new husky puppy advice

[mouses]

On fri (29th) i bought home my gorgeous 14wk old husky cross. he's dad is wolf mum a husky. he is 14wks old.

he was fed on tripe, which i have to put in the microwave ( from frozen) for 14mins mixed with mixer biscuits. Im weaning him over to barf / raw adding in a few natures menu nuggets and taking away some tripe. now he is eating the nuggets then tripe but leaving the mixer?

is it ok to change him over to nuggets or should it be mince, chicken wings / portions? also am i going right way about it? was thinking of the free flow tripe from natures menu too??
aswell, how much and often should he be eating? he weighs 13.6kg quite petite in size (was told he was runt)

when reading up on the breed i was bracing myself for a challenge as i read they need their energy burned off, but this little one is so laid back he sleeps so much? and after a short 10mins toy session he needs another rest?

he cant go out yet he hasnt had his jabs which the breeder told me he doesnt need until his 5mths due to his breed? although im calling vets on tues to check.

all help is appreciated thanks

[tabulahrasa]

Assuming the mixer is to make it a balanced diet - I'd try to sort out his diet sooner rather than later as just tripe isn't great, I mean it's a great thing for him to be eating, but not alone.

You're aiming for 2% of his body weight so just under 300g a day just now, but he might need a bit more or less than that, just see how he goes. I don't think it matters about whether it's nuggets or mince - actual meat and meaty bones are better for their teeth though. Feeding should be 4 times a day until about 4 months, 3 times a day from then until about 6 months then twice a day is fine, though some raw feeders say they find their dogs need more frequent meals than twice a day.

As far as I know, huskies have the same vaccination schedule as any other dog... Puppies do sleep a lot, tbh, it's a good idea to get any puppy checked at the vets once you have them, so you could all to them about that then.

Um, when you say his dad's a wolf?...

[mouses]

so should i do without the mixer? ive read raw feeders dont add dry? i think?

I want to feed him on the thighs and portions but didnt want dive straight into it with a thigh - wanted him to be introduced to small minced raw first.

oh dear! well i was told twice a day (owners info! ) - no wonder he aint got energy poor thing :-( so from now i will do 3 meals of 100g?

yes it did seem a long time to wait for vaccs as he needs to get socialised really. will be calling vets tues. thanks for your help.

yea... breeder owns 2 wolves (with liscence) which he breeds with his husky and his malamute. ive sort of got that reply alot when introducing to neighbours and friends....

[BoreOfWhabylon]

So OP, do you have a licence for what you describe as a F1 wolf/dog hybrid, as required by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act?

[tabulahrasa]

No - most people feed raw and dry food at separate meals if they mix because apparently it digests at different rates.

Chicken wings are good for puppies, he should at least be able to manage a chew on it - but I bet he'll cope fine with it.

4 meals of about 75g or even 3 of 100 should suit him much better.

I don't know if I'm jealous or shocked that you have a wolf hybrid, lol, was your licence complicated or is it just a bit of a red tape exercise? I know hybrids need them, but I've never come across anyone with one before.

Have you photos? I'd love to see what he looks like.

[mouses]

no!!! he told me you only need one if you are breeding wolfs / hybrids!

how do i go about getting one please?!

tabula i havent any at the moment but will get round to it. thankyou for your advice.

[tabulahrasa]

Oh dear - I'd say ask the breeder but between the licence and the vaccinations it sounds like he might not be who you want to talk to.

I had a quick look, it's your local council you need and in mine they want to do a paid inspection of the premises before deciding.

[RedwingWinter]

Mouses are you in the UK? It is illegal to have a wolfdog without a licence.

[MissyMooandherBeaverofSteel]

You need to contact your local council for a licence which you will definitely need.

I know pure huskies need their jabs the same as every other dog, I'm pretty certain that a cross breed would too.

Did the breeder have full health checks done on both parents? Huskies can have a whole host of health problems, and with all the cross breeding going on now they seem to be flavour of the month there are more and more getting added to the mix.

