Hello, this is my first post on this forum. My neighbors found what looks like a husky puppy wandering a busy intersection, no collar, no identification. They haven't been able to find any owners, people looking for it. They can't keep it and we are considering taking him. He's pretty adorable and still tiny.

I've read that they are great dogs with kids as long as you train them well. I'm willing to put the time in. My kids are 5 and 8 1/2. They are great with pets. They are really good with our Shih Tzu. We've had him about a year and got him as a puppy.

I'm a stay home mom, so my pets get a lot of attention and we are in and out a lot. We have a large yard where my kids and my Shih Tzu run like crazy and we take plenty of walks so the husky would get exercise. My Tzu loves to wear his harness and pull my kids on their scooters, so I guess we would have two sled dogs. LOL

My concerns would be that the husky gets along with my small 12 pound dog. It is a baby still, so right now the husky is much smaller than the Shih Tzu but when he grows bigger I wouldn't want my first fur baby to be overrun by the newcomer. My Tzu is a hearty little guy and is on the bigger side for his breed. We have a bouncer and the other day during a playdate he jumped right in there with the kids and when they tumbled he tumbled right with them, so I think he could keep up.

The other concern is that I read they can be destructive. I'm home a lot, but when I leave, do huskies do well with crate training? Coming home to a destroyed couch would drive me nuts. Also, would the husky have to be crated at night? Are they likely to start chewing stuff while you are sleeping? I'm talking when he gets older, not as a puppy. I know all puppies chew. We are still working on teaching the Shih Tzu that he has to chew his own toys and leave the kids toys alone. He's particularly fond of kids undies. LOL

Do they grow out of being destructive or is it a problem until they are older?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give. I'd really really like to keep this beautiful dog. Of my list of breeds I'd love to own one day, a husky is near the top. But I don't want to make a mistake and then regret it later and have an unpleasant experience for us or the dogggy. I'm one to keep a pet for life so if we take him. he's family.

Oh and one other question. Is it possible to know if you have a Husky or Klee Kai when they are this small still or would I just have to wait until he grows up? (I hope I spelled that right.)

Welcome!

The best way to tell what breed or breeds you have is through a DNA test, and they can be done relatively cheaply anymore.

As far as the other concerns, we got Ghost as a 10 week old puppy and we already had a then 4 year old Cocker Spaniel. Our Cocker is really nasty to any and all dogs, but Ghost is pretty good with her and has been good with every other small dog she's been around. The key to that is socialization, so having the puppy around your Shih Tzu from an early age will really help. Ghost is even really good with cats, because she's grown up with them.

Most of us strongly advocate crate training, at least initially, though some of us haven't needed it. We definitely did. We started off crating whenever we left the house and at night, and about the time she turned one we decided we could trust her enough to let her sleep outside the crate. She pretty much never moves off our bed at night and hasn't destroyed anything. We're also in the process of testing her out when we leave for short periods during the day, but I don't think we've left her for more than 30 minutes or so. That one really depends on the dog though, so there will probably be some trial and error.

Definitely take some time to poke around the forum and pick up information, and if there's something specific you can use the search button or just ask. We're all here to help

Welcome!

Meredith has already given you some good advise to start, especially having Ghost as a puppy.

For me, my experience has been with older rescues. But I do believe with proper training and socializing, especially starting with a young pup, you can have a well behaved husky, co-existing with a small dog and a cat and young kids, without the digging, chewing, destroying, etc.

Hello and Welcome.

I agree with Meredith with crate training and socialization. I got Raven at 8 weeks and she is our only pet. I made sure to socialize her with other dogs through puppy classes, play dates, friendly dogs around my neighborhood and when she was old enough the dog park. The other day she had great fun playing with a little Boston Terrier. She was gentle with him and respected his boundaries.

We also crate trained her for while we were out and to sleep. She is 9mths now and can sleep overnight without accidents or destroying anything. We still crate her when we leave though.

I also have two kids 9 and 12 and once we got past the annoying puppy nipping phase Raven is great with my kids as well as all the neighborhood kids that come over.

Hope that helps with your decision

Thanks so much. That all sounds pretty good.

He is really tiny now, much smaller than my Shih Tzu so by the time the husky is big they would already have a well established relationship. That would apply to my kids as well.

Katie, I love the name Raven. It fits your dog perfectly!

They are such beautiful dogs. Those eyes are just too hard to pass up!

