Seriously considering adopting this pup....

[JFrick]

She's a Husky/Alaskan Malamute mix, mostly Husky. The Husky shelter is located in my home town, which is how I found her. The only thing that I'm kinda nervous about is how she and my Aussie would get along. I've researched the Husky and Malamute breeds as I've always liked the 2, and found that Malamutes can be aggresive towards other dogs. Guess that's really if they aren't socialized as pups....Is there any info that you all could give me about the breeds? Any positive or negative things about the breeds?

http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=7520118

Thanks for any info......

 

[dr2little]

Is you dog a male or female?

 

[JFrick]

Khaki, the Aussie, is an 11 month old female. She will be one year old on Dec. 30th.

 

[Kenzie]

I'm owned by an Alaskan Malamute. I've had Mals for over 20 years, but I'd have to know alot more about your situation before I could give any advice. Is you dog m/f? Is it spayed/neutered? Age? How is it with other dogs? Do you like being out in the snow, enjoy winter sports? The more info I have the better I can help!

 

[JFrick]

Well, I live in South Carolina, so we don't get much snow. That is one thing I've thought about regarding the breed, the heat in the summer time. Average temps here in the summer are in the 90's, and will get into the 100's from time to time. Very humid here also.......

Khaki is spayed and gets along great with other dogs and people. I socialized her very well as a pup.

 

[JFrick]

Thought I'd add that I own 1 acre of land with 5 acres surrounding it that my parents own, so they have plenty of land to run around on. My backyard is fenced in for the dogs for when I'm not at home. There are plenty of trees, so there is a lot of shade.

 

[Fran27]

So cute!!!!

 

[JFrick]

Should I start a new thread in another section? I wasn't sure if this was the right place for this to begin with......not getting much advice...

 

[dogstarsleddogs]

First of all, cute pup! If introduced as pups, they will get along fine.
The pup should be able to handle the heat just fine, make sure there is tons of water, and no hard exersize. Here it is often in the 90's, and even a few days above 100 in summer. Though it probably isnt as humid...
Second, please make sure youre fence is extremly secure. I dont do anything less then 6 foot. Constantly check for digging. My dogs can dig a hole 2 feet deep in an amazingly fast time.
If the pup is going to be let run loose, constantly work on recalls. Its taken about 20 mins of training each day, for 5 months for my pups to have a fairly solid recall. And even if you have a good recall down, still, never trust a loose husky. Can can be gone in a flash. And be 10 miles away in as little as an hour.
Make sure you can handle all the stubborness. If you are still fairly new at dog training, obediance classes are a very good idea. Training Northern breeds is different then other dogs. You have to convince them that they really want to do it. They have to think its thier idea to "sit."
Anyother questions, feel free to ask!

 

[Road dog]

We have two females and a male, VASTLY different breeds (GSD, Collie, and a Chi.) and all get along great. They are all close to th same age.

Sometimes older dogs don't appreciate hyper active puppies wanting to play while they want to sleep, but being as how your dog is a pup as well they should make great playmates. Just be careful until the little husky girl catches up to the aussie in size. Playful accidents can always happen.

I wouldn't worry about the heat. I'm in Southern California and huskys are a very popular breed here. If she is raised in that climate she will become adapted to it. Just make sure there is lots of water available. Many huskys enjoy kiddie pools, the plastic ones you can buy at Wal-Mart.

Cute pup.

 

[Kenzie]

I'm sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, I've been working on something else Dogstarsleddogs gave you very good advise. Mals are a different breed, definately not guard dogs, they more likely to let a stranger in and show him the fridge, that way he gets a reward lol! Many say that females do not get along with other females, many breeders I know keep their females in seperate kennels. They are a very affectionate, loving breed and everyone's friend.

I would suggest making an appointment and asking if you can take your dog with you to see how they interact. Your Aussie is a herding instinct, and Mals have a high prey drive, especially for smaller animals, so keep that in mind.

Adoption is a very personal decision only you can make, so I'd never assume to tell you to go ahead or not. The best advise I can give you, is read all the info you can on the breed, talk to as many as you can, and learn both the pros and cons of the breed before you decide. Malamutes are very determined require alot of grooming, and persistant guidance throughout their lives. They are not popular for obedience work, although you will find some examples, so if you're looking for a dog that will always come on command, for example, a Mal is not for you.

A breeder once told me that a Malamute lives WITH you, not FOR you! Sorry I can't be of more help, but ask away if you think of anything and I'll try to answer for you. BTW, is your home air conditioned or do you have ALOT of fans, and how do you feel about miles of tumbleweeds in the house when they blow coat?

 

[ToscasMom]

Many huskys enjoy kiddie pools, the plastic ones you can buy at Wal-Mart.

I'm glad to hear this is not so uncommon, because I was beginning to think I was a true nutball when I bought a kiddie pool for Tosca.

 

[Whisper]

I'm glad to hear this is not so uncommon, because I was beginning to think I was a true nutball when I bought a kiddie pool for Tosca.

Nah, you're not a nutball. When I had a dog that actually liked water we had a kiddie pool for him.

 

[JFrick]

Cool, thanks for the replies. You've all given some great info.
I'm thinking this isn't the pup for me. I like dogs that are easy to train and are very obedient. Sounds like Husky's nor Mal's are like this.....

I am going to volunteer at the shelter though, found out it's only about 5 miles from my house. If I find that I really like the breed, I'll adopt one later from the shelter...

Thanks again.