Im planning on getting a Husky and have heard that they are somewhat unreliable when let of a leash. I dont want to be one of these arogant novice dog owners who think that he knows best but what is likelyhood of allowing a husky of its leash in a forest and then seeing it again. No farmers, no people, (no bears - live in England ;) ).

In short - not a lot ;)   Most folks who own them and don't have their own land source enclosed areas where the dog at least can't escape so eventually comes back when it's good and ready :rolleyes:

Lots of husky owners train them to pull rigs - ideal in forestry tracks and good fun and exercise for owner and dog alike.
No doubt some husky folks will be along soon with more indepth recommendations but for the average family pet they're best suited to owners who like to walk for miles with said dog firmly on a lead.

Beautiful breed BTW, regards Teri :)

I wouldn't let a Sibe off in open land, ever. If you live near woodlands, get a training rig or a Mountain bike and harness and run him (when old enough) through the woods. All of my collies do it and they love it and it's great for fitness training (I do agility). Sometimes we do 8 miles and reach speeds of 17 mph and believe me, it is scary going at that speed through cross country cycle tracks and woodland, especially when going across narrow bridges and your thinking, please don't stop or I am going to get very wet! :D

I agree... not a good idea to let them off lead, not if you want to see them again. They have a prey drive through the roof lol
when they are old enough you can try cannicross, scootering, rigs or even bicycling ( with a springer device attached to the bike) not advised on or near busy roads thou :-)

hi this topic has been covered before heres the link to the replies

[link]http://www.champdogsforum.co.uk/cgi-bin/board/topic_show.pl?tid=50810;pg=1[/link]

i have 3 huskies and in no uncertain circumastances would i ever let them off lead most of us try to run our sibes on a rig/go biking/long walks etc or some even get the use of tennis courts ets which are fenced off so they can run free and have no fear of them running off and not returning

good luck with your husky if you decide to go ahead and get 1  :-D

they are an amazing breed although you do need to do your research on the breed as a lot end up in welfare as the new owners didnt realise what they were actaully taking on by brining a sibe into their home :-(

here are the links to the breed clubs if you dont know about them already ;-)

http://www.siberianhuskyclub.com/  or http://scottishshc.org.uk/

hope reading the replies helps you decide what you want to do :-D

Michelle & gang

have you considered a  alaskan malamute(ok i think thats totally the wrong spelling)  they have a similar yet bulkier look to the husky yet are known to be better off the lead i did look at both breeds when i was loiking for my first dog but decided against both for the time being.

>>similar yet bulkier look to the husky yet are known to be better off the lead

ermm the short answer to that is no they are not ... :-)
the advise is exactly the same do not let off lead as they are very stubborn, i should know i have one :D

I've had my Sibe huskys off leash at doggy parks , they weren't to bad but i couldn't say i trust them. One squirrel and they were off but i took the risk and they loved it. Basically 3-4 times a week they got a couple hours at a dog park (not fenced , open to a road) but they would just chase around other dogs not run off on there own. Never heel'd off leash on streets.

I believe some people that don't know anything about huskys assume they can't be off lead , but i'll tell you that my goldens have as much or more prey drive as my late sibes have. Basically any dog can get itself killed off lead , no dog has 100% recall but 80% AT MOST.

Although they may look crazy on leash pulling outrageously , they are graceful at the dog parks!

>>I believe some people that don't know anything about huskys assume they can't be off lead

Not strictly true if you have a totally fenced in area it is quite safe to let them off lead, as has already been said.

>>I've had my Sibe huskys off leash at doggy parks , they weren't to bad but i couldn't say i trust them

At that is the point , you cant trust them in wide open spaces, it only takes seconds for disaster to strike. And im sure that any sensible dog owner would not put there dog into a situation where their lives could be at risk. I certainly dont. :-)

my dogs have 100% recall:) manny g

100% recall is impossible , it would mean if i were across town and yelled his name on a megaphone he would come running to me. I think the same way about my 12 year old golden , but if a squirrel ran by with a steak smothered in peanutbutter strapped on it's back she would be long gone.

mannyG,

100% of recall situations is impossible to comprehend, however I cant think of a realistic scenario (or even your squirrel ;-) ) that I wouldnt expect my dogs to recall from. I'm confident that i'm not alone. 

thank god!!!! its not that hard to teach surely!!!!! (for non spitz types! :) )

He He, she knows several Spitz types, lol :D

It's only 100% until the day that they don't come back :D

Daisy

they wouldnt dare!!!! infact i cant lose them if i want too!!!!!stuck like glue to my legs...makes walking very hard.
BCs watch you all the time,i dont even have to call them,just lift up my hands & they come.the joys of collies!!!!i suppose those of you with other breeds may not understand.

