Husky as a pet for an 11 yr old girl

TangyZizzle · 15-05-2011 3:38pm #1

Hi,

I know close to zilch about dogs. The idea of getting a husky for a child in my immediate family has been brought up and is most likely going to come to fruition within the coming weeks.
I would like to know the pros and cons of getting a Husky pup for an 11 year old girl.

I heard plenty of ranting and raving over the past few months about people getting malamute because they can become quite strong and difficult to handle in their adulthood - so Im looking to ya know.. avoid that entirely.

Outkast_IRE · 15-05-2011 3:42pm

Con with them is they need serious amounts of exercise , they are very intelligent and will get bored and destructive quickly without lots of exercise every single day.
Huskys unless trained very well can tend to be poor on recall.
They are also very strong they would easily pull a small girl on the lead, they were bred for pulling sleds so a young girl could be in trouble very quickly if she needed to control it.

TangyZizzle · 15-05-2011 3:44pm

With relation to the 'need lots of exercise' - that's going to be a serious problem. There is no way an 11 yr old girl is going to get it the exercise it needs.

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

Huskys unless trained very well can tend to be poor on recall.

What did this last part mean?

iheartthailand · 15-05-2011 3:49pm

No pet should be bought for a child. I mean the pet should also be wanted by the parents as it is ultimately them that are going to be responsible for the dog financially, as well as with training, exercising etc.

as it is the first dog and i imagine as it is being bought for the child she would want to bring it for walks etc i wouldnt recommend a husky. husky are great dogs but i would worry that a husky would be too strong on the lead for an 11 year old. they also need a lot of exercise and training. ive seen so many huskys been walked around the place over the past few months, unfortunately ive also seen an alarming increase in them in the rescue i volunteer for as well as ones ending up in the pound.

i would recommend a smaller dog, maybe go to your local rescue centre and have a look at the dogs there?

TangyZizzle · 15-05-2011 3:51pm

I was afraid of them being very strong, yes. Also, the garden it would be kept in is almost 100% grass. We had a jack russell when I was a child and its nails grew around and under its paw and then became embedded.. yuck.

I mentioned getting a Jack Russell but that was shot down because everyone has them.. Any suggestions for a small friendly dog?

old hippy · 15-05-2011 3:53pm

TangyZizzle wrote: »

Hi,

I know close to zilch about dogs.

Please don't buy a husky then!

As has been pointed out, they need a lot of excercise, attention and stimulation. And they are quite powerful dogs to handle.

TangyZizzle · 15-05-2011 3:54pm

old hippy wrote: »

Please don't buy a husky then!

As has been pointed out, they need a lot of excercise, attention and stimulation. And they are quite powerful dogs to handle.

I wouldnt be buying it. Its my better halves little sister. She's already got a rake of cash to put towards it and seems to have her heart set. Im really uneasy about letting this happen but as of now the Mother seems to have her mind set, also. Ill do my best to convince them to pay a visit to a pound.. but its not looking good so far.

slarkin123 · 15-05-2011 4:01pm

If the husky is for your daughter to feed and exercise I would say no. They are very strong and an 11 year old wouldn't be able to handle It. If its for the family and an adult would be doing the walking I would say yes. We have one and she is the friendliest dog i know. She is so gentle with the kids and guards the baby like he's her own. Mine even likes to rest on my shoulder for a cuddle, which from what I hear is strange for them

old hippy · 15-05-2011 4:05pm

TangyZizzle wrote: »

I wouldnt be buying it. Its my better halves little sister. She's already got a rake of cash to put towards it and seems to have her heart set. Im really uneasy about letting this happen but as of now the Mother seems to have her mind set, also. Ill do my best to convince them to pay a visit to a pound.. but its not looking good so far.

It's a lot of responsibility for an eleven year old. Good luck!

Shanao · 15-05-2011 4:06pm

TangyZizzle wrote: »

I mentioned getting a Jack Russell but that was shot down because everyone has them.. Any suggestions for a small friendly dog?

This setence should ring immediate alarm bells for anyone. Huskies are becoming increasingly more popular because they look good but aren't yet as popular as some other breeds so people tend to want them to get attention. If another breed is shot down because everyone has them, then the person looking for this dog should not be getting one. Especially not a husky.

Huskies tend to weigh between 20-25kgs fully grown and they are more muscle than fat. Huskies are sled dogs and need more exercise than most adults can provide them with, let alone an eleven year old. Biking, hiking and running can be enough for a husky if dont frequently and over enough of a distance, but be warned, a husky was built to have strength and stamina and its hard to wear them out. They can be quite stubborn as well and like most spitz breeds cannot be trusted off the lead. You have about a 30% chance of them actually coming back. They also howl, most kennels I know wont even take huskies because of how much they howl.

