Our Husky

This is Miko our Siberian Husky. He is our first northern breed and our second dog ever, Ava being our first. Its been a learning experience to say the least, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. By making this blog I hope to show people why this breed is both amazing and yet not for most people. That's right, the Siberian Husky is not a good home for the majority of families looking for a new household pet.

I will start off by talking about the wonderful things our little Miko has brought to our life, besides his very handsome looks he is also EXTREMELY affectionate. I would consider him to be a velcro dog, for those that don't know what that means, it means that they are clued to your side. Miko is also not an escape artist, while that is very abnormal I keep a close eye on him non-the-less. He has a wonderful personality and enjoys talking to you back and forth. He has an incredible drive to please (at least when he sees the point in it) and is a natural for land mushing.

Now for the less wonderful part, when we first got him he was a complete mess. When I first saw Miko over the internet all I had to go off of was a picture of a terrified looking husky. He was crouched down with his claws dug into the tile in fear. He looked so upset that my husband and a few others suggested he might be a broken soul. So after a friend went and checked him out and he seemed friendly, I drove the 2 hours to LA to go meet him. I fell in love with him and took him home that day.

When we got home however things began to change, it was clear he had absolutely no training. He was counter surfing, peeing/pooping inside, attacking Ava, tried to chew out of his crate, and was generally dog aggressive. The two most problematic issues were the aggression and him being able to be left alone. Luckily he was very food motivated so training was easy in that respect.

Miko was a stray when he was found and was at least 20lbs underweight. Here is a picture of him when we first got him:

This is a picture of him about a month ago, in a similar position:

I believe him being a stray also has a lot to do with his aggression, it has been a long process but we have eliminated the majority of his dog aggression. He is now able to play with other dogs without showing the same problems as before. Now I am not saying most huskies are this way but since he was likely not socialized as a pup he didn't know any better.

The best description I have ever heard of a husky is that "they carry their domestication lightly" it fits their personalities very well. So take GREAT care when you think about getting a Siberian Husky, they require a lot more exercise and training that most dogs. Do your research and meet as many huskies as you can.