My wife has been wanting to get a 2nd dog for a while & we've come close a few times.
Girl in my daughter's girl scout troops family found a dog & haven't been able to find its owner. It looks like a lean husky, in appearance. Male. Photo my daughter had showed it with their 2 other dogs & daughter with no drama.

We currently have a female border collie mix (dalmatian, we think), and would want to socialize them away from the house first, to check their compatibility.

Any husky, or similar, knowledge to know before looking more seriously into it?

I have a husky mix. He's a big loveable goof. Gets along with cats, other dogs, people. He's my buddy.

I've had both a Husky and a Malamute (a very similar "cold weather working dog" breed). Both breeds have similar coats, and both shed a lot.

In addition to the Husky's higher-than-usual amount of dog hair shedding year-round, your Husky will also "blow" their coat twice a year, in spring and fall, where they shed excessively for a couple weeks when transitioning from hot to cold and cold to hot weather fur. Their hair will literally be falling out in chunks.

So be prepared for those additional major shedding seasons. I strongly suggest investing in a deshedding brush (like a "Furminator") and planning to use it regularly throughout the year, and especially during the time when they blow their coat.



It wasn't uncommon during blow seasons to spend half an hour or more brushing my Husky outside, and still not get anywhere near all of it. Since the hair loosens gradually during the transition period, you cannot get it all in one sitting. So I'd usually do two to three of these big brushing sessions during the blow season, and each time I'd literally end up with a pile of fur that was bigger than the dog itself. It's unreal the amount of fur that comes off them when they blow their coat.

Not my picture, but it gives you a sense of what I mean:


Also understand that Huskys don't like hot weather. So don't plan on keeping them as an outside dog during the Texas summer.

Yes... Be prepared for fur. Where mine lays there is a layer of fur on the carpet we have to vacuum up. When you pet him you can see hair just flying up. he does love to be brushed though.

Our house is all tile with a few area rugs & we already run our vacuum daily. Our border sheds, but not excessively.
That shed picture is hilarious & insane.

He looks like a goofball

not an expert but because it is a husky (mix) that is a good thing imho. Brother has had husky purebreads and while beautiful dogs. As a pet they are a handful. Not overly responsive to commands, prone to run off and get in trouble. Sometimes long distances and for long periods of time. Sounds like this one would be good.

From a vets standpoint I like huskies as long as they've been well socialized. It appears this one has. No major breed related issues. Very active and be for warned extremely vocal. I will reiterate what was said above, not a good exclusively outdoor dog in South Texas.

Tommy

When my neighbors had a Husky (which actually lived with us) about this time of year, they gave him a poodle fur trim.
Which made him look bizarre, but kept him cool in hot weather.

I rescued a Husky first week of April. While he is my only dog right now, I have owned four other Huskies. I take Rocky to the dogpark just about every day, and he plays very well with all the other dogs...not a single aggressive issue. He is All-Play All-the-Time, so the other dogs (and owners) love him.

Rocky also does not shed as much as others in the past, but it can sneak up on you. They are definitely family dogs, and love being near you.

My husky was a lot of the above. Wicked amounts of fur. I used a horse brush to get the big chunks. Gets along with everything. Mine would get protective at the appropriate times. If they get out you aren’t catching one in a foot race. Never have I had a dog that could dig faster. They like making holes. Great dogs. I love them.

My husky girl is full of energy and not the brightest compared to my shepherd but she is loved!

The one time she chewed her leash and took off, I couldn't catch her. I had to play dead and she came back and jumped on my head to finish the job. That was the only way to catch her.

Texas. Husky. Wouldn’t be for me.

My brother had a malamute. Granted he Was in Ohio but, in his house, dog hair was a condiment. And I never trusted that jack ass dog around my young son. Never.

In a warm weather state, I’d go for a Doberman. Wonderful dog that is eager to please you and protect your family. Reliable and trustworthy. Also, almost no shedding. They are single coated with hair not fur.

I've had 3 huskies. Love those dogs. Very friendly, smart, stubborn and goofy.

My former employee's husky / malamute was a great dog (smart, trainable, good with kids, etc) but had 2 bad habits.

It was a digger and would dig under 6' privacy fence in a day then go play.

There was a shit ton of fist sized rocks in Alaskan soil from the glacial till, and if he found one while digging he'd eat it which resulted in several expensive trips to the vet.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Also understand that Huskys don't like hot weather. So don't plan on keeping them as an outside dog during the Texas summer.

My Alaskan coworkers who moved back to Texas with their Huskies / malamutes said the same thing. Dogs were used to a hot day being 75F (maybe 5x per year got this hot), but P250 and I live nearby and today is over 100F with heat index of 121F.

EDIT: My neighbors have a great family large dog breed which is the Valley bulldog (boxer and english bulldog mix). Great with kids, smart, affectionate, great with neighbors/visitors, and only need to be brushed once a week. Both of theirs have been lower to the ground like a bulldog, but have a lot of boxer in the face so less breathing issues. They do like to be around active people (great for active family) so if the family is being boring they might go hangout with a neighbor doing something interesting (e.g. sees me heading to backyard with wheelbarrow and follows me in backyard to watch me garden).

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Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.

We're going to try a pup meet at a nearby school, to see how he & our border interact.
Tomorrow afternoon

My husky mix loves the heat. He will sun bathe, we have to watch him in the summer so he doesn't overheat because he loves the sun. Inside the house he will find the sun beam through a window and lay right there.

Great dog

Huskies are “double” coated dogs. For this reason, most advise against shaving them down, unless there are medical reasons, as the extra coat helps the dog remain cool in the summer. Shaving them also can lead to sunburns and other skin issues

quote:

Originally posted by Lord Vaalic:
My husky mix loves the heat. He will sun bathe, we have to watch him in the summer so he doesn't overheat because he loves the sun. Inside the house he will find the sun beam through a window and lay right there.

Great dog

Our border is the same, she loves to lay out in the sun

Young dogs usually do. Older ones, not so much.