They are not a dog for the inexperienced who aren't prepared to put in the work. And they are a lot of work. I've trained quite a few, and its always the same kind of problems they come in with; overexcited, pulling on the lead, diving onto the counters to steal food, howling all night long etc. They are not a pet for kids.

If she's looking for a dog, then you should try and gently prod her towards looking at the toy breeds.

TangyZizzle · 15-05-2011 4:12pm

Pounds in North County Dublin - links please. For the sake of the unbought Husky, link me!

boomerang · 15-05-2011 4:14pm

Sounds to me like they have their heart set on a husky because of how they look. Have they done any research at all to find out what the breed is like?

Definitely not a suitable pet for a child. They are

very strong and tend to pull against you when on the lead
very driven - ideally they need work to do
need ***pots*** of exercise (way more than an 11 year old could give)
very athletic and can easily scale a garden wall
not particularly cuddly in the way an 11 year old girl would want
and not generally recommended to be allowed off lead outside of the home because they're not always inclined to come back to you.

There are lots of little cross breeds out there that are cute and striking but much easier for a child to manage than a Husky. If they are determined to have a purebred, spitz type dog, maybe something like a Japanese Spitz would be more appropriate, or even a Norwegian Elkhound or Shiba Inu. But again, the family should be doing some research to see if these breeds would suit their lifestyle.

old hippy · 15-05-2011 4:16pm

Shanao wrote: »

This setence should ring immediate alarm bells for anyone. Huskies are becoming increasingly more popular because they look good but aren't yet as popular as some other breeds so people tend to want them to get attention. If another breed is shot down because everyone has them, then the person looking for this dog should not be getting one. Especially not a husky.

Huskies tend to weigh between 20-25kgs fully grown and they are more muscle than fat. Huskies are sled dogs and need more exercise than most adults can provide them with, let alone an eleven year old. Biking, hiking and running can be enough for a husky if dont frequently and over enough of a distance, but be warned, a husky was built to have strength and stamina and its hard to wear them out. They can be quite stubborn as well and like most spitz breeds cannot be trusted off the lead. You have about a 30% chance of them actually coming back. They also howl, most kennels I know wont even take huskies because of how much they howl.

They are not a dog for the inexperienced who aren't prepared to put in the work. And they are a lot of work. I've trained quite a few, and its always the same kind of problems they come in with; overexcited, pulling on the lead, diving onto the counters to steal food, howling all night long etc. They are not a pet for kids.

If she's looking for a dog, then you should try and gently prod her towards looking at the toy breeds.

^ this. We had a truckload of them come into the workplace a while back (long story) and the racket they made!

Zapperzy · 15-05-2011 4:22pm

TangyZizzle wrote: »

I was afraid of them being very strong, yes. Also, the garden it would be kept in is almost 100% grass. We had a jack russell when I was a child and its nails grew around and under its paw and then became embedded.. yuck.

I mentioned getting a Jack Russell but that was shot down because everyone has them.. Any suggestions for a small friendly dog?

The bit about the nails is easily solved, if the nails aren't worn down by walking on hard surfaces then buy a set of clippers and clip them if they get long.

As for the bit I highlighted :rolleyes: Seriously how petty is that. Cavalier king charles spaniels are small friendly dogs that are usually good with children, although 'everyone might have one of those too'.

Huskys are seriously high energy working dogs. An hour walk on a lead a day will just not cut it with them, you will still have a wound up dog in the back garden digging holes in the flowerbeds, trying to jump over fences and barking/howling. They need to work, they are sled dogs, they were bred to pull sleds so they would to do something like canix, bikejoring or scootering, something that will burn up that energy. http://www.tailsandtrails.ie/content.php?125-mushing-activities So unless the parent's are willing to take over responsibility for the dog's exercise and training there is no way an 11 year old girl is going to be able to provide that, what will happen in September when she goes back to school?

Huskys are also notorious small animal chasers that spontaneously go deaf when they get it in their heads they would like to chase a small furry object, so for that reason it is recommended that they are never let off the lead unless in a fully enclosed area with husky height fencing (they are also notorious escape artists).

Now this is not a jibe at you, you seem to have your head screwed on and are seeking advice, but whoever's idea this is has clearly not done their research or if they have then the height of their research is looking at pictures of cute fluffy puppies and watching eight below.

There are so so many adult huskys in pounds and shelters, and being sold on donedeal because of 'genuine circumstances', (i.e they just realised they cannot provide for their energy needs and their garden ornament has started digging up their flowerbeds), at the moment all because people see a cute 'wolfy' looking dog and don't do their research and go ahead and buy one.
I would hate for that to happen to this family, apart from the stress on the dog of being uprooted and moved around from home to home, it's also not fair on the child in question when her cute fluffy puppy becomes unmanagable and mammy and daddy decide it's best to rehome it.

boomerang · 15-05-2011 4:26pm

This popped up on another forum recently:

If you have ever uttered to yourself, “please dear Lord, let that pass through ‘em without the need for surgical attention.” …You probably own a Husky.

