A little over 11 years ago I got the best dog I've ever had. A female Alaskan Malamute we named Akira. A few months ago she passed away due to Cancer. I was wary to get another Mal because I didn't want to just "replace" her. My wife can't hardly stand the house without a dog so she's been looking for awhile. We looked at different breeds and we've been to the local shelters numerous times but nothing has felt right.

A few weeks ago we found someone selling a litter of Husky Pups. We decided to go an look. The woman wasn't really a breeder but was an avid animal lover. Had the mom and dad and was keeping 3 of the pups of a litter of 6. She didn't know much that we thought she should but we were both taken with the pup. We had thought Husky were just smaller Mals with a little bit more energy. My mistake. We both should have known better but let puppy love brainwash us. So we took the Pup home for a small rehoming fee.

After a few email the next fews days we discovered that the pup was only 6 weeks old. The "breeder" said she's take the dog back for 2 more weeks but said the mom didn't want anything to do with that but he still had 2 of his brothers. Two weeks later we go a get him. At the vet the next day to get him checked out and some flea/heartworm meds the vet tells us he won't give us any meds because he thinks the pup is only 6 weeks old!

Maybe the vet is off, maybe the lady was just didn't know any better. But we decided what's done is done and took him home to start his life with us.

During the last week he's not been a bad dog too much. Normal puppy stuff but he's leaving. We're crate training him and that's been the toughest. First night whined and howls til 5 in the morning but last night (day 5) he's down to 20 minutes of sounding like he being murdered to silence with a couple of fits like he forget he wants out of his crate. I take him out to pee throughout the night and he pitches a fit going back in his crate. I take him out to pee, don't speak or interact with him at all, then right back in.

He walks fantastic on a leash. I'm shocked at how fast he learned this. He sleeps a lot but when he's up he's a ball of energy and he's HATES not being with us. As long as we're in the same room, he's fine but even that he's getting a bit better after. The first 2 days we would not leave your feet.

Now, to the problem. Reading more on the breed I and especially my wife are very worried about the amount of exercise Husky need to be happy. We have a small yard, no fence but I'm into fitness. Not running 5 miles a day though. Or more.

We know thinking we may have make a mistake thinking Huskies were close cousins of Mals and not looking at the differences enough. My Mal learned to go off leash and with moderate play and exercise was quite happy. Late in life she was a big couch potato. She would howl and talk but the Husky pup is downright yippie and shrill.

We've decided even if we give the Husky up we're going to find him a good home even though the woman we got her from told us form the beginning she's take him back. Part of me wants to tough it out but I have my doubt too.

I would appreciate anyone's comments or opinions. Especially anyone with experience with both Huskies and Mals. Thanks.

If the "breeder" will take the dog back that's probably the best option from your standpoint. Even though this is a husky forum and I've been here a while, I honestly don't know that I would ever get another. Rescue or puppy. The breed in general drives me insane.

The husky will need about 20%-50% more interaction and exercise than the usual malamute. I'm always yelling at the husky asking why he can't be a malamute.


Our position is one of toughing it out. I took it on thinking the same things you thought, i.e., a smaller mal with a little more energy. Not so. It's a husky thing and I don't think I completely understand.


Sorry to be a downer, but if you can't commit to the regimen of a husky (or suck it up for a few years), you might want to consider other alternatives before you HAVE to commit.

I second eddy here. As i Feel most people on this forum probably will. If you are already having reserves, and the puppy hasn't imprinted on your family like my Keeonah did within 3 days, then it may be best to consider taking her back for the benefit of the dog. moving a husky from home to home to home at such a young age could seriously affect it's mentality growing up. The rambunctious part of the husky likely won't rear it's head for a couple months, and comes on like a bat out of hell. They most certainly aren't malamutes

