My family recently lost our dog of 15 years a few months ago. Her name was Kitty, she was a chow mix, and she was wonderful in every way possible.
After she passed away I wanted to wait until my kids (I have 3) were on vacation before we added a new member to our family (so they could spend time together). We went to our local County animal shelter (Los Angeles CA). We looked around and found a few potential members. When we asked about them they were all set to be adopted.
As we were leaving my wife overheard the workers talking about a dog that was tied to the fence outside the shelter in the rain! My wife's heart Broke and she said we would adopt him sight unseen.
I took my eldest son to go see him in the rain. He looked sad and had didn't respond to us at all. The poor guy was shell shocked.
The adoption process took about two weeks so we stopped by to visit. This time he got up and smelled our hands before going back to the corner.
Two days ago we stopped by again to visit and they said we could take him home! This time when we saw him he was happy to see us and when we walked away he started barking and whining (I took that as a good sign).
Well we now have Saint Nicholas Cage with us and we love him. I joined this forum in hopes to learn more about my new family member. I'm told he's a 60lbs husky mix and that he's about 2 years old. Whatever he might be he is my new boy.

He looks fairly pure to me. It's sad what people will do to animals. At least they left him where he could get the help he needed. It usually takes around a month or two for their personality to really start to show. Starting a routine, training, setting boundaries, exercise, and crate training would be my first priority. Always want to set the rules of the house from the start. Easier to set rules from the start than go light on them because you feel sorry for them and then have to crack the whip once the shoe chewing starts. With exercise, start slow since you don't know much about him, and work up to longer walks. Many of us do a few miles a day with ours. A tired husky is a happy husky. A tired husky makes for a more intact home.

Browse around. A lot of information to be had here. The search function works alright, but one word searches tend to turn up more results. Welcome to the forum.

So glad you found each other!!!! Enjoy this beautiful boy!!!

Welcome. Congrats on (and thanks for rescuing) your new dog!

Th1921 I think that's the perfect way to say it, we found each other. Dvflyer thanks and thanks to everyone here I'm lucky to have found a place to ask questions. Now I need new running/walking shoes lol.
I think is original owner might have been feeding them too much because he seems to always be hungry. I've looked at a few different posts and I'm pretty sure I'm feeding them if anything on the higher side of the recommendation.

Mannuel wrote:

Th1921 I think that's the perfect way to say it, we found each other. Dvflyer thanks and thanks to everyone here I'm lucky to have found a place to ask questions. Now I need new running/walking shoes lol.
I think is original owner might have been feeding them too much because he seems to always be hungry. I've looked at a few different posts and I'm pretty sure I'm feeding them if anything on the higher side of the recommendation.

They are always hungry because.... dogs.

Lol. Fair enough.

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@Mannuel I too had to laugh at "They are always hungry because .. dogs." Thankfully of the three of mine, I only have one who would really eat herself sick - if she had the chance. The other two are more picky but Avalanche (Alaskan Husky) will finish off anything Sky (Sibe) leaves in her bowl - after Sky's said it's okay!

All my dogs, for years, have been rescues so I'll add my "Thanks!!" for rescuing him. As he settles in, I think you'll be surprised at how similar the personalities of a laid back Husky and a laid back Chow are. Both are independent and friendly and from the couple of Chows I've known are as apt to say "Oh, I'll be back! Just wanna go 'walkabout'" as a Husky is. (( Huskies are also apt to get lost - they tend to roam too far out of the 'familiar' territory and not know how to get home! ))

He looks like mostly, if not all, Husky to me as well. The rescues I've worked with have explained the "<whatever> mix" as an inability to say that this dog is purebred - they don't have the records so they simply take the breed that it most looks like and tags on the 'mix' even if it's 'obvious' that the dogs is mostly purebred --- a dna test might be interesting!

Anyway - Welcome to the forum!!!

First - thank you, thank you for taking him. LA shelters are so full of huskies, I want to cry. And - I really do believe you have a pure Siberian Husky. He's really beautiful.

Two is a good age - you are beyond most of the puppy/teenage crap this dogs can give. As for eating - I read once, from a vet, that if you're dog does not act like they're starving when you feed them, then they are overfed. I have 2 and my son has one who would eat until stopped.

