Like the title suggests I'm adopting a 11 month old female Siberian Husky from a friend of mine. Haven't had interaction with her yet but will in the next few days. She is a very high energy dog according to her current owner.

Any suggestions as to what I should do to get prepared for her arrival?

(toys, food, leash etc are all coming with her)

Thanks!

Anything and everything that you value needs to be taken and put in a place where the dog won't get it. Prepare to be amazed at the vast destruction that this dog can do to your house... but at the same time you won't believe how much you'll love her.

Chad,
Thanks for not totally scaring her away from getting a dog!

Angela,
WELCOME!
there is a ton of info on here all ready to help you prepare for your new dog but the must haves are a crate for her to stay in while you are gone (yes she will eat everything and anything if left alone on her own for even 5min) dog dishes for food and water, leash and collar if not provided as well as a dog tag with name and contact info if she gets away from you the fist few days she will be returned. Dog toys and rawhide bones, make sure she is given to you with some food or the name of the brand she is eating as you want to keep her on the same thing to start with. Dog brush I say the shed and blade or the fur buster they have both worked good for us. If you have a fenced in yard check for areas she can get out of and the first week or so stay out there to make sure she will not get out some how. And most of all LOVE HER not mater what she gets into the first week or so. Remember it is an adjustment for her and you and she will take a few weeks to come out of her shell and show you who she really is. And NEVER TAKE HER OFF HER LEASH unless in an enclosed area. She will run!

Hi Angela, and welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new girl!

I'm sure you have heard/read a lot about huskies, but just in case, here are some common traits:
-HIGH ENERGY- be prepared for an hour to two hours of exercise daily
-Often times destructive- they like to chew, dig and get into things they are not supposed to (but this often has to do with being bored when owners do not exercise them enough)
-They DIG, say goodbye to your yard.
-THEY ARE NOT OFF LEASH DOGS! Please don't make the mistake of trying...
-They are independent.
-NOT guard dogs, they love everyone
-Incredibly loving and a ton of fun

Always remember, a tired pup is a happy pup Huskies have "puppy-like traits" for most of their lives. Be prepared to be patient, kind, gentle and loving. Set clear boundaries and BE CONSISTENT.

Look into Nothing In Life Is Free training. It's extremely simple and will work wonders.

Come here for any frustrations, concerns, grief or panic. We'll always help if you need.

Good luck! And post pictures when you get them

Hi Angela - welcome to the forum.

I think the guys above have filled you in on what to expect from huskies - please don't be scared off they are the most amazing dogs.

Just one think I would like to add; you may find your little girl is a bit quiet for the first few days but this is probably due to the change in environment for her and as Jen said she will take a while to come out of her shell - just be patient with her and play every situation by ear, very soon she will realise she is there to stay and then you will see her true personality emerge.

Hope all goes well for you and don't forget there is a wealth of experience and wisdom here always will to help.

We look forward to some pics when she has settled in. Best of luck

Oh yes, I meant to add that-- thanks Cath It's normal for her to not have much of an appetite at first, be timid or reserved. For example, we adopted Koda at 7 months, and when he came to us, he was very calm and almost lethargic. However, once we had him for a month or more, his true personality (and one that we LOVE) started to show. He would howl more, be more playful, etc.

I hope you have fun with her I will always have a husky in my life now that I have one.

congratulations on your new family member, no table food, my opinion, my Max goes insane arounf food, no grapes destroys kidneys no onions causes white blood cells to burst, no garlick, this you can find on web. Always , find a great Vet, not a good one, lots of brushing and hands on lovin and touch, someone said tired pup, happy pup you bet, in the summer if your husky is hyper, bring her to swim with you, dont force, all that energy will be gone and cool her off at the same time..

wreagan wrote:

no garlick, this you can find on web.

Garlic is fine in small portions, it's in large quantities that garlic is toxic to dogs. Our dogs get garlic with their food every other day as a natural parasite repellent and they are perfectly fine. Moderation is key.

Only thing I would add is that one won't be enough. Be prepared to look into a second one! Having two helps them to burn off some of the excess energy! That's just my opinion, but in case you haven't noticed, quite a few profiles here contain more than one Husky in their home! No coincidence!

Welcome!

I'm a new Husky owner myself! Hubby has had Huskies and Akitas, but the one thing I wasn't prepared for was food intolerance.

We adopted Ginger, our 3 year old girl, about 5 months ago. We knew to transition her dog food slowly, but what I wasn't prepared for, nor was told about, is she has a sensitive tummy. She's able to tolerate chicken and turkey in small amounts and if mixed with fish (in dry dog food). Also, her stool goes soft with certain dog food brands in a fish formula - so the cooking process of some kibble is something she also cannot tolerate.

Ask her owner if she has any food intolerance, and make sure you introduce ANY new food or treat of anykind slowly.

There's a lot of GREAT information here...AND EVERYONE here is absolutely AWESOME!

amykmac wrote:

Only thing I would add is that one won't be enough. Be prepared to look into a second one! Having two helps them to burn off some of the excess energy! That's just my opinion, but in case you haven't noticed, quite a few profiles here contain more than one Husky in their home! No coincidence!

Yep, yep, totally agreed. We just got our second one 2 weeks ago! They aren't easy dogs that's for sure, but if you truly are a dog lover, are committed to taking good care of her,giving her lots of attention,having lots of patience, and knowing that great portion of your life revolves around them then you'll get the best gift ever! They are the most loving, funny, and definitely unique dogs. One word of advice on my end...if you have a yard...as they mentioned earlier in the thread...they will dig. Well this digging MAKES A MAJOR MESS ONCE THEY COME IN. My 4 year old female recently introduced our new 3 month old male into digging...yep they both dig in the same hole and come in the house covered in dirt. Invest in lots of doggie wipes and towels!!! I feel like I'm always covered in dirt.

Oh, and watch out for small animals because they WILL catch them and you'll have no luck taking it away.

It's totally worth it though and everybody on here can say how much they love their crazy sibes!

Hahhah ^^ Very Well Last 2 Advise .. yes They are Pack Animals and do Sooo Well with More Than One .. Im So Happy w My Lil Pack