[rubato456]

we just rescued a chow husky mix 2-3 year old female (we have named her emma). she is sweet, but stubborn. we have been keeping her outside in the back yard, but would like to have her inside w/ the family at some point. we have 3 cats that we also love....is there any hope? i have read that before we allow her inside, we have to be 'alpha' . very gradual introduction.....etc. i would like to know if anyone else has had such a situation w/ cats and chow husky mix work out, or if it is hopeless......

i see how she wants to go after rabbits outside or even other small dogs.....so she certainly seems to have a healthy prey instinct.

thanks for any advice you can share.

[PowerNubby]

Ok.. firrst off, any breed dog can live with just about any type of other animal if it is trained properly. There is always hope and I know many people who have dogs who are bred to have high prey drive live happily with cats.

With that being said, I would not try and do this yourself.

Training using the alpha dog methods of behavior is a delicate process and if you just take bits and pieces from the net without fully understanding the intricacies of that type of training, you can do some serious harm to your dog mentally.

Also you should not put your cats at risk because you might not have fully trained her.

I have to tell you that you should absolutely hire a behavioralist NOT a trainer..

Also, why in the wold have a dog if it lives outside and is never in the house? How long has this dog been living outside?

Is it on a leash all of the time? In a pen? Or given free reign of the fenced yard?

Is the dog trained at all? Does he react to ANY commands? Is he ok around kids? Strangers?

Does he walk well on a leash?

All dogs chance rabbbits and squirrels (well, most dogs) and just because they chase does not mean that they have a high prey drive.

My friend has a beagle that was bred as a hunting dog. She bought him from a guy who breeds his beagles specifically for fox hunts. She has this dog as a house pet, not a hunting dog.. He LOVES to chase rabbits and squirrels.. he also lives very very harmoniously with his kitty cat who loves him to death..

I also have a beagle who loves to chase squirrels but lives in a house with 6 cats!!!

IF you can not afford a behaviorist.. maybe I can walk you through some training methods via an online chat.. but you should not just interpret things you read on the net..

[rubato456]

we have her in the back yard because she was a rescue dog......we rescued her from certain death.....she was running around a high way for several days, it has been over 100 degrees here lately. she was eating garbage and i don't think she had any access to water. so we took her home. she is outside because we have 3 cats and can't bring her in......yet. she has free access in the back yard, we take her for long walks several times a day and play w/ her outside as well.

right now she is at the animal hospital having surgery on her eye and getting spayed if necessary. so we are doing the best we can......she's alive and getting some necessary medical attention. we're starting there.....

[CorkyMax]

Here are some paragraphs off the net: They need the company of other dogs or of people at all times. If you work all day, or have room for only one dog, don't get a Siberian. Loneliness for this breed equals TROUBLE. A lonely Siberian Husky will display a full spectrum of undesirable behaviors.


Siberian Huskies have a pretty common trait for digging holes in backyards. If you take great pride in your landscaping efforts, a Siberian is not for you.


While capable of strong affection for his family, the Siberian Husky is also very friendly with strangers and make poor watch dogs. A Siberian will not alert his owner to strangers. They are usually pretty happy to see just about everyone. Which I see as a positive for the Siberian. An owner is not bothered with irritating barking every time someone enters or passes by his property.


The breed in general is not good with: Cats or any small animals, rodents, birds or fowl, because of their prey drive instinct. There are of course exceptions, but don't count on it. If you desire to have or currently own such pets do not get a Siberian Husky.


Siberian Huskies are vocal. They rarely bark, but will whine, or moan, and also chirp and howl. Head held high, they will produce one of the most haunting song like sounds. Now this Siberian song fest may be music to the ears of a Siberian and the Siberian Husky fancier, but the neighborhood may not agree.


Here is the link to the entire site:
Siberian Husky Breed Profile

Here is another link that tends to disagree about the 'home' cat (and some other interesting things---what they need for nutrition for one thing!-->
http://www.siberescue.com/Breed_Info/BDiet.html

[german sheep]

A cat is by nature a chasing object for the dog. It is prey, but if you can make clear that every single cat is one of you resources and always be then the dog can accept living together as a social group without having a problem with the cats.
The precondition is, that your dog has fully understood that you are the person who administrates and controls everything (the so called alpha)
But you have to remember: what functions in the house doesn't mean automatically it is the same outside!!
Maybe your dog learns to accept the cats inside the house but as far as they are in the garden or really outside they will be chased as any other cat or rabbit...

LG
gs

english version

[angiesample]

My dog learned very early on to leave our cats alone... now she was younger so im guess that helped but just let ur dog no that chasing the cats isnt allowed. I have a "naughty mat" for my dog and thats where she goes if she gets in trouble. She stays there for no longer than 1 min. This was quite helpful when teaching her to leave the cats alone. Whatever approach u use just be consistent and dont forget to reward good behavior more than negative. Good Luck!