First I want to say Congrats.
I have never had a mal, but a friend had one when I was growing up and he was similar in nutness until older just like my husky. I have an almost 4 yr old and an almost 11 month old and trust me it is work, but they are worth the work. I would recommend daycare when old enough so that he can run around with other dogs and burn off the excess energy. I am not an overly active person and mine seem content with that. The puppy could go for much longer walks and runs, but they do get used to your routine. Stay on a schedule and that will reatly help. He whines bcause he is so young and doesnt understand that you will come back.
Treat him as a member of the family like you did your mal. It has been a very long time since you have had a puppy. I personally hope you stick it out and enjoy him for a long time, but if you cant handle it then try to find a wonderful loving home that is used to the breed. I wouldnt take him back to the lady, it doesnt sound like that was the best place for him either. The early age is very crucial for parenting the puppy that mom does.
Good Luck!! and keep us posted.

how's his personality? i think every dog has its own personality really. i prepared myself for rocky because i got him as a surprise for my dad and the only person i told was my sister so not knowing how everyone else would take it i went out on a limb & got him (even after knowing how crazy his breed is) and honestly i can definitely say i lucked out TREMENDOUSLY with his tempermant. he's incredibly easy going for a husky especially now i work 2 jobs so on my days off i'll walk him for a few miles and take him to the dog park etc but he doesn't get like 10 mile walks a day like i read online the days i do work he gets walked in the morning for 1-2 miles and then my dad walks him in the evening for a about a mile or we'll take him to the dog park for at the very least one hour so he can run around and play & he's totally find, he's 11 months now too. i found a lot of the internet magnifies the negativity found in huskies also rocky is definitely NOT the alpha male & he recognized immediately that my dad was in the family after the first week when rocky would whine in his crate my dad would say "Rocky! be quiet!" from his room and i think just from the tone of my dad's voice he would immediately stop crying.

if the personality isn't there and you guys aren't bonding then i havet to say i agree with Christine here and you should find a good home for him as opposed to taking him back to that lady because she sounds kind of ignorant and an awful lot like the "breeder" my boyfriend got his dog from who is supposed to be a yorkie/bichon mix and she literally looks like a straight up chihuahua (which the lady ALSO had but claimed it was not the father of that litter) he kept her but when we took her to the vet she didn't even have all her teeth yet so the vet assumed we got her at about 5 or 6 weeks as well! she's a great pup though but if we had ever decided not to keep her there's no way we would have given her back to that lady.

Just wanted to give a different perspective...
I am not familiar with Malamutes, and only have just barely 2 years experience of owning a dog, let alone it being huskies. But I think I must have 2 of the rare mellow huskies around.

I adopted Ginger in August 2010 at around age 3.5. I adopted Storm in April 2011 - he turned 7 this past May. From day 1 of adopting either of them, they're very mellow. I believe they still prefer to be around their humans as much as possible, but can be left home alone for hours. They play together about 2 minutes in the morning and about 2 minutes early evening. Other than that, they are laying around or sleeping. However, when it's time to hike, or go to the dog park or snowshoe, they are up and at it, but not crazed with energy. They don't pull when on a leash, but I don't think I'll ever get to a point to where I'd be completely confident with them being off leash until they are much older.

I guess I am blessed by the husky heavens above with 2 mellow huskies...

^ Hey, I've got lazy Elara here! lol. She's pretty darn mellow and I don't have a clue why. Both her parents were nuts! lol.

It really depends on the dog's personality. You can get a crazy hyper one like Mellissa's Kody (sorry to call you out! lol. But I'm met him in person! lol ) or a mellow one like my Elara or Claudia's dogs. But you really won't be able to tell that much with a puppy so young. But one thing is the whole being off leash. There are far fewer huskies that can be trusted off leash than malamutes (I assume, though I don't know that much about mals). So if that's a breaking point, I'd probably give him back to the breeder. Did the breeder ask a lot of questions? Did she seem concerned about the type of home her puppies were going to? If not, I'd probably rehome the puppy myself, but if the breeder does care a lot, I think it's only fair for the breeder to rehome it. I know with a lot of reputable breeders it is in their contract that the puppy be returned to them if need be at any point in its life. For instance, my Elara is on a contract like that and I know her breeder does her best to find really good homes for her puppies. But I would never ever give a puppy or dog back to my Siku's breeder to rehome, because honestly she's only in it for the money and does not care what kind of home the dog goes to.

Honestly, I love siberians and will probably never get another breed. So inside I'm hoping you keep him.

