I am in love!! but... high prey drive =(

baloneysmom

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So, as part of my mission to lose weight (only need 15 lbs until goal!) AND my new found realization that following my goal to work in the animal field is my main focus in life now and needing 40 volunteer hours to get into school I have been walking the precious dogs at the SPCA.

I love all the dogs, they are so sweet, and cute. But as most dogs who donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t really know you they donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t react all that loving to you, they are playful and able to be patted…. But there isnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t that love and pure friendship you get when you have your own dog… Well until I met Sally.


Sally is a beautiful half husky with blue/white eyes
… yes… her eyes have white in them… she is stunning! I am in love! Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve only walked her three times and apparently she doesnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t like to be touched (according to staff, and her volunteer people comments on her sheet)… well she loves to be loved by me! Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m a pretty aggressive cuddler. Ill grab her, put her in a head lock and give her a thousand kisses, give her big bear hugs, etc and she gets all happy, tail waggy, looking at me with that pure love dog look you can only get from dogs… The other day a volunteer was shocked I could get so close to her… Itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s a classic case of a dog picking their owner.

I have two problems… one… my boyfriend absolutely does not want a dog… I can handle that and will deal with that lol. The second is my BIG problem… extremely high prey drive and I have two cats who are my cutie-pies. I wont put them in any danger.

Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve never had a high prey drive dog. Is this workable? Will she kill my cats? And if she does try and chase them, is that fixable? How likely is this problem able to be fixed in a 2.5 year old Husky?

Thanks guys! Pics to come =) She is stunning.
 

lmunsie

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maybe someone will come along with advice but from my experience it's pretty tough. I lived with a vet student while I was in university and we ended up with this really sweet, not even high energy, half husky (maybe half lab??). Anyways he was 2 when we got him and he had gotten sent back to the shelter twice because the first two people that adopted him couldn't get him to stop aggressively chasing the cats, my friend took him because he was going to be PTS and at the time we were cat-less. I don't have any tactics, but goodluck.......
 

EnzoLeya

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It's going to be very tough. You will have A LOT of work a head of you if you adopt her. We have a neighbor with two huskies. They are the only animals at the house. She doesn't let them inside, but on rare occations. They tear things up pretty bad and they are very hyper. They live in a fenced in back yard and have a doggy door to the garage. I'm almost possitive they would kill a cat, but my 5lb Thor has them buttered up! At frist I was terrified that he even got close to the fence, but yesterday he was playing with them through the fence. Both dogs were wagging their tails and hopping around.

I think that with a lot of work, and training you could do it. You also have to keep in mind Huskies are working dogs and need a long walk EVERY day. They can't live in a house or a yard a be happy.

Good luck!
 

white cat lover

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It can be worked out with some. When you say she has extremely high prey drive....has she ever been cat-tested?

Huskies are stubborn. They aren't for everyone. If you decide to adopt her, training right away (professionally) is a must!
 

lindsey88

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3 of my dogs are high prey drive but not towards cats. How does this dog react towards cats?
 

sharky

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I second the PRO trainer//// mild drive can be handled at home... HAS the dog been CAT tested??
 
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baloneysmom

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The dog has not been tested. Although I’m sure since I am a volunteer and they are pretty catering to prospective parents that I can arrange to do one there. I don’t mind a high activity dog. I am pretty active and this dog will enjoy camping, walking, swimming, hiking etc along with a huge backyard.

I think she’s a good girl. When I walk her and there’s “prey” around she will go after it, I will make a noise and she will look at me and wag her tail, noise forgotten. I just don’t know anything about a prey type dog. Is it possible to fix it if there is a problem? I don’t mind hard work but it is such a deep embedded instinct that she may kill my boys?

I will take her to group dog training just for the fact that its obvious that her stay at the SPCA made her hates dogs so I need to socialize her since one day we will get another dog. That’s mostly basic training. I will need to do the prey thing on my own in a controlled environment but I don’t want to do this if it’s hopeless.

Thanks for all of your answers.
 

lmunsie

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Also if she hates dogs that is VERY hard to 'cure'. Our Josie will attack ANY dog (not cats??) but cannot be loose around another dog. I took her to TONS of proffesional classes and we got to the point while on a leash she can be around other dogs, but I can't take her off....... We will be a one dog household for the time we have her, we have 2.5 acres in the country so no need to take her to offleash parks atleast to get excercise......
 

lindsey88

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Well if it's just squirrels ect that is normal for any dog really. If she has cat prey drive that is different and she most likely won't ever be able to be trusted with them.
 

sweet72947

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As a whole, huskies tend to be a high energy, very prey driven breed. And they will be destructive/escape artists if they aren't getting the mental and physical stimulation they need, as will most breeds. Cat test her, but don't hold your hopes up. I have met very few huskies that can get along with cats. Some who have been raised with cats will get along with the cats in their family, but still kill a stray cat if they get a chance.

I have a terrier mix that is aggressive to cats (and any other small furry or feathery creature thats not a dog), but the way we are set up we are able to keep him seperated from the cats at all times; it also helps that he is only 20lbs. I don't think there is a way to teach him that cats are Friends not Food, terriers are also known for their prey drive as they were bred to hunt rats and things. He just has to see one standing there to get in Prey Drive Mode.
 

tuxedokitties

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I wouldn't recommend it. Especially if you don't have plans to dump your boyfriend.

Any responsible shelter will insist that all members of a household be ready and willing to include a new dog. If one person in a household wants a dog but another objects, the shelter won't give them the dog.

If your boyfriend isn't in favor of it and you plan to stay with him, you really shouldn't take on a dog with the conviction that he'll change his mind later. Let him change his mind first, then look for a dog together, one that you'll both love.

Also, unless you're prepared to always exercise extreme caution and keep your dog separated from your cats, you could be putting your cats in danger. Personally, I prefer having a dog that is relaxed and calm around my cats, so dog and cats can relax together with me in the house as a group and we can all enjoy each other's company. I wouldn't want a dog that I had to always worry about keeping separated from the cats.
 

momofmany

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I also don't recommend it unless you have owned dogs all your life and you absolutely know how to control them. I've had dogs with high prey drive (greyhounds) and one of them challenged me for a long time, even after we went thru professional training. And as much as I understand about dogs (more so than cats actually), I wouldn't take on another with high prey drive. It's not worth risking the life of your cats.
 

KitEKats4Eva!

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Huskies aren't stubborn. They are dogs that have a higher ratio of adaptive intelligence to obedience intelligence, which means in a nutshell that if they can't see the point in what you're trying to teach them, it will be harder for them to learn it. They were bred to be working dogs who were required to solve problems. Give them a puzzle to work out and they'll do it easily and with enthusiasm. But they don't operate on the `must please owner at all costs' principle, which leads people to mistakenly label them as stubborn. They are a breed that need a job to do, but they do need to be part of a pack - which can lead to serious separation anxiety problems. They work in teams, this is how they were bred and what they are used to. So they will want to be part of your team, and yet on the other hand are not beholden to you for happiness - if that makes sense!

I would not recommend a Husky to an inexperienced owner or one that has other small animals unless it can be raised from early puppyhood. Even with this in mind, huskies are amongst the highest abandoned breed, because they have unique requirements and are high maintenance dogs.
 
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