My name is Matthew and my wife and I will soon be bringing home a Taco! Taco is a husky puppy who is currently only about two weeks old, born March 8th. We were thinking about getting a dog/puppy and one of my coworkers said that she just had a litter of puppies and we said yes! Neither one of us has had a husky before so we eagerly started reading things online (and found this forum!). We were a little nervous about what we had gotten ourselves into with a husky puppy, mainly because we also have two cats whom we love very much. But after some more research, we are very excited to bring Taco into the pack in a month or so. I do have some questions. First, do any of you all have cats and how does that work for you guys? I'm not too terribly worried because we are getting Taco so young that he will be able to grow up with them and learn to respect them while they are still bigger than he is. But it's never a bad idea to hear your experiences. Also, we have come to the realization that we will need a hefty create to contain this beast . Do you all have recommendations on types of crates that have worked for you? What hasn't? I always thought that metal crates were better than plastic ones because they wouldn't be able to chew them up but it sounds like the metal ones don't contain huskies too well.

Well that's all I have for now. I'm sure I'll have more questions when we bring the rascal home in a few weeks.

Thanks,
Matthew

Welcome to the forum. With the holiday it's a little slow here but still lots of information to be had.

We have several members with cats that live in a harmonious household. Setting boundaries early and not letting Taco chase them is important. If your cats will stand up to him early they will teach him better than the mess with them which will go a long ways to help you out. I have a rescue girl that was 3 when I got her and she isn't good with cats. She sees them as prey so my cat lives in her own room away from the dogs. Even getting him as a pup still make sure that your cats have a safe place to get to where the dog cannot.

Wire crates are easier to secure than the big plastic ones even though they initially seem easier for the dogs to get out of. If you have an escape artist (not all are) you can zip tie at different points along the panels so that they can't stretch them apart and you can use carabiner clips to hold the door shut. This usually suffices to hold most dogs. Good crate training though is your best way to keep them in the crate. If the crate is made to be a happy place that they like then most are very content to stay there. Don't get a massive crate to start with or if you do get a divider. This will make it so that potty training is easier. If you give them too much space then they will think they have space to potty in the crate without stepping in it and it will be harder to break them of it. They should be able to lay down. No extra room.

As puppies exercise probably won't seem like such a big chore as they only need about 5 minutes of exercise per month of age at a time. As they age and need more exercise you will see any lack of fulfillment on your part start to show up in chasing the cats, chewing, and trying to escape the crate when he might not have tried prior. Here we like the saying, a tired husky is a happy husky. A tired husky is also a happy you because they don't terrorize your house or your other pets. They are great family members and you will love having Taco a part of yours.

Welcome to the forum.....I wont add anything, because Jenn is right on with her suggestions. My girl did come as a puppy to a 12 year old cat who had never been around a dog, she took care of Miya, and Miya eventually learned not to mess with a cat. So slow introductions and supervision is a must. Never leave them alone together, until well past a year old and you have fully seen what type of dog you have, some wont bother with cats, some will always see them as prey. Miya has respect for cats, although she does like to chase, and at about a year and a half I could leave them alone together for an hour or two max, after fully tiring out Miya. So be cautious and always have a safe zone for the cat that the dog can not get to. Can not wait to see pics, we love pics here.....

Welcome aboard, Matthew!  Feel free to ask any questions you might have.  The only dumb question is the one you don't ask.

As for cats, my wife has 2, so when we brought Zhukov home, I was a little concerned.  I had read about their prey drive also.  However.....



Initially the cats ignored him, and he just stared at them.  Now, though, he will lick (groom?) Amy's ears and he chases Lily around the house (when she feel like being chased).  He also likes laying in the sun with them.

As to crates, Zhukov destroyed his wire crate (and the rug under it and the blanket covering it).  I went on Amazon and ordered him a Large heavy duty crate.  Other than the fact that he screams like you are pouring boiling oil on him, or there is some crazy monster hiding in the back of the crate, we haven't had any problems since.  

My biggest advice is, start the crate training immediately and stick with it.

Also, start taking pictures NOW.  These dogs grow like weeds on PCP.  You will want to look back and see just how small they were.  

This is December 28th or 29th...


This is 3 days ago...


Oh, and WELCOME TO THE CRAZY TRAIN!

Nice to see another Minnesotan on this forum! Welcome! Can't wait to see pictures of Taco!

Hi and welcome to the forum from the hinterlands of deep south Texas. Jenn's comment about a tired Husky is a happy Husky is very true, but one I also like to pass on to people who are (considering) getting a Husky (or any dog for that matter) is start the puppy off as you want the dog to become. If you rough house with your puppy, don't expect him to magically become docile at 18 months - you get what you train for.

very cute, love the freckle, the do indeed grow like weeds. welcome to the forums.