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

Is this your first dog?

maryz im genuinely asking for advice, im a first time owner who just wanted to know if feeding a husky cross a raw diet is ok?!!!!

yes breeder lied / given wrong advice. i know its best to get a pet insured i didnt know that full facts as samvet has just explained. which now i do and will get.

I read its a challenging breed, that it can jump 6- 8ft fences, dig its way out, will destroy the house if left with pent up energy, cant be left alone, blows coat twice a year. theres prob thousand more facts i need to know but i really tried to do my best on looking into the breed.

Great op glad to help. Just a bit of advice on policy - you need
Lifelong cover (cheaper ones end after 12m which means no cover for long term stuff)
A good max payout PER condition (not in total per year) so min £4000 for a large breed.
Have a look at pet plan, sainsbury, m and S, to name a few, you can get online quotes. Ask your vet when you go in. The monthly cost may make you wince a bit as a large breed like that won't be cheap but honestly worth it.

flora yes now ive been clued up on insurance i will be getting both sorted.

thanks will be looking up for online quotes.

Also not getting into a raw food diet debate but be aware it doesn't suit all dogs (i see some chronic vomiting/diarrhoea) and I am sure you do but with kids about make sure kitchen and bowl hygiene is excellent as the raw foods are high in food poisoning causing bacteria (esp chicken). One of my concerns when hearing about raw food use is the human health issue. No licking kids faces etc.

But you didn't did you because you don't actually know what breed this dog is . What you know is that it is some kind of husky cross. Also having done all that research do you have 8 ft + fencing ?

So this is your first ever dog, mouses?

If so - honestly, really and truly - this isn't the pup for you. Yes, "everyone has to start somewhere" when it comes to gaining experience - but the "somewhere" is to start with one of two options: either a dog from a reputable rescue that has homechecked you and decided you're suitable and will offer lifetime advice and support, or, if you want a pedigree pup, a breed that is a lot easier to keep, and a pup from a reputable breeder who health-checks their dogs and offers lifetime support. If you have never had a dog before and want a pedigree you would be much better with a labrador, golden retriever, cavalier king charles, cocker spaniel, border terrier...there are a whole list of dogs which would be much more suited to your level of knowledge. A husky cross of unknown parentagefrom a dodgy bloke (I'm not going to call him a "breeder") which is right at the end of the crucial socialisation window really, really isn't the dog for you.

I know a husky cross. He ate a three grand sofa when his owner left his walk too late and popped out

He's gorgeous though.

Yes, they are a very challenging breed, even more so with that cross.

There's no reason to think he will turn on the cat, however, there is also no reason to think he won't. Many puppies live happily with cats until the day they kill them I wouldn't be leaving them unsupervised together, no matter how friendly they seem to be with each other. Start reinforcing the dog for displaying calm behavior with the cat now.

The raw diet would be great for a husky cross. There is no need to add a mixer, as long as his diet is varied enough he will get all he needs from the raw food. Some people like to add lightly cooked, smashed veg to the meals. He should also be given oily fish once or twice a week, such as tinned or fresh sardines and eggs including the shells. Raw bones are a very important part of the raw diet, chicken wings, legs or thighs are fine and marrow bones are excellent. Offal should also be included. You can buy premixed raw food frozen or can make it up yourself, which is cheaper. There are lots of online shops you can source raw foods from. Landywoods is a popular choice.

no not 10ft but secure enough. of course im not going to keep him tired up please dont assume that!

yes im strong enough, im fit enough.

no i dont have a training class, suppose i will be flamed for that too!.

Why did you even want a dog that was part wolf (although as has already been pointed out it probably hasn't got an ounce of wolf; unscrupulous breeders will claim anything to take advantage of clueless people who will pay stupid money just for the "kudos" of being able to claim ownership of a "part wolf")??

experienced owner doesnt mean experienced wolf owner. If youd had extensive experience of other breeds and training them properly, it would still be better.

Your cute puppy will be a dangerous liability.

When we adopted out first sibe we were shown a photo of her cuddled up with a pet cat in her previous home. She later went on to kill a much loved 18 year old family cat. :(

I do think people are being too harsh on the OP - surprising from me the husky nut - at least s/he is trying their best to find out what to do now, if the circumstances involved in getting the puppy weren't exactly ideal.

I reiterate, a puppy training class is a must as is some reading about positive reward methods - Kikopup on Youtube, Jean Donaldson etc. Pup must be jabbed and socialised as soon as possible. The raw diet is ideal. If you can find out exactly what cross he is, so much the better (no insurance company will cover a dog stated as a wolf cross and many exclude Czech wolfdogs, sarlooswolfhonds etc and some even exclude the inuit/utonagan type crosses). Third party is a must even if you don't go for vet fees cover - Dogs Trust membership gives you third party insurance last time I checked. Check your fencing. Supervise with the cat. Socialise and train some more. Join your local sled dog association and observe these dogs working to get an idea of what you're getting in to in a year's time.

