If you live in an apartment, and you love Huskies, you may wonder if its possible for a Husky to be happy in an apartment. Chances are that you will get a lot of advice like this:
Siberian Huskies are not good apartment dwellers. They need daily exercise. They need consistent training. They need cool temperatures. An unhappy Husky will find a way to get into trouble.
That being said, the writer of this article once had a happy Husky in an apartment in Austin, Texas, and didnt have any problems except for occasional calls from the grocery store that dog had escaped and was sleeping on top of a frozen food display.
The supermarket manager was a wonderful person who loved dogs and had a great sense humor. Eventually, it was possible to train the dog to stay out of other peoples freezers.
It is possible to keep a Husky in an apartment. It just takes a lot of extra work and some prior experience with dogs.
Questions To Ask Before Adopting A Husky
There are some questions to ask yourself if you’re thinking of adopting a Husky.
- Do you have any experience with dogs? For a first companion dog experience, Huskies may not be the right breed. On the other hand, if you can take care of a Husky, you can take care of any dog.
- Are you able to live in a cool environment? Are you willing to turn on the air conditioner and lower the heat if you don’t live in a cool climate? Your local supermarket is unlikely to be pleased to see your Husky lying on top of the frozen orange section.
- Are you a fan of outdoor exercise? Huskies make great companions for daily hiking and biking. They love to tag along on a leash when you take a run. They may get frustrated if you are sedentary.
- Do you travel a lot? Huskys are not meant to be left alone.
- Do you live alone? Your relationship with your Husky may work if you are a home-based worker. Otherwise, one dog will need the company of several people.
- Do you own a collection of blown glasses, a windowsill with indoor flowers or a collection macrame or Hummel figurines. Delicate objects and indoor Huskies are not a good mix.
- If you dont have indoor space, is there a nearby outdoor space where your Husky can burn off excess energy? Huskies were designed to pull sleds through miles and miles of snow. They don’t like being confined and have to move around every day.
- Do you have the time and commitment to do your weekly grooming? And do you have an industrial-strength vacuum cleaner? Your Husky will shed if your apartment is kept above 0 degrees Celsius. A lot. Think carpet on top of your carpet. It is possible to keep your Husky clean and your house dog hair and dander free.
- Will your Husky be able to spend most of its time with you and your family? We mean most of your dog’s waking hours. Huskies can be a pack dog. They are bred to have company 24/7/365. They suffer separation anxiety if they dont have their people. You could adopt 20 Huskies to plan your vacations around Iditarod. One Husky is enough for a large apartment.
- Are you able to afford food, vet bills and toys? If you do, then you may be able to afford to become a Husky pet parent.
If the answer to these questions suggests a Husky-friendly result, youre ready to have a Husky.
Husky living in an apartment is a learning experience.
We have some tips on how to make your relationship with this amazing breed work when your home is an apartment or condo.
Don’t Adopt Husky.
Siberian Huskies are an extremely popular breed. They are ranked #14 by the American Kennel Club among the 197 most popular dog breeds in America. They are even more popular here in Canada.
A litter of Husky puppies can cost up to €800, while a puppy from a reputable breeding line could cost as high as €2,000
Why would you ever adopt a Siberian Husky from a shelter?
Most of the Huskies you can adopt from shelters are about two years old. Chances are that their owners found that their howling, shedding, and need for exercise was more than they anticipated.
These Huskies are not bad dogs. They didn’t receive the proper training to become easy dogs. With the added stress of keeping a Husky in a shelter, you should let someone with a house and a yard or a second home in cold north woods adopt them.
Spend a little more and buy your Husky from a reputable breeder. Referrals can be made by the American Kennel Club so that you don’t run the risk of purchasing from a puppy mill.
You can be certain that your Husky puppy is healthy when it comes from a registered breeder.
Genetic testing will have been done to ensure that there aren’t any health issues that might surprise you. Prior knowledge that your Husky has a condition like malignant hyperthermia (its a Husky that cant stand the heat), or degenerative cone disease (it has a risk of developing night blindness), or degenerative myelopathy (a condition similar to muscular dystrophy in humans) doesnt mean you cant have some happy years together.
Before you adopt your Husky, you should be aware of these things.
When you buy your Husky puppy from a registered breeder, you can be sure its socialized.
It is okay with children, cats, people all sizes, household appliances, as well as car rides.
It will not have the same fears as puppies who are not socialized. It wont need training school from the start, because its whole life will have been a training school.
