Hello everyone. I recently picked up a Siberian Husky/American Eskimo puppy, Pepper, at 12 weeks. I'm new so not sure if that's frowned upon on this forum but I'm more concerned with the husky side that the eskimo dog side. We were looking for a dog that would end up around 40 lbs and I've always loved Huskies so this we picked her up. She was about 17 lbs at 12 weeks not sure where she will end up.

So far she is the sweetest puppy I've ever been around. My biggest concern is we have 3 cats ages 9, 7 and 4. At this point she's gotten curious and she chased the 4 year old a little once while she was playing with her toys, but other than that she doesn't show much interest. Shes also been to my mother's and seen her 2 cats and didn't seem to have any interest. Shes been very good around the 6 or 7 other dogs shes met as well. This is her and the 9 year old cat right now.



The cats keep their distance but it seems to be going okay. My other big concern is separation anxiety. One of the reasons we got her now is because I'm home to train her but eventually there will be some alone time. So far she likes her crate but that's because it's where she gets her chews. If I have to for the safety of her or the cats I will crate her but I dont like to. We don't lock her in the crate at night she sleeps on the floor next to my fiance on her dog bed. No issues so far, just a sock or two in her bed in the morning lol.

I know that most of these issues have probably been addressed a thousand times, and before I get a response I'll probably ready half of them but I just wanted to introduce myself, my pup and my situation. And given shes a mix maybe she doesn't have a strong of instincts as the purebred husky. I haven't had a dog since my boxer died 10 years ago so this is my first husky experience.

Thanks
-Josh

It's hard to say which side she will take after being a mix. Eskimo dogs are a bit different but I wouldn't venture to say immensely so. She's still new to the house and young so I would stay on her with the cats. As she becomes more comfortable and her energy levels pick up with age, they could still fall into her sights. I wouldn't leave her alone with them, so I would crate when you aren't home. This isn't just for the cats, it's also so she doesn't chew you out of house and home while you are away for extended periods of time. Best to start crating now than shock her system later when your schedule changes. It's good that she is getting good association with her crate and that she seems to like it. I would crate her off and on for short periods to start now, such as while you are in the shower or walking out to the mail box. It's also useful to know how she is going to act with it now before you get in a situation where you must crate her and then find out she throws a fit.