Well sadly I don't think I can keep him after all. I read the threads and saw the photos of them shedding and my nose just can't take that much hair. I had read that they blow their coat, but until you see the visual, you can't really comprehend what that means. When I read the thread about shedding wars my jaw dropped.

If I lived in a cool climate and it was going to twice a year it wouldn't be so bad but I live in Ca and I read that they will shed almost year round in warmer areas.

Bah! He is such a beautiful and sweet doggy. They'll have to find someone who won't sneeze themselves to the moon when he blows his coat. Thanks again for all the advice and help!

That's too bad. I can't really comment on the shedding, Raven doesn't shed much, compared to the golden retrievers next door, but I haven't experienced a blow yet. There are member of the forum that could probably direct you to some nice rescues in CA.

sandsurfgirl wrote:

Well sadly I don't think I can keep him after all. I read the threads and saw the photos of them shedding and my nose just can't take that much hair.

are you worried about a allergy with the fur? for the most part people are not allergic to the husky fur, its the dust on the floor that collects in the fur on the floor that is the issue, if you vacuum everyday, and with 2 small kids and another dog im sure you are cleaning up everyday as it is. you could form some great bonding with your kids and the puppy during brushing time to keep the hair down. also if feed a good grain free food that helps keep the husky coat healthy and the shedding down. i hope you can rethink this if everything else about the husky will work in your life style.

My boyfriend is allergic to dogs and cats but has no problem when he comes to visit me and the Huskies. And I have 5.

I'm allergic to: EVERYTHING! I have the allergy test to prove I am severely allergic to everything except mold....and HUSKIES!

I have 2 huskies, and since adopting my female in August of 2010, I have not had a reaction. She even sleeps with me at night and she's blowing coat.

I even watched Jenn's 2, so I had 4 for a day - no reaction.

Because huskies have a coat that repels dirt and water, they do not carry the typical allergens that most dogs do.

If I go outside and the pollens are high, that's when my allergies will be set off - not from Ginger or Storm.

....just my experience living with 2 huskies....and playing with any other husky....

I have severe allergies just like Claudia...of course I found out about the dog allergy after we got D&D since I never thought twice...we've always had dogs. I've discovered that even with the pups, unless the house is disgustingly dirty, the pups are dirty and haven't been brushed I tend to be okay at home. I can even brush the dogs without having a major issue. It's not the fur that is an allergen it's the dander from the skin of the animal. So as long as the house is kept fairly clean, and the dogs are groomed you'll probably be okay. If not there are always allergy medications OTC and prescription that work wonders. Right now I'm only using a nasal spray and I'm controlling all my issues. During April/May/June when the trees are pollinating I also take Zyrtec.

I hope you're able to work through the allergy and keep your pup.

Me too - I have a level 4 allergy out of 4 to dogs! But we tested out volunteering with huskies prior to adopting and I'm MUCH less allergic to huskies than other dogs. Plus, my allergist recommending bathing the dogs once a week the first month, then once a month afterwards to keep the allergens to a minimum. That, plus daily vacuuming helps a lot! However, I can't lie...there are tumbleweeds of hair in the house in the sheddier months, even with twice a day vacuuming.

However, you have to be really committed to keeping a husky for the 10-15 years of their lifespan and I understand it's not an easy position. In addition, there is the additional expense including saving up for emergencies and getting pet insurance. I commend you for taking this responsibility seriously and really thinking about it.

I rescued my Husky when she was 6 months old. I have never had to have her in a crate. She sleeps with me. And she is alone when I'm at work (8 hours) and never wrecks a thing! The only thing I have ever had issues with is other small animals. She doesnt do well with small dog breeds, cats, squirrel's, etc. However, she is fantastic with kids. When my kids are overwhelming her with love, she doesnt get nippy or anything. She'll just give them this totally "im not amused" look, get up and walk away...its actually kind of funny, shes like a teenager with all her attitude!

Thanks so much for all of the advice! My neighbors decided to keep him. The girls and the mom wanted him but the dad said no way. They already have 2 dogs and 2 cats. But his big blue eyes grew on them and they couldn't imagine giving him away. So I get to see him and play with him because he's next door but they get to brush him when he blows his coat! It worked out perfectly.

And, I got the opportunity to adopt an adult Portuguese Water Dog. They have a lot of similar personality traits but they don't shed at all.

So I will have the best of both worlds. Yay. They named the husky Rider.

Welcome to the forum I hope your neighbours have done the research too! They're in for a ride but its so worth it! You're lucky to be living next door to a Husky Just remember, stealing dogs is a crime in most states