Hi,

I recently found a stray husky and I am 99.9% sure that I am going to keep him. He is very thin right now and we are having a difficult time finding a food he will eat. Per the vet's recommendation, we fed him homemade chicken and rice for the first few days we had him. We then slowing added Blue Chicken & Rice to the homemade mixure. Yesterday I gave him just the kibble and he didn't touch it.

He is energetic and in good spirits, so I don't think there is any underlying issues, but we do have his first FULL exam scheduled later this week.

So eating is the most urgent issue, but I have a few general questions.

1) We are in south Alabama and it's HOT! We have been brushing him daily because you can tell he has a lot of undercoat that didn't fall out and he's looking a lot better. I know shaving is out of the question, is there anything I can do to make him more comfortable? Since he's since so new, we haven't brought him inside yet. He has plenty of shade in the yard and a covered porch with fans that are constantly running. And a constant water supply of course.

2) I have read that huskies (as with many other breeds) do much better in pairs than alone. I'm away from house about 10 hours a day and while he has a plenty big yard, I'm worried that he's going to get board which I hear leads to distructivness. There is a husky that is currently at our local SPCA that I'm somewhat interested in adopting. Am I crazy to consider going from a no dog household to TWO huskies within a month? Is there anything is need to consider? My (name pending) rescue is not neutered, but he would be neutered before we introduced another dog. Thought? Concerns?

Also, please feel free to chime in with any other husky tips! I'm all ears...or eyes I guess   

Wait to adopt until you have settled this guy and know his issues. He might not show them now, but their personalities can take a while to really show, ours took about 3 months to really come out of her shell. He might have problems that would be made worse by another dog, especially if you havent seen him in a social setting wiht other dogs yet.
Bring him inside. Please. See how he behaves indoors. If you are concerned about heat give him a kiddy pool that he can step into and cool off while outside. Try crating too if you want to keep him indoors. *this is not cruel*

Also, start working on walking on a leash, a tired husky is a non destructive one. you both will bond better and learn a lot more about his personality while walking.
Patience is key in these situations. Good luck and keep coming back!

oh and we love pictures.

Welcome, Kelly gave you great pointers to start.

I want to ask, have you looked for the owners of the dog? have you taken it to see if it has been chipped? contacted local shelters/rescues stating you found a husky?
is there a lost dog facebook group for your area?
I always want to make sure that when a person that finds a dog they do everything they can to find the owners, i would be so upset if someone found my 2 and just kept them with out looking for me.
also do not post pictures of the dog as anyone can come claim them. make sure they have proof its their dog.

if all that has been done then thank you for keeping it and giving it a better home. please get tags and a chip on him since as a stray it may mean he likes to get out!

Thank you! So inside all day? I was planning to start bringing him in to sleep at night, but I thought he'd be more happy outside during the day. I know that many dogs are indoors all the time and a lot are crated, and that's all options to consider. I just didn't want to make too many changes too fast. We think he was on the run for awhile, so it might be too much change to get put inside all day right out of the gate.  

We've been going on evening walks and he's doing good (not great) on the leash.  He's GREAT around other animals.  He's been around my boyfriend's Boston Terrier as well as other dogs we meet while walking.  He doesn't even flinch when he sees a cat or even if the neighborhood dog that is ALWAYS out (grr!) runs towards him.  

My gut tells me to wait on adopting another one, BUT at the same time it's not very oftern that you find a purebred husky in our shelters.  I think I got overly excited about finding him and didn't really think it out.  I did speak with someone from the shelter and they said it's possible that they could foster the dog that's up for adoption until we are ready.  

And for your viewing pleasure...

Yes, we have taken him to check for a microchip, posted on every local rescue, shelther, etc. I have called about half the local vets to see if they had any reports. We have had NO leads. I figured we'd find the owners quickly, but I haven't even gotten one phone call.

thank you for trying and for keeping him and not putting him in the shelter.
We adopted Jack after one month with Sierra but its because she came from a home of a lot of dogs and we knew she was lonely.
I would say wait till you know how much a dog cost and if you are able to double that cost by adding a 2nd.
there are many single huskies on this forum and they truly are spoiled and love to have meet ups and go to day car and have there humans spend a ton of time with them.
you do not know if he was a house dog at one time, so it may help to bring him in at night and see how he does, but if you plan to do it during the day when you are gone long hrs, then make sure he has a crate or a place sectioned off that he can not trash anything you own or mess if he pees/poos inside.

I think trying him inside at night is a good start. Make sure its either in a crate or like Jenn said an area he can't destroy anything.ours cried and cried until we put the crate in our room, then she slept all night. Make sure you make the crate a safe and happy place for him.
Also Jenn mentioned the cost, that's a big factor. Make sure you can afford 1 before getting a second. We are gone fore around 10 hrs a day and we walk our two early before leaving to tire them out then again in the evening.
Maybe fostering the other one is an option, but if you really want a playmate once he's settled, I'm sure someone on this board could point you to a good rescue organization in or near your area.
He's super cute by the way, what are you naming him?