So because I am that "crazy husky lady" who loves her dogs so much I was just contacted by someone locally who has to give up their 10 wk old sibe. He supposedly just recovered from Parvo (I will obviously verify this with his vet and take him to a vet before hour is ever allowed neat my dogs) but for some reason this little guy is tugging on my heart. I have an extra crate and honestly just about everything I would need for a third dog but...... how hard is it to raise two from a puppy age? Obviously Shaqua is already perfect and doing fantastic with Journey.....

I don't know why but I feel like I should save him. A couple other people have come forward but from what I was told they are not experienced dog owners. It just kills me thinking he would jump from home to home instead of finding a forever home.

I think you are the one most qualified to answer that question. You know your time availability, financial position, etc...The big question is do YOU want to do it. You want to save this puppy, and that's fantastic, but since he is a puppy he will probably find a home regardless. And you never know if one of the other potential homes would be a good fit, even if they don't have dog experience. Bode was our first dog, but we did our research and prepared. Don't do it simply because you want to rescue the puppy, I know that sounds bad but don't let your guilt put you in a situation you may not be fully prepared for. But if you decide to go for it, I think it will be fine!

The biggest thing with 2 puppies is making time to raise them separately. Littermates syndrome can happen even if the dogs aren't littermates. They need time and space away from each other and Individualiazed training and bonding time with you.

I agree on the the littermate syndrome. Also, it can be exhausting to give each dog their own amount of time. Personally, I would be less concerned about financial resources and more concerned about time resources. Take the amount of time you spend with Journey now and double it as each puppy should for the most part get their own time. Do you have that amount of time? Also, how well does Journey do when you leave her alone? Will she get jealous?

Maybe you can foster him for a few months before letting him go? Contact a local husky rescue - puppies get adopted VERY fast.

If it were me, I'd probably apply to foster him with a local rescue and do it that way.

Sara is right though - it all depends on your financial stability and time. Kristina proves a point, too, with the littermate syndrome.

I am going to sound harsh - but I would not take a dog who just recovered from parvo into my home with another young dog in home.

I think the best option is for this dog to be fostered in a home with adults or no other dogs.

That is just my opinion.

So I just went to take a look at him. The previous owner had dropped him off at the "breeder" that he bought him from. Let me tell you...it was AWFUL... the mother's fur was cropped short and chained to a lawn mower. I was warned she might bite if I get too close. Other huskies were kenneled in small enclosures with nothing but dirt on the floor.... I couldn't leave without him.

I knew I couldn't take him home so I went straight to the vet clinic. They tested him and he came back negative for Parvo. According to the owner who gave him up, and the clinic I called to verify with, he was treated for parvo on Oct 14, 15 & 16, followed by a course of antibiotics and a clean bill of health. My vet did another test to verify that he was in fact negative for parvo and he came back negative. I asked them and they recommended keeping them separate until Journey gets her last round of shots. So I sent him home with a friend to keep him at least until then. I might have a home for him already- a friend of mine here just lost her 12 year old Malamute a couple weeks ago. She is talking to her husband to get the ok.

He is a cute little all-white husky with one blue and one green eye. The poor guy was shaking when I picked him up but he warmed up to me fairly quickly once we got to the vet clinic.

When I got home I immediately took off my clothes and threw them in the washer as well as showering. Even with him getting a negative test result twice spaced by a couple weeks it just makes sense to play it safe. Journey gets her final round of those shots in two weeks and they will not be allowed near each other until them (obviously). Hopefully my friend's husband says yes and he can have a happy home there. If not I am going to take him in. He is so precious, and I can do the work. I already have an extra crate, I live in a great place to take them for exercise often.

I'll add a pic when I get the chance. Poor little guy has such poor socialization...he bites, bites, bites! He will definitely need some work.

mbarnard0429 wrote:

I am going to sound harsh - but I would not take a dog who just recovered from parvo into my home with another young dog in home.

I think the best option is for this dog to be fostered in a home with adults or no other dogs.

That is just my opinion.

I get what you are saying, like I said in the original post I was not going to bring him into my home with my other dogs until he was given a clean bill of health. There is no way I would expose Journey or Shaqua to that, even though Shaqua is vaccinated and Journey has all but one...it just isn't smart. I took him straight from the "breeder" to the vet, and never took him to my house. He went home with a friend for now.

That sounds awful, but likely he is in a good place now.

I'm hoping to be able to talk to the previous owner (he was sad he had to give him up) and maybe give him some advice on how to find a breeder next time he looks for a pup. The pup kept biting his wife's feet (who is in a wheelchair)....obviously they need to adopt an older dog that is already trained. None-the-less it sounds like an opportunity to educate someone about what a good breeder is. He said he would love to see him again and since my friend also works on campus I'm sure that no matter who keeps him we will be able to have visits.

So after keeping him at my bf's house for a couple days the previous owners called and decided they felt terrible about the whole thing and wanted him back. I went over to their house and we had a discussion about what to expect from a siberian pup, what they need to work on with him, etc. They have a nice house with a well-fenced back yard When I showed up with little "Sam" they started crying. They had felt so horrible for giving him up. The wife was having nightmares. So I spent some time over there giving them tips on what they should be doing as far as the crate, digging, how to correct the biting, etc. They are actually "hiring" me as a consultant to come over and help them with "Sam" about once a week or so. I could tell they really loved him and they had dogs before...they just had some personal issues and they had in a stressful moment given up.

Basically I let them have him back after going to their house, inspecting their backyard, discussing expectations and training, giving them information about a local day care to bring him when he gets older, etc. They were so grateful for my help and making sure he was cared for. They plan on me coming over often so I can check up on him and make sure they are staying consistent. When Journey gets older we are planing on play dates. They have a great place for him.....they were concerned about his digging so I told them to just expect him to dig, to bury some fence along the base of their fence, and to actually designate an area or put up a sandbox where it is ok for him to dig so he can get that energy out. Not to mention for them to never leave him in the backyard unattended.

As for the biting I told them they need to have chew toys in their pockets at all times, to correct him when he bites them and then give him something that is ok for him to chew on. He needs some work, especially since he came from such a poor environment at the "breeder" but with a little guidance I think they will have a fantastic dog and a happy home.

SOoooo, it looks like a happy ending so far. If they ever get to a point again where they think they can't handle it he comes back to me, NOT to the breeder or anyone else who is unprepared for a sibe.

Way to go Nicole!!!!

I hope things work out for them and Sam! Good thing they at least reached out in the first place.

That sounds great.

Great work Nicole! Hopefully they will get what they need to keep him forever! Sounds like you did some great work for this little guy