Siberian Husky/German Shepherd mix

My fiance and I took in a 4yr old Husky/Shepherd mix from an old friend of mine this past Friday (July 27/07).  He just didn't have the time to care for him properly.  We have a 2yr old daughter who LOVES dogs and thought this would be a great addition to our little family.  Nanook is wonderful!  He's very calm, obedient, and just a great big suck (bigger than our daughter!).  He follows me around everywhere and doesn't appear to like to be alone even if he knows we're there (i.e. left in the back yard alone).
I realize that he is in a new environment with new people.  Even though he has taken quite a liking to us all, I understand he is still not use to us - doesn't really know us.  Nanook hasn't touched his food since Friday morning before he was brought to our house.  He is wanting to eat OUR food (which we are not giving him) but not HIS food.  Is there anything we can do to encourage him to eat his kibble?  We did not change his food and are trying to stick with his regular routine/diet.  He is walked at least twice a day and let out into the backyard for exercise as well.  Normally he goes out on a 30ft lead (until we replace our fence), however, he did sneak out of the back garage door one day.  When I was ready to chase after him I was very happy to see that it wasn't necessary - he was just laying on the grass.  When he has gotten out without his leash or lead, he has never gone far or off the property.
When I went to get him his dog license, the man at the Humaine Society looked at me strange when I told him he was a Shepherd/Husky mix because he looks strictly like a Husky.  Is there any way to know for sure??
Here is a picture of Nanook when he was a puppy.  I will have to upload a more recent one.

All of the husky/GSD mixes I have know have been really great dogs. However, it really depends on the training and socialization.
 
As far as beds in crates go - my aussie is a bed destroyer so he doesn't get anything but his kong, water and a bone in his crate when I go to work. That is just fine with him. When I did have a bed in there, he either crawled UNDER it to sleep or chewed it up.

Like Ron, I have a lab/husky mix, and he has never shown any inclination to escape.  He does like to dig, but not to escape, just for fun I think, and to bury his treasures.  And he's dug himself a way under the back porch and he really likes to hang out under there, becuase it's cool, I think  But he doesn't try to get out, and he doesn't have the instinct to run and not come back that you hear about in pure Huskies.  In fact he's great off-leash.
 
So, you never know with mixes what breed traits will come out.  Part of what makes it so fun!
 
As with any dog, though, it never hurts to patrol your property and make sure there are no escape routes.  And no need to rush into off-leash settings until you are satisfied that your dog has a good temperament, adequate training, and an excellent recall. 
 

I've got a 13mo old Husky/Shepard dog.  She is the best dog.  She's got a lot of energy, but she learns stuff so fast.  I can teach her a new trick in less than 5 minutes with the clicker. 
 
She only likes to dig in soft dirt or sand.  And she will only do it for about 15 seconds and then be done. 
 
I can also trust her off leash on my grandma's property, were there are no doggies to distract her.  She want to be around people all the time so she'll get about 20 yards ahead of me then stop turn around and wait till I get closer.  I never taught her this, she just does it on her own. 
 
As for the bed eater, Harley only has water and a toy in there as well.  We learned the hard way whatever you put in there she's going to shred.  Someone here suggested getting some cheap bedding from goodwill.  Just make sure before you put her in the crate she gets lots of exercise.

I have a 3 yr old german shepherd / husky mix named Rhany.  We picked her up at an animal shelter in Germany when she was a little over a year old.





We figured out she can't be left alone in the house (after coming home to an unrolled toilet paper roll and miscellaneous plant parts strewn about), so unfortunately when we go somewhere she has to be locked in her crate.  At first we'd have bedding in there, but that got shredded after a few times. 

She's usually quiet as a mouse unless she's playing.  When playing, she'll sometimes gives out a howl / growl noise that makes my wife and I crack up.  She does the same noise when a hair dryer is pointed at her.  Very odd.  Oh, and she's been know to do that same noise while walking by the elderly.  I have no idea why; maybe her previous owner was old.  Like I said, we picked her up at a shelter, so we have no idea of her background.

Oh, and she has the most beautiful eyes...

I could go on about how great she is, but it's time to take her out for a walk. 

[sm=welcome2.gif] Stevens
 
Rhany is beautiful.  She sounds a lot like my girl.  She's pretty vocal when she's playing.  How big is she?

She's about 25 kilos (~55 pounds).  As far as how tall she is... I'm 5'10" and when she is standing upright she almost comes to my neck.

Hello everyone!  My name is Jennifer and I just recently adopted a 5-1/2 week old female husky/shepherd mix.  She is still at the pet store and will be there for another 2 weeks until she is big enough to come home with me.  I am adopting her because I currently have a 4yr old male pit that I feel I can't do anything for anymore.  I have been in an uphill battle with him it seems.  He is VERY dog agressive and is the same way with most humans.  It is a very hard and sad decision to make, but it needs to be done.
 
Anyways, my concern is my 3 cats and 10 month old female pug.  I want a dog that will get along with them and also get along great with humans.  I have been doing research on the breed and it appears that this will be the case.  I had a GSD when I was growing up and he was the greatest dog.  Very good with pets and humans...and VERY obedient.
 
I was told that a female was the best bet for me to get because they are generally better with kids and other animals.  Is this true?  Most of my experience has been with males so I am not sure how females are except for the experience I have had so far with the pug.
 
I would appreciate any feedback that anyone has to give on this topic.  Thanks so much!
 
Jennifer
 
PS- Here are pics of the little one. 

I think it all depends on socialization, and since you are getting a young pup, there's no reason it shouldn't grow up to leave the other animals be.  I have a purebred GSD from 100% working lines and she has no prey drive towards my cats at all.  She is 3.5, so a full grown adult, and I've only had her a month but there has never been an incident with my three cats.  If anything, they are the ones mean to her.  Again, since you are getting her so young, I don't think the gender will matter as long as all the animals are spayed.

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Is your new puppy coming from a pet store? If so, you would be much better off adopting from a shelter or rescue since pet store puppies often have health issues from being bred at puppy mills. (Plus, every puppy bought from a store makes the puppy mill problem worse.)

What happened to your pit bull?

Also, I agree that if the pup is raised with cats and small dogs you'll have a much better chance of it getting along with those animals as an adult.