Oh we have passed many a BC that doesn't even give my Golden a second glance...and she tries so hard to play with them!! (she is most put out by this!) but they only seem to have eyes for their owners...or quite often the tennis ball in their owners hand!

look i have competition border collies i can 100% assure you that they have 100% recall at anytime.if you are calling me a liar i will be extremley upset

my dogs can & have been recalled when chasing wildlife with 100% success rate

I'm not calling anyone a liar , 100% recall is impossible. Maybe 99% but that one time he doesn't come is enough to lose a beloved one. Same thing with the unleashed husky huh?

It isn't hard to teach , all my dogs come on command even while wrestling with dogs. Even so i would not say it is 100% logically because anything CAN happen , it's murphys law!

Cheers everyone :) .

Rather than make a new topic I thought that Ill ask my question here. Ive heard husky's can be very destructive, I did however hear from a person I know off, that her friend had a husky-like dog (began with an 'S') and that it calmed down after a year. Is this true?

Jane , same thing can be said about any dog which to me doesn't make sence now does it to you?

Sir , it all depends on the dogs tempermant. ANY dog can be destructive you can't just categorize.

I once wanted a husky and I went to crufts to find out about them, spoke to a lovely man who told me all about there bad points and to be honest put me off completely which was a good thing because a husky would not have suited my lifestyle.  He told me they can be VERY destructive, that includes not only ripping up the house eating walls etc (when you are there ) but also digging in the garden.  You have to have VERY high garden fences which are also dug into the ground a couple of foot to stop the dogs digging under.  He said they have a very high prey drive and can never be let off the lead as they have enough stamina to continue running for miles whether they are trained or not.  He also said they can be very noisey.

you can see why I didnt persue a want for a sibe any further :p

>>same thing can be said about any dog which to me doesn't make sence now does it to you?

What i am saying is that the sled dog breeds are far more prone to selective hearing resulting in lousy recall, Which every reputable responsible breeder will tell you.
These breeds have grown up through generations of living very closely with their familys in their native countrys and worked hard every day having to use their own brains to make decisions. Their owners relied on their dogs six sense to keep them safely on the trail paths so they wouldnt end up through the ice.
Now generations later that sense of thinking for themselves is still there, and if they decide that they are not going to do as you want then they wont regardless of anything.

Sir, These breeds are highly intelligent ( as pointed out above) and if they are not working during the day (as many family pets dont )and using their brains then there need for mental stimulation leads them to look for things to amuse theirselves with ie doors,walls, carpets anything they can get hold of.
So yes if not stimulated they can be very mischeivous and destructive. I have seen the damage a suitably bored sibe caused and it ran into £thousands.

Manny,
what you have to remember is that this poster is new to dog ownership, this breed would be his first dog, so it is only fair to warn him of all the traits of the breed and the expense it can lead to. Yes most of the problems are found in other breeds but they can be alot worse in this breed. So a complete novice owner that takes on a sibe without knowing exactly what the dogs are capable of is only going to result in the dog ending up in rescue before its a year old. You only have to look at how many are there now. :-)

There are a number of Spitz breeds that Sled dog owners often advise people to look at instead of their breeds.

The one with the S is likely to have been the Samoyed (pure white, smaller and square with offstanding coat).  My own breed (Norwegian Elkhound) is often likened to a Sibe but is probably in body shape more like a small Malamute but squarer with tighter tail.

Not unlike the Samoyed in shape are the Finnish Laphunds (smaller than Sams or Elkhounds) and these come in various colours, but often Tricolour.

Then there are the Asiatic Spitz breeds, the largest being the Akita, then the Chow and the Japanese Shib Inu (like a minature Akita).

There are smaller Spitz breeds like the Keeshond (think Elkhound with coat like Samoyed and smaller).  Also the little Japanese and German Spitz.

All these have similar Spitz traits (except for the Asiatic ones, which tend to be more aloof) of Independent outgoing personalities, but are generally easier to manage purely as a pet (some more than others) than the Siberian, Malamute, or Greenland dog. 

