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Are Huskies indoor or outdoor dogs
Are Huskies inside or outside dogs? Huskies can be either or both indoor or outdoors dogs. In general, they prefer to spend as much time outside as possible. They adapt well to both hot and cold weather. However, precautions need to be taken in hotter climates.
Whether you choose to keep your Husky inside or outside it is important that they receive the exercise and mental enrichment they require. Huskies were bred to be sled dogs and a team of sled dogs can travel over 100 miles in a day.
A Husky that isn’t receiving the exercise and activity they require will become bored and frustrated. This can result in behavior issues such as howling and vocalizing, digging, escaping, and destructive behavior.
Huskies are an extremely active high energy dog and require at least one to two hours a day of energy-burning activity, but more is preferred. For a full guide to exercising a Husky see here.
The Husky is also a very social dog and crave and require human contact. This means that if your Husky does live outside it is crucial that you do spend time with them to prevent them getting lonely or depressed. They are not a breed that can just be put outside and forgot about. In fact, there is no breed of dog that would be happy with this lifestyle.
Allowing your Husky to spend as much time inside your home, or at least with you as they do outside will allow for a better relationship and bond between to two of you.
Do Huskies make good indoor house dogs
Huskies are fine being indoor dogs as long as they receive the exercise, mental stimulation, and outdoor time they need. They can become destructive if they have too much pent up energy and become bored.
Huskies are very social and love human company. They enjoy being inside with their owners and family. They are a pack animal so if you only have one Husky or dog, the family is their pack.
The other issue to take into consideration if keeping your Husky as an indoor dog is the amount of fur and hair they leave everywhere. With regular brushing and a quality diet, the amount of fur your Husky sheds can be reduced. However, you will never completely eliminate it and it pays to have a good quality and powerful vacuum cleaner. For more on reducing shedding see here.
Is it Ok for Huskies to sleep outside
Huskies can adapt to different temperatures well and can sleep outside as long as your provide everything they need (see below for what a Husky will need to live outside.
You may find that your Husky prefers to sleep outside as it is cooler for them.
Can Huskies sleep outside in summer
Despite being bred for colder climates, the Husky can adapt well to warmer weather also. However, in really hot climates it is crucial to take precautions. This is true for all breeds of dog, not just Huskies.
Dogs don’t have sweat glands like humans to help cool them off. Their cooling system is in their nose, tongue and paw pads
The most obvious risk is heat sickness in the form of heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
The Husky has a double coat that consists of an outer guard coat and a softer undercoat. When the weather is warmer they will shed their undercoat.
They will typically do a heavy shed once or twice a year. It is important to brush them thoroughly at these times to help remove the dead unwanted undercoat. This will not only help to keep them cooler but will prevent the undercoat from getting matted with the outer guard coat.
It is crucial to ensure your Husky has fresh cool drinking water at all times and shelter to get out of the sun during the day. Many Huskies will dig a shallow trench or hole to lay in to help keep themselves cool.
There are other ways you can help keep their outside kennel and run cooler such as using a kennel fan or cooling aid.
USE A COOLING AID.
There are products that are designed specifically for the purpose of cooling off your dog. These include cooling mats to lay on, cooling vest or cooling collar for them to wear.
USE A MISTING SYSTEM
A misting system vaporizes mist instantaneously and lowers air temperature by up to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, leaving the entire surroundings breezier and more comfortable for your dog. This is a low cost and effective way to keep your dog cool outside. Of the misting systems for dogs that I researched my recommendation for a kennel area is –
View Orbit Portable Outdoor Misting System on Amazon
For more ideas n how to keep your Husky cool in hot weather see here
Can Huskies sleep outside in winter
Huskies are bred to be resilient in cold temperatures. They can withstand temperatures as low as -60 degrees F (-51 degrees C). This does not mean you should just leave your Husky outside in the cold without warm and dry place to sleep.
It is important to check and maintain their shelter to prevent any leaks or issues that may result in making them uncomfortable. If you have two Huskies or another dog your Husky will be happier outside at night. This will not only give this very social pack breed company, but they will be able to huddle up to each other for warmth.
Can a Husky puppy to sleep outside
Yes a Husky puppy can sleep outside as long was your don’t live somewhere with an extremely cold climate. A Husky puppy will not have developed their full adult coat. They will not be as capable of handling cold temperatures as well as an adult.
With a puppy, they will need to be let outside to go to the toilet every few hours. So sleeping outside will be an option to get around this.
On the other side of the coin, this time in their young lives is crucial for developing and building a bond with you. Too much time on their own If they do sleep outside, it is crucial you spend as much time with them as possible when you are awake.
Training a Husky to live outside
If you are wanting your Husky to be an outside dog or at least to sleep outside, there will be a period of transition for them to adapt to this.
This is especially true if they have been an inside dog.
Huskies are by nature a very social pack animal. If they are used to spending a lot of time with you inside it may feel like a rejection if they are suddenly outside and spending little time with you or the company of people. Make the effort to spend time with them outside so they know you still care about them.
Gradually increase time outside
Over the space of a couple of weeks gradually increase the amount of time your dog spends outside. If they are going to be outside most but not all of the time increase outside time until it reaches the average amount of time they will outside.
