Hello everyone wanted to get your expert opinion on how your husky has done with young kids. We have a 3 month old and a 2 year old and might be looking to add to our pack in another year or 2. Also, we currently also have a 3 year old golden retriever and 1 cat who’s fairly dog savvy. Just wanted to see if you think a husky would work for a family like ours or if it would be a bad idea. If it would work, would a puppy be the right way to go or adopting an older more settled one? Not sure which would be easier to adjust to in our family dynamic. Thanks for your time!

If you look around the web you'll find that Huskies are one of the least kid / cat friendly dogs ... don't ask me where they come up with that from???  

You have one dog so you know that not every dog is like all the others in the breed - but a lot of that can be put at the feet of the person who raised them (or didn't)  I have three Huskies (one Alaskan and two Siberians) and two house cats and one feral.  So far the worst that's happened to any of my cats is that they'v gotten 'pounced upon' - obviously play and the cats don't seem to care.  When they've had enough they'll raise a paw (and that's all it takes) and the dogs back off.

Personally, if I were in your position, I'd go for a puppy, but one who's maybe a few months old.  First place your kids won't be able to accidentally hurt him as they could with a younger puppy.   How some cats and dogs have been able to survive the "I wuv my puppy!" cuddle is beyond me!  Your dog savvy cat will have a good chance of training a puppy - "Hey, you, behave!" where maybe not so with an older dog.

And welcome to our forum ... that's a good looking Golden you have there ...what's he staring at so intently???

I'm with Al, considering your situation I would go with a puppy from a reputable breeder and work at making sure it's good with those things. You might be able to go through an actual rescue and have some luck finding a rescue that has tested their dogs with cats, but often a rescue blindly throws out applications that list cats and won't give you the time of day.

I have 3 rescues. 2 are huskies. I also have 2 cats (who live in the basement). They do not jive with the cats at all. One could with time, the other will kill on sight. Your biggest challenge is the cat. I would allow any of them around kids though. I've not met too many huskies that weren't fine with kids. The only issues I've run into is that they can get excited and knock some small kids down, but that's just a part of having a dog larger than your kid that is high energy. My female is not great with small kids. I trust her around them if I'm with her but I don't trust her with them in a general setting where I'm not right on top of her. Kids are handsy and loud and it triggers a prey response and anxiety in her.

I missed the opportunity to answer one part of your question.

I have a girl I rescued who had a bad food guarding issue.  There were other things that would cause her to bite - like sudden movement too close to her.  I'd gone over to visit a friend where he works and where people are in and out all the time.  I'm standing in the door way to his office when this fellow comes in with his 3<?> year old daughter. She immediately yells "Wolf!" and grabs hold of Sasha and gives her a big hug ... Sasha, who's bitten me a couple of times at that point just stood there and let the little girl hug and pet ...

Stupid dogs!!!!

Wow thank you all so much for the in depth info! Looks like we could probably make it work. Sounds likely puppy/slightly older pup is the way to go in our situation. Thanks all!

I have 2 wildly divergent experienced with Huskies and small children. I had my first child when my first husky was a year or two old and things worried out fine. For the kids. Not so fine for our kitten.

Fast forward 40 years to husky number 2. We got him at 1 year of she from a shelter. He's a lovely, easy going, sweety playful dog. And he was a nightmare when my grands were under 5. Not because he wanted to hurt them. He's big. He's bouncy. He's playful. And the kids were like motorized squeaky toys to him. He's pounce on them. Of course he pounces on me, frequently flattening me but I'm full grown and aside from a few aches and pains, mostly ok. For a 3 yr old, can be quite terrifying. And they get hurt. Not as in bite hurt but knocked down, scratched scared and hurt.

With mine spider is great with other animals, kids not so much but not a whole lot of child exposure. Squirt is an animal killer but loves kids.

My siberian, Sky, is definitely more gentle with the Grandkids and the cat when he plays than he is with me! He seems to know who can take ruff housing and how hard he can push it.

The only word of warning is puppy teeth. My Siberian was like a land shark as a puppy no bite inhibition. Other than that he live along with 5 cats and two small breed dogs. I've been looking for a rehome but so many say no small dogs or cats. I appreciate rehoming centres saying this if the dog has actually killed or attacked another dog or cat but not when they just label them.I don't want to get another puppy I would rather give a home to a unwanted dog. My sibe gets along great with my 6 year old grandson they are inseparable.

on the discussion of cats ours was a kitten when sky was 8 months, they basically grew up together, When they play some times one might wonder if the cats going to be okay, always is!!! Then last week I brought home A rescue Siberian, who the cat started to beet up, but she took it. SO NO they should not be labeled unless they have actually done something to earn that label, not just because of breed. while i was looking for a rescue, I was not even considered because of the cat on a couple occasions. I am not a cat person- that I leave to my other half

Spider had her first interaction with a cat since she was a puppy last night. She went from sick as could be to howling at the cat that lives in the vet office. I dont think it would have gone well if i had let go of the leash. Squirt grew up with 2 cats she was a puppy when rambo was a kitten. 3 years later she killed both cats and escalated from there. We have been on the 5th dog debate because splinter is too small to really play with spider and shadow is blind and really lazy. I know shadow doesnt like puppies and that was when he could see and i think bringing an adult dog home would trigger a pack attack. But my dogs get almost no interaction with other dogs and im not even sure how to read them because squirt put me in fear mode about unknown dogs

Husky's and kids and cats .... I have three Huskies and three cats ... er, no kids.

Mostly my cats and dogs ignore each other. Avalanche will "pounce" at a cat on occasion and the cats tend to ignore him. From time to time he'll get "over assertive" and a cat will lift a paw - and that's all it takes - and he'll back off, quickly.

My newest cat - one who walked in off thee desert - has had a few spats with my existing two cats. He'll come to the gate between the back room and kitchen and howl. One of the dogs will wander over to see what all the noise is about and nobody gets upset. I figure he'll come over the gate someday - after he and the existing pair get along better ...

I had taken Sasha, my food aggressive Sibe, over to a friends office when a fellow walks in with his 3 year old <??> daughter in tow. She sees Sasha, yells "Wolf!!" and grabs two handfuls of dog ... and Sasha just stood there ....

Is my situation common - probably more than not but with the "prey drive" found in some Huskies introductions to small critters should probably be very well controlled.