Enjoy your new pup - I love this breed for their sassy impudence. And...in general, they don't bark. Talk back, yes, and sometimes some ungodly noises you can't believe but bark incessantly like a lab tied up, no.

Yeah it's funny how life works we went to the shelter more for my wife and kids, I'll be honest and say I was not fully ready to look for a new family member. After I was reading about huskies and kept telling my wife are you sure? Are you ready?
... Jokes on me. She later told me she knew that even though I was the one with the most to say about thinking it through I jumped in the hardest. Now I'm walking 2 miles a day when beforehand I wouldn't even walk to the store down the street.
One thing I do like (exercise wise) is cycling. I'm hoping to train Nick to come and stay close so we can do that. Anyone have experience in riding with their husky?

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I use a walkydog bike attachment. There are other side bike attachments out there that people like also. These attach to the dogs harness, usually an H style harness with a side D ring.

https://www.chewy.com/walky-dog-plus-bicycle-exercise-dog/dp/146032?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hg&utm_content=Walky%20Dog&utm_term=&gclid=CjwKCAiA0uLgBRABEiwAecFnk5u5HLDCz5DM8QSkwCDGAKzV1rvw33WCMBsEyjdZel3Cl60M3asl8RoC6D4QAvD_BwE

In addition, there is bikejoring - using a system of lines, one to keep the line from getting caught in the front tire (a noodle, maybe?) and another longer one to attach to the dog's pulling harness (usually an x-back)

http://www.alpineoutfitters.net/scripts/gettingstarted.asp

I, too, would like to get our huskies out biking.  Met a group of ladies the other day (one had a Malamute) who suggested Bikejouring. I need another hobby like a hole in the head, but it looks fun.

Still trying to find any decent dirt paths (want to avoid pavement for now) or softer running trails that are wide enough for a bike and dog and don't have a lot of obstructions.  I haven't yet decided on which attachment, but will probably be the walky dog or that "spring" one.

In the meantime, I've started to get them used to the idea.  I've left my bike out and would roll their ball, toy etc by it.  Then I'd put them on a leash and walk by and around it.  With them on the leash, I'd sit on the bike and flick the levers, spin the peddles to get them used to the noises.

Out on our cul-de-sac, I've used a collar and leash and go at basically a walk speed.  I lower my bike seat so I can easily move it by walking.  I'll turn into them so they learn to stay away from the tires.

Going a little faster, I'll turn into them, but put my leg out to push them away from the bike.

They seem to have taken to it pretty quickly so far.

Amy do you know if it's common to ride with a husky unleashed?

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I'll answer that! Emphatically NO!!! Most huskies have a bad habit of being distracted by things like birds and rabbits ... they'll decide they want to go after them - even if it's across 7 lanes of traffic or into the deepest woods you've ever seen.

Seriously, not a good idea!!

To add it what Al said: No. Nope. No way, no how. I have uh. No no no no no no.

Too many hazards and distractions. Cars. Kids. Cats deer chickens other dogs squirrels. Especially squirrels.

Well then, husky pulled ride it is lol

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congratulations, on your new fur baby. you are  blessed to have found each other.

i bike with Leo every so often and i use SpringLeaD Universal Bicycle Leash, i just point it up.
http://petego.com/Bike?product_id=999315595&color=134&size=483

I work at a bicycle shop so I might be buying a few lol I love the idea of the pull type on dirt.

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Hey Mannuel,

Congrats! St. Nick and my boy Lachlan look a lot alike. Lach's also about 2 and weighs 60lbs. The first 2 years have been fun, but also tough and expensive. We've noticed some maturity lately but he last week he decided to eat one of our couches when I left him alone to run some errands.

I bike him a lot. I've tried a the seat post attachment and other items but I have settled on hand held leash with the prong collar so I can give him corrections when needed.

--Jason

What a beautiful pup, thanks and congrats for sure! I bike a lot with the pups and am attempting skijoring this winter. Exercise is key, 99% of the issues I see on boards like these are caused by lack of good exercise. Congrats again and enjoy the ride!