westeroswisdom:

When a dog breed shows up prominently in a film, on TV, or in the news media there is usually a spike in popularity which causes people to adopt pets from those breeds.

That happened with huskies and Game of Thrones. Strictly speaking, there weren’t huskies in the storyline for GoT, but huskies were used as stand-ins for younger direwolves.

Regardless, adoptions of husky breeds shot up and the new pet owners eventually learned that these dogs presented serious challenges.

Hayley Doak who runs Tyrone Husky Rescue says their cute, fluffy appearance as puppies and the draw of the clear blue eyes many of the dogs have, is enough for some people to make a life changing addition to their home - but not always one they can handle. 

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She explained: “There’s no doubt, they’re a beautiful breed. Most people looking for a Siberian Husky want one with blue eyes - and you can see why. They’re stunning. But blue eyes or not, these dogs are a challenge as a household pet.

“Many people manage very well with them but many sadly don’t think that that’s where we in rescue end up picking up the pieces.

“Huskies are really not your regular domesticated dog. They have a huge prey drive which triggers the escape artist in them they’ll try to find a way to get to prey unless they’re properly contained.

“They have energy that seems never ending, bred to run all day in the harshest of conditions - and they actually need to run. It’s in their DNA.

“They’re not an aggressive breed but get bored easily and tend to be destructive, destroying furniture, walls, doors, skirting boards, kitchens, anything really because their bodies are powerful and their brains need stimulation.”

There is a clear connection between the spike in husky popularity and GoT.

In 2010, a year before the first series of Game of Thrones aired, just 79 Alaskan Malamutes, Siberian Huskies and Akitas were being cared for by Dogs Trust UK, compared to 411 the following year - an increase of 420%. 

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At Tyrone Husky Rescue, Hayley has rescued and rehabilitated nearly 400 Huskies from circumstances of neglect and abuse, but mostly from surrender. 

Before adopting a dog, do the research. Most of the time you’re better off adopting a mixed-breed mutt. With mutts you’ll usually have fewer problems caused by inbreeding. Just look at what inbreeding did to the Targaryens and you’ll be glad you got a dog who didn’t turn into a canine version of the Mad King.