Husky Information

[Rae'ya]

Re: Husky Information

I'll second everything Rhaethe said... that was great info.

Grooming
Northern breed dogs (malamute, huskies, mixes thereof, etc) are those fluffy dogs you love. Their coats are wonders of nature that both keep them warm and cool as needed. Said coats do not need constant washing. But they DO need constant combing/brushing. Not just once a week. Constant. If you do not have the 10-15 minutes a day to devote, then maybe reconsider. And even with that, be prepared to have hairs of varying sizes and shapes everywhere. Even if you are OCD about cleaning and vacuuming your home, you WILL find a stray hair or three on clothing, in your coffee cup, and wafting about in the air in front of your face while you are on the john. And that's not "blowing coat time", that's just normal time. When they blow their coats (when they shed their undercoat) that can be .... well, it is an experience for some. Some individual dogs don't explode fur during that time, some do. We were pretty lucky with Jasper. That being said, if you or anyone in your family finds animal fur to be distasteful, a northern breed dog is not for you.

If you are in a warmer climate, you may be tempted to shave down a northern breed dog come summer. Please for the love of anything you hold precious ... do NOT do this. The wonder of nature referred to above is their protection from heat as well as cold. Just keep them groomed properly, and there should be no issues with their comfort.

I'd especially like to second this one. It doesn't get much warmer than 45C in summer, which is what ours tends to get up to (we hit 47C this year), and I wouldn't shave a Husky off. There are some breeds that do better shaved in summer, especially if they are overweight, but there are some that are best left as they are. Ironically, the far Northern breeds are better as they are, while some of the further-South breeds are better shaved in the Australian summer. I doubt you'd compare with our summer in Oregon (correct me if I'm wrong), and the most I tell my clients is to ensure that they have lots of shade and airflow, double the amount of water you leave out and make sure it's in the shade, give them iceblocks to play with (you can freeze dried kibble into it for some mental stimulation) and leave them are indoors with the airconditioner in the extreme heat (which actually goes for ALL dogs... 45C is not nice for anything).

I've treated heat stressed Chow Chows and obese Malamutes, but never a heat stressed Husky. I have clients who shave their Malamutes, Samoyeds and Rough Coat Collies in the summer because they can't keep up with the grooming, but I don't know any shaved Huskies.

[Heka]

I'll second everything Rhaethe said... that was great info.

I'd especially like to second this one. It doesn't get much warmer than 45C in summer, which is what ours tends to get up to (we hit 47C this year), and I wouldn't shave a Husky off. There are some breeds that do better shaved in summer, especially if they are overweight, but there are some that are best left as they are. Ironically, the far Northern breeds are better as they are, while some of the further-South breeds are better shaved in the Australian summer. I doubt you'd compare with our summer in Oregon (correct me if I'm wrong), and the most I tell my clients is to ensure that they have lots of shade and airflow, double the amount of water you leave out and make sure it's in the shade, give them iceblocks to play with (you can freeze dried kibble into it for some mental stimulation) and leave them are indoors with the airconditioner in the extreme heat (which actually goes for ALL dogs... 45C is not nice for anything).

I've treated heat stressed Chow Chows and obese Malamutes, but never a heat stressed Husky. I have clients who shave their Malamutes, Samoyeds and Rough Coat Collies in the summer because they can't keep up with the grooming, but I don't know any shaved Huskies.

On the super hot thing, we freeze our dog food in individual baggies, and in summer I dont always defrost them, or not completely