"I Want a Husky So Bad"

The most important advice I would give to anyone adopting a puppy in the future is this - know your breed. Whether you're adopting your first ever puppy or you've had several before, make sure you know EVERYTHING you can about the breed you are adopting. Keep in mind that while dogs can be different than the expected personalities of their breed, many of those "well known" traits will show through. If you're planning to adopt a husky there's a few things you should know about this breed before doing so. For the record I love my Siberian Husky and she's a very well behaved puppy, but that's not to say she doesn't exhibit the traits of her breed. She is a husky, and she is exhausting!

So, you've gone ahead and adopted your husky. Congratulations! This puppy will be a very loyal and loving companion for you. Seeing as you are now a husky owner I have included three links to amazon products that I call the must haves for a husky owner. Since adopting my husky these three items have been extremely helpful to the both of us. Let's look at each item and discuss the applications of it's use.

1. A Dog Crate: When purchasing a dog crate there are a few things to consider. Firstly the size of the crate - you don't want it to be too big or your dog will be able to use it as a bathroom space as well; too small and your dog will be uncomfortable. Look for a crate that is big enough for your dog to stand comfortably in, and to turn in a circle. Secondly, crate training is a lot of work with a husky - they do not like to be caged, and they certainly do not like it when they cannot see you. How do I know this? You will know when you hear how well your husky puppy can "sing." Your pup will likely whimper and cry and howl for hours after being crated the first time. It's okay, let them cry and get used to it (after all, the crate is for their safety!). The worst mistake you can make when this happens is letting your pup out. Move the cage to a room where they can see you from, leave them in the crate until they settle and quiet down - now they can come out and play. They will quickly associate the crate with having a rest and will become more comfortable. The last thing you should consider about the crate is that huskies are VERY high energy dogs, leaving your dog crated for hours a day may cause them to be just a little hyper when you let them out (or A LOT).

2. The Kong: This item is excellent for playtime or rest time. The Kong is a toy with a hole in the centre that you can fill with your pups favourite treats. I typically put some peanut butter over the end to make sure that the treats stay in - for more hours of fun you can freeze the Kong prior to giving it to your pup! Whether my husky puppy needs a good play and a mind puzzle, or she's going to her crate for a while - the Kong has come in super handy keeping her occupied and quiet.

3. The Head Collar: The third husky owner must have on my list is a head collar. You can find several brands and styles of these collars but in my experience the Halti brand has been the best for my dog. A head collar is worn over the dogs snout and the closure is high on the back of the dogs head. This collar is designed to reduce pulling and give your dog a sense of direction and comfort in knowing where the handler is at all times. So I know you're thinking that the pull on the leash is easy to handle now, but keep in mind that huskies grow big quite quickly - so let's teach our new pups how to walk on a leash before that pulling leads to us becoming injured. The head collar is also fantastic as it does not pull on the dog's neck or cause injury to the dog in that way. For a husky or any dog, I would highly recommend making use of one of these collars.

Adopting a puppy is a very exciting time, it's also a huge time for learning for both you and the pup. As a first time husky owner, I wasn't convinced owning a husky would be that stressful - after all, I've had dogs my whole life. Admittedly a husky is a lot of work and stress if you don't do a few little things to make it easier on yourself. Here's my best advice:

Invest in a proper harness, head collar or tie out - whichever way you choose to keep your husky on a leash, make sure it is fitted correctly and is not going to allow them to come loose. Huskies are runners and they are not slow, and they are not going to come back to you - unless they're very well trained.

Puppy-proof your home EVERYDAY - we've all heard the stories, and they're no joke. Your husky will eat everything you think it shouldn't. This is good advice for most puppies, but the husky is famously known for being a little bit mischievous when it comes to chomping on your household items. Tape down your wires, pick up your shoes, and train the LEAVE IT command as soon as you can!

Be ready to be in the best shape of your life - multiple walks a day, or runs if your puppy won't allow you to walk. Exercise is going to be both your pup's best friend and yours. Your husky will need a lot of exercise so make sure you're going for lots of walks and spending lots of hours on playtime.