Ruud wrote:

Since about 12 hours I'm the proud and oh so happy owner of a male
Husky pup.

Congratulations on your new pup! They are one of my favorite dog breeds
because they can be quite a challenge.


- One of the things I keep reading is: do NOT let the dog off the
leash or he will get away. Now, I'm more or less used to shepherd dogs
(german and belgian) and had thought I would provide my Husk with some

Nordic breeds are behaviorally QUITE different from the shepherds that
you are used to. Pleasing people just for the sake of it is not high on
the agenda. For that reason, it is really important that you establish
a good relationship with your new pup and start manners training as soon
as possible. Keep in mind that Huskies are VERY smart dogs, but easily
bored with repetition, so you might have to get creative in your
training in order to keep the pup's interest. And never try to force
your will on the dog - it is highly apt to backfire.


running activity by taking him to the park, have a nice ball-throwing
session.

Of the dozen or so Huskies I know, 1 plays fetch, a couple will chase
the ball but lose interest as soon as it stops moving and the rest look
at you like you're nuts. While most have high prey drives, this is
generally directed towards furry, 4 legged food items and not things
like balls.

I understand now that I can NOT do this? How do I excercise
the dog then? Are they really that bad at getting away?

Huskies are notorious for being escape artists, and can dig, climb or
chew their way out of fences. Do not leave your puppy outside, never
without supervision. They love to run, which of course means that they
could go quite a long ways before they run out of steam. You can jog,
take up scootering, skijoring etc. to keep your dog in good shape.


- Can I compare them in final size to say a male german shepherd
dog?

The standards say smaller than a male GSD, but I have seen oversized
Sibes as well. A couple of the males I know (rescue dogs) are well in
the 80 to 90 lb. category.


- They are described as being an "everbody" friend and not being
exclusive to one person. Naturally the kids are all over him, petting
him whenever possible. Does this interfere with me establishing myself
as the alpha?

Nope. But absolutely no heavy handed tactics in establishing your
alphaness.


- Any general tips are very welcome; I want to make this work!

Keep in mind that a bored Sibe is a force of nature, and the amount of
destruction wreaked has to be seen to be believed. They tend to be VERY
food motivated, and aren't beyond learning to open things so they can
help themselves to the goodies. A friend of mine has a Husky who opens
up the cabinets, pulls all the contents out, and leaves them on display.
He doesn't eat any of it (occasionally spills flour on the floor and
rolls around in it), but he pulls the stuff out and leaves them on the
floor, as if to let them know that he can do that. I am not trying to
scare you, just helping you prepare for live with a Sibe. They are
great dogs for someone with a good sense of humor.

http://www.siberescue.com/Breed_Info/breed_info.html
http://www.siberianhusky.8m.com/sibeinfo.htm
http://www.siberescue.com/Breed_Info..._infoindex.htm

Suja