If valuable objects in your home are ranked according to jumping height from the ground …You probably own a Husky.

If you’ve thought, at least once in the past month, that you should be nominated for Sainthood…You probably own a Husky.

If you’ve been on walks with your dog and thought, “Oh, I hope nobody just witnessed THAT!” …You probably own a Husky.

If your dog thinks or thought at any time in life, that its full name may be part of a curse word…You probably own a Husky.

If you have more fur in your home than your dog has on it, giving the appearance to outsiders that you reside inside of a cotton ball…You probably own a Husky.

If you have started a veterinary fund for “just in case” moments…You probably own a Husky.

If you have a ‘correct dog placement process’ before answering your front door…You probably own a Husky.

If your backyard looks like fencing seen at Alcatraz…You probably own Husky.

If the family cat or other small animals in the home look at your dog as if they know they could be bumped off at any time…You probably own a Husky.

If you’ve ever responded to your spouse or other family members in the home with, “Don’t tell me, I don’t even want to know about it!” You probably own a Husky.

If one or more pieces of fur make it daily into a dish or beverage that you continue to consider perfectly consumable. However, you would freak out if you found a human hair…You probably own a Husky.

If you have ever lost out on a meal because you weren’t paying attention, or blinked…You probably own a Husky.

If you have ever thought to yourself ‘why would anyone do this twice’ and then do it again…willingly…You probably own a Husky.

If you purchase black clothing, full well knowing you will wear it gray…You probably own a Husky.

If you have ever been in the process of cleaning up the first disaster when your dog is working on a second…You probably own a Husky.

If you have now purchased stock in a sticky roller company…You probably own a Husky.

If you have advised anyone as to which vacuum is the “best on the market”…You probably own a Husky.

If you have ever gotten a call by the veterinarian that it is not only okay to pick up your dog early from its procedure, but it is now being encouraged…You probably own a Husky.

If you have ever had to chase your dog through your neighborhood, barefoot, because putting on shoes would’ve taken far too long…You probably own a Husky.

If your yearly Christmas tree is now decorated at the top only, and/or has been securely anchored to a wall…You probably own a Husky.

If you can’t even remember what your good holiday decorations look like, because you no longer display them…You probably own a Husky.

If you’ve ever had to explain to your children/step children that ‘no they haven’t been bad, you just can’t put any presents under the tree until they are ready to be opened’…You probably own a Husky.

If you have ever laughed manically at an obedience trainer’s ad that boasts they “can change any behavior within the first visit”…You probably own a Husky.

If your dog’s toy bin resembles a scene from the beaches of Normandy rather than anything from a PetSmart shelf…You probably own a Husky.

If Goodwill has declined to take items of yours….You probably own a Husky.

If you can carry on a conversation with your dog better than you could with most people you’ve met…You probably own a Husky.

If your dog and your family are of equal worth and importance to you…You probably own a Husky.

TangyZizzle · 15-05-2011 4:34pm

Now, if everyone would like to come down off their little pedastal that would be lovely. Links to pounds in North Dublin. Thank you

old hippy · 15-05-2011 4:39pm

TangyZizzle wrote: »

Now, if everyone would like to come down off their little pedastal that would be lovely. Links to pounds in North Dublin. Thank you

I think, to be fair, people are more concerned than in lecture mode...

TangyZizzle · 15-05-2011 4:40pm

Mate, Im trying my best to convince the two of them to get something other than a Husky. Im looking online but amnt having much luck in finding pounds that are local to us. So once again, for the sake of the Husky.. link me.

old hippy · 15-05-2011 4:43pm

TangyZizzle wrote: »

Mate, Im trying my best to convince the two of them to get something other than a Husky. Im looking online but amnt having much luck in finding pounds that are local to us. So once again, for the sake of the Husky.. link me.

Haven't a clue, TZ - my nearest pound is in Battersea

boomerang · 15-05-2011 4:47pm

Dogs Trust - just off the M50, near Ballymun

Dogs Aid - Ballymun

Dogs in Distress -dogs in foster homes across the greater Dublin area

DSPCA - Rathfarnham

All in Dublin... I presume if they were going to get a husky, they wouldn't find one right on their doorstep and would have to travel some little bit to get their pup - all of the above are in Dublin.

There's also the dog pound in Dunboyne.

Sofiztikated · 15-05-2011 4:47pm

TangyZizzle wrote: »

Mate, Im trying my best to convince the two of them to get something other than a Husky. Im looking online but amnt having much luck in finding pounds that are local to us. So once again, for the sake of the Husky.. link me.

http://tinyurl.com/6d2m25k

TangyZizzle · 15-05-2011 4:48pm

Sofiztikated wrote: »

http://tinyurl.com/6d2m25k

Lowest form of wit appeals to the lowest form of intellect, or so Im told. Iv said it already.. Iv googled but without much luck.

