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Husky dogs are a large breed of dog and they have a rather headstrong and wilful nature.  However, they make energetic, fun and loving pets that will fit in well with an active family that has the time to care for them. They are not the right pet for anyone who is planning on just letting their dog have a run around the garden twice a day: these dogs need space and plenty of stimulation and exercise.

A bored, unhappy husky can develop behavioural problems and end up, like so many do, in the care of an animal charity such as the RSPCA.  As well as exercise and attention, huskies need regular grooming.

There are plenty of breeders who offer huskies for sale, and many will be enthusiastic and very knowledgeable about the breed. A good breeder will be happy for you to meet the puppies’ mother and spend time with the litter to help you decide which puppy you want to take home. By meeting the mother and seeing the puppies in their natural environment, you will learn a lot about what sort of dogs they will become: their temperament will most likely be similar to their mother’s, and if they seem happy and healthy and to have been allowed to socialise properly they will become happy, healthy dogs.

Whilst it is true that many huskies in rescue or rehoming centres are there because their owners have not been able to cope or care for them properly, it is not true that they cannot be loving, well-behaved pets if cared for by the right family.  It is usually the previous owner’s lack of proper care that has led to a husky being put up for re-homing, rather than anything wrong with the husky itself.  Staff at the RSPCA will be able to advise you about whether a particular dog will suit your family and will be able to give you information about its temperament and background.  They will also have made sure that the dog has been neutered/spayed and vaccinated, so you will be sure to have a healthy dog.

If you have the time to care for a husky and educate yourself about how to manage them properly, you can adopt a husky and end up with a very good pet that the whole family will adore.  


 
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If there are any husky puppies for sale in your local area you might be tempted to buy one on impulse: they are very beautiful and unusual-looking dogs that seem somehow more like their wolf ancestors than do other breeds of dog.  A husky can make a very loving pet but it takes a lot of looking after.  There are many husky dogs and husky puppies available for re-homing through the RSPCA, mainly because people underestimate the amount of energy this breed has and how much care they need.  They are also often found and taken to rehoming centres or rescue centres when they have become lost after running away from their owners.

Husky dogs are born to move.  They love to run and will do so at any given (or taken) opportunity.  They love to explore and are very easily bored or distracted, so they will tend to try to make a dash for it if presented with something in the distance that is more interesting than what is right in front of it.  And there’s absolutely no way you’ll outrun your husky, never mind catch up with it once it’s decided to run.

Huskies are also impetuous and not terribly good at learning commands, so they are hard to train and not terribly obedient.  Fortunately, though, the worst that your husky is likely to do is to run away from you, not attack someone or another dog.   They don’t generally keep track of where they live or where they were when they last saw you, so getting lost is a real problem with husky dogs and husky puppies, so if you do get a husky you should make sure that they have a collar and nametag and preferably a microchip too.

You can prevent your husky dog from running away by keeping them on a lead for walks and holding tight, and by securing your garden for when they are outside.  That means a tall fence (at least five feet tall) and no possibility that they can dig underneath it!

Husky dogs and puppies bore easily and if you are at work and they are at home, they might find things to play with that you wouldn’t want them to.  You could avoid this by building a large, secure kennel for them in the garden so that they have their own space with plenty of their own toys.  If you are going to choose a husky, though, you should really make sure that you have enough time and energy to dedicate to it and if you work long hours then it would not be fair to own this breed.

You can often find husky puppies for sale or adoption through the RSPCA or other animal charities, which is a good alternative to buying them from private sellers or breeders because buying from the latter increases the number of dogs being bred every year whereas adopting one will give that dog a chance of a good home for life.