I am currently looking into getting a siberian husky. I am not a first time dog owner but I am a rather new artic dog owner. I've been a proud parent of an alaskan malamute for five years until she passed of health issues. I was warned before getting her about her destructive she can be and how bad the digging will be without intense exercise and extreme training. She was not destructive AT ALL and being an inside dog she didn't dig and when we was outside she didn't dig.

I've done a TON of research on huskies and am seeing the same thing written about them. I'm a fairly active person that runs 5 miles twice a day so exercising a husky will not be a problem but how bad is their destructive behavior? I've read that they don't do good in obedience classes and if they don't feel like listening to you they won't and if they want to chew up your whole house they will. Is this true?

I'd like to hear from siberian husky owners. I want to know the truth and cold hard facts about owning a husky.

Welcome!
Sorry to hear about your Mal, its never easy to lose one.
A lot of destructive behavious stems from lack of exercise, so if you plan on running your dog, you should have lower risk of this problem. Neither of ours really chew on anything and we walk them or run them between 6-9k per day. Digging is a whole different story. We have pot holes in our backyard and my veggie patch had a hole a foot deep before we planted. There are a few different methods to deal with this issue, we were moderatly successfull when we buried their poop in the hole and covered it back up, but it was limited success.
Obedience is really something that depends on the dog, some of us have really well bahaved dogs, others not so much, I think a lot of that will depend on how much effort you are willing to put into training. They are extremely stubborn though so you need to be prepared to stand out in the rain waiting for your dog to calm down before passing an acorn on the road...(seriously this happened to me). Even our younger one who is better at obedience has moments of stupidity where she sort of goes bonkers and would rather run around the yard in zoomie mode than come when you call.

Good luck in your decision making! They are a lot of fun, super energetic and their personalities are just hilarious.

Hi Kelly!

Thanks for replying

The pups I'm looking into getting is a smaller husky that'll be about 25lbs full grown and a standard that'll be about 45lbs. These are both rescue dogs and have to go together. I'm hoping as they grow older the size difference between them won't harm either in play. Theyre both also males but there isn't any aggression between them right now. They are both three months old. I plan on enrolling both in obedience classes. But to be honest, being a first time husky owner I don't want to get them and put them at a disadvantage if a more experienced owner would be best for them. I definitely have the time and effort and the want to put into them and raise them tho.

If you are getting puppies, then the exercise should be limited for the first year, it is recommended 5 minute walks per month, you definitly dont want to run them until they are a year old. It can hurt their muscle development and joints.

Are they siblings? There are a few downsides to getting littermates, I cant seem to find the thread right now. Its strange that two 3 month olds are required to go together, typically you see that in older dogs that have spent years together. Its ultimatly up to you, but maybe take a look at the pros and cons of litter mates?
To me the sex has little difference, we have 2 females that get along wonderfully, and they are 4 years apart. The size difference as well wouldnt worry me too much, they learn to play in a way that works. Our little one is about 43 pounds and the bigger is closer to 60 so its really all in the way they interact. I have seen Tika (our little one) play with a 15 pound schnauzer with little problem.

A husky is a huge amount of work both exercise wise and shedding, 2 will be a lot, especially as puppies in a new situation, try and find out all you can about their background before you agree to adopt 2 at once. We have 2 adults now (Tika we got at 3.5 months and Ripley was almost 5) but I dont think I could ever handle 2 puppies at once. One was more than enough.

And finally, if you do get 2 males, (or 2 dogs for that matter) I would recommend you neuter, not everyone does, it really depends on your situation, but please consider this strongly.

Perhaps I have been fortunate, but of the 6 husky/ husky mixes I have owned, I haven't found them to be any more destructive than my other dogs. Yes, they love to dig a few nice big holes to lie in on a hot day, but it has always been limited to a few. As for chewing, the pups chewed a bit, not as much as our GSD by any means. Our current huskies are 6 and 7 mos and they are starting to grow out of the chewing thing already. I leave them in the house unattended and aside from an episode involving the garbage can, they have been good. Now, the other info I totally agree with. They are difficult, more so than my two mals were, to train. Smart as can be, but they choose when and where they will listen. A husky off leash will shoot away like a rocket and be completely deaf to your commands. They love to run, way, way more than mals, and it is the rare husky that can be trusted off leash. We got our two girls a few months apart, and it has complicated training. They play wonderfully, but housetraining TWO pups is really a challenge. And their tendncy to ignore commands is worse when they have a "partner in crime." You are the best judge of how patient you can be cuz everything is going to be a lot harder with two pups. All that aside, I love the breed. They Are unlike any other dog, are loads of fun and very loving and affectionate. Since you are so active, you would probably be fine with a husky, as long as you understand they will never act like an obedient lab or olden retriever! I would think long and hard about getting two pups at once though.

I agree with everything Kelly said. There is nothing wrong with bringing in two guys at once, but it will certainly be a task. I got Vegeta very young so he was more of handful, but at 3 months they'll be less so. However, two dogs at once with training and trying to get them comfortable with their new surroundings and what is expected of them could be quite the handful. Make sure you have plenty of time.

I strongly suggest contacting the current owner and trying to figure out anything and everything you can about the little guys. Any health problems? How are they with other dogs? Any training? Potty trained? Have they stopped with the puppy biting? Etc. These are all things you'll want to know to prepare yourself for the new additions.

As for your questions regarding their destructive behavior I can testify to it being inversely related to their exercise amount. By this I mean the more exercise they get, the less destructive they are. That being said, Kelly was spot on with the walk to month ratio. They shouldn't be worked too hard as pups because they're still growing, but little walks, training sessions, and interactions with other dogs will tire them out plenty enough.

My main recommendation is to make sure they are socialized. I've witnessed first hand what it's like not having a dog that's adequately socialized with dogs and humans and it's not fun. Try to find places you can take them so they can meet new people/dogs in a safe environment.

We have our first husky...Well husky malamute mix (20 weeks old). Like you I have did a lot of research and was a little afraid to be quite honest to bring him home. It has been much better then I expected by far. So far..knock on wood, there really has not been any destructive behavior or digging or chewing. He is a jumper though which seems to be one of the hardest things to get him to stop...he also like to steal things right from under your nose, doesn't chew it up though... just likes pile it up outside for some reason. He makes me laugh everyday though, such a silly dog. If he was human you would see him on one of those shows where people do stupid stuff that makes you gasp and say "what the he'll was he thinking"...... that's my dog lol