I better not hear your grossly underestimated ideologies regarding my sister’s kind ever again. They are wonderfully adaptable, hairy beings that deserve nothing but the best of everything - even if that means bringing your husky to live in an apartment.

Let me explain what I mean.

A husky can live in an apartment if they are exercised regularly, trained for general obedience, and allowed to acclimate progressively to a new and sometimes smaller environment. Have patience with your husky - they may be stubborn, but are equally adaptable to new settings.

You don’t have to continue reading this if you think I’m a cocker full of crap. But guess what? I live with a husky - in an apartment. Who better to write an article on huskies living in apartments?

Disclaimer: The Can My Dog articles contain information based on the individual research and opinions of the author of the site – who just so happens to be a dog. How you utilize the information given is completely up to you. Proceed at your own risk.

Huskies in Small Spaces

Obviously this is a relative statement. Not all apartments are small. Callie and I actually live in a very spacious loft apartment (pinkies up), but even that comes with its husky limitations.

Here’s my take on this:

Huskies are innate beings with a heightened awareness for pack mentality. They require cuddles and must be touched and loved at all times. They like tight spaces - it makes them feel safe.

As a matter of fact this is true for most all dog breeds. I like it too, especially if I’m scared or in trouble.

See picture below.

Because of the ‘squish phenomenon’ (that’s a Jax-ism, don’t steal it without proper credit), small living spaces are never the issue. The issue is a husky’s level of obedience and their human’s responsibility to get them the adequate amounts of exercise they need for physical and mental well-being.

Husky 101

Let me make this really simple for you.

Below are the things you need to know before adopting a husky, let alone before you begin living with one.

• Huskies have moderate to high energy levels.
• They require have at LEAST 30 minutes of vigorous exercise every day.
• Huskies shed. A whole lot.
• Seriously guys. There will be hair balls immediately after your human mom and the Roomba finish vacuuming.
• Huskies love to play fight. This annoys me sometimes. My head won’t fit in her mouth but she refuses to let that dream go.
• Huskies get lonely and bored. This is why they chew through all of your socks and sometimes the kitchen wall. How do you know if your dog is bored?
• Huskies don’t care where you live, as long as you promise to let them run around outside every afternoon like a race car on a cheerio.

But Huskies Are Vocal

While I can get on board with this as a generalized statement, I think we all know by now that….my husky sister doesn’t fit this mold. She’s one of a kind.

And not all huskies howl.

For all 2 of my avid readers, they know that I refer to her as our broken husky and I take full responsibility for that. I taught her how to be a cocker spaniel. It wasn’t until she met her first real husky friend, Molly, that she began to act-a-husky-fool.

Love you, Molly. No offense.

For the purpose of this header though, I’ll speak in a more comprehensive husky tone.

Yes, generally huskies are vocal dogs. This means that you will more than likely be the subject of some fairly offensive words being uttered from the angry mouth of your neighbor who works 2nd shift and is trying to take a nap before they go back in to work.

I’ll touch on this concept a bit more in the next section but I wanted to let you know what will put a halt to all that unnecessary husky noise. Regular exercise. Are you starting to see the underlying cure all?

Exercise the mind and body of a husky and deal with no unwarranted circumstances of a husky.

Nevertheless, husky howls, barks, and weird talk sounds won’t negatively affect your husky in an apartment and that’s the genuine point of this article.

Nobody really cares what the neighbors have to say about it. Sorry. Apartment living. Am I right?

But Huskies Have LOTS of Energy

Yes.

But this has nothing to do with the size of your apartment. It has everything to do with you getting your lazy human butt up off the couch long enough to physically exhaust your energized husky.

You’ll be fine. It’s Netflix. Just pause it.

Have you ever heard the saying, ‘a tired dog is a good dog’?

While I completely resent the sentiment behind it, I can fractionally understand where it’s coming from.

When Callie comes inside from running circles in the dog park, she’s perfection. She just lays on the floor. Tongue flopped out and everything. She doesn’t bug me or the humans.

Are you picking up what I’m putting down here? The size of your home or the fact that you’re living in an apartment has absolutely nothing to do with the energy level of your husky.

It’s all about the allotted energy expenditure. Take them for an early morning walk before work if you’re worried about it.

Just remember, it’s completely up to you. My human says, ‘you make time or you make excuses. Either way, it’s up to you.’

My human is enlightened.

Routine is Everything.

I’m really tired of telling you guys that routine makes all the difference in the world. When are you actually going to start listening to me?

Are you worried your husky will pee in the floor because your apartment doesn’t have a back door that your lazy self can open?

Answer: Get your husky in a potty routine. Go the same time every day.

Where Callie and I live, it’s no easy feat getting to the poop grass. We have to open the door, walk down the hall, wait on an elevator, walk down another hall, and then sprint to the dog park.

Not quick.

But guess what? Callie never pees in the floor or in the apartment building. Why? ROUTINE, THAT’S WHY.

Routine.

Schma-Routine.

Pa-Routine.

Have I said it enough to get it to stick in your human brain yet?

Abra Ca-Routine.

There. Now I’m done.

Conclusion

Every single type of obedience training comes down to this one simple routine concept and truly makes life with your husky (in an apartment) wonderful.

You heard it here first, folks. Better get while the husky gettin’ is good.

And as always, my hairless human friends, Live, Love, Laugh, and Scratch our bellies often.

Love you guys,

JTB

P.S. If you’re new to this world, you may want to check out my Ultimate Guide for First Time Dog Parents. It’s a great reference to get you started on this journey.