(note: this is a bit verbose. Let's call it The Philosophy of Husky Metaphysics)!

Hello, everyone,

there's been a lot on my mind lately regarding Huskies, dogs generally speaking, and behaviors. For the record, here's my story. I am 31 now. I have wanted a Siberian Husky since I was about 12. I haven't pulled the trigger on getting one until now precisely because I have researched and learned about the breed, come to understand it quite well, and respect it and its tendencies enormously.

My partner and I recently moved in together. In the time leading up to this and getting to know one another, my cards were face up. A definitive parameter for me involved getting my long awaited Husky in the next phase of my life. Throughout my 20's I have not had the stability or situation in life to properly care for a Husky. Now, especially with my partner, the time has finally come. My ambitions for a dog have been Husky or nothing; my partner's ambitions for a dog have been German Shepherd, Husky, or Weimeraner. Win/Win.

Since we officially pulled the trigger and made a deposit with a breeder for our puppy, I have been researching and reading like crazy. Everything from online (you all on here), Puppies for Dummies, Dog Training for Dummies, and most influentially, Cesar Millan (extensively).

I fully understand and am aware that Cesar is a heated, controversial topic. There are various schools of thought about why he's the best, why he's the worst, why his is great for dogs, why he abuses dogs.....etc. This is not about that debate, specifically.

One thing about him is this though: agree with him or not either in part or in full, his methods work. If for the sake of argument he is a dog abuser, his methods still work. Whether his contact is indeed a kick or a tap, it still works. If dogs are in fact not domesticated wolves and are not pack animals in the same way as wolves, treating them as though they were still works. So the metaphysical issue of whether or not they actually are is irrelevant. I know from reading, on this site alone, that some people discredit him, even while agreeing with his success and his theory, because of him supposedly kicking or hitting dogs. In other words, a specific questionable aspect of his overall approach is used to discredit the rest. People attack his premises a lot while not refuting his results.

This is not about debating that stuff, as in whether or not he is actually abusing dogs or about the issue of wholesale discrediting based on one flawed attribute.

Here's what I'm on to: some things he teaches are undeniable. Our Huskies are animals first, dogs second, Huskies third, and their name/personality fourth. Many of you may know how critical he is of humanizing dogs and treating them with human psychology rather than dog psychology. This of course subsequently leads to many behavioral problems. A quick scan of this site will reveal many examples of this everywhere., for example, not disciplining a puppy because it would hurt his feelings or projecting human based rationalizing on a dog's behavioral problems.

He also emphasizes that dogs mirror our energy or how we treat them. He attacks a dog's behavioral problems by training humans, right? The human triggers the dog's behavior.

A corollary of this is also his criticism of what I'll call here breedism, or a type of racism against breeds of dogs. For example, when my partner and I searched for a home recently in light of wanting to get a Husky, we saw many places with breed restrictions: no pit bulls, no German Shepherds, no Huskies, no Rottweilers....etc. Clearly, this is a type of breedism, or a type of racism if you will. Even though most people understand that a pit bull is not a pit bull, but a specific pit bull is a function of the people who raise it.......AND there is a specific ethos of what a pit bull is in our society that makes us treat pit bulls LIKE PIT BULLS. Hopefully, that point is clear.

Is a pit bull a pit bull because it just IS A PIT BULL or because we treat it and raise it LIKE A PIT BULL?? Even a cursory understanding of Cesar Millan will lead you to the answer he'd give: he never blames breed for behaviors, even though he will of course admit to breed having some influence on specific needs of a dog. But even still, he tries to reduce the breed influence and treat all breeds more like animal-dog. He has emphasized swimming and nose-tracking in his bulldog, for example, to reduce his bulldog tendencies and bring out more of the animal-dog.

I joined this site yesterday. I am well educated about all the pros, cons, warnings....etc. about Huskies. One of the heated topics I saw right off the bat here was the issue of off leash time with Huskies.

I get that Huskies are demanding, that they come from a specific purposeful lineage.....all that. The issue of running/off leash danger is the most prominent, heavily policed issue with Huskies.

In light of my previous train of thought here, is there any way to shed light on this in the same way?

Is never trusting a Husky off leash analogous to an apartment complex not allowing any pit bulls? Is the danger involved with Huskies off leash because that's how they REALLY ARE or is it because of how we TREAT THEM and INTERACT WITH THEM?

We all know this about Huskies. Scan the threads on here, and you'll see this common formula in the debate about off leash threats:

(person adamantly anti off leash): "everyone thinks their Husky is the exception to the rule. I did too. But when my Husky was off leash, I was a nervous wreck and was so worried, and before you know it, he was gone."

