I need some advice about a decision I'm about to make. My only experience with dogs was 20 years ago when I had 2 of the most beautiful loyal German shepherds a girl could have. They've been long dead(sob sob), I still get very teary when I think of them. Now as I contemplate finally getting another dog and my youngest son is 11 and desperate for a dog I've decided that we can welcome someone new into our house. Now I read an earlier topic about dog odour and I have to admit that how stinky the dog is will infinge on how much I can have the new dog inside. I'm hoping to give a home to a dog in need of a new home and have found a beautiful blue eyed, 7mth old, siberian husky male, whos child friendly. Now I agree that boy dogs smell stronger than girls and bathing helps (my shepherds had a strong dog smell and they were groomed and bathed everey week), but anyone have any advice for me? Ihave researched the husky breed and know what I'm in for, but is it true? Do they smell or not??? OR would a Samoyed be better?

Remember that bathing a dog actually makes it smell more, by inducing the skin to produce more oils to re-waterproof the coat. Many 'doggy' odours are down to the wrong diet or skin infections; many dogs never need bathing at all, or once or twice a year at most. Bathing your GSDs weekly really won't have been helping, I'm afraid.

I think you need to look at the breed traits for both of these dogs to see what suits your lifestyle better.
What area do you live in and is the climate suitable for either dog?
Also Sammy's need a lot of grooming and I mean a lot!! I so nearly had one, was that close and then changed my mind due to the amount of grooming required. Don't get me wrong I like grooming my boys, but these dogs need a lot of looking after.
Husky's as a general rule can't be let off a lead as they just run off, no matter how much recall work you put into them.. HuskyGal on here will tell you many tales about this breed and she has also rescued a lovely boy..

Also have to go with JG on the bathing, mine only get bathed just before a big show or they have rolled in fox poo. Also I see you're in OZ? If so then sweat may make them worse, so again would look at a breed suitable to a hot climate, unless you are prepared to allow the dogs to spend most of their time in your a/c home..

Samoyeds dont have a doggy smell but yes they need lots of grooming, as a rule they are very well natured , good with children , they like to included in everything you do and need a fair amount of exercise on amd off lead, i have had them for the past 16 yrs  and adore the breeed. I have no experience of Huskies

> I have to admit that how stinky the dog is will infinge on how much I can have the new dog inside.

Am I the only person that thinks it is not worth having a dog if it is to spend lots of time outside?  The temperament and character of a dog is developed when it is a house dog.

Thanks so much for your help. I had my GS  20+ yrs ago and due to their flea allergies (both of them), they needed flea wash every week this was in the days before frontline, or advantage or whatever you have over there that has a topical liquid you just put on the skin. I'm not expecting to have to bathe my new dog like that now. I doid however take them to the beach a lot. We actually have "doggy beaches" over here! 

Thank you so much for your reply and advice. I live in Melbourne a very Southern city which is really cold more than it is hot. I do have a/c and fully intend to have our new dog inside as often as we are. so thats not an issue. We have some horrible HOT HOT days in the middle of summer where every one wants to just die from heat!  (In fact where I 1st lived in Melb. my 92 yr old neighbor did die in her home due to the heat, I had gone to spend the weekend at my sisters house -she had a.c - it was really awful and I felt very guilty about it) When you say a lot of grooming is a daily brush enough? I want a dog that will stay inside with me when I am inside and come out and walk every day.

Thanks for replying, I do agree with you and how you feel. I have 3 other adults in the house and am trying to consider them as well. If it was just me I'd get another GSD as I was never so happy as when I had my boy beside me (he was my very 1st dog ever). He slept next to my bed as well. The only time he was in the yard was when I went to work. and then he had a Great Dane to play with. The GDANE belonged to my house mate and I walked him with my shepherd all the time too. But yes, a dog is a big commitment and should be considered as part of the family and not as some poor dopgs I've seen are, just stuck in a yard all day.

> I live in Melbourne

Love that city, so hit and miss with the weather. Its like over here where you can have 4 seasons in one day :-)

Have you thought about going to some shows or visiting some local breeders of both breeds to find out some more about them? Do you have breed clubs for both over there? I know some breeds don't have them, if they do contact them for more information.
A daily groom is needed for a Sam, its the amount of time needed on a daily basis!! Also the cost of all the grooming equipment, its not cheap, so something else to consider.

Have you actually sat down and written a list of the type of dog you want? Do you want one who has a independant mind, who is hard/easy to train, aloof/friendly to strangers etc etc How busy do you want these dogs in and out of the house. How vocal can you accept a dog to be in the house?.. It maybe that neither or both breeds are suitable.

