Siberian Husky is one of the most favorite pets in the USA right now. If you are planning to adopt one, then it is a wonderful choice because this dog is going to love you. However, is it alright to adopt a Siberian Husky if you do not have any previous experience with dogs?
Siberian Huskies are not the best choice if you are purchasing a dog for the first time. Although they are very intelligent, they are also known to be stubborn which makes them tough to train and require extra care. They require a lot of time for exercise and training. They also have special dietary needs to maintain their body shape and good health because of their history as working dogs.
You need to do some homework to choose your first dog pet because it is a critical decision, and a wrong one can make your life miserable. Therefore, choosing the right dog that fits your personality is essential for a wonderful experience.
Why Are Huskies Not the Right Fit for First-Time Dog Owners?
If you do not have any experience with dogs and going to pick your first pet, then you must consider some factors which can make your decision easy.
The first dog should be the right fit for your personality and add value to your life. Try to avoid such breeds that are demanding and require a lot of care.
Some of the factors for which Siberian Huskies are not the right fit are given in the below table:
Factors | Description |
Training Requirements | First-time dog owners should avoid breeds who have high training requirements. Siberian Huskies are challenging to train and not recommended for rookies. |
Dominant Behavior | Siberian Huskies, especially males, are very dominant. They can easily surpass you and disobey you. You should go for a less dominant dog. |
Special Dietary Needs | Huskies require less amount of food, but food should be of premium quality. It is very costly and can be a burden on your pocket. |
Outdoor Time | This breed requires outdoor time for at least 3 to 4 times a week, which is too much for first-time owners. They should go for other easy breeds. |
Attention Seeker | If you are not spending dedicated quality time with your dog, it might cause anxiety in them, and they can get ill. |
Training Requirements
Your first dog should not require much training. If you pick a dog who you need to teach everything, then it can turn out to be a headache for you. Although you need to train every breed to follow basic commands like sit, stand and stop, breeds are eager to learn things on their own.
It gives some relief to the dog owners, and they can focus on their daily routine. Siberian Husky, on the other hand, is tough to train. They are very stubborn and full of energy. You need to instill good behavior in them, which is a hard task to achieve.
Huskies need to release their energy daily. You need to spend playtime with your Husky every day. If you are ready to dedicate a fixed amount of time, then you should go for this breed. Otherwise, it is recommended to go for a less demanding dog.
Dominant Behavior
The dominant behavior of a dog can be a nightmare for you. Because your dog will try to surpass you and refuse to obey your commands. This can cause some severe troubles for you because your dog will not be in your control.
Siberian Huskies (primarily male Huskies) show dominant behavior. These are pack-dogs. Each pack has a leader, and all the dogs follow the commands of the leader.
The leader must be admirable and confident. If the leader shows any signs of lack of confidence, it can be challenged by fellow dogs for the leadership position.
Same is with the case of modern-day Huskies, they consider you as the leader of the pack. You need to be very confident and use the authoritative tone to give them commands.
If Huskies sense that you are not confident enough, they will surpass you and start disobeying you. Your Husky will not be in your control.
Therefore, first-time dog owners should avoid Huskies because they are not trained enough to handle the dog. This breed will sense the fear in you easily and ignore your commands.
Special Dietary Needs
You can find a lot of incidences in which owners were unable to take care of the special dietary needs of the dog, and the dog fell ill (and died in some cases as well).
Some breeds are susceptible and require some exceptional food to meet all the necessary nutrients. And if you fail to provide that particular diet, it can be disastrous for the dog’s health.
Siberian Husky is the breed that requires a low amount of food; however, the food should be of premium quality. So, this is the case of quality over quantity.
The cost of food is considerably high. You also need to take care that Huskies do not over-eat or under-eat. Both situations are not healthy for the dog.
The food should be given in equal portions, divided into three meals a day. You also need to visit your vet regularly to make sure that your Husky is getting enough nutrition.
This is too much for first-time dog owners. Because they are not used to dogs, and it can disturb their daily activities. They might not be able to take care of dietary needs regularly. Therefore, it is recommended to not go for a Husky. They can get other dog breeds that require way less attention and care.
Outdoor Time
Some dog breeds need to go outdoor regularly. Otherwise, they can get bored and fell ill. Siberian Husky is precisely that type of dog breed. These dogs can get bored if they spend a lot of time indoors. They need to go out for different activities for at least 3 to 4 times a week.
The ancestors of Siberian Huskies used to live under the open sky for weeks. They used to travel most of the time. Therefore, living outdoors and spending a considerable amount of time is natural to Huskies. This can also be seen in the modern-day Huskies. This breed loves to run.
They can release the extra amount of energy through running and never gets bore from it. People who are going to buy a dog for the first time should only go for a Husky only if they can dedicate to meet all its requirements.
They should be committed to taking their Huskies for at least 3 times a week for an outdoor walk. This can boost the mood of your Husky, and it will love you even more.
However, it is too much for first-time owners. There are a lot of other relaxed dog breeds that require much less outdoor time and can survive indoors for a long time.
You can go for those dog breeds first to get used to with the dogs, and then you can shift to the Siberian Huskies.
Attention Seeker
Some dog breeds are prone to anxiety if you are not giving them proper time for play and other activities. These dogs can act in a strange way out of anxiety and can cause damage to you.
Huskies are precisely the same type of breed. These dogs require continuous attention from their owners. They love to play with humans, and because of their unlimited energy, they never get tired. They can show odd behaviors if you are not spending much time with them.
This breed is an attention seeker and can do anything to grab your attention. They can start spoiling things like biting the furniture, making a lot of noise, and might even bite you. Therefore, it is difficult for first-time dog owners to handle such breeds.
It is recommended to go for a much easy breed, which is calm. So, you can get a good experience from the first time adoption of a dog.
My Final Thoughts
Siberian Husky is not the right choice for first-time buyers. These are extremely energetic dogs with a lot of requirements. You should take care of their particular diet and exercise. The most challenging part is training the dog. Husky is tough to train because of its stubborn nature.
If you show any lack of confidence, this breed can sense it and stop obeying you. These dogs have a dominant nature, especially male Huskies. They try to surpass you whenever possible.
So, you need to have complete control over them from the beginning, which is very difficult for people who are doing it for the first time.
Siberian Huskies love to run outdoors and require outdoor time at least 3 times a week. The outdoor walk keeps them healthy and helps to drain out the extra energy. If you are not able to give outdoor time to Husky, they will store the excess energy, which will eventually transform into anxiety.
They can show strange behavior in that case. So, buying a Siberian Husky as the first dog is not recommended because you have to face these challenges.