Good Day Everybody,

Here is my situation, I've had Thane for 4 months now and he's been doing spectacular. We have our ups and downs but he's my boy and I wouldn't have it any other way. I've been pondering getting him a playmate in the near future cause I'll be honest Halla (our cat) is a champ when it comes to trying to play with Thane but he can only go so far. Jumping off the kitchen counter onto his back only works for so long XD. Now here is where I'm stuck I'm not sure if I should go through a breeder again and raise from young or rescue. My skills handling a dog is getting back to what it used to be (My dad had 3 dogs rotty, boxer, bullmastiff) so I'm not really scared off by the idea of handling another dog but I always like to be very well prepared before making big decisions . If I do follow through I'm looking at getting either another Sib, a Mal or a Mastiff. I'm not sure about the logistics of rescuing since I have never been through the process and really would like to get a really good idea of what I'd be jumping into, what to expect from the new addition to the family, can I adopt from the US, what about the cat, etc? I know the community has a lot of experience in this field and any information you are willing to share would be appreciated. Thank You

Can't speak about any Canada / US issues. Most rescues have some huskies that have been cat tested from time to time so that's not a show stopper if you're patient. Most rescues also have a take home and try period since how dogs get a long is very random. I would suggest the first meeting on neutral ground, dog park, friends house or even a walk in public. As for the breed I would try to just match the energy level of Thane as best you could. A mastiff might be too lazy for example, just depends.

I've done rescue for about 5 years so would be glad to answer any other specific questions. I know a lot of folks on here have done the same.

Hi Jordan,
For crossing the border you simply need the dogs rabies certificate and medal, as well as an adoption contract. We picked up Ripley from the US when Tori posted a plea to find her a foster/adoptive home. We agreed to foster and met her up halfway.
If the dog you chose doesnt have this available (doubtful if coming from a shelter) then you can call the border ahead and let them know you will be coming through, they can have a vet on call to inspect the dog and you need to sign an agreement that you will get them vaccinated within 30 days and send them the proof. We had no trouble getting Ripley over the border, make sue you have a "paid" amount on the contract, we showed 0$ and that way we avoided anyone thinking we took the dog and we didnt have to pay duty and tax.
Be very honest with the border guard, a lot of them are sympathetic if it comes to recues.
On the subject of breed, We originally disagreed on breeds for our first dog, I wanted a pitbull or a mastiff and Chris wanted a Chow Chow. We settled on husky after a lot of research and wouldnt change a thing.
We had tried to come up with a choice to match with Tika, looked like I was finally getting my pitbull, and then Ripley came along. You have to keep an open mind when looking for a rescue, they will have a dog that fits your needs, it might be none of your preferred breeds (though I tease Chris that he got what he wanted bc Rip is part Chow), but will fit your life perfectly. We never thought we'd end up with a second husky!

Good luck,
~Kelly

here is the link for the importation of dogs from US to Canada.

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/animals/terrestrial-animals/imports/policies/live-animals/pet-imports/dogs/eng/1331876172009/1331876307796

Sweet the boarder thing was my number one concern cause it appears the majority of the community is from the states and a few times there have been postings for adoptions and I wasn't to sure if it was gonna be a mission to pick-up a dog over the boarder.

Is age or even sex (Thane is Male and so is Halla) a big factor? More or less in the terms of correcting potentially bad behavior that has set in or if I got a pup older than Thane he won't get bullied around in his home and Halla is playing hide and go run away from the dog.

There's an 18 month old girl available in Aurora, ON :
http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/23440924
It says preference is given to homes without cats, but that's on all their listings - so definitely talk to them.

As well, you may want to contact this husky rescue in Belleville:
http://members.tripod.com/dimples_twin/contacts.html

There's also a mal rescue in TO: http://www.malamuterescue.com/inrescue.html

If you're not sure, you can offer to foster for a local husky or mal rescue first. The dogs are more rare and it sounds like they get snapped up super quick, but they definitely do come up. Check petfinder.com, as well. My family lives in ON and my brother volunteers at a shelter - so also keep checking craigslist and the shelters.

We've shipped dogs from CA to Ontario so I know dogs can be taken into Canada with the proper documentation and is not a problem. The main thing would be the good with cats issue and making sure the dog gets along with Thane.

Here are some rescues within driving distance : http://www.siberianrescue.com/midatlantic.htm

The best thing to do is put in an application and they can let you know when a cat friendly husky comes up. Sometimes they won't know until the dog has been tested and in a foster home for a while. Best of luck and thank you so much for considering rescues!

My two are rescued and I volunteer with rescues and all of the dogs have been so wonderful and loving. The rescues will let you know if the dogs have any issues. Generally, we get very few with real issues and most are dumped at the shelters because someone was moving or didn't provide their dog with enough exercise and it was destroying their yard/home.

There's a white 2 year old female at the TO humane society (says husky shep, she looks mostly husky) - I would call them and request a cat test:
http://www.petango.com/webservices/adoptablesearch/wsAdoptableAnimalDetails.aspx?id=16486963&css=http://www.torontohumanesociety.com/CSS/petpoint.css

There's also a 6 month old husky mix with no pic:
http://www.torontohumanesociety.com/dogs.htm

With 2 males present in the home, taking in a female rescue may be easier. But it really all comes down to each individual dog.

I always like to mix the sexes when there's only two. I had a female lab, so I got a male husky. They have gotten along so well! Ruby is not at all dominant so I believe even at 5 months that Balon is alpha. Never a squabble.

awesome I'll do some more digging around and submit an application when I'm prepared to welcome another dog to our home :p

Tika wrote:

Hi Jordan,
For crossing the border you simply need the dogs rabies certificate and medal, as well as an adoption contract. We picked up Ripley from the US when Tori posted a plea to find her a foster/adoptive home. We agreed to foster and met her up halfway.
If the dog you chose doesnt have this available (doubtful if coming from a shelter) then you can call the border ahead and let them know you will be coming through, they can have a vet on call to inspect the dog and you need to sign an agreement that you will get them vaccinated within 30 days and send them the proof. We had no trouble getting Ripley over the border, make sue you have a "paid" amount on the contract, we showed 0$ and that way we avoided anyone thinking we took the dog and we didnt have to pay duty and tax.
Be very honest with the border guard, a lot of them are sympathetic if it comes to recues.
On the subject of breed, We originally disagreed on breeds for our first dog, I wanted a pitbull or a mastiff and Chris wanted a Chow Chow. We settled on husky after a lot of research and wouldnt change a thing.
We had tried to come up with a choice to match with Tika, looked like I was finally getting my pitbull, and then Ripley came along. You have to keep an open mind when looking for a rescue, they will have a dog that fits your needs, it might be none of your preferred breeds (though I tease Chris that he got what he wanted bc Rip is part Chow), but will fit your life perfectly. We never thought we'd end up with a second husky!

Good luck,
~Kelly

$64,000 question... so does this mean you're keeping her??