I'm sorry you're getting worried.

I haven't got a husky but I have got a dog the size of a husky's head :lol:

I think you hear of so many horror stories and see other small dog owners getting worried or picking them up, but I've honestly never, ever had a problem with any dog or breed. He's often offlead, and I suppose we've been really lucky to never have an incident of any type to knock our confidence, but we've had the occasional growls and things.

I'm doing a little project at the minute to get a photo of him with every KC breed (there's a thread up called Bumble and Friends) just to show a small dog with every other as a more positive take on it.

He's got lots of 'friends' that are high-prey drive breeds, such as mals and staffies and they've always been really gentle with him.

I think if you start to get nervous it'll transfer down the lead.

Are there any socialisation classes you could both go to, just to put your mind at rest a bit more? Something where they also have offlead time?

I hope it all works out for you

Em
xx

 

I think if I owned a small breed dog I would be worried about any large breed dog approaching off lead, I think its one of the reasons I probably wouldnt ever own a small breed dog . My two (especially Henrick) adore small dogs and were playing with a border terrier today but I do admire owners who allow this as they dont know my dogs and they are a hell of a lot bigger than their dog. Did you manage to have a word with the owner and let them know how their dogs behaviour was making you feel?

 

I have an Alaskan Husky that is 18. She has been completely trustable with my children, from infancy up (although always supervised anyway). My full family has small dogs - many with Papillons - and she has been part of many of their puppyhoods. Absolutely wonderful with the bunch of them, and as well with the couple of pups that I have brought up here. She has played with them in the yard and we've yet to see her give that 'prey drive' stare.

She has not been trustable with cats, and we lost a cat to her that she knew well and often cuddled with . . . because she saw it running in the bushes (we have three acres). Seeing prey drive kick in like that, with her at the age of seven and already with a reputation for her kindness, made me realize just how quickly things can change up.

I understand your trepidation, but not so much just about the one breed. My small dogs have been grabbed and had minor injuries delivered by a St. Bernard, an Alaskan Malamute (mix), and a Labrador Retriever (type). Each time my dogs were on leash - not barking, and were rushed by these dogs that were loose. Each time we managed to intervene soon enough to stave off major injury (very close, though, twice).

I do keep walking, but as well I don't apologize for brandishin a stick and for steering clear of off leash dogs that could cause damage.

CC

 

I understand your trepidation, but not so much just about the one breed. My small dogs have been grabbed and had minor injuries delivered by a St. Bernard, an Alaskan Malamute (mix), and a Labrador Retriever (type). Each time my dogs were on leash - not barking, and were rushed by these dogs that were loose. Each time we managed to intervene soon enough to stave off major injury (very close, though, twice).

I do keep walking, but as well I don't apologize for brandishin a stick and for steering clear of off leash dogs that could cause damage.

CC

Totally agree with this. It's always tough when it comes to dogs that are physically vulnerable whether it's because they are tiny or because they are elderly/infirm etc...

 

Totally agree with this. It's always tough when it comes to dogs that are physically vulnerable whether it's because they are tiny or because they are elderly/infirm etc...

It's such a shame though because it really shouldn't be

 

We don't really have that kind of thing here because of leash laws and I am clueless about huskies. At the park and field though there are often dogs off lead. Since my little dog was playfully bitten too hard by a much bigger one more than once I am a little wary now.

I think if you let yourself get too worried then your dogs will pick up on it and be worried as well and it could lead to problems. One of the things you could try (I've done it a few times and it seems to work) is if you see a strange dog running up and you've put yours on lead dog step in front and stand sideways between it and your dogs and don't look at it. You can block without being threatening or transmitting fear to your dogs. It's worth a try.

 

I'm sorry you're getting worried.

I haven't got a husky but I have got a dog the size of a husky's head :lol:

I think you hear of so many horror stories and see other small dog owners getting worried or picking them up, but I've honestly never, ever had a problem with any dog or breed. He's often offlead, and I suppose we've been really lucky to never have an incident of any type to knock our confidence, but we've had the occasional growls and things.

I'm doing a little project at the minute to get a photo of him with every KC breed (there's a thread up called Bumble and Friends) just to show a small dog with every other as a more positive take on it.

He's got lots of 'friends' that are high-prey drive breeds, such as mals and staffies and they've always been really gentle with him.

I think if you start to get nervous it'll transfer down the lead.

Are there any socialisation classes you could both go to, just to put your mind at rest a bit more? Something where they also have offlead time?

I hope it all works out for you

Em
xx

Well my dogs are very social and they do get on with every dog we meet. I'm not the type of small dog owner to pick my dogs up when large dogs approach to be honest - even when they were puppies I never did it. They think every dog is their best friend and they haven't an ounce of aggression in them at all so I know if they did get attacked that they couldn't defend themselves. I let them play with every dog they meet usually which includes big dogs as well. There is a German Shepherd that is in love with my male Bichon.:laugh: We usually walk with a boxer. They have no socialisation problems at all so I don't really think classes are needed. I don't panic when I see a husky - well not on the outside anyway. My dogs would happily go and play with it. I honestly have had no problems with any other dogs and they've always played but this husky the other day did get me worried. It's one I haven't seen before and the way it's back went up when it looked at them scared me and all the horror stories of dogs getting attacked ran through my head.

This all happened last Thursday and I thought about posting on here but was scared people would think I was just having a go at huskies. I generally am really worried about it and just wanted to know if I should be or am I worrying for nothing.

 

I think if I owned a small breed dog I would be worried about any large breed dog approaching off lead, I think its one of the reasons I probably wouldnt ever own a small breed dog . My two (especially Henrick) adore small dogs and were playing with a border terrier today but I do admire owners who allow this as they dont know my dogs and they are a hell of a lot bigger than their dog. Did you manage to have a word with the owner and let them know how their dogs behaviour was making you feel?

Oh if my Bichons met your Henrick and Bella I can guarantee they would get on fine - they love German Shepherds.:laugh: No the owner just walked back and put it on an extending lead and walked away without a word.

 

We don't really have that kind of thing here because of leash laws and I am clueless about huskies. At the park and field though there are often dogs off lead. Since my little dog was playfully bitten too hard by a much bigger one more than once I am a little wary now.

I think if you let yourself get too worried then your dogs will pick up on it and be worried as well and it could lead to problems. One of the things you could try (I've done it a few times and it seems to work) is if you see a strange dog running up and you've put yours on lead dog step in front and stand sideways between it and your dogs and don't look at it. You can block without being threatening or transmitting fear to your dogs. It's worth a try.

No I don't let them see I'm worried. I just put them on a lead and walked away to meet my daughter but when I walked back up to the cricket field the Husky was still there and came back towards us - I did keep my cool though and just stood there until the owner walked back and put it on a lead. I will try that next time, thanks.

 

We get many people scared of Maya, she adores small dogs especially yorkies. Sometimes she gets very excited, all her hackles on her back will raise (if she was aggressive, they would only raise on her shoulders) and her tail wags ten to the dozen. Many small owners then panic and it's a shame because more often than not they will pick their dog up and storm off

Sadly I have heard in my training class another malamute that often bullies a cocker spaniel, so for along time anytime he saw maya he psychically shook. He's fine with her now and she's the only one, mostly because she finds him boring so ignores him :lol:

Maya has a few times run up to small