Siberian Husky

Siberian Huskys can do well with children who already know how to be calm and gentle. Expect a big dog that is high-energy, sheds heavily and needs regular brushing. Fine alone for a few hours.

Source: American Kennel Club breed standard.

The Chukchi people of northeastern Siberia bred Huskies to pull light loads across enormous distances in brutal cold on very little food, and every awkward thing about them as pets traces back to that. They run — a loose Husky does not come back, it keeps going, and they climb and dig out of gardens with real ingenuity. They were bred to work in teams away from close human direction, so they are affectionate but famously unbothered about obeying you. They do not guard, and they rarely bark; they howl and hold long, argumentative conversations. The coat is built for Arctic winters and blows out spectacularly twice a year, and heat is a genuine welfare consideration in warm climates.

Day to day. High-energy — this is a dog that needs a real outlet every single day, not a stroll. Skip that and you get chewing, barking and digging, which is not naughtiness, it is boredom. On noise, it is very vocal, so thin walls and close neighbours are worth thinking about.

The coat, honestly. This breed sheds heavily and needs regular brushing. A brush a few times a week and the occasional tidy-up keeps it in good order.

Being left alone. Fine alone for a few hours. A few hours is fine; a full working day, every day, is asking a lot.

Training. Needs an experienced handler. That does not mean badly behaved — it means this breed thinks for itself, and it will not do something just because you asked. First-time owners often find it frustrating.

• Someone in the house genuinely wants to run, hike or train most days
• You have room for a big dog and a car it actually fits in

• Your daily walk is really a quick trip round the block
• You cannot live with hair on the sofa, the car and your clothes
• You share walls with neighbours who need quiet
• You want a dog that does as it is told the first time
• You are in a flat, or nobody can physically hold this dog on a lead

Rough running cost: $$ (middle of the pack) — because it is a big dog, so food, medicines and anaesthetics all cost more.

Those are relative bands, not live prices. For real numbers across every pet we cover, see the pet cost study and the cost calculator.

Rescues do have Siberian Huskys and Siberian Husky crosses, usually adults whose size, coat and temperament you can see rather than guess at.