Siberians and Malamutes thrive best with owners who want to get involved with the whole sled dog ownership deal, training and working the dogs, as this is the best method of excersising them.  They make wonderful companions for those who realise just what they are taking on, and realise that some adjustments will need to be made to their home to keep them.

These are the opinions I have been given when tallking to these breeds owners when we meet at the Nordic show, the only show where all the Spitz breeds are in one place in the UK.  It is held in November at Ryton on Dunsmore near Coventry.

It is not that long until this show, and if not to far for you would be an excellent place to see all these breeds together and decide if a Siberian really is the dog for you.

In my expierences with the Sibe the only problem i have had are of course sibes being sled dogs , years of training to walk nicely on lead. The destructivness comes with every breed. Many may say there sibes are escape artists , only reason they want to escape is because of the boredome and yes lack of mental stimulation. Why get a dog if your going to leave it in your yard all day? My dogs are only in the yard if im to busy to bring them out to potty or bring them to a dog park.

Hi Brainless

Do you know what the date is for the Nordic Breeds show? I've been trying to find something about it as have never been before but to no avail... Is there a link as would be interested to see who's judging Siberians?

Thanks

I usually get sent an email about it, but it is on Saturday 26th November, hopefully will here about it soon. 

yes its true they can be destructive some more than others though

in the 16months i have had my 3 sibes i havent had much destruction worst being the stair carpet being chewed at the bottom of the stairs and some of the actual stair being chewed at the edges

ohh and the lovely holes in the garden if you are green fingered and enjoy a nice garden dont get a husky lol!! they will re-landscape your garden for you, most owners find out taht a paved garden is called for after bringing a sibe into their home (thats next on our agenda lol ;-) )

at the moment i have just started to run mine on a bike and that seems to be ample amusement for them along with their daily walks, i have also got a 2nd hand rig which needs a paint touch up etc and i need to get equipment also so thats our next step

however i know a few people who dont do any of those with their sibes they give them plenty of walks etc and they seems to be very happy and not destructive so from what ive heard not all are desctructive

here is a link to the scottish clubs husky damage page http://www.scottishshc.org.uk/pages/damage.htm
the pup with the german shepherd is my Kisska from last year on her 1st digging expedition lol also the siberian husky club of great britain have a damge page too     http://www.siberianhuskyclub.com/huskydamage

hope this information is of some help to you :-D

Michelle & gang 

This thread is interesting, as some people will not believe some breeds cannot be allowed off a leash, some go so far as to accuse the owner of  laziness, unwilling to spend the time training them. why cant people who dont live with a breed  known from generations that they simply cannot be trusted  take it on board  :p  ,  some even suggest the dogs kept on leash have no life  :rolleyes:  horses for courses id suggest

I have a 9/10mth old male sibe, so far he has dug 3 holes in garden, oh well they are only holes?
He has eaten my top half of my fence, now that needs replacing, which i knew full well i would have to do anyway, no it saves me ripping it down lol :D.
but all this aside i wouldn't swop him for anything
Danielle
the only advice i can give is listen to the bad points and take them in if you still think that you want one then go for it, i take mine to obedience classes and he loves it, he also likes doing gentle agility, will do more when he old enough, oh yeah and i don't let him off atall just do lots of walking and running

>some even suggest the dogs kept on leash have no life<

I must admit this was my first thought :o If a dog has to be kept on a leash all it's of life and never experience the feeling of running free on open land,then in my honest opinion this is no life for any dog,lettalone a high energy breeds uch as the sibe or malamute.

But from what i've gathered no-one on here subjects their dog to a life like this. :)

I am quite lucky in the fact that my mum and mother in law both have quite large gardens, and i have the use of an all waether pitch most of the time so he does the feel of wind through his hair LOL and running with him is good fun just don't do it down hill :D

Bowers , its the power of assumtion that gets the worst of us. If somebodys lets say.. BC ran out into the forest and didn't come back for an hour then that dog is going to be on leash from then on till life. Some may say they have 100% recall but it only takes a split second to run onto a road and never be trusted on leash again.

Thousands of dogs are run over by cars each year , unless the majority of these are sibes then it is not a fact that they cannot be trusted.

Sorry but i disagree, collies are meant to work for and with man,  the breed standards of any and each breed will state how they are, not just a one off oops it ran off, but the breed as  it is, as it always was some breeds just arent  reliable because of their function and purpose in life, even if not actually doing what they where bred to do, they will have years of genetic predisposition lurking just under the skin.