I have a four month old male, the only real problem I have is that he whined in his crate for 2 months, yep and I mean loudly. I also should mention I have a year old lab. Let me just say that this husky (aside from the crate training and housebreaking lol) has been a far easier puppy for me. I did have a couple husky mixes growing up so I am not unfamilar with the breed. I personally don't find Balon to be hyper (my lab is hyper) again I may just be lucky but he really is a good little guy (save for sprinkling on everything in my house lol). I can't say what you should do, thats something you guys have to figure out. Sounds to me that the lady you got him from gave him up too young. That's a shame, but it doesn't mean he can't turn out to be a great dog. Good luck with whatever you choose to do!

Myself I went from Husky mix (Jessie) to Malamute (Mylo), then one of each and now 2 Huskies (Adobo & Biko). I'm getting to old for this s**t. Adobo at 6 yrs has finally mellowed to almost being lazy. Biko, will be 3 in August, needs his 1 -1 1/2 hour walk or he is a real pain in the behind. With his exercise he is mellow and love him to bits. If I get to outlive these 2, I'll more then likely go back to a middle aged or senior Malamute.


Gotta love them northern breeds

lol I hear you I have no idea who told me it was a good idea to get two high energy breed dogs at over 50 with a bum knee lol. But I do love them to bits, and thank god I still have sons at home to help!

You've got some good advice on this thread. I just wanted to add that to some extent the personality is the breed and genetics, but to some extent it is down to the environment. There's a lot that a puppy owner can do to help get a calm adult dog. Puppies have an important socialization window when they are young, and if exposed (in a good way) to lots of different people and dogs etc then they are much calmer as adult dogs. If that window is missed, then the dog is likely to be much more exciteable as an adult. That's why dog trainers say to introduce puppies to 100 people a week (or whatever), including people with hats, beards, glasses, walking canes, scooters, etc etc and lots of other dogs (once vaccinations are done). You can read more about socialization on Dog Star Daily here. Apologies if you know this already, but I just thought I'd mention it since it's not *all* down to the breed.

Of course there are the puppy and teenager stages to get through before you have an adult dog ...

I can't really answer the malamute vs husky question. If you do decide to rehome, I agree with the others who have said it seems better to find him a new home than to return him to this breeder, unless you have a contract that requires return to her. It's much easier to rehome a puppy than an adult dog, so if you want to rehome then you're right to be thinking about it now rather than later.

SaraB wrote:

Honestly, I love siberians and will probably never get another breed. So inside I'm hoping you keep him.

I agree with Sara! I understand your fear and I expect I know ALL of the horrors that you want to avoid. But I guess a puppy is a puppy, no matter the breed. I've heard lots of stories of horrible crate training, destruction of things, soiling the house and crazy amounts of puppy energy from owners of other breeds as well.

I think after about 2 years of "husky puppy-hood" if you have been consistent in your training, you can expect a decently behaved member of your family.

Good luck with your decision!

Thanks for all the responses. They've helped a lot.

Right now, Ninja, is sacked out on the couch. Really, he seems to have a pretty nice temperament. Many times he seems to be able to read my mind and just sits and waits for me. He's still a puppy and easily distracted but I think he'll be very trainable.

I can just tell from my previous experience with dogs and my Mal that even though he's a puppy he's got a lot of energy. I may be getting scared with all I've read about Huskies and projecting a little. He does nip a whole lot but I put that down to being a puppy and being taken away from his mom and litter way too early.

My wife is learning very much towards finding him a good home with a family that would fit his energy level better. I don't get home from work until after 6 most nights so a lot of his care and daily interaction would be with her and she not the outdoors type at all.

I feel bad for the little guy. He can really become a great dog with the right attention and training. I just don't want to get a year from now and not be able to devote an hour or more every day to exercise and get in a spiral of him acting out because of it and us getting all stresses out by it even though it's our fault.

If something happens we can't find him a good home and keep him I'm just going to learn how to ride a bike with him and teach him how to walk on a treadmill.