Best of luck.

gosh begining to doubt myself now :-(

thanks d0in, im off for a cry and a think.

With my first husky many years ago now I had a 6ft fence and she still managed to jump it. Is it really secure enough?

And I agree with others, you need to seriously consider rehoming the puppy or the cat, they are fine with each other, until they aren't, by which time it will be too late.

I think you have probably looked at wikepedia decided the puppy is cute and you can cope with what it says on there and decided to put money in the pocket of the idiot you bought him from.

I am an experienced dog owner and I wanted a particular breed fairly recently, instead of jumping in feet first I phoned around, asked on various forums and put a post on here and asked for the bad side of owning that breed and for all the information anyone who could had it could give and soon saw that it wasn't the right breed for me.

I really don't think this puppy is the right puppy for you

I've been struggling to formulate some kind of reply to this post but all I can say is x 1000.

OP talk to some experienced husky owners and look into rehoming your pup before you get into serious trouble. Huskies are THE most challenging breed of dog there is, you literally have to devote your life to them. I don't know what you could have possibly read to lead you to think this is a suitable breed for you as the advice on the challenges of the breed is available pretty much anywhere. In addition you have bought without checking the temperament of the parents, there was no health testing and you have already missed the socialisation window - this is a very dangerous experiment in dog ownership. Have you owned any dogs in the past?

I'm with maryz , no offence intended but can't see this ending well . Good luck whatever you decide .

why on earth have you chosen a wolf dog? With children? And no experience? Bonkers. You must be mad. why not a lab or a spaniel or a retriever... there is a whole multitude of dogs out there that have great 'family' credentials and would be far more suitable.

I give this 6 months before it either mauls you or wrecks your house.

There is no shame in realising you've made a mistake and seeking to find a responsible home for this pup with people who know how best to raise him and will give him the knowledge he needs to grow into a safe, reliable dog. I know you want the best for him, OP. Honestly, he's not a first-time owner's dog. He just isn't. He's gorgeous and cute and placid now - of course he is. He's a baby. All human babies are gorgeous - and then in 14 years some of them are still gorgeous and some are Kevin the teenager. Your pup is very likely to be Kevin in your inexperienced hands, even though you mean well (there's not a chance you can get away without training classes and proper support from a breed society). Honestly, the best course of action now is to rehome him with a breed specialist - there are posters here who can find one for you - and to get yourself a pup from a proper breeder who you've carefully researched, who shows you pups with their mother, who shows you certificates for all the relevant health tests, who offers lifetime support and who won't let you take a pup without asking lots of questions about your lifestyle. And you need a different breed.

Have to say, I tend to agree with the majority of the other posters, OP- you've taken on a big challenge. I have seen "wolf" crosses in my surgery, but I'm pretty sure there was no wolf in them- just people getting ripped off paying megabucks for a GSD/ husky/ malamute cross. (Not that I would ever say so to them!) I have a couple of Northern Inuits on my books and they both have horrendous health and temperament issues.

Huskies and their ilk are becoming so common they- they are very fashionable, it would seem . This is a shame for the breed, as they do tend to have different needs from other dogs. They seem, around here, to be the new staffies- owned by people who want them to look cool, but live in a tiny flat and work full time. I advise them all to get insurance (they rarely do), and to join a dog sled organisation, so that the dog can do what it was meant to do and enjoys doing. These guys really need to work, not just exercise.

It does sound like your breeder was dodgy- all the more reason to get insurance. And just say he is a cross-breed when you phone them- do NOT mention the word wolf!! I've noticed as breeds/ types become popular, and people start breeding them for easy cash, the dogs seem to have more and more health problems- seeing LOADS of huskies/ huskitas/ malamutes with skin allergies now. Don't get me started on irresponsible breeders....!

It is a really good idea to join a sled dog organisation- as well as allowing your puppy to work, you will meet experienced sled-dog owners. Good luck!

There's a lot of sound advice given about huskies. Unfortunately this dog is not a husky and, without having even seen the parents, you don't know what it is. Even if it is husky x Czech wolfdog, it may have very husky traits, very Czech Wolfdog traits or some mix of the two. You may get the best elements of both but you have an equal chance if getting the worst elements of both.

I have taken on some challenging dogs in my time. I am not afraid of a challenge and I'm confident with large dogs (I have giant breeds). I have friends who breed, show and work huskies so I have spent a lot of time and am pretty confident with them but in all honesty I wouldn't touch one of those supposed wolfdog types with a barge pole. They're too much of an unknown quantity and being bred for all the wrong reasons which inevitably compromises health and temperament - the 2 most important things in a companion animal.