(person in favor of off leash):" well I have an exception. In the right situations and given my proper training, my Husky is fine. I trust him and he trusts me"

So there are two approaches here, differing in the preparatory training and the ways in which we interact with and exude energy around the dog. There are examples abound on both sides, so clearly a Husky is not a Husky. There is variation.

All dogs run and all dogs are curious and exploratory. But for Huskies, it's a "con" or a "warning" that has stuck on them like a stigma. It is of course, mostly true, in the same way a lot of breedism or racism can very well be true. It would seem more people have horror stories of Huskies off leash than success stories. But there are success stories.....why? What's the difference?? I have also seen posters on here saying their Huskies are couch potatoes who like watching movies with them and casually walking once a day for 30 mins. This is not in the "so you want a Husky.....here's the scoop" list of attributes. Why?

To succinctly put this, I have been pondering in my mind for the past few weeks what "Husky nature" is. Is there such a thing? What is the source of such a thing?? How many counter examples are needed to refute such a thing?? What is the source of these counter examples??

I hope you all indulge my pondering respectfully and with the best intentions.

Cheers.

Hmm, a lot to digest lol. I get what you're trying to say, is no off leash a husky thing or is it something they've developed because we all assume they'll run. The biggest thing with this is what was a husky bred for? Huskies were bred to be working dogs, pull sleds and such. As a part of that, they were bred to be independent thinkers, because a human wont be able to see thin ice or sense it the way a husky would and so when the human says go forward, the husky turns and goes around the thin ice because that's how they were bred. As the owner, that sledder has to trust the huskies instincts.

Now because of this independent nature, huskies can and will be stubborn. And wont listen if they don't feel like it. This is where the offleash issue comes in. Along with that, huskies also have a very high prey drive, which means that when given the chance to run, they will. Not always, but they have been known to. Now, many people on the forum have trained their pups in emergency recall, which is completely different then normal recall. Huskies can be trained in recall, but that doesn't mean that they wont test you and try to see how far they can push it. Being consistent will help with this. But, that being said, I don't feel its worth the risk to let her off the leash when she doesn't need to be. Besides the fact that many cities have leash laws. I'd just rather be safe than sorry (and Karli has ran before.)

Hi Roxy,

thanks for your reply. You brought up another important point...the breed's purpose, which then begs the question: how salient is this purpose in today's dogs (mostly companion pets) and can this purpose be trained away/against?

Pit bulls were bred for fighting, however we all know sweet, gentle, loving pit bulls that don't fight and are not aggressive.

So is the purpose of the breed, it's breedness, something all dogs in this breed WILL be or CAN be?

How many of our Huskies actually sled? Sledding itself is an activity that is not in the dog's DNA. However, a Husky's body is structured to be excellent at sledding. The structure is in the DNA. So when we say a Husky shouldn't be off leash because it is meant to be a sled dog........

I just can't help but wonder if the sled is pulling the Husky here

And for the record, this is all intellectual pondering. The real life story is that of course, I'm not going to endanger my puppy or put him at risk because of some philosophical possibility.

David Hume, the guy who disproved cause and effect as a way to anticipate future events, said, at the end of the day, he is still gonna go play billiards with his buddies, and know that when the white ball hits the green ball, the green ball is going to move.........he just refuses to say this proves it will move in the future because it always has in the past

Every dog is different in my opinion. I met a lady with a husky back in August who's never had a problem with her husky off leash. Same goes for a dear friend of ours who takes his husky on long trail runs and she stays with him every step of the way. Then you have a community of owners here and some of them are well educated people who've taken the utmost care with training the dogs but still can't trust them off leash. I know I have been working hard on training but my pup sees a squirrel and she couldn't care If I had a steak.

I don't know if its unfair to say huskies generally shouldn't be let off leash because I think majority of owners have found this to be true. The dogs are independent and seem to love exploring. It doesn't seem to correlate with bad ownership. In my humble opinion there's a generalization in characteristics because there's truth to it. That doesn't make it true for all huskies though. Comparing this to pit bulls being characterized as agressive doesn't make sense to me. One is what comes out of bad ownership whereas the other comes from the personality and quirks of the breed. It doesn't seem like breedism to say that bulldogs are gentle and protective or that Yorkers are determined and energetic. Is more of a general characteristic of the breed. Look up huskies on the akc website. It does reiterate a lot of what people on the forum say. This is my way of looking at it. I'm not claiming to be an expert or have more knowledge than Caesar (whom I admire), or anyone else for that matter. Just my two cents

First, Cesar Milan, does not know how to adequately train a Siberian Husky (or the malamute he choked). Many people strongly disagree with his tactics because they are harmful. If someone is unable to train a dog without beating it or choking it, they should not own a dog, IMO.