You have gotten some great advice here. All I would like to add that I my first Husky at 60 years old and I did not know where to begin with him so I started walking him twice a day.. After about 10 months with him I felt with my husband agreeing tha maybe he need another dog to play with so we got a 2 year old rescue which is about the same age as Blaze who we got at 9 months old. I love these dogs the best advice I suggest is walking him daily if you can, take him to the dog parks and look in to doggie day care if there are any in your area.

If you decide to rehome do your research on finding a good home for him before giving him to someone.

ljelgin wrote:

You have gotten some great advice here. All I would like to add that I my first Husky at 60 years old and I did not know where to begin with him so I started walking him twice a day.. After about 10 months with him I felt with my husband agreeing tha maybe he need another dog to play with so we got a 2 year old rescue which is about the same age as Blaze who we got at 9 months old. I love these dogs the best advice I suggest is walking him daily if you can, take him to the dog parks and look in to doggie day care if there are any in your area.

If you decide to rehome do your research on finding a good home for him before giving him to someone.

totally agree I often say I got my husky for my lab lol. Both wear each other out which is nice!

My heart sinks that you want to give up your husky. But then again I wouldn't own any other breed.

I will say this much. . . when people ask me if the should get a husky I tell them that owning a husky is like having a two year old toddler in the house. We all know about the terrible two's but then they look at you and do something really sweet and you fall in love all over again.

That said huskys are truely very high maintenance dogs. They are high energy and take lots of exercise, both mental and physical. Plus they are very social dogs. My pup follows me everywhere and really craves attention and interaction.

I hear so many negative things about huskys and it makes me downright mad because most of the time its a case where the owner has gotten in over their heads. So if you already feel overwhelmed, its probably best to find the little guy a new home. (But not back with the breeder. Sounds to me like she needs a lesson or two)

However, if you can make it work (scheduling is really important) and really bond with your pup. There is nothing like the love you will get from your husky.

Man, this just sucks. I really like the little guy but after discussing it with the family over the past few days we've decided to try to find him a good home. I think I could do pretty good with him but like I said before my wife and 6 year old son are the ones with him at home all day long. He'll be much better off if I can find a whole family that can devote the time and attention to him. Just to let everyone know we are not under any circumstances taking him back to the "breeder".

In any event, thanks for all the advice and opinions. Here are some pictures of the little guy.




If we can't find him a good home I'll just learn to do some urban mushing.

OMG he is so adorable. Good Luck!!!

He is beautiful and so cute. Good luck in finding him a good home..

He is a cutie ... good luck in finding him a great home. Are you taking a break from owning a dog or will you be looking for another Malamute?

The individual does have a lot to do with how much work you have to put into them. Our two are like night and day. Isis is always up, always moving, easily distracted, ready to play at a moments notice and seemingly never gets tired. Dante wants the whole pack to be together, calm, quiet and lounging. He's up and following as soon as we stand up, but as soon as we stop, he plops back down.

We started off doing the 5-10 miles a day thing with Isis and she was still constantly in our faces trying to play. Because she had so much energy, we decided to get a second dog (husky), since we had the room, and there were two of us, just in case it ended up as double the work without any help.

Luckily, Dante is exactly what Isis needed. They now go out and run all around our (fenced in) yard for an hour+ and keep each other busy. We keep an eye on them to be sure they don't dig too deep, or get any wild ideas, but by the time we let them in, they're both content to lay down for a while, or at least slowly walk around. I'm pretty sure we'd be ripping our hair out by now, if we didn't get Dante.

We're going to be looking for a Malamute again but I already miss little Ninja.

Are you giving him to a rescue, already found him a home, or advertising somewhere?

Ninja wrote:

We're going to be looking for a Malamute again but I already miss little Ninja.

so he is gone all ready?

are you looking to adopt a malamute? even a puppy Mal is still going to be a lot of work, with your wife and 6 year old son being home with it they might not be up to handling a puppy of any kind, think of that teething stage with your son around.
either way were still here when you figure it out.

We still have him. My wife has listed him on a few places and talked to some rescue groups.

The training and time commitment to a puppy isn't the problem at all. We're all still training and working with Ninja every day. It's the time and ability to exercise the dog properly and the general energy level of a Husky that we were not prepared for.

We're already looking around at Mal puppies.