What about a Samoyed? They are pretty happy dogs, not as stubborn and not as high prey drive. The one we had was not trustworthy off-leash until he was about 3, but other than that he was a joy to have around. We had cats which he never bothered, but he did kill bunnies and chipmunks. And of course, you’ll have plenty of white hair everywhere, but you would with a husky too.
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The family of the 2 girls I babysat for for years had one.
I was never comfortable around her and yes I am a dog person.
Her body language gave off an ‘I belong here, you do not’ vibe, she watched me like a hawk, and made me very uncomfortable … because I felt that she might decide she didn’t like my interaction with the kids or she might misunderstand.
She was very much a protector of the kids, and aware I was an ‘outsider’.
Obviously that can be a good thing… or not, depending.
I would also suggest looking at Norwegian Elkhound. Likely has much of what attracts you to Siberian Huskies, but in a more trainable form
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Good ideas! I will do some digging on these breeds as well. Thank you for all the input, keep it coming!
Not to be a perpetual Debbie Downer, but the Norwegian Elkhound I knew was a hot mess… a dog who needed a leader, and not very kid tolerant or friendly with other pets.
Case study of one, of course so…
They are very primitive dogs and are known to have a very high prey drive. There could be a risk with very young children that make high pitched noises and quick movements.
On the whole, they are not what I consider to be good dogs to have around livestock, poultry and small animals. Individuals vary, of course.
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I grew up with Siberian Huskies, lots of them…lol. I think they’re great dogs, but definitely not for everyone.
We never had problems with escape artists or diggers and were even able to train chicken killing out of the ones who decided that was cool, but it was work, more work than most people want to put in. A tired Husky is a good dog and it takes a lot to tire them out but it is essential to their well-being, behaviorally. You have to have rules, set in stone, from day one with a husky and never waver. You must be consistent and it’s not just you, it’s the whole family that must be consistent. This is why I would say no to small kids and a Husky.
Small pets and a Husky can be questionable too. I had one that got along fine with cats for years, then one day went on a killing spree.
Put it like this, when I went looking for something that was Husky-like but in a smaller package, I ended up with a Jack Russell Terrier, who everyone told me that I would hate. He is the perfect dog for me, and is just what I was looking for in a smaller dog.
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We had a samoyed as as kid and she was wonderful. Agree with the not good off leash thing, but very non aggressive, and good with our cat and small dog.
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In general, I would always recommend that someone ask people with a deeper knowledge about the breed. We all know of a dog or two that were not great representatives of the breed, but I also know of people who chose the wrong breed and that is WHY the dog was a lunatic/nightmare, etc. My own puppy (sired by my own stud dog) could have been a “breed rescue” candidate in the wrong home. As the breed goes - he’s difficult but still “within normal limits.” But compared to his father, he’s really difficult. If I had imagined the breed to all be like my older guy, I would be in trouble.
If there is any way to talk to/meet up with a breed club, etc. that will probably give you far more information.
There is a regional club in Washington – here is their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Puget-Sound-Siberian-Husky-Club-307723135947541/
They have two events on their calendar coming up that might be useful - a group hike, and a specialty show (all Siberians, no other breeds).
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Huskies are on record for killing babies. Malamutes are more of a guard dog line. Siberians, for most my experience around them, are clowns and not as much a problem with strangers. At least that was my experience. If he got loose, it was usually a stranger who would catch him when he ran up to greet them.
My adult son has two Huskies. They are his children. He takes them hiking/running/swimming every single day or they whine and howl, whine and howl. They jump his fences and wander and harass other dogs. They are not good guard
dogs in fact someone stole his car out of his driveway in the middle of the night. The dogs slept through it all.
They have become fussy eaters so he cooks expensive meat for them daily. They kill every cat that comes near their yard. They tried to chase/kill my chickens so I could not let my chickens out when the dogs were visiting and I had to contain my cats out of reach.
