# 13 For people that own siberian huskies only

Sibes are beautiful dogs but they require a lot of work. We have two Siberian Huskies: Tara not quite 2 years old, black and white female, and Kai an 8 year old red and white male. Sibes require a lot of exercise so most of my day is spent with walking them. I give them each 6 miles every day and that is before my hubby gets home from work! Never, ever, let them off lead outside. They have a very strong prey instinct, they are very closely related to the wolf. Sibes are born and bred to run and that's what they do best. It doesn't matter how much obedience training they receive, they will do as they please. They may always come when called, but there is always the fear that one time, sometimes catches their eye, and they are off. They may come back in an hour or a day or a week. They may never come back, it is really up to them. Grooming is a must. They shed a couple times a year and really put the hoover to the test trying to get all that fur out of the carpets. Hoovering the carpets is a daily chore not a weekly one. Keep their coats clean free from dirt and tangles. Be careful what you feed them. Do not use cereal based dog food. Sibes have a tendency to get bloated, same as colic in horses. Don't feed them just one a day, rather split their meals up to at least 2 feedings a day. Some tend to get touchy stomaches. We have found it best to feed them up off the floor so a raised bowl is better for them. Please make sure the pup or older pooch is socialized as this will make life easier for all round. Kai is our welfare Sibe, he was never socialized when he was a pup so he can be a handful. We have had him for almost 3 years now. He does not like other breeds and will lunge at them if given half a chance. Having him sit and watch helps a lot. As a young pup we used a walkie harness on Tara. She can pull like a freight train as it was safer to ancor her to me. This also makes it easier to train her to run. She tends to do the husky hop which is to bounce on her hind feet to get a better look at things. She looks like a meer cat when she does this. A 10 fence is best if you want them outside in your backyard. If you are going to use a doghouse that has a flat roof, don't put it anywhere near the fence itself. They can be very clever if they want out. I prefer the pitched roof kind. Make sure there are no holes and that they can't climb out. Sibes are great escape artists. They also love to dig. If they are going to be house pets, make sure they have plenty of chew toys otherwise, your house will look like a huricane went through it. Best way to raise a pup is using a crate. Not only does it help in housebreaking them, it gives them a secure place to sleep at night, their own little den. This is all that I can think of off the top of my head. Sibes are great but you need to do your homework first. If you want a Sibe from welfare, the people will come out to inspect your home and question you on your lifestyle.