Also start feeding them outside and put their other possessions outside such as their bed, toys, and so on. If you are wanting them to sleep outside but still have some inside time when you home start putting them outside at more often and set a date that they will begin sleeping outside. This way they will be conditioned to being outside when it is dark.
If they are to be kept outside fulltime follow the same routine increasing the period of outside time each session. For more on transitioning an inside dog to outside see here.
Also ensure you provide them with everything they will need such as shelter, water, etc (see below for more details).
Things to consider when keeping a Husky outside
There are a number of things to take into consideration when keeping your Husky outside. This is for there safety and well being. These include:-
Escaping
It is crucial to ensure that your Husky is not able to escape your property. A bored and frustrated dog can very resourceful at finding ways to get themselves out. Huskies can be extremely skilled at both jumping or climbing the fence, digging under the fence or even breaking the fence.
If they do manage to make an escape it is important that your dog is microchipped and registered with the local governing body that oversees animal management. It is also a good idea to use a GPS collar so locating your dog is much easier.
If your dog is trying to dig under the fence to escape you can find a solution to this problem here.
Dog stealing
This is more of a concern than many people realize. Unfortunately, there are some horrible people out there and dogs are often stolen as a bait dog for dogfighting. Some Huskies are stolen simply because someone likes the breed to keep themselves or to sell for money. Take precautions to ensure your property is secure such as putting a padlock on your gates to stop access to the property.
Other behavior issues
A bored, frustrated, or lonely dog can act up which can cause you trouble with your neighbors or the local dog ranger. This can include nuisance barking and howk#ling, charging the fence at people and other dogs passing by or as mentioned above escaping.
What a Husky needs for living outside
It is important that your Husky has everything they will need when outside. This includes shelter, food and water, and ways to keep them occupied.
Shelter
You need to provide for your dog shelter where they can go to sleep and get protection from the weather. This may be access to a garage or a kennel. The ideal size for a dog kennel is high enough for them to be able to stand and wide enough for them to be able to turn around comfortably. If a kennel is too big a dog is less likely to use it as it doesn’t give them a feeling of being snug and secure.
If confining your dog to the garage make sure they don’t have access to areas in your garage where there may be toxic chemicals for your car such as antifreeze, gasoline, or sharp tools that could seriously injure or kill your dog. Also be aware if the temperature in your garage gets high on hot days.
Feeding
Ensure that you leave food for your dog especially if you are not going to be home at their meal time. It is a good idea to have food available even if you are likely to be back in time just in case you are held up.
Dogs like routine and structure to make them feel secure. It is best not to just leave their food in a bowl for them to eat whenever they want. Most dogs will just eat it all up at the beginning of the day even if they are full. Many dogs simply don’t know when to stop until all the food is gone.
Free feeding is generally not a good practice to get your dog into for a number of reasons
- it puts your dog at risk of becoming overweight
- free feeding can make it difficult to monitor your dog’s appetite and eating habits.
- having access to food whenever they want can lead to resource guarding and food aggressive behavior
- if they are eating just as much as they want they are likely to produce more pooh.
It is best to use an automatic dog feeder with a timer so their meals can be available at the right time.
View automatic dog feeders on Amazon
Water
It is important to ensure that your dog has access to fresh drinking water at all times. A standard bowl can accidentally be spilled or run dry.
This is a problem as you don’t want your dog not to have access to water all day leaving them dehydrated, especially in hot weather. It is important to use a non-spill water bowl for your dog. My personal recommendation and the bowl I use for my own dog is the Torus water bowl.
See Torus water bowls on Amazon
The Torus bowl stores up to 2L of water in its reservoir walls and filters it to remove any contaminants. Each time your puppy takes a drink, replacement water automatically flows from the storage area into the drinking well. The enclosed water storage area also aids to keep the water cool. There is no power or batteries required.
Another great option for water for a dog being left outside is a self-filling water bowl that attaches to your hose. Alternatively, use a gravity feed water bowl.
Keeping a Husky entertained outside
It is important to provide you Husky ways to keep themselves occupied to prevent boredom or it may result in some problems. This may include nuisance barking and howling, running up and down the fence line ruining the lawn or digging up the garden. It may even encourage your Husky to escape to look for ways to find their own fun.
The key to keeping your dog entertained outside in the yard is to provide stimulation and activities to keep them busy and challenged. It is also crucial they receive the daily exercise they need. This will help to make them tire so they are calmer and more relaxed.
Huskies are an extremely active high energy dog and require at least one to two hours a day of energy-burning activity, but more is preferred. For a full guide to exercising a Husky see here.
For a few suggestions to keep your Husky occupied outside in the yard see here. .
Summary – Should your Husky live inside or outside
Whether you decide to keep your Husky inside or outside will depend on your situation. Providing adequate daily exercise is crucial whether your Husky is an inside dog, outside dog, or a mixture of both.
Huskies are a social pack animal and like to spend as much time as possible with their owner and family. If your Husky is an outside dog, it is crucial to ensure they still receive the social contact they need.
If your Husky is an outside dog it is important to provide good shelter and to be sure that your yard is secure. Huskies can be very resourceful if they want to get out of the yard.
A draw back of having a Husky inside is that they shed a lot of fur. This means there will be more cleaning to do.
Ideally, a mixture of both inside and outside time is probably best. This way they get the human contact they desire yet get to be outside when they prefer. Many Huskies like to sleep outside as it is cooler.
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