+

I used the BC as an example , durhh. NO BREED IS RELIABLE , GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD! Anytime anyone takes the dog off lead is putting the dog in danger , It only takes a split second to ruin the rest of your/dogs life. We do this anyways , we take the risk.

Some breeds may be assumed as not reliable but lets see here , we are dealing with a DOG. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. MURPHYS LAW!!!
BTW collies and the high herding drive can lead to run offs as well. Ever heard of a collie trying to heard a car , not such a happy ending.

And unless your a cattle worker , most of us have dogs as companions and beloved pets. We don't all use our dogs for working purposes.

Manny having one of the less easy breeds (Norwegian Elkhounds) I can sure tell you they are not the same as soem of the others that have a natural tendency to want to stay close to or watch the handler.

I have to conciously make an effort to keep my dogs guessing, I let them off lead only in spaces well away from roads, avoiding some of the smaller parks and recreation grounds as I need to know that there is room enough for me to allow them to range ahead without getting into danger, and the one who got no training until 9 months is still unreliable so only gets to go off lead in the country park where if she disappears for half an hour I know she won't be on a road. 

Thankfully with their independence my breed do also have a fat streak of common sense and a brilliant sense of direction and memory for where they last saw you.

Freinds wity other breeds just don't realise how on the ball you have to be to allow them free runing, and the things I see as likely dangers/temptations aren't for their breeds.

Went with my friend to her freinds for a chance to let the dogs run in an enclosed area, her bitch is dog fear aggressive, and this was private land.  What she considered enclosed was a hedged field.  I assumed she meant it had sheep netting or some such reinforcing this and let my naughty girl off. 

Well first thing she did was go straight through the hedge after the scent of pheasant, down into the woods.  On asking what was the other side of the woods I was told the road.  Me with frantically beating heart call my bitch, who after five minutes reappeared somwhere just ahead of where she last asaw me, and I had been buys scrabling about the steep woods.  She went straight back on lead. 

Now neither of them could understand why it was she would do this, as their own dogs did not test the boundaries, and were not that interested in the scent of game so it had not occured to them to warn me that there were lots of Cock pheasants about.  So I never take another owners assessment of the safety of an off lead area, as this really does depend on the type of dog.

Now I probably would have been fine with the other four of mien who may have tested the hedges, and even gone through if I hadn't been quick to say no, but would have listened to me had I called them back, or not gone through if I had been on the ball to tell them not to.  This means I am always thinking of how the dogs might rteact and where they are at all times, as I ahve to watch them.  Many dog owners just think their dogs watching them is the norm, and thankfully for may it is.

mannyg,have you ever owned a BC or another breed that is SO highly tuned into you (naturally) that it watches every movement you do,even out of the corner of its eye when its having a sniff.
so please get it through YOUR head that some of us do have dogs that are reliable all of the time.to them i am more important than bunnies ,sheep,squirrelies,other dogs ,cats,deer,horses & any other thing we may care to meet.
its a natural thing that i have worked on from day 1 with my dogs,they know NO other way,they have NEVER had the opportunity not to come back,so they have learnt that when i call or indicate they come back,NOT coming back is not a concept that would even enter their heads,as i have never allowed as a puppy that to occur.
just because youve clearly never had the joy to own such a dog,dont slate others that have, & dont use BCs as a "example" if you dont know the breed.

>as i have never allowed as a puppy that to occur.<

Michelled how did you achieve this? What did you do if they didnt come back? :)

i agree to some degree that some breeds are more trustworthy when let off a lead but i believe that it depends on the mind of your dog as to how trainable they are. i have two greyhounds, both ex-racers and both 7 years old. obviously, being ex-racers there isn't much chance of them ignoring a rabbit running across a field and this is very true. However, i do let one of them off the lead, simply because he doesn't like not being able to see me and will come back. i don't trust him near roads because he wouldn't hesitate to run across to chase something on the other side. BUT the point is, he does come back. maybe not a 100% recall or as soon as i clap my hands he appears but he does return. admittedly i'm always keeping my eye on him but if i didn't that would make me a careless owner. The bitch on the other hand, doesnt have a single hope of returning as her hunting instinct is so high, which sadly means she is permantly on the lead. Personally, i believe that greyhounds (especially ex racers) have one of the highest hunting drives, even above siberian huskies. just because the breed is known to have hunting instincts doesn't mean they cant be trained off the lead.

