Early this year, we stopped into a local shelter to see if they had any huskies. They didn't, but we left our name and number, just in case. Today, Dennis got a phone call from somebody who had been given our name and number. She'd found a husky running loose, looked for an owner, and nobody was found, so she vetted him, and kept looking for somebody who could adopt him. Well, things were getting a bit desperate for her, she is moving someplace where there is a 6 dog limit, and Jupiter was the 7th. But she certainly didn't want to euthanize him, and the local shelter had no space. So, we packed kids and dogs into the Jeep, and went off to meet him.
It didn't take us long to see that he was going to get along with us, and with our dogs, so the only worry after that was how he'd be with the cats. Apparently he was interested in them for her, but she didn't allow them to interact, so this would be an unknown. However, we are fairly experienced in dealing with cat/dog interactions, and were comfortable with taking him on and working with him if needed.
We're told he was very hand shy but has gotten better, and probably abused before she got him. He took to The Mate like a duck to water, throwing off all kinds of signs that he was totally comfortable with him, so that was a definite plus. And of course she was responsible and had him neutered and UTD on shots, so that helps as well. So, he came home with us, and we're going to enjoy having a husky around again.
Once here, he seems to be taking to everything quite well. He is ready to play a bit, though not too rough yet. (Yeah, I managed to get a great shot of his butt. You're welcome.) So anyway, then it was time to bring him inside and see what happened with the cats.
Well, he is interested, but so far it looks like it's more of a play thing than an eat thing. The cats aren't too impressed with this huge new creature, and are making some pretty mean noises, but they'll adjust. They always do. He did manage to lick a couple of them, otherwise, they are avoiding him a bit. We'll watch for a while to make sure, but our first impression is that he will fit in quite nicely. He's currently blowing coat, but we're used to dog hair, so that's not an issue for us.
The lovely lady who saved him did teach him how to Sit, so he's got that down. And he's HIGHLY treat motivated, so he should adjust to training for us with the clicker really really well. At this moment, while I type this, all the dogs are laying around relaxing after all the excitement.
I'm incredibly happy that things worked out this way, and he seems to be adjusting into the house quite well already. It's amazing that we had all but given up on finding a husky that would be okay with our girls, deal with cats in a way we can handle, and be The Mate's bud... and one just happens to fall in our laps that really needs a home.
So, there you have it, our newest pup. I'll hopefully be getting more nail polish pictures going this week, and I did a transport yesterday that I need to show off as well. But for now, I think I better get some work done.
