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
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.
This is why once a husky is crate trained, you’ll see them revert back to the crate if their scared or tired. The confinements of the crate are now their safe place.
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.
In other words, you can’t just leave a husky in a small apartment all alone with no previous training and expect to come back to your home looking the same way you left it.
Not going to happen.
This is where the humans come in. You need to take the time to teach and train your husky.
This means setting a routine for them and STICKING TO IT.
Husky 101 – A Quick Breakdown
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.
Huskies are a wonderful breed overflowing with love and loyalty for their family.
I just want you to be adequately prepared and well versed in husky before you adopt one of these fluffballs and then drown in the hair and stubbornness.
I’m here for you guys.
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.
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.
They.
Do.
Energy and copious amounts of hair are the two consistently common denominators that we can all agree on when it comes to huskies as an overly generalized breed.
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 that you give your husky on a DAILY basis.
Take them for an early morning walk before work if you’re worried about evening obligations or time constraints.
The importance of exercising your husky goes much deeper than wearing them out for hopeful good behavior. Exercise simultaneously stimulates their mind, thus increasing their cognitive capacity.
When a husky’s mind is properly engaged, they become more obedient and well trained over time.
This plays directly into your hand when it comes to your husky mastering apartment living.
A well trained husky = an awesome roommate under any circumstances.
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.
In all seriousness though, giving your husky the gift and of a routine and the confidence they will have because of this will make or break their ability to live in an apartment complex with you.
If your husky has no clue when they’ll have the opportunity to go outside again, they’ll have a tendency to act out and agitated. This will not bode well for your neighbors – or your pet deposit.
But, if your husky knows that they go outside first thing in the morning, then again at lunch, then on their evening walk, and once more right before bed, then they’ll start to anticipate and have a better understanding of what their day will look like.
Organization is good for all species’ overall mental health and general wellbeing.
Your husky is not different.
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.
I think it’s imperative to put the time in to train your husky properly and then slowly allow them to adapt to a new space.
This will inevitably take time, because dogs (in general) are creatures of habit. If you take a husky from a home with a backyard to a small apartment, it’s not going to be impossible – just an adjustment.
Give your husky the time they need to regain their daily structure and routine within their new domain. Huskies love to run but can absolutely live in an apartment with you and behave properly.
Just remember to give them their daily dose of exercise (at least 30 minutes). This is MISSION CRITICAL to the continued obedience of a husky.
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.
Related Questions
Can a Husky Be Left Alone?
A husky can be left alone under the following circumstances:
- They’re crate trained (don’t leave them for more than 4 hours in a crate).
- They’re house broken.
- They have toys to chew on during the day and already know the difference between those toys and your shoes.
- They’re mild mannered and well trained.
- You take them for a walk or trip to the park for at least 30 minutes before leaving them alone for a while.
This is a good place to start. You know your husky better than anyone else. It’s best to test the waters with your husky by leaving them alone for short bouts at a time initially.
Start with just 15 minutes and work your way up from there.
Do Huskies Need a Bed?
Sure, huskies need a bed…
Yours!
Only partially kidding here.
If you’re not into letting your husky keep you all nice and warm in your bed at night, you may want to look into getting them one of their own.
Huskies are an innate breed with some possessive traits. The idea of having their own bed gives them increased levels of confidence and security.
A few features to look for in a dog bed for your husky:
- Is it washable? You have a husky. They’re going to shed all over the place. Make sure you can clean their bed efficiently.
- Size. The dog bed needs to be big enough to allow your husky to easily curl up on it.
- Leave it in one place. This is not a feature, per say, but essential nonetheless. Huskies are creatures of habit. They like what they like where they like it. Don’t move their bed all over the house.
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