Contrary to popular belief, the Alaskan husky is not an official breed of the popular husky dogs, but rather, are descendents of other dog breeds such as the Siberian husky, Border Collie, German shepherd and Alaskan Malamute. Weighing on an average of 35 to 65 pounds and growing to about 24 inches high, the Alaskan husky makes a popular choice of pets for many dog owners. We offer you 3 reasons why you should get an Alaskan husky.

Firstly, Alaskan huskies are generally gentle, docile and lively dogs, which allow them to suit the needs of a family with children. Warm and friendly, the Alaskan husky interacts well with children, other breeds of dogs as well as random visitors at its owner's house. This is an advantage for families with young children who may have other dogs as well as a constant stream of visitors from time to time. In comparison, other breeds of large dogs such as the German shepherd can be pretty much defensive and react negatively to strangers as well as other breeds of dogs around the house. Given such a situation, it is little wonder why the Alaskan husky makes such a popular choice for a dog amongst dog owners.

Moreover, the Alaskan husky requires minimum upkeep in terms of grooming. Most people believe that the thick coat of the Alaskan husky would mean grooming sessions on a regular basis each week. In reality, this is not true. In general, Alaskan huskies require a minimal amount of maintenance which means you would rarely be required to brush them. However, they shed their coats pretty badly two times per year. During this period, special care and attention must be given, and you would need to brush them on a regular basis. This compares pretty well as compared to other dogs which require regular grooming sessions in order to maintain the upkeep of their coats of fur.

Lastly, Alaskan huskies are favored as pets as they are relatively easy to train. Training, however, is necessary under all circumstances as the Alaskan husky can get pretty willful and engage in a variety of destructive acts around the home if not trained properly. These acts include digging holes in your garden, tearing fabrics such as curtains and clawing your furniture to bits. Fortunately, as mentioned earlier, training is relatively easy. As working dogs, Alaskan huskies are relatively intelligent. Training can be done either by yourself or with the help of a professional dog trainer. In any case, training should cover a wide variety of skills such as toilet training, basic household discipline as well as social skills. Use the method of reinforcement for training your Alaskan husky in order to achieve maximum effectiveness.

In all, the reasons why you should consider getting an Alaskan husky are not limited to those mentioned above. In any case, it is essential to assess your own commitment level before making that decision to adopt an Alaskan husky. After all, adopting a dog is not only about fun and laughter, but commitment and responsibilities.