Whether you have adopted your first Husky, or have considered adopting one, from a recent adopter to a captive audience let me tell you: they're worth it. I have owned my sweet companion Sierra for a little over a month now, and I think I've learned a lot. Here is my hub about Sierra, written the day after I gained a furry friend (my first, I might add!)

First things first. Because your husky WILL dig up your carpets, please make sure that you go through your house, into every single corner and baseboard, and make sure you secure your carpet tight. Given an hour alone with no chance of supervision, only destruction awaits you, and with the way Huskies like to dig you'll lose your carpet padding in no time.

Another note about your flooring -- don't wait for your new companion to find spots where the carpet is coming up, or there are places he or she can dig a claw into. They will take advantage of it, so prevention is the name of the game here. Don't be like me! My husky has torn up about eight square feet of carpet, no thanks to my own poor planning.

Just like humans, animals need to drink, eat and relieve themselves regularly. You're on a schedule thanks to your job, kids, school or whatever else fills your day, so put your Husky on one too. When you wake up and stumble into the kitchen to get something to drink, make sure your Husky's water bowl is filled. You'll have the rhythmic music of doggie-drinking to keep you company while sleep recedes from your brain. I hope you believe me, because when Sierra drinks from her bowl, I swear I could waltz to the beat she keeps.

Depending on how much time you have before you're out the door, feed your friend with about half an hour to spare. Once your dog has finished drinking, let them go outside for a bit. If your Husky is anything like Sierra, water flows through like they stand on two feet in a river. About fifteen minutes after their food bowl is empty, send them back outside to do the other deed. It'll happen, just give 'em a minute.

In my house, Sierra is alone for roughly eight and a half hours. This is a loooong time with no potty breaks, so if you plan on not crating your puppy, be prepared for a fun time cleaning pee stains when you get home. You'll see recommended products for cleaning this up at the end of the hub, so stay tuned.

Crates. Nobody likes being in a cage, unless you're an exotic dancer or into some kind of fetish thing. The same goes for your new pet. However, a crate may be your answer if your list of destruction looks something like this:

• 8 outlet surge protector
• three and a half shoes
• a pillow
• a wooden baby gate
• a starfish
• a dog harness
• two paintbrushes
• five rolls of paper towels

You guessed it, Sierra did all that, and more. Finally, the household decided enough was enough.

The crate is basically a big hard plastic doghouse thing with open slits on both sides and in back, and a metal gate in the front which can be locked into place. If you decide to use a crate to contain your Husky, please take the time to go through the crate training properly. A crate/kennel should only be used in a positive manner, and never as a punishment. In time, your Husky will treat the kennel as a place to go to be safe, enclosed and alone. Sierra is warming up to it, her crate training is going slowly. Like most issues involving Huskies, you just have to be patient.