Second, Siberians are bred to pull. And many, many dogs still do. Bike Joring, Roller-Joring, Carting and Sledding are options, but here are other canine sports that Siberians excel in. Many of which you will find members participating in here. I don't find it right to train or breed out the very purpose a dog was created for. I have specific leashes my dogs use for walking and potty, but I also have specific harnesses they are allowed to pull in. It took patience and training, but they know the difference.

Third, the reason siberians can't be trusted off leash is because they have a very high prey drive. My female will walk right next to me, calmly and nicely, but if she sees a squirrel, she is gone. I don't trust my dogs off leash and I never will. But, that is up to you.

We had this debate (nearly identical) with another member about 3 weeks ago... This subject is a beaten dead topic.



Can huskies be off leash dogs in appropriate settings? Yes. They are capable of things every other dog breed is. Is it worth taking a risk to have your husky off leash when it really doesn't need to be? For most, no. And this applies to all breeds as well. Your companion is safest when under your guidance. They can roam freely in your house and secured yard or the dog park.
Both mine have great recall, my female is ridiculously good off leash (my male would have issues if seeing a rodent or cat), so this isn't coming from someone who's stuck thinking huskies don't respond off leash.

seattlesibe wrote:

( One thing about him is this though: agree with him or not either in part or in full, his methods work. If for the sake of argument he is a dog abuser, his methods still work. Whether his contact is indeed a kick or a tap, it still works. If dogs are in fact not domesticated wolves and are not pack animals in the same way as wolves, treating them as though they were still works. So the metaphysical issue of whether or not they actually are is irrelevant. I know from reading, on this site alone, that some people discredit him, even while agreeing with his success and his theory, because of him supposedly kicking or hitting dogs. In other words, a specific questionable aspect of his overall approach is used to discredit the rest. People attack his premises a lot while not refuting his results.

Sorry I have to admit I lost interest completely after this bit. So your saying because his methods "supposedly work" then it's okay for him to choke a dog? When does the outcome not justify the mean, how cruel do you have to be before it becomes a problem. I don't care how good the results are if he's used questionable methods to obtain them, that's a false positive IMHO.

I also have to agree that little paragraph in there made me loose interest as well. How long would it take you to break down and listen? Mentally and physically abusing a dog to get it to listen..that means your a bon-a-fied dog trainer? Really? He is no more of a dog trainer then a puppy mill owner is a dog breeder.

Note 6:30 and on in this site...if you choked my dog, I'd expect them to bite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaeiwlQ8uDc

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Sorry I have to admit I lost interest completely after this bit. So your saying because his methods "supposedly work" then it's okay for him to choke a dog? When does the outcome not justify the mean, how cruel do you have to be before it becomes a problem. I don't care how good the results are if he's used questionable methods to obtain them, that's a false positive IMHO.

Nope, not saying that at all. I'm not interested in debating the legitimacy of one person's methods and then the various, subsequent interpretations of those methods. The only things two people will agree on in this type of debate is that the third person is wrong.

I am also not interested in debating what constitutes abuse....that debate gets ugly and goes nowhere fast.

My only point was that he does make many, substantially accurate and interesting points about dog behavior in general, dog psychology vs. human psychology, the issues involved with "breed behaviors" vs. dog behaviors and the ideas I've presented as breedism, and that whether or not he is in fact is a dog abuser should not discredit these points. A dog abuser (in the sense of physically hitting them) can make profound points and have accurate assessments about dog psychology that can still be extremely useful for people who interpret his behaviors as actual abuse.

It's the "throw the baby out with the bathwater" thing.....

My post was about Husky nature, their animal-dog-breed qualities, and the effect we as Husky owners interacting with them have on their behavior and their balance/happiness as dogs. I used some of Cesar's analogies and theories, while not discussing his physical methods at all, nor chiming in on the hot button issue of abuse.

mheath0429 wrote:

Second, Siberians are bred to pull. And many, many dogs still do. Bike Joring, Roller-Joring, Carting and Sledding are options, but here are other canine sports that Siberians excel in. Many of which you will find members participating in here. I don't find it right to train or breed out the very purpose a dog was created for. I have specific leashes my dogs use for walking and potty, but I also have specific harnesses they are allowed to pull in. It took patience and training, but they know the difference.