I own two huskys and they really are wonderful dogs but everything youve read is probably true! :-) When researching the breed I read 'huskys are not like other dogs' and now I own them I really know how true that is! Compared to many other breeds I've met huskys don't really have a 'doggy' smell. However they do need a lot of brushing which helps to keep their coat clean. They shed twice a year and you will be amazed how much hair can come off one dog! When shedding I brush them daily (sometimes twice daily if they need it!) otherwise once or twice a week.

It is also true they must never be let off lead unless the area is completely secure. 6ft high fences is the recommended minimum as these dogs can jump! I have also witnessed mine kick through a fence panel kung fu style trying to escape when she was in season! They do not have good recall although they may trick you into thinking youve got recall mastered. Many owners have lost their huskys this way, thinking theyve proved all the advice wrong and seem to have done until one day something more exciting catches their huskys eye and there is no getting them back.

They love people so make terrible guard dogs although their apperance could definately deter people, particularly non doggy people. They love exercise and do need plenty. They are usually intellegent (although my boy seem to be the exception to this!!) so need mental stimulation to stop them getting bored and destroying things - trust me these dogs can chew! When my boy was younger I can home to find him with one of the dining chair legs in his bed which he had chewed through while I was out! They can be stubborn and do need firm handling as they can try to dominate.

Feel like I'm listing all the negatives but they really are wonderful dogs and I now can't imagine not owning a husky. Good luck with your decision :-)

Just a consideration if you love gsd's are the othere deffinately against having one ? maybe a trip to a couple of gsd breeders/shows maybe a good idea too.

The coat type on the 2 breeds is very similar, both have a longer topcoat with a downy undercoat so doubt there is much different in the smell.

I agree with everything people have said about sibes as I own one who is a totally different kettle of fish to every other breed Ive owned or trained!

My worry would be how a dog of that coat type would cope with the hot weather, my guess is they would be forever shedding! Having seasonal weather in the uk limits the moulting for half the year (if your lucky!)

Another factor is the noise as although huskys can be pretty vocal (they tend to talk a lot) a sammie can be very very yappy which may be an issue with neighbours if left outside on their own. Both are really a pack animal and much happier when in the company of other dogs.

Our breed copes fine with the Australian climate, no worse than any other breed, but probably do not grow as heavy a coat as they do in their native Scandinavia.

One of my breeding, now nearly 12 years old lives in Adelaide and another has just gone to the Sydney area.

Remember the coat insulates the dog, against cold and heat.  Norwegian Elkhounds have an easier to manage coat than Samoyeds (the colour helps too) and are of similar size.  They are probably about the same off lead, but of course both breeds can be let off with good training and be fairly reliable, the Husky not.

If a yes man is required then no Spitz breeds will suit you.  None of the Spitz breeds have any/much doggy smell.

There is a saying in my breed a GSD lives to please you an Elkhound lives to please itself.

> There is a saying in my breed a GSD lives to please you an Elkhound lives to please itself.

What a brilliant saying! I think the same would also apply to huskys! :-)

Pretty much any Spitz, it's what we love about them, as when they do co-operate it is out of respect and liking for you.

Thanks so much to every body who continues to offer me such great advice. We do have all the clubs and breeders etc but Australia is a huge country with a small population spread out. Most of the places I need to go to are 2-3 or even 4 hrs drive away and thats only in my home state!!! I suppose that why I went to you guys in the UK for help. We just don't have the population therefore the number of experienced people is soooo much smaller.

I'm starting to think the husky is not an option for us any longer. I went and saw one in a shelter yday, she's unsuitable, so they told me, as she's not good with children and they wouldn't let her go to a family with a child. Unfortunetly as there are so Siberian Huskies around Melbourne for rescue and adoption. Too many people get them and then can't manage them, it seems to be the common dilemma when I speak to the good souls who volunteer at the shelters.

I've have, however, found a 6 yr old Samoyed female in need of a new forever home. Shes been rescued and is in foster care. She's about a 2-3 hr drive away to collect and I've been having trouble getting in touch with her foster family. Ive also found a very sweet female 1yr old German Shepherd cross in a shelter who is sweet but very timid. Shes beautiful and looks all shepherd except she small and completely gold. But she's only arrived and still needs evaluation to see if she's going to be alright to go somewhere with kids.....and I do have to consider my cats as well so I think the husky idea is almost out the door.

So it may be between these 2 dogs. I'm still doing my home work. Fortunetly  for me the little shepherd is low on the "doggy smell" register. But my hands were black from patting her.

Dear Pinkbrady, Thanks for your help as well. I guess I need to find out from others if they feel a Samoyed is OK of the lead. And don't worry about the negatives! I think too many people just aren't prepared to hear what they don't want to hear and that might be why so many huskies end up in shelters.

Thank you for your response as well. I hear what you're saying about

"There is a saying in my breed a GSD lives to please you an Elkhound lives to please itself" Do you think this applies to Samoyed's too?
.