The pure bred huskies are a pretty hard breed to keep, I have had a few, but I absolutely wouldn't have a husky now I have small children tbh, they also need a lot of training daily, and they need to be walked for miles every day too, they can also be very territorial.

A wolf/husky cross sounds like a recipe for disaster imo. I wouldn't have encouraged someone to cross breed like that by buying a puppy from them, especially someone who doesn't seem to know what they are talking about

[D0oinMeCleanin]

A dog like this will need a seriously experienced handler. Please, please, please get in touch with either me or another rescue experienced poster on this board and we will arrange a proper home for this dog.

This is not a slur on you OP, please don't take it as one, but honestly, even I, and am sure RedWing and Tabulahrasa would say the same, would seek further help/guidance/support with the training and socialising of a dog with this breeding.

The wolf has a very different socialisation window to the canine, if your dog is more wolf than dog, you could be in for some very serious problems in the future.

[BoreOfWhabylon]

Oh mouses, it sounds as if this breeder does not have the best interests of you, the puppy or his animals at heart at all.

Please please take advice from experts like DOoin and others on this board.

[RedwingWinter]

I agree Dooin. Wolfdogs need a lot of socialization. I have met some and they are wonderful creatures but they really have special needs. Also they don't make suitable pets because you can't house train a wolf.

I didn't know whether to assume the OP is pulling our leg, or if they are actually in e.g. the US. In which case, it is most likely that the husky/wolf is really a husky or husky/malamute/GSD, as there is a lot of misrepresentation of wolfdogs there. However, a misrepresentation is probably the best outcome given the difficulties of raising a wolfdog.

[RedwingWinter]

Anyway, my best advice to anyone with a puppy, siberian husky or otherwise, is to get a copy of Life Skills for Puppies, and also read The Culture Clash, and the free puppy training handbook at the dogstardaily website. In particular, read the stuff about socialization and teaching bite inhibition and get started right away

[mathanxiety]

The husky in him will need a LOT of exercise and physical handling. If you're a runner, then you could run a few miles with him every day. The husky I am most familiar with loved to wrestle with his owner and needed to feel he was in a pack, with the owner as the alpha dog.

But I think this is not really a pet.

[toboldlygo]

If you are in the UK this dog will NOT have any wolf content. I can 99% guarantee it. On phone at the moment having just finished a night shift, will pop back later to comment further - I volunteer for Siberian husky rescue, if you want to leave a list of specific questions please do and I'll get back to you. :)

[toboldlygo]

Some quick thoughts before I go for a kip:

Raw food is ideal for huskies, they commonly can't tolerate a cereal based diet. Any combination of chicken pieces, minces and branded raw products like Natures Menu would be fine. Mixer biscuit is not required. Tripe is a good feed and usually well tolerated. Pups should be fed little and often.

13kg seems very heavy for a 14 week old but it does depend on the actual cross. At 14 weeks he will be sleeping for most of the day - he's a baby! At this age it is more about tiring them out mentally.

It is now that the important work begins in watch me/sit/stay/leave/settle/tug games, crate games if you're using one, loose leash walking. Serious exercise should not commence until after 12 months - before then, avoid prolonged running, enforced exercise on hard surfaces and jumping from any great heigh. They benefit from intense socialisation and obedience training. Puppy classes are an absolute must, as is reading up on positive reward training - as above, Jean Donaldson is a good place to start. After 12-18 months they will benefit hugely from using their natural ability in things like canicross, dryland mushing and bikejor. They will require several hours of exercise per day and this must be done on leash.

Vaccination schedule is same as any other dog so he should have had at least one jab by now.

Disagree that huskies commonly suffer from health problems - they have very few heritable diseases, though this is no excuse for not hip, elbow and eye testing breeding animals. They are also extremely disinclined to be territorial and should be naturally gregarious animals with no guarding instinct.

