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Blending a family...Step-Pets

18 16:58:46

Question
My fiance and I just bought our dream house and will moving in within the next month.  He has 2 Siberian Huskies that are two years old and spend about 90% of their time outdoors. There are a few behavioral issues with his dogs, one female, one male, both sterile, the male very dominant and stays in the yard, the female, a runner, jumps the fence and seems jealous at times of the male.  There is a lot of competative behavior between them.  I have an eleven month old male Shih-Tzu, sterile, and his best friend is our 10 month old cat.  In a month we blend all this together.  I'm worried about the male Husky being aggressive, he's 95 lbs, my little Shih-Tzu is 10 lbs.  My fiance assures me that his Huskies won't harm my Shih-Tzu, but when we try to introduce them before the move, his Huskies get so rough and growls, that mine usually gets hurt. Am I being over-protective?  The Husky's body language "feels" a bit menacing to me.
I'm worried, can you offer any guidance into this blend family transition?  Thank you.

Answer
I'd be worried about that cat, also.

This is a touchy situation.  Your fiance's dogs are not under control; they have their own issues and he is clearly not in charge.  Nor is he able to predict what will happen to your dog.  There is every likelihood that one, or both, of these Huskies will have serious issues with another dog in their pack environment.  The cat has zero chance with them.

You need to find a certified animal behavior expert, Ph.D. or DVM, BEFORE making this move.  There is absolutely NO WAY to safely introduce your cat to these two Huskies...NO way.  Unless your cat is an indoor cat, and these two dogs are going to spend 100% of their time outdoors (which is not humane, no matter the climate), your cat will be a Husky speed bump.  I guaranty it.  Call the veterinary college closest to your home and ask for referrals.  But even with the most exquisite intervention, you cannot change a pig's ear into a silk purse.  Those two Huskies require serious behavior modification and rehabilitation.  Your Shih Tsu doesn't stand a chance in this mix.  I have no idea why you waited until the last minute to try to evaluate this situation.