Love that city, so hit and miss with the weather. Its like over here where you can have 4 seasons in one day
Thanks Suejaw, Melbourne is a LOT like the UK!! It can be winter in the middle of Summer but not the other way around although we don't get the rainfall you guys do! And we actually get a lot of sunny days but only in Summer does it get hot. Rest assured everyone the dog will be in A/C comfort with us when the days are sweltering.

It's not that the others are against a German Shepherd itself, they just don't want a dog thats too smelly. Their teenagers and friends are over a lot, I want a dog that can be inside and I won't have to put up with comments about "DOGGY ODOR" I know it sounds mean but I just want to keep a "happy" home .........

To generalise most Spitz are low in odour but high in independence of spirit. It could be from what you are saying that something like a standard poodle would suit your needs, never noticed that they are smelly and they are biddable with the added bonus for the house proud they do not lose coat where as all Spitz seem to loose their coats for most of the time the bitches being worse than the male although the male will loose everything over a period of about 3 months and then you get a short break before the next time.

Oh yes, all spitz breeds are free spirits, they so not take well to being bossed about, training has to be on the basis of something being in it for them, may be as simple as food affection etc, but they do not do automatic obedience.

I have met many GSD owners drawn to my breed.  That is great for the type of owner who like the dogs companionship, but for the type of owner that wants unquestioning obedience and compliance to commands as opposed to reasonable compliance with reasonable requests), would find any Spitz breed frustrating,a s they will out think you.

Say you want them to go over a hurdle, they may well look at you and go around it, thinking your daft asking them to go over when around will do.  Throw a tuggy or ball, and they may chase it and even bring it back once, even twice, the third time you'll get a shrug, well you obviously don't want that anymore.

Of course my breed and other Spitz breeds have been highly trained in Obediience, Search and Rescue Agility, but the trainer has to understand and get into what motivates them, they have to want to work with you, they are too clever for some.

I have never found gsd a smelly breed I have also had a flatti and a chi x pom and they dont seem any different
Mine all live in the house and apart from the furniture in the case of the gsd go where they like. My sister also has a gsd and there house is non smelly.

I get comments from friends on how surprised they are that my house never smells like we have animals ( I have 2 cats as well) so its not that I am used to it.
BTW its not that I am against spitzs breeds or huskys in fact I admire them but as with some other breeds know they are not the breeds I could manage in particular huskys or similar.
Lats thing I could cope with is a breed that out thinks me LOL
Just wanted the op to consider all angles of other breeds

Samoyed are a child friendly dog. they love people more than other dogs. They are companions not pets. If he wants a good friend, some one to take on holidays, sleeps on his feet never leave his side. A samoyed.
We bath ours when they need it, they never smell doggy. There is no diffrence in dogs or bitches in the smell. They are nothing like German Sheperds.
They have got a smell of wet wool when they get wet. But as you would know the fur can be spon to make wool. There are some very nice garments knitted out of sammie wool at Crufts.
In the early days samoyeds were put into the baby and childrens sleeping bags to keep them warm.
A samoyed MUST have loads of human company.
Go on to the Samoyed Assocation web site, there is a book on sammies there or on amazon. Do a lot of homework on both breeds before getting one. The Siberian Husky is nothing like a sammie. But! they are both snowdogs.

No jeanSW you are not the only one. I dont understand why this person wants a dog. A statue would be more appropriate for this - no smell,no hair, no poo or sick to clear up and ,will quite happily sit outside all day. Doesn't need to interact with members of the pack,which I consider essential for the mental wellbeing of any dog.  Have come across a few humans who were more "stinky" than any dog!!

Thank you.  I thought I was missing the point of having a dog for one moment there.

Sorry jeanSW and freja, I think you may have miss understood me. I have no intention of having an outside dog. I want a companion for myself during the day, and especially if I'm not well,  a doggy buddy to lie on the couch and watch a DVD with my arms around him or her. I have no intentions of having my new family member sit outside in thee yard all miserable and lonely. I want them to come in the car with me when I'm going out to pick up my son and on horrible days like today I want the dog with me by the heater. Please understand, I want a friend 1st, a companion and someone who my son can play with too. For the others in the house (3 adults)  they know we're getting a dog and are excited as well but I just want to avoid any snide comments about the house being smelly. It's so good and reassuring to hear from so many lovely people that I can have it all. It's just that I haven't had dogs since my GSD died nearly 20yrs ago. Thanx for your support.

Poor dogs always take the wrap, your home, especially one with youngsters in it smells simple as, so what. The joy an animal brings to a household far out ways any odour smells. Cooking smells, washing smells, body odour all make your home smell to people entering your house. You become accustomed to the aromas around you. Dogs smell, anyone who doesn't own a dog will tell you your dog smells, whether pleasant or not they all have an aroma some more pleasant than others, depending on generally where they are kept.