Would be interested to know the name of the breeder, PM if you wish, as above it is extremely unlikely that this dog has any wolf content at all but I'd be interested to see the breeder's claims and lack of health tests/show results/working credentials.

[mouses]

natashabee, no i havent had experience but you need experience to get experience. I read into the breed for months before deciding on one.

Im feeling quite sad actually, ive been mislead. yes im in uk. im going to have to get intouch with my local council sharpish! im so shocked and saddened by this. so is there a cost for liscence and how is it done?

dilema i have kids,

the dog is very gentle and calm. comes when called and knows sit, stay and goes outside for toilet. although does have accidents.

i did ask to see the parents but breeder said they were 25miles, i didnt ask health check as he sounded like was well experienced.

[TeaOneSugar]

Do you have an address and landline number for the breeder?

To be honest the advice not to vaccinate yet sounds like the breeder is trying to keep you away from the vet until he's long gone.

Like someone said it's highly unlikely there's any wolf in this puppy, but you'll need to be sure, personally I'd get it to the vets asap for a check up and advise on breed.

I'd be inclined to apply under the act to be absolutely sure, it'll cost around £100 (according to my local authority website) plus vet fees. I'm assuming you've been telling people it's a wolf cross so there's a chance of it being reported to the local authority.

[TeaOneSugar]

something like this

The advert says it's low wolf content therefore doesn't need a licence.

[MissBeehivingUnderTheMistletoe]

Holy shit

[MrsJaqenHgar]

I would bet that the breeder owns Sarloos wolfdogs or Czech Wolfdogs. Neither are wolves and don't need a license to keep them. There are quite a few people churning out these types of crosses now and calling them wolf hybrids to cash in. However, my understanding of them is that they are not suitable for the inexperienced dog owner as they tend towards being more nervous/wary of people and this can manifest in fear aggression.

I recall reading some real horror stories about some of the original wolfdog imports into the UK...like a bitch being so aggressive that she had to be shot as no-one could get near her. And I'd bet that much of the population are descended from those original dogs that were imported from Europe.

[Samvet]

Op you need a lot of advice. You need to ASAP:
Get the dog vaccinated (all dogs need vaccs whatever breed) now, should have been done at 9 weeks so get on ASAP.
Get booked into a puppy training class and subsequent training program
Contact the husky breed societies for ongoing advice
Get the dog insured ASAP as your vet bills will be very high for a large dog like this.
Read the recommend texts on training and dog behaviour - you will need them

These are incredibly challenging large dogs and in my opinion not family pets. You need to work very hard on training all through the dogs life. In future remember you never buy the runt and you always see at least the mum if not both parents. 25 miles away? Rubbish. He sounds a dodgy breeder and probably gave you false numbers or will not be interested when you call with issues.

This is a breed for a highly experienced dog owner with a lot of time for training and exercise. Please seek early help from your vets and a local dog trainer. Do not walk him until vaccines have been done. Don't be surprised if your vet raises several eyebrows when you go in.

[tabulahrasa]

13 kg didn't seem that big to me last night - I have a Rottie, lol, but actually that's really really heavy for any sort of husky cross, huskies are quite light even for the size of them.

I'm wondering if you've not met the parents if it some sort of Alaskan Malamute cross, they're much bigger.

Wolves are not dogs and to get a wolf hybrid that's anything like suitable to be a family pet - they need so much socialization and training, much much more than any breed of dog. I know people have wolf hybrids and I'm a big believer that there are no inherently dangerous breeds of dog, but a wolf is something else, which was why I said I didn't know if I was impressed or shocked. I mean they look stunning, but I can't even imagine what a teenage one would be like...

At this point I'd be contacting the vet and the council and hoping that it turns out that he's some other kind of cross to be honest.

I've found Ork Wolf I don't know them, but they run a rescue as well as breed and have a forum on the website so it might be helpful to talk to owners about your puppy.