getting two of them I was hoping I'd be able to retire, but neither of them have found jobs yet.....

I'm usually gone from 5am to 4:00. My male gets free roam of the house, and my female is crated. There is usually someone who comes to let them out during the day, but even if not they are fine. Once they get into the routine, and are properly exercised, they seem to just sleep all day.

Thank you for your response @DarkDiamond . At what age did you get them? And when you are gone
All day do you ever return home to a mess or damaged furniture? When i get mine in the future i would like to train him for bike joring and have him carry a pack on our hiking trips.

DarkDiamond wrote:

Well, these are supposed to be working dogs.  After getting two of them I was hoping I'd be able to retire, but neither of them have found jobs yet.....

I agree with Graham...they do get into a routine, they do tend to sleep most of the time when their owners are not home...unless you get one with separation anxiety or a pup in his teen years. Then you might see some "redecorating"

My first husband and I got my first Siberian when we were living in student housing and I was working a full day plus travel. Unfortunately, I knew naught of crates and, yes, that pup decided the wallpaper and upholstery needed to be replaced But, aside from that, she did fine. I was her primary trainer and we had mornings, evenings and weekends.