Third, the reason siberians can't be trusted off leash is because they have a very high prey drive. My female will walk right next to me, calmly and nicely, but if she sees a squirrel, she is gone. I don't trust my dogs off leash and I never will. But, that is up to you.

Thank you for this. This brings up the excellent point of breed purpose, once again.

I agree that we should not train away the functionality of a breed, so long as we can provide a safe, healthy outlet. Those features are built into their structure and will in varying levels represent themselves in the personality and drive of our dogs.

The analogy with the pit bulls is interesting though, because in this case, there is an interest in training away the breed purpose, because sadly, the pit bull was designed to fight and be tenacious and have powerful biting drives. Nowadays, most pit bull owners don't want these behaviors to manifest themselves, so they train them away from them and try to make pit bulls be more dog than pit bull.

Husky people, not all of course, want to exploit the Husky pulling/running quality as a great source of bonding, fun, work, and exercise. I am definitely looking forward to this with my Husky. I am an excellent skater (hockey player) and already have his pulling harness and a sled for winter. Once he's aged and matured properly, it will be pure joy having Husky time with my Husky.

But we do selectively utilize some breed attributes and suppress others. There are Huskies in Arizona and Florida after all...not the niche of the world they are designed for. There is something to be said for this, no?

Not all huskies behave like Huskies and only a few, the minority, of individual huskies are used in the way/ location they were bred for.

In this sense, it seems beneficial to most of us to try to emphasize the animal-dog aspects, because the breed aspects are either not useful or problematic. The more balance we can achieve with all three aspects, I'm sure and hope, the happier our dogs will be.

Cheers for now.

A dog in Florida can still cart and bike jor.

Not to mention canicross..

I think your logic is slightly flawed in the way in which you are viewing a Husky's need to run. The way you are addressing it you are limiting or flat out trying to deny the dogs instincts. No trainer worth their weight in gold would tell a client to remove or limit instinct.

Instead you train around it and use it to your advantage. I have two Huskys who love to Jor.... I never trained them to like it, but when I clipped that harness on them for the first time they knew what to do.

I use it to tire them out and then train when they are in the correct frame of mind. To give them a job so they can be rewarded and feel complete. Because they flat out LOVE it.

Quote :

Pit bulls were bred for fighting, however we all know sweet, gentle, loving pit bulls that don't fight and are not aggressive.

There are two sides to that coin though (And to be clear I'm talking about Bull Terriers, which paved the way for the Staffords and American Terriers / Pits). Bulls were indeed breed and developed for gameness and fighting. However the breed was so popular at the time many were used as companion dogs and baby sitters as well.

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All dogs run and all dogs are curious and exploratory. But for Huskies, it's a "con" or a "warning" that has stuck on them like a stigma

You make it sound like only Huskies have this Rep. Terriers have almost the same one and are just as bad off leash. They can follow a scent for hours without ever looking up and become lost in no time.

There is also a big difference between a dog running, and a northern breed bred for running doing it. It won't get tired, it won't look back, and it gets into a trance. Until you witness it it may seem like something you can train out, but it will always be there.

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I have also seen posters on here saying their Huskies are couch potatoes who like watching movies with them and casually walking once a day for 30 mins. This is not in the "so you want a Husky.....here's the scoop" list of attributes. Why?

Yes there are exceptions. I would be the worlds biggest hypocrite if I didn't say there wasn't. An Exception however is not something we can suggest or green light to a new member. There is no reason to say your dog will be a couch potato anymore than there is your dog will be good off leash when 99% of our members don't have those dogs.

I have a dog who is a couch Potato. She just wants to cuddle up and sleep on us all the time. You strap a Harness on her and come over though and step outside. Instinct takes over.

Quote :

The analogy with the pit bulls is interesting though, because in this case, there is an interest in training away the breed purpose, because sadly, the pit bull was designed to fight and be tenacious and have powerful biting drives. Nowadays, most pit bull owners don't want these behaviors to manifest themselves, so they train them away from them and try to make pit bulls be more dog than pit bull.

Yes and no.

You are confusing what can be done with training, and it's limitations, and what can be accomplished with selective breeding and temperament control.

Pit Bulls are now, and for YEARS have been, being bred specifically to eliminate as much of their fighting instincts as possible (I'm obviously talking in legal and ethical circles). Like any dog they are a reflection of their owner's ability and behavior, but for the most part they are one of the most friendly and accepting dogs of people out there.

