My 19 year old son decided to purchase a Husky puppy without doing much research. Unfortunately he probably didn't get the dog from a very reputable breeder, as she sold him prior to 6 weeks of age. A few weeks after getting the puppy, my son accepted admission to an out-of-state college for this upcoming Fall. He cannot take the dog with him since he has to live on-campus and I cannot take the dog since we have an unfenced yard and other animals already. It is an unfortunate situation, but I had hopes that we could easily find the puppy a new home since he is still young and obviously very bright. Unfortunately, two families have already taken him and given him back due to growling/biting. We are not talking about puppy nipping. This is aggression around his food, or biting hard enough to break the skin when an item is taken from him. I'm writing to get the opinion of people who have experience with huskies because I spoke with someone today at our vets office, and when she asked how old the dog was and I said not quite 4 months she told me that is NOT GOOD....neutering him will NOT solve the problem, and aggressive behavior like this canNOT be trained out of a husky, only MANAGED by an experienced husky owner who knows what they are doing. She also said he should NOT be in a home with small children. I know he is a smart dog because my son has already taught him to sit and lie down, and he and his brother have been working with him the last few days to de-sensitize him to accepting human interaction while he is eating. One son actually put the bowl of food between his legs while both of them stroked him on his body and on his head and around his face while he ate. The dog was tense at first and started to bare his teeth, but did not growl or bite. Of course this has been very emotionally difficult on my son because he does not want to give up the dog...so sending him to other families and then having to take him back has not been easy...and I'm sure its not been easy on the puppy either. Basically I need to know if what the vet assistant said is accurate--that he will always be an aggressive dog?

I'm definitely no expert but i would say noticing his issues or food aggression now is a good thing for the pup. I feel its easier to train the behaviors out now rather then in years from now. I dont agree with the vet assistant at all i think you could train it out of him but a big part of your problem may be that he is so young and has been passed around. I agree that he shouldnt be in a house with young children because they like to grab things and taking away something could cause a biting accident. He may have a more dominant personality that needs to be controlled properly. Huskies are one dog that you cant let be the boss so to speak and by passing him around he is confused and does not know who is his leader. Sounds like your boys are doing good on working on desensitising him so far they need to keep it up and a decision needs to be made on where they pup will be, staying with you while he is away or finding a new home. If the pup has to haveca new home make it clear that the food aggression and aggression with taking things from him are presenting to be an issue with him i wouldnt rehome with a young child either.

I think you need to get in contact with a breed specific rescue and allow them to give him the training he needs.

His behavior sounds like it stems from the instability in his life. I'm sure with a consistent home and with training and dedication, he will be an amazing dog. He needs a stable environment with positive reinforcement training, whether that be with you, or someone else. Food and resource guarding can definitely be curbed.

Yes I agree with Brooke. Food aggression can definitely be trained out, especially since he is so young, BUT if not done properly, the guarding could get a whole lot worse, since he is so young. I think finding a rescue that deals with huskies is the best way to go as well. They can hopefully, put him in a stable foster home that can work with him on his issues, and then find a forever home for the little guy.

Where are you located? A lot of members here volunteer or are familiar with rescues all over, and may be able to connect you with one.

Thanks to everyone for your feedback! I really appreciate your time. We are located in Staunton, VA. It's a small town--I have no idea where the closest Husky Rescue would be to where we live, but I definitely want to advise my son to do the responsible thing for this doggie.

I'm quasi near you, just north of Annapolis. I work for Delaware Valley Siberian Husky Rescue, and while we don't normally take dogs from VA (we do MD, DE, NJ, and eastern PA), but I can ask around and see if anyone has any references for VA folks. Give me a little while, and I'll try to get an answer for you tonight.

If you contact me privately at info@siberianhuskyrescue.org we may be able to help but I need to be able speak to you.