Alaskan Malamute, was Siberian husky rescue? - Page 1

What exactly am I getting myself into?

There is a young Siberian husky that is running loose near the highway near my home.  Sweet girl, I have her confined in my quarantine room.  I of course will try to find her rightful owner.  

If no one claims her, what am I getting myself into by keeping her?  I know little about huskies, other than they are escape artist and love everyone.

 My friend has one that I love, but I also know how distinctive the dog is.  I mostly put that on the owner though, as they do little training and he is mostly confined outside.

any experience you have would be appreciated.   Advice and honest truth, good, bad, and ugly is what I am looking for.

Ok.  In looking a bit more on line, I think the girl is an Alaskan Malamute instead.

Now I have even less of an idea of what I am getting into.  Any help on an Alaskan Malamute?

Mods - can you change the title to reflect Alaskan Malamute?

Thanks

My parents had Huskies/Malamutes when I was a child.  To be honest, they nearly turned me off ever having dogs myself but I realize now that it was due to lack of training/proper exercise and care.  

Here is what I know.

1 - They NEED work.  More so even than a Shepard, in my opinion and it needs to be physical.  Look into getting her into some sort of pulling work, carts ... bikes, anything.  

2 - They are destructive if not worked.

3 - They are intelligent but can be stubborn.  They'll know what "Here" means, look you straight in the eye and go the opposite direction if they're of a mind too.

4 - Think your fence is high enough?  Build it higher.

5 - Once you get your fence high enough, anchor the bottom, preferably by sinking it in concrete.

6 - Get some new shedding rakes, you're going to need them!  But the dog needs them more, regular grooming is a must.

7 - An exhausted Husky/Malamute is a happy Husky/Malamute.  My mother had a male, before I was born, who she would take out riding with her daily.  Hours on horse back, trotting, galloping, over fences, miles of cross country.  This dog never lost a step and needed every hour, ever mile to keep him happy.

8 - Friendly ... depends on the dog.  I've seen some very happy go lucky Huskies and I've seen some look right through you with a stare that would do a PPD proud.  Judge the individual dog in your hands, not by your friend's dog.

9 - They're runners. You can never put too many miles on a Husky/Malamute

Shepards can be high drive and intelligent but as a whole they want to please, they want to be close to their master/mistress and want to train.  Husky/Malamutes are more what I'd call independent thinkers.  They want to be working and if you're not giving them a job, they'll go off and find their own job, thank you very much.  They're not as interested in pleasing you as a Shepard but if you can engage them, they can be nice dogs.  Just understand the work you're taking on by committing yourself to one.

Ok. Makes sense.  

I live in Texas so pulling a sled really isn't an option.  I do agility with one of my dogs.  Do you think that is enough of a job?

Any ideas for a job for her?

You don't need to have a sled, most people in the lower 48 don't do sledding.

There are a lot of vehicles for dogs to pull.

http://chalosulky.server271.com/

Each dog is an individual so I'd say by all means try agility with her.  But you'll want to make sure her bond to you and the course can overcome her natural instinct to RUN when she's let off the leash.

Huskies/Malamutes were bred for running/pulling/RUNNING.  That is where their strongest instincts lie, which is why getting them to do a focused, owner oriented job can be a challenge.

You'll probably find you both have more fun and are more relaxed if you can hook into cart work.  Your Shepards might also enjoy some light cart work so it could be a win/win for everybody.

With your history of your dogs running loose, I would find her another home if you cannot find the owner. 

Remember, a dog like that can and will cover many many miles in a day, so I would spread the word far and wide that you found her. People often don't think to look as far as the dog may have gotten. 

Cool link and definitly gave me ideas.   

So is this a dog that is "always on"?  Maybe like a Mal.?

fawndallas, am I recalling incorrectly, don't you have one dog who is dog-aggressive?  While most Malamutes have an excellent disposition when it comes to people,  few are willing to take any crap from other dogs...and if the one that's dog-aggressive is one of your females, that is a recipe for a very bloody battle that you will find near-impossible to break up by yourself without you being injured in the process.

If I'm mistaken, my apologies, but if not, it would be extremely unwise to take in any new dog if there's a resident dog who is known to display intra-species aggression.

You are correct.  That dog is kept away from all other dogs.  He is a male.  Both of my females are docile and not dog aggressive .

You did bring up a good point.  Although the husky seems healthily, she'll be in quarantine for 14 days.

Truely, these are not dogs that should be in the south, unless owner is willing to pay a high a/c bill.   Anyone know of a home in Canada/Alaska (only half kidding)?