Your analogy doesn't really hold water when dealing with a Husky. They were bred to Work. Over extremely long distances in harsh conditions. However they are still bred for that purpose today (Legally and Ethically). They are a working breed who have the need to run still very much ingrained in their instincts. It has not be targeted as a bad behavior and breed out as fighting and aggression was in Pits.

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Not all huskies behave like Huskies and only a few, the minority, of individual huskies are used in the way/ location they were bred for.

No not all Huskies behave like Huskies. But you know... MOST HUSKIES BEHAVE LIKE HUSKIES. There is a reason they do, and it is the reason most of us selected the breed to begin with.

You can do a number of great things with training, and anything can be done given enough time and know how. But when a member comes here asking if they should let their dog off leash the answer will always be NO. Too many huskies can't be trusted around responsible trainers to be able to tell people yes.

That is what is at the heart of the issue.

~Chris~

To make sense of our world, people tend to put things into different buckets. Some of these buckets are based on statistics like the dangerous dog breed list. So when explaining the Siberian Husky, we used a lot of generalities too - escape artists, run-aways, etc. At some point you have to look at the individual dog and move away from the generalities. I've never had a husky that is a couch potato but I'm sure they exist.

Okay so without getting deeply into argument regarding all the flaws in the logic I see in the OP . . . Let me just say that I don't agree with the premis that all other breeds of dogs are good off leash and that only husky's can not, or should not be off leash dogs.

If I had a dime for everytime a dog owner told me their off leash dog of another breed had perfect recall after their off leash dog came racing toward me and my on leash dog with the owner chasing after yelling at the off leash dog to come, I would be a millionaire.

That said, all dogs for their own safety should be kept on leash in most circumstances. There are execptions to this rule as there are most every other rule out there. However, for the most part any dog will run given the opportunity and even well trained dogs of any breed will fail in their recall occasionally. Add to that the more independent nature of the husky and you are just begging for trouble.

That is the very reason that most of us advocate for on leash, because all it takes is one time for something horrible to happen and that, IMO, is a completely unnecessary risk.

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your articulate response. You are definitely helping me clarify the root of what I'm trying to intellectually understand: breed nature, or essence.....what is it? Where does it come from? How salient is it going to be in our dogs? Why is there variation in this saliency? And how can we justify or relate our interactions with our dogs in relation to this nature?

To be fair, I'm not using logic to state premises and end with conclusions. I'm simply asking questions based on ideas and observations in my own effort to understand the breed and prepare myself for my puppy coming home.

I personally have no intention of interest in training away my husky's need to run and pull, because that's one of the main reasons I'm getting one. I don't want a golden retriever dressed as a husky. I don't even have an interest in having an off leash dog.

It's just this is clearly the hot button warning with huskies and I'm interested in the reasons for it, especially in light of there clearly being variations to the saliency of Husky nature in individual huskies. As a prospective owner, I can't help but wonder what mine will be like? What role can or should I have in developing this nature? What sort of ethical issues are involved with having a dog with a specific structure and purpose but only having him as a pet companion? Why is it not okay to train away a husky's need to run but it is okay to own one in Arizona??

Again, just posing questions about breed nature and trying to understand it, even if just intellectually for my own awareness.

Thanks for your feedback.

The dogs I see successfully off leash in the city are German Shepherds, Portuguese Water Dogs, Golden Retrievers, Labs, and Pit Bulls, all primarily with homeless people who own some of the happiest dogs in this country. No terriers, no hounds, no toys, no northern breeds.

seattlesibe wrote:

Why is it not okay to train away a husky's need to run but it is okay to own one in Arizona??

I don't understand this question. You're talking about two completely different things that have nothing to do with one another.

A husky can survive in Arizona just like someone who grew up in Mexico City can move to Achorage, Alaska. Your body adapts. A husky's fur insulates it from the cold as much as it does from the heat. Hailey LOVES the heat. She lays in the sun and in front of the heater. Koda would stay outside all day right now in the snow if I let him.

The instinct to run, be independent, curious, chase small furry things, etc.... that's all instinct. That's as easy to change as it is to change my guilty conscience. It would take INTENSE training and redirection for my naturally occurring guilt that is ingrained in my personality to disappear or for me to keep it in check. To train out ONE of those things in a husky is the same thing, let alone all of them, when each one contributes to why they are not typically off-leash dogs.

Does this make sense?