When you buy your Husky from a registered breeder, you have a built-in connection to a Husky expert. You will have a place to go for advice. You will also be able to see the parents of your Husky, and you will learn their stories.
Dont invite the double whammy of bad habits and apartment living. Make sure your Husky has been bred and raised to make a great pet.
Set Expectations For Your Kids Before You Bring Your Husky Home
Huskies make a great surprise dog.
You, your kids, and your Husky need some advanced preparations for a happy homecoming.
Talk with your kids about the right way to pet a Husky puppy. Talking to your children about their experience with dogs is a good idea.
Make sure they know to avoid sudden movements that might scare your puppy, and remind them to be gentle.
Children can accidentally poke their dog in the eye when they are excited to meet their new dog. This is a terrible way to begin with a new pet.
Your children should be aware that puppies bite. Usually, the mother dog will have spent a month or so biting puppies back when they bite her nipples, so dogs get the idea that biting is a no-no.
However, puppies love to explore and an apartment doesn’t allow them much space for exploration. It is important that you and your Husky trainers understand how to train them not to bite.
Everyone should be aware that any response to biting must be immediate.
You cant wait to ask mom and dad if its OK, or your Husky wont know whats wrong. It is correction and not punishment. Children need to control their reactions.
Make sure that there will be times that your Husky puppy needs to go outside right now to avoid an accident. Prepare them for the eventuality of clean-ups.
Everyone in the family should be onboard about not feeding your dog too much. Treats should be reserved for rewarding good behavior.
And make sure your children understand that they will sometimes need to say No firmly.
As much as you expect your Huskys to respect you, prepare your children to be respected by Husky authority figures.
Huskyproof Your Apartment
Huskies are passionate about exploring. Huskies love to explore outdoors with their noses. Huskies can explore indoors with their noses.
To prevent any toilet paper eating accidents, get into the habit to keep your bathroom doors shut.
Keep the bathroom off-limits to your Husky so they wont chew and eat soap, brushes, toothpaste, and washcloths.
Make sure you close the trash can lid tightly and that your children do the same.
Huskies love to explore the garbage. Its important to keep them away from grapes, chocolate, and cooked bones that may be in your trash can
Keep medications, shampoos, soap, household cleaners, insecticides, batteries, and childrens toys with small parts out of reach of your Husky. Protect electrical cords and glass objects.
You should not have toxic houseplants such as lilies or tulips, and you should get rid of any cannabis edibles.
You can crate train your Husky to have a cool place.
Otherwise, they will sleep right next to AC vents and cut off ventilation to the rest of your apartment.
Remember that Huskies can be escape artists. If you dont already, make sure you keep the front door, back door, sliding glass patio doors closed and locked.
Barking And Howling
Huskies bark a lot less than other breeds.
Barking with dogs is often territorial. Huskies naturally live in packs. They are very non-territorial.
However, Huskies love to howl. Howling is your Huskys way of communicating with you, but what is your Husky trying to tell you?
- Howling can mean that your Husky is hurt, sick, bored, or just want the company of other Huskies or humans.
If your Husky only howls when you are around, its probably a cry for attention. Your neighbors may let you know if theres a lot of howling when you are out.
Your Husky will need to be trained to not howl except in very extreme circumstances. If your Husky is unable to stop howling for no apparent reason, you can tell them in a firm voice: Quiet! If your Husky is still quiet after a few seconds, you can give it a treat.
Your Husky will soon associate quieting down with receiving treats. At that point, even if you dont offer a treat every time, your Husky will obey the Quiet command.
You get better results with intermittent reinforcement because your dog will be thinking Maybe if I stay quiet just a little longer, then Ill get my treat.
Grooming Your Apartment Husky
Theres a golden rule for grooming Huskies:
Never, ever shave a Husky.
Huskies have a double coat. They have a guard hair and an underneath coat.
Huskies shed their skin twice a year. You will need to take your Huskies outside to brush their hair.
You will need to do a lot of extra vacuuming about your apartment. You will only need to vacuum your apartment once a week during the shedding season. Trips to the dog groomer arent necessary.
Do this, and youll keep shedding in your apartment under reasonable control.
Outdoor Adventures For Your Husky
Its possible to find happy Huskies even in high-rise apartments, but only if they have lots of room to roam every day in dog parks or tagging along on hiking, biking, and jogging trails.
You can have a great experience with these beautiful dogs in your apartment home, but youll be spending a lot more time outdoors.
