Soon to be New Owner

Question
QUESTION: Hi

We have decided on a husky puppy and the new adddition to the family will be with us in September we know nothing about Huskies , what to feed when to feed , I do marathon running so have the excercise sorted but the rest I am scared please help

ANSWER: Well, definitely keep reading up on them.  They are a crazy breed, but a lot of fun.  My general recommendations:

1) Food - find a high fat/high protein/high quality kibble that contains around 30% protein/20% fat (or more) and has some sort of meat/poultry/fish as the primary ingredients (not grain).  As for how much/how often - check with the breeder and you'll want to transition the pup from there, but generally, Sibe puppies usually eat 3x per day with the amount depending on age and quality of the food.

2) Crate training - Sibes (especially Sibe puppies) usually do great with house training if you do use a crate.  So, start young, make the crate a positive experience, and house training should be a breeze!

3) Exercise - puppies are playful, but generally don't have a lot of endurance yet.  So, marathon run training might be a bit much for an 8 week old puppy, but give it a few months and he/she should be right there with you (at least when the weather is cool!)

4) Training - get the Sibe started early in obedience training.  They are notoriously stubborn and disobedient dogs, but very intelligent and conniving.  I recommend letting the dog get used to its new surroundings for about 2 weeks, and then start training.  If you can find a trainer that is used to working with high drive working dogs, that's the best route.  Sibes often don't do well with treat based training (some do, but a lot don't), so just be aware of that and be patient.

5) Yard - if you plan on letting the dog out on its own in the backyard or whatever, make sure it is properly secured (hot wire is generally a good idea).  Sibes can climb fences, dig out from underneath them, jump them, etc.  They are master escape artists, so just be aware of that.

Hope that gives you a start, but feel free to write back with more questions as they pop up.

Good luck and enjoy!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi

I have some more questions , some say a malamute is better with kids than a Husky , I have a 21/2 year old and a 4/12 year old , they are gentle kids , but need to know which breed is better with my kids , also is there food I can start buying and preparing which brand it better to buy

Apologies for all the questions but the puppy will be one of the kids so need to be prepared
Thanks  

Answer
Actually, both breeds can be good or bad with a kid - a lot has to do with training.  Personally, I think the Sibes are a little better since they are more playful, a little smaller and less territorial.  Depending on you look at canine/kid interactions, you might think the larger, less playful and more territorial/possessive nature of the Mals might be better.  It's kind of a personal preference, but neither are bad with kids if raised well, trained, and supervised.

As for food, I don't recommend any specific brand because a lot depends on the dog and what is available in your area.  But take a trip to the pet store, and take a look around.  Look for meat (or poultry/fish) as the primary ingredient, and fat/protein in the 20-30% range (each) and then, it's experimentation with what your dog likes and is affordable, etc.  Also, if you are getting the dog from the breeder, ask them.  You will want to keep the dog on the existing food at least for a few weeks as you transition it to the food you are going to be buying.  All though, there is nothign to say that you can't keep using the breeder's food as well!