Are Huskies good apartment dogs?

I often hear this from passersby or from people who have just found out that I am a Husky breeder.

Absolutely YES! Huskies make fantastic apartment dogs. And they can live in apartments easily. You can even have 3 or 4 of them. There's no such thing as too many Huskies, to be honest. And all of them will thrive and feel great living with you in an apartment.

The point is, Siberians would prefer to live close to you instead of being on its own.

In reality, living with a Husky in an apartment can be an amazing and unique experience but it requires a special lifestyle, lots of attention, care and time commitment to keep them happy and healthy. And if you are truly ready to take on the responsibility of "taming the wild."

So, the number of walks, feeding, and mental stimulation and self-regulation activities are important. The daily routine is crucial as for Siberians as for the rest of the apartment dogs.

The quantity and quality of walks will vary with the age of the Husky. Puppies and adolescent Huskies need frequent and exploratory short walks. Young Huskies require walks 2-3 times a day, and they should be thematic and of good quality. Adult Huskies need walks at least twice a day. For adult dogs, you can regulate the duration of walks based on their needs.

There's no need to walk with your Husky for 2 hours each time every day. It's more beneficial to have shorter but high-quality walks that fulfill the adult Husky's needs. These walks can include interesting activities like "Walking at Hand with a Treat" or "Overcoming Obstacle Courses."

The walks with your Husky should be enjoyable for both of you. This happens when both the owner and the dog are engaged in the walk.

As for walking with a Husky puppy, it's a topic worth exploring in a separate article, which I'll publish in our blog.

The care of a Husky isn't just about the quantity of walks or the huge distances you cover with them each day. That's a common misconception, as well as the myth that they need to run 30 km daily.

Huskies are intelligent, curious, and independent dogs with individualistic personalities. To prevent them from getting bored or experiencing monotony while waiting for you to return from work, you should provide them with brain-teasers and mental exercises. Various types of search games and enrichment tasks can keep their sharp minds engaged and help to tire them out. These activities stimulate their intellect and provide excellent mental stimulation.

Enrichment games that involve licking treats are particularly useful for stabilizing a Husky's emotional state and are great for mental fatigue.

A well-trained Husky, who has received enough attention and proper training during their first two years of life, will often spend a significant part of the day at home, sleeping with their paws up, stretched along the wall, on a carpet, couch, or wherever they find comfortable.

This is the most important skill for a Husky, even if you live with them not in an apartment but in a suburban house. Teaching your Husky to stay alone at home when you've gone to work is crucial. Ideally, this training should start with the breeder and then be continued by you. If a Siberian Husky can handle being alone in a closed house or apartment while you're at work, it eliminates many problems – from howling throughout the house to severe destruction and marking on sofas and beds.

Although Huskies have an independent nature and the ability to make decisions on their own, it doesn't mean they are not a pack (family) dog. It simply means they don't require constant tactile contact or mandatory physical presence in the same room, or interactive games.

If a Husky lives with a person in a family, it is essential to create the conditions for them to trust you as their leader and establish family markers while maintaining them. By building trust, you can avoid many potential problems and not experience all the horror stories written about Huskies on the internet.

Take your Siberian Husky on a hike in the mountains, go for runs, try bikejoring, skijoring, mushing with a Husky team, take them with you on vacations and trips, go to cafes for breakfast or coffee, meet up with friends, attend socialization classes, participate in various group activities like agility, handling, and dog dancing. Head to the beach together for a swim or explore the fields for a nice walk. Train your Husky to follow your movements, to walk properly without a leash in open spaces.

A Husky that considers you family will never run away forever. They might venture quite far (2-3 km), but they will always come back, assuming you haven't lost sight of them. In that case, stop and wait for them to return.

Never let your Husky roam off-leash in the city! It's dangerous for their life and your well-being.

Huskies are dogs with a large amount of fur. They shed their coat at least twice a year, depending on their overall health, climate changes, and the hormonal status of the females. Having fur in the house when living with a dog like a Husky is an inevitable aspect, it's their hallmark. There's no getting around it. So, when you decide to get a Husky, you should accept the fact that there will always be fur in the house. Huskies are indeed a furry breed. At times, the fur may be minimal, and at other times, there might be clumps of fur scattered around.

Thankfully, in the modern world, various companies producing household appliances take into account the presence of pets in the house and offer excellent vacuums and different devices that can efficiently clean fur from carpets and furniture. My favorite vacuums are BOSCH and MIELE triflex, and it's important to have a special brush for dealing with fur.

To stay ahead of Husky's shedding and prevent fur from accumulating everywhere, including in the food bowl, it's best to visit a groomer once a month or bathe and groom your Husky yourself once a month. You'll need to invest in some grooming tools, including a slicker brush, a comb for fur, various grooming products, and a dog hairdryer. The dog hairdryer is especially useful for drying your Husky after swimming in a lake, sea, or river and for blowing out any trapped sand.

Regular grooming and using the right tools will help keep the fur in check, maintain the cleanliness of your furniture and carpets, and prevent excessive shedding. Additionally, I'll write a separate article on our blog about other tips to keep your Husky's coat looking beautiful.

Living with a Husky in an apartment or a suburban house - it doesn't make much difference. If your Husky lives with you in the same space and sleeps in the same room, all the mentioned rules will apply in both cases.

The biggest advantage of having a Husky in an apartment or house with indoor living is the established discipline, the need for socialization, and your tremendous effort. This freedom allows you to travel with your Husky, stay in hotels, fly on planes, go boating, hike in the mountains, take beautiful photographs, and enjoy life to the fullest. It's true companionship and a four-legged partner for life! Not a wild, howling hysterical creature trying to escape and shedding fur everywhere, but a beloved companion on adventures.