if they did not come back i would DIE of shock! not coming back is not a option i think about & i guess they can tell that!!!!
as a young puppy i get them to follow me,lots of praise,sweeties, get someone to hold the pup for a few mins whilst i call it till its dieing to come,then reward with sweeties & praise & a game.
maybe do abit on a long line.
i only call once & expect them to react to that one call.
when they are learning AS soon as they look i get the "yes" (my praise word) so they know thats right & praise them as they come back.
i will often call them back & send them off again,so coming back isnt the end of the free running,
i often call them back separatly to create extra curiousity amongest the others.
i may hide behind a bush before i call them ,just as a little extra "thinking" thing,making me abit interesting.
i interact with my dogs on walks at times,so they arent always doing there own thing BUT also make sure they get plenty of free time to please them selves.
IF they ever did not come back (& its taken the typing of this email to come up with a answer because its not something that happens or i plan for) id not call them again,but IMMEDIATLY drop them in a instant down & turn around in the opposite direction making a real, fuss of the others,eventually id call the dog....i think its going to come lkie a rocket!

my dogs are good dogs,we are all very tuned into each other & being collies they just want to please & be with me.
not all breeds are so easy.
but its all about knowing your breeds/dogs drives, habits,& body language.
& lots of early work! :)

if you are having trouble ,do not let your dog off if it is going to ignoore you ,as you just teach the dog NOT to come.

i wouldnt have a clue what to do with a sibe!!!

Don't have to have owned a BC , a dog will be a DOG. I myself consider my own dogs as family , human and loyal companions. As much as i'd like to think they were people they still are domesticated ANIMALS. I didn't bother reading your previous post michelle because i don't care much about how well trained your dog is , i will say it again that a split second can ruin your dogs life. We can talk to our dogs , the bond we have with them is like no other but remember a dog DOES have a mind of its own disregarding breed.

If you don't have a clue what to do with sibes , then why are you argueing with me? Because i let my late sibes of leash?

-- I DON'T CARE HOW RELIABLE YOUR DOG IS , the truth is anytime ANYONE including myself let our dogs off leash in unsecure fenced areas then it IS putting your dog at risk , "a dog DOES have a mind of its own disregarding breed."

If you've never done or expierenced it , don't argue with someone who has done it.

well if you dont know BCs STOP talking about them! you clearly dont know as much as you think you do.

im arguing with you NOT about sibes but that you said that my dogs arent 100% relable when they are!!!!
i was forgetting clearly youve met them & me!!!
then again ive just read in another post that you you PRONG collars,if i was i dog i wouldnt come back to such a barbaric person either.

calm down dear, it's only a forum :)

thanks melody! :) ;)
it annoys me,because i only ever talk about my own experinces,& my own dogs,eg what i know,yet others can make presumtions about my dogs & imply im lying!

oh & its ALL 3 of my dogs,so its not a one off.

to add i keep my dogs on the lead at all times in areas that are near roads etc, & am not one of these EGO maniacs that insist on walking their dogs on the pavement off lead.
this is not because they dont have a 100% recall ,but because they are QUICK lively dogs, & have a natural curved outrun & run in circles (all the usual BC stuff)

to be honest if my dogs didnt have a 100% recall then i WOULDNT let them off the lead at all!

Michelle i used BC as an example , lol. I don't even know you , why would i make fun of your dogs or call you a bad owner. The world doesn't revolve around ye! :D

Haha barbaric person , you don't even know me. Anyone whos anyone that knows about sibes will tell you that they drag till they litterally die. She would drag and cough up blood , a PRONG helped the situation and in this case its the only WAY to prevent. She would escape from any harness i've ever put on her by just slipping her legs out.

Let's see , i'd like you to try walking a sibey. WOMEN YOUR ARM WOULD BE DISLOCATED! :D

i think in the uk prongs are banned! did you ever try a harness or head collar as they would be the "answers" in the uk instead of a prong.
however i know they are really widely used in the states.(opps just seen your harness bit)
i know sibes & mals wouldnt suit me!
im a collie person!

hmm...i thought the world did revolve around me! sh*t maybe thats where ive been going wrong ;)

my collies disolcate my arms enough! they may have a 100% recall (sorry cant resist ;))but they pull like trains!