TangyZizzle · 15-05-2011 4:50pm

boomerang wrote: »

All in Dublin... I presume if they were going to get a husky, they wouldn't find one right on their doorstep and would have to travel some little bit to get their pup - all of the above are in Dublin.

There's also the dog pound in Dunboyne.

Very true. You must understand, though - that the more appealing (close to home) I make a pound seem, the more likely the are to choose one over travelling to find a Husky.

star-pants · 15-05-2011 4:54pm

http://www.dogstrust.ie/dogs-for-rehoming/

This one is out in Blanch but still an option http://www.dogsindistress.org/blog/index.php

I think this one might be northside too -http://www.dogsaid.ie/

Sigma Force · 15-05-2011 4:56pm

I think they need to go back to the drawing board, and have the family sit down with the child and make a list of dogs breeds (and their crosses) that she likes the most. Then look through each dog breed and write a list of pros and cons, there's lots of books and websites on various dog breed traits and what they need. Then they can wittle it down to a few and it'll be easier to make up their minds, they need to consider the fact that the bigger the dog the more expensive it is to feed and vet bills are generally higher because of their size.

irishanimals.ie has a list of most of the rescues in the country with pictures of the animals as well to make it easier.

If she really wants a pure bred then get her to research the breed and be very very careful where the dog is gotten from, there are so many chancers out there.

I've a kid around that age and a larger dog would be difficult for her to handle and kids do get bored so the parents would need to take over when that happens. I'd go for a small to medium sized mix breed or a placid breed of dog something like a lab might work but they do get bored easily.

Zapperzy · 15-05-2011 5:19pm

TangyZizzle wrote: »

Now, if everyone would like to come down off their little pedastal that would be lovely. Links to pounds in North Dublin. Thank you

We are only trying to help, you asked for advantages and disadvantages, Im sorry if there was a bit of opinion mixed in there.

TangyZizzle wrote: »

Very true. You must understand, though - that the more appealing (close to home) I make a pound seem, the more likely the are to choose one over travelling to find a Husky.

In fairness it doesn't matter where they get a husky from be it a pound or from a breeder, if they are not suited to owning one then the result will be the same. Only difference is if they go down the rescue route (as opposed to a council run pound), if the rescue do not think they are suited to a husky they may not give them one, they may try to steer them towards another more suitable breed, sometimes hearing the truth from a stranger works or it may backfire and they'l just find a not so reputable breeder who would be more than happy to take their money and give them a pup.

Well done on helping them anyways, as I said none of this is directed towards you.

Have a look on here in the urgent matters section, http://www.petsireland.invisionzone.com/ some lovely dogs in there in need of a home, updated daily and most are based around the dublin area (I don't know dublin too well so some of them may be based in north dublin). Also here http://www.dspca.ie/

liquoriceall · 15-05-2011 6:25pm

Would they be willing to go visit an impartial owner to see what a walk etc entails?
Might put them off quickly!!!

mymo · 15-05-2011 7:49pm

Size wise I'd think a japanese spitz, would be good, but would need a lot of grooming and exercise. They are very loveable dogs and my friend has one around kids and its very good with them. They take a bit of training, but then so does every dog.
Where abouts are you? it may help people recommend shelters, or give a general area within traveling distance you'd be willing to travel.
I wouldn't advise anything bigger than medium size, my fella would be springer size and when my daughter was 11 she couldn't hold him if he wanted to run.
There are lots of dogs in pounds at the moment, many pedigrees too, I hope you find something that suits better than a Husky.

TangyZizzle · 15-05-2011 8:04pm

North County Dublin, hence me asking for pounds in North Dublin.

mymo · 15-05-2011 8:15pm

http://www.irishanimals.ie/dublin_homes.html

Good site, always worth a look, and also call the rescues, they may have suitable dogs not yet up on the site.

Bookworm85 · 15-05-2011 8:51pm

Hi OP,

I would recommend a rescue greyhound.

I'm on my second foster grey at the mo and I simply cannot find fault with them. They are quiet, gentle animals and don't require strenuous exercise like a husky. I walk our fella for 30 - 40 mins twice a day and throw a ball for him in the garden for about 10 to 15 mins. Most are trained as pups to walk on a lead, so I think an 11 yr old would have no problems (under supervision of course). The only draw back is that they shouldn't be left off the lead unless you are in an enclosed area - once they go you wont be able to catch up

They sleep for a lot of the day, so wouldn't be too bothered if the child is at school. They are also very smart and will pick up training and house rules fairly easily.

Husky as a pet for an 11 yr old girl

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