Good discussion and explanations! Chris and Tori have very articulately explained some concepts that are confusing to newbie husky owners! I always caution people who meet Chili that he's not typical and they will be sorely disappointed when they go purchase that soon to be likely very active and naughty husky puppy! LOL
- Owner of one lazy husky (not typical) and one tropical husky (somewhat typical)

hollywoodhuskies wrote:

Owner of one lazy husky (not typical) and one tropical husky (somewhat typical)

Now I'm just picturing Frosti with a little pink umbrella behind her ear.

Sorry for the off-topic.


There's a lot to read and take in with this thread but I enjoy reading more intellectual discussions on some rather heated topics.

Koda wrote:

seattlesibe wrote:

Why is it not okay to train away a husky's need to run but it is okay to own one in Arizona??

I don't understand this question. You're talking about two completely different things that have nothing to do with one another.

A husky can survive in Arizona just like someone who grew up in Mexico City can move to Achorage, Alaska. Your body adapts. A husky's fur insulates it from the cold as much as it does from the heat. Hailey LOVES the heat. She lays in the sun and in front of the heater. Koda would stay outside all day right now in the snow if I let him.

The instinct to run, be independent, curious, chase small furry things, etc.... that's all instinct. That's as easy to change as it is to change my guilty conscience. It would take INTENSE training and redirection for my naturally occurring guilt that is ingrained in my personality to disappear or for me to keep it in check. To train out ONE of those things in a husky is the same thing, let alone all of them, when each one contributes to why they are not typically off-leash dogs.

Does this make sense?

It does make sense yes, but they are related. We are talking about the nature/essence/function of a breed and generalities and assumptions based off of them.

Part of the nature/essence of a Husky is its tendency and drive to run/pull and its ability to survive in dramatically cold environments. They are built--structurally--to run and pull as much as they are built to be best suited for living in and withstanding cold environments.

Yes, we have Huskies in Arizona and they survive fine and some may love it. But why then do some breeders restrict sales to people in hot, desert climates? Is there not some sort of potential ethical argument to made here?

If we are going to go to bat for preserving and honoring a Husky's nature.....as was made above when someone suggested that it seemed like I was interested in training away of repressing the run/pull drive (which clearly I'm not, then where is the line drawn? Once again, how do we justify our interactions with our dogs in ways that either respect or repress their nature or breed essence?

seattlesibe wrote:

Koda wrote:

seattlesibe wrote:

Why is it not okay to train away a husky's need to run but it is okay to own one in Arizona??

I don't understand this question. You're talking about two completely different things that have nothing to do with one another.

A husky can survive in Arizona just like someone who grew up in Mexico City can move to Achorage, Alaska. Your body adapts. A husky's fur insulates it from the cold as much as it does from the heat. Hailey LOVES the heat. She lays in the sun and in front of the heater. Koda would stay outside all day right now in the snow if I let him.

The instinct to run, be independent, curious, chase small furry things, etc.... that's all instinct. That's as easy to change as it is to change my guilty conscience. It would take INTENSE training and redirection for my naturally occurring guilt that is ingrained in my personality to disappear or for me to keep it in check. To train out ONE of those things in a husky is the same thing, let alone all of them, when each one contributes to why they are not typically off-leash dogs.

Does this make sense?

It rose make sense yes, but they are related. We are talking about the nature/essence/function of a breed and generalities and assumptions based off of them.

Part of the nature/essence of a Husky is its tendency and drive to run/pull and its ability to survive in dramatically cold environments. They are built--structurally--to run and pull as much as they are built to be best suited for living in and withstanding cold environments.

Yes, we have Huskies in Arizona and they survive fine and some may love it. But why then do some breeders restrict sales to people in hot, desert climates? Is there not some sort of potential ethical argument to made here?

If we are going to go to bat for preserving and honoring a Husky's nature.....as was made above when someone suggested that it seemedike I was interested in training away of repressing the run/pull drive (which clearly I'm not

You act like "surviving in Arizona" is a big deal. It's not. I assure you. One of our highest member populations is in Florida

I have no idea why a breeder would restrict sales to colder climates. No ethical or responsible breeder I have heard of would do such a thing. I don't see how that makes no sense. I don't see that as a valid argument.

I think you're arguing a point that doesn't really have one. A personality trait ingrained in instinct is much different than a physical trait-- especially one that can adapt. They are not the same.

I have never heard of a respectable breeder restricting sales to an owner in desert climates. Ever. At least not for that reason.

There are plenty of breeders who don't live in the subarctic. Heck, even in Michigan we get into the 100's in the summer. My dogs have air conditioning, they do not suffer.