They are an independent thinking dog and are a challenge to train and not so very trustworthy off leash. Have I convinced you yet? But they are beautiful dogs but I would never, ever own one.
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My aunt used to breed huskies for sled dog racing and they aren’t generally the easiest dogs. We have a white Swiss Shepherd (also called Berger Blanc Suisse) that might tick your boxes. Our girl is very trainable, great with all ages of kids, but loves hiking and running. She is great with other animals (we have cats, horses, abd chickens) and lies down when she meets small kids and small dogs so she is less intimidating. We’ve done a lot of socializing but she really has a stellar personality. They come in a short, medium, or long coat variety and I know there are a few breeders in the NW.
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I love all the input! It is great to see different perspectives on them. We are prepared for hair everywhere, so that is not an issue. In fact we both love fluffy dogs and don’t mind grooming every couple of days. Hubby even has plans to build a grooming station with a raised tub and grooming table.
It is good to know that they are hard to contain. I hate, hate, hate loose dogs and will make sure that does not happen. We already have one runner, so know how to work around that. Leash goes on, door gets opened. Leash stays on till dog is in a Fort Knox worthy pen or back in the house.
The pray drive might be an issue for us though. We do have a small dog and 2 cats. We would be starting the a small puppy, so hopefully that would not be an issue for our own pets. Random cats in the yard might not be so lucky though 
I also really want to get some chickens and ducks next spring. Some major thinking and planning would have to go into that.
We are not looking for a guard dog, so that isn’t an issue. The little dog barks like crazy, and the hound will bark and growl if someone new tries to come into the yard.
We are prepared to exercise the dog a lot. Hubby runs, we bike as a family and the hound is only 2 and he loves to play.
Not so sure on the independent thinking part, lol. I prefer a biddable dog that wants to please, but hubby likes the hard headed stubborn ones. That also required a lot of thinking and discussion. I want to be fully prepared if we decide to go ahead.
Also find that Siberians are one of the breeds in which gender matters a lot. Females in general are less prone to escaping and are often a bit lower key. BTW, if you have or build a pen, I would recommend enclosing the top with wire - I have seen many that climb more than jump out of fences!
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Interesting! I have noticed with other dogs that females tend to be more bossy and less willing to please.
The tip about a wire top is great. Thank you!
What she said. Pretty to look at, not for me. You’re not going to get willing to please (without serious reinforcement history) in either gender of the Siberian.
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Why not get a nice, biddable, child-safe smooth collie instead?
Even an Aussie would be easier but still have the high activity, runner and biker friendly energy you need.
Or a Finnish Spitz, Belgian Sheepdog (black), Beauceron?
Better to get a mutt that ‘looks like’ a husky, but is some form of herding dog cross if you must have the look.
Huskies are gorgeous dogs, bouncy and ‘friendly to most people most of the time’.
But they are really very difficult to train, confine, and keep from killing other animals.
Did I mention they can be very destructive in the house. Top shelves no problem.
Chickens? You’ve just given them a full time problem to solve. And they will.
Think bear-proof on the chicken run. Really.
No, just no.
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‘A loose husky is a lost husky’ is very true. We had one when I was a kid and if you didn’t watch her all the time, she was gone wandering. Loveable but independent, slightly aloof, hard to train, brought home chickens on a couple of occasions and chased the cat. I really loved that dog but I would never get a husky again.
I’m not certain I would go with the Husky mix route for what you are looking for. I think it’s hard to predict what traits of which breed will be dominant. I had a beautiful 1/2 Shepherd, 1/4 Husky, 1/4 Collie (the Kodi of my screen name). She had a lot of Husky traits. Definitely a runner, HUGE prey Drive. She got into a bunny den and I saw her dispatch approximately 10 babies in just a few seconds. She was a killing machine. Loved people, HATED all other animals, including our other dogs. I loved her and all of her quirks, but wouldn’t chance that mix again.
Said herding mix, not husky cross. Looks like, but isn’t, ancestor-wise. 
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