Possibly adopting a Husky General Chat

Put for and against owning a husky in the search engine and loads of stuff comes up, eg:

http://voices.yahoo.com/owning-siberian-husky-things-consider-2875904.html

which seems to be fairly typical of the reviews.

Lovely, but extremely demanding breed

I am going to ask weather the breeder is aware, and contact her. They are rehoming due to unforeseen health problems. I don't smack Michael and only tap suki on her nose, I understand a husky is a breed that the wouldn't be smacked.

I have read they don't do well without their 'pack' would she s
Be okay being left for a couple of hours with suki and Michael [not while she is a pup].

What sort of enrichment do you do?

As much as people think I was wrong with bandit I wanted what was best for him
ATD x

ATD x

I think a Husky who is being left alone for a few hours a day *may* become very destructive IF they are not getting a lot of exercise. I don't mean just long walks - I mean running, being worked with a rig and harness, with scooters..... Huskies need to run

I think you and your OH need to sit down and ask yourselves WHY you think adding another dog is good idea at this moment in time.

What will this new dog bring that you cannot obtain from your current two dogs?

Will your OH be able to commit for next 10+ years to owning a breed that has more 'specialist' requirements than your average Cocker Spaniel? exercise wise, is he willing to go above and beyond to ensure the dog is kept happy as simply letting the dog loose to run will probably not be an option?

What happens if the Husky ends up developing behavioural issues like Bandit did? will you work with the dog, utilize trainers and behaviourists, etc., or will you rehome the dog like you did with Bandit?

please find out about the breeder 'bad health' shouldnt stop them telling the breeder....may even be under 'contract' (hopefully)
as for being 'left' for a few hours,once built up slowly(like any pup) there is no reason why they cannot be left exp as u have other dogs,but like any pup/teenager 'destruction' varys
a sibe needs mental stimulation,likes to be 'involved' with their pack(canine and human) and will take as much exercise as u can throw at them.
...and if u are garden proud or house proud not the breed for u ;-)

lol!! u tell the sibes sitting on my sofa that truth is,u can NEVER wear a sibe out,they 'self regulate' ;-)

any dog that is bored MAY get destructive if left alone too ;-)

Thank you for all your comments we are going to go and do some more research
ATD x

There is a wealth of information on our website (www.dreamcatcher.org.uk) and on our welfare site (www.huskywelfare.org.uk).

Bringing a baby husky into a home with other dogs can be "interesting". When we got our first husky almost 18 years ago, the first thing he did was to teach our ageing Labrador some bad habits. Biscuit (the Lab) had never tried to escape, never dug in the garden, never stolen food, and never tried to open a door. By the time the husky was 4 months old he was doing all these things and had taught the Lab to do them as well!

I love huskies and have a large pack of them, but I am the first to acknowledge that they are most definitely NOT the dog for everyone!

Mick

I did quite a bit of research in to huskies when my ohs family were considering one as a breed to own.

Personally as much as I admire the breed from a distance I think they need a special home.
I know all dogs can carry these traits but huskies seem to exhibit them more commonly especially when understimulated:

Digging in the garden (husky landscaping )
Being able to jump fences
Difficulty recall training
Need to be entertained
Chewing and other destructive behaviors
Can be quite vocal
Independence (making training hard as they are not always owner focused).

I see lots round here, most on lead but all generally very sweet.
I think they make lovely dogs in the right home.

Perhaps join a husky forum (if there is one) and get people's experiences on there. Might also be a good idea to arrange a walk with someone who owns a husky just so you could chat about their experience with the breed.

It sounds like you already have loads on your plate with 2 dogs and a new baby. However if it*all goes well and you are still keen then why not, they just don't seem like a dog for everyone!*

Kismet has access to the conservatory including her covered crate as a hiding place and full run of the (smallish) yard all day... My enrichments with Kismet when she is left alone include:

paper feed bag full of news paper and squeaky toys then parcel taped closed. When we have an empty kibble bag, kismet loves nothing more than to leap up and down on the bag and dig through it to get to the squeaky toys she can hear within.

Cardboard box filled with newspaper and treats

Towel knotted up with treats in the knots

Big tub of sand or dirt for digging (my garden is all patio, so I have on of those two half hard apple shaped paddling pools which I fill with water and float treats in in the summer, or fill with dirt from the front garden or play sand my brother is throwing out in the cold weather (he has a cat problem and a toddler at his house) Kismet loves to dig! I just sweep up the mes and throw back in the play pit for the next day, sometimes I bury her enrichment box too

hidden toys or treats in the yard, under buckets or behind furniture. (she is shut in while I hide them, then let out when I leave for work)

radio on a timer, so she has periods of quiet, and periods of noise.

Access to sight of, but not play with my other dog (Pharaoh is too old and delicate to risk leaving them together). But they can see each other through the patio doors.

Smelly blankets and towels from college... We have rabbits, ferrets, chinchillas, goats, sheep, pigs, horses, chickens... all sorts at college, I either rub the animal, or leave a towel or blanky in their pen for a bit, then bring it home and give it to Kismet when I go, she spends hours rolling in it and carrying round the smelly towel

I have also installed eyespy fx webcam, so I can watch her while I am out, so I know these enrichments are working

Always trying to think of new ones

Hay
Thanks for those websites had a quick glance will look at them properly in a little while but looks really interesting.

The only thing that concerns me is the vocal part, I can work around the other things.

Thanks for them ideas

ATD x

Love this