How Much Do Huskys Cost?

Huskies consistently remain in the top 20 favorite dog breeds in the United States. Their wolfish good lucks and vocal behavior often makes them intimidating, but they’re actually quite sweet, gentle, and personable dogs.

If you’ve evaluated the Husky breed and decided their personality and activity needs are a good fit for your family, the next step is to evaluate how much buying and owning a Husky could cost.

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Purchasing a Husky: How Much Do They Cost?

When you’ve done the research on the breed, you’ve got an idea of how much they cost in your area. There are many variables that dictate how much a puppy from certain litters costs.

The average cost of a purebred Husky puppy ranges from $600 to $1500. Huskies bred for show or breeding can cost a few thousand dollars, but unless you’re an experienced Husky owner/breeder, you won’t be looking for this caliber of dog.

The biggest reason some puppies are more expensive than others is the quality of the parents and breeders. Certainly, there are backyard breeders who put a hefty price tag on their puppies because they’re “purebreds”, but chances are the parents aren’t properly vaccinated or screened for health issues.

Never purchase a puppy from someone who bred their Husky because they “love her so much and wanted to see her have babies”. This is a giant red flag.

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If you’re buying from a breeder, carefully screen them. It isn’t unreasonable to ask for references from their veterinarian and families who have purchased dogs from them. Any breeder who hesitates to provide references should not get your business! A good breeder is more than happy to prove their animals are well-cared for.

When you initially contact the breeder, ask if you can come to their home/ranch and meet their dogs. A breeder who isn’t hiding anything will be more than happy to have you come see their facilities and meet their dogs.

When you visit the breeder, ask to see where the puppies are housed. If they’re kept in a barn or outside of the home, find out how much they’re allowed to socialize with the family.

Socializing puppies from birth is incredibly important, and if the litter is kept outside and away from the family, chances are they’re going to need to be caught up on socialization skills.

Wherever the dogs are housed, the area should be clean, the puppies should be happy and active, and there should be clean water available to them at all times.

If the puppies are filthy, exceptionally timid, or look unhealthy, it’s better to think twice about purchasing from this breeder.

A Word About Pet Stores

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Pet stores are always fully stocked with a variety of dog breeds. It’s hard to resist cute, fluffy puppies looking forlornly out of their cramped cages, and many people think they’re actually helping these puppies by purchasing them from these pet stores.

In a way you certainly are, but you’re also funding some pretty awful abuse practices.

Thousands of dogs are rescued from puppy mills every year. Puppy mills are basically farms where dogs are kept in small, dirty cages and bred endlessly to keep a steady supply of puppies for pet stores.

These puppies are often wholly unhealthy, and riddled with parasites and genetic disorders because of severe inbreeding.

It’s heartbreaking leaving those puppies in the pet store, but you’ll save yourself a significant amount of heartbreak by leaving them and their health problems at the pet store.

Basic Husky Care Costs

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In the excitement of getting a new dog, sometimes new owners forget about the other costs of owning a puppy.

Veterinary care and nutrition are a given, but if you’re an inexperienced Husky owner, you might want to think about investing in some basic training classes, too.

The Veterinary Basics

Every puppy needs its full set of shots by the time they’re four months old. Staying on track with the recommended vaccination schedule prevents your puppy from contracting preventable and potentially deadly diseases like parvovirus.

There’s no set price for vaccines. Some clinics charge more per appointment because they make you pay an examination fee with each visit; others just charge for the vaccines during subsequent visits. A full puppy vaccine series can range from $75 to $150.

Don’t forget additional vaccines like kennel cough, leptospirosis, and canine influenza, all of which are very important if your dog is active or boarded at kennels.

The breed is known to wander if they’re bored, and leaving them intact will send them off on a hormone-driven adventure.

If you’d like to minimize your Husky’s desire to travel the neighborhood, get them spayed and neutered. Complication-free neuter is in the $150 to $200 range. A spay is a bit higher in cost, so budget from $200 to $300.

Nutrition Costs

Huskies can get fairly large, but they don’t eat as much as a Great Dane or Mastiff would. Still, it doesn’t really matter how much your dog eats if you’re feeding them low-quality food.

It sounds a little counterintuitive, but your dog will actually eat less if you purchase high-quality food. A basic rule of thumb is to skip any brand of food you can find in a supermarket or big box store like Wal-Mart. Expect to pay $50 or more every month for good dog food.

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Training Costs

Huskies are extremely strong-willed, stubborn dogs. They require a decent amount of exercise to keep them tired and entertained.

A bored Husky is a vocal, destructive, mischievous dog. There’s a reason why they make such good sled dogs; they love having a job! It’s unlikely you’ll be hooking your Husky up to a sled in the snow, so you’ll need to ensure they get enough exercise to head off any boredom.

Having a trained dog is a great place to start in regards to preventing any behavioral issues. A well-socialized and obedient Husky is going to make everyone’s life easier. If you’re a new dog owner, obedience classes are going to be an excellent investment.

Costs can depend on whether you go with a training program at a chain or a private trainer. For a well-rounded six to eight-week program, expect to pay at least $150.

Huskies are loyal, gentle dogs. If they’re exercised and trained properly, you’ll probably find there is no other dog breed you would want to own after having owned a Husky.

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Jackob Evans

Hi, I’m Jacob. I’ve been a professional blogger for over six years, and in that time, I’ve written countless blogs that have helped millions of people worldwide. A DVM by profession, I have treated and cured thousands of dogs, if not millions.

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