Talk to me of Siberian Huskies

[SonnysMom]

@csaper58

OP, our neighbors have an American Eskimo Dog. He is delightful. Smaller than a husky, great with their kids and old cat. It knows sit, stay, and come, and several tricks so it’s trainable. Does well at the dog park.

The only drawback to the breed I can see is they don’t like a hot, humid summer.

I have an American Eskimo Spitz. He doesn’t mind the summer. But I would not recommend him with young children. he is stand-offish with strangers. He will warm up with food. Casey will play way too rough with kids and is willing to put teeth on humans. We used to have to muzzle him at the vet’s office.
My understanding is that the stand-offish, wary of strangers thing is common with this breed and for my dog in particular I just don’t see the bite inhibition I would like to see with a dog around children. Casey is the standard size at around 30 pounds.
Housebreaking has been an issue- more marking in the house than true housebreaking issues. As in he will pee outside but then come in the house and go mark somewhere 2 minutes later.

On the other hand he is 16 years old and zooming around pretty well. He is mostly blind, mostly deaf and we had to add a carpet runner on the wood stairs since he was slipping on them. Not bad for an old fart. He has been a pretty darn healthy dog during that time. One small non-cancerous growth removed and teeth cleaned twice. He is probably due to have them done again. For all the long hair it is pretty low maintenance.
He is great with the cats- I have 6.

He and my lab were great friends until lab turned about 2. The spitz will pick fights with the lab and the lab has almost finished it a few times. Casey and the lab would be playing and then Casey would decide he was done so would drop the toy and just bite the lab. The lab and spitz have not been in the same room for 4 plus years. Casey gets along great with the retired foxhound but she is pretty mellow and knows how to deal with large packs and different personalities.

[csaper58]

@SonnysMom

I have an American Eskimo Spitz. He doesn’t mind the summer. But I would not recommend him with young children. he is stand-offish with strangers. He will warm up with food. Casey will play way too rough with kids and is willing to put teeth on humans. We used to have to muzzle him at the vet’s office.
My understanding is that the stand-offish, wary of strangers thing is common with this breed and for my dog in particular I just don’t see the bite inhibition I would like to see with a dog around children. Casey is the standard size at around 30 pounds.
Housebreaking has been an issue- more marking in the house than true housebreaking issues. As in he will pee outside but then come in the house and go mark somewhere 2 minutes later.

On the other hand he is 16 years old and zooming around pretty well. He is mostly blind, mostly deaf and we had to add a carpet runner on the wood stairs since he was slipping on them. Not bad for an old fart. He has been a pretty darn healthy dog during that time. One small non-cancerous growth removed and teeth cleaned twice. He is probably due to have them done again. For all the long hair it is pretty low maintenance.
He is great with the cats- I have 6.

He and my lab were great friends until lab turned about 2. The spitz will pick fights with the lab and the lab has almost finished it a few times. Casey and the lab would be playing and then Casey would decide he was done so would drop the toy and just bite the lab. The lab and spitz have not been in the same room for 4 plus years. Casey gets along great with the retired foxhound but she is pretty mellow and knows how to deal with large packs and different personalities.

Individuals within a breed vary. The neighbor’s dog is wonderful. I imagine our gulf coast summer might be a little more challenging than your Pa summer.

Here is the breed standard from the AKC, of the American Eskimo Dog. Is the American Eskimo Spitz the same dog or a Spitz cross? www.akc.org/dog-breeds/american-eskimo-dog/

As always when buying a puppy, one should purchase from a reputable breeder, meet both parents, and personality test the pups to find the one that suits you best.

[talkofthetown]

@MsM

LOL! I would say active adult(s) who have owned working dogs before. Live in a cool climate, have a secure cement-floored wire-enclosed run. Want to spend lots of time hiking or sledding as well as gazing into those beautiful eyes! No close neighbors who might not enjoy the “yodeling”.

Thanks!

[IdahoRider]

I was raised with the breed. They are not for the light of heart. It will be at least a year before a puppy has grown enough to jog or bile.

They are escape artists the will go over, under or through any normal fencing.

They shed twice a year when they blow coat and need brushing.

They just have kind of their own agenda and the people in their lives are just there for the ride. They can be independent , even though they bond to their people.

My Mom’s male, a dog that had traveled extensively over two countries for showing, killed three kittens in a matter of a couple of minutes. His prey drive kicked in And squealing kittens running all over didn’t stand a chance.

On the plus side, they are typically very funny.
Sheilah

[Willesdon]

Why would anyone consider as a domestic family pet, a breed that has been bred for generations to work tirelessly and to survive in one of the most extreme climates on the globe?

[Marla_100]

@Willesdon

Why would anyone consider as a domestic family pet, a breed that has been bred for generations to work tirelessly and to survive in one of the most extreme climates on the globe?

Because they don’t know any better. Most people are taken in by their cute teddy bear faces,
their sky blue eyes (some), and their comedic behavior. Buyers or adopters just don’t know much about the breed. Newbies soon get overwhelmed with the normal demands of the breed.
My son’s dogs were HUGE. Wherever they went they drew a crowd. Big, big personalities.
When they came to visit me it was like a tornado was in the house. Many people won’t tolerate them for long as house dogs. So many end up in shelters or get pulled by rescues.

[S1969]

@Willesdon

Why would anyone consider as a domestic family pet, a breed that has been bred for generations to work tirelessly and to survive in one of the most extreme climates on the globe?

Not only that, but to work tirelessly and survive in extreme climates without coddling. So, they are not known as a breed who seeks out humans for companionship, or at least - can give or take their human, as they desire.

Trainable but independent.

Really, people who want pets should look for breeds that were selected for companionship and friendliness. That’s what most people want in a pet - especially one that lives in a family or neighborhood.

[Pep_n_Ann]

Oh my goodness! This is an old thread! I’d completely forgotten about it.

UPDATE: We did not get a Huskey puppy. Our life took a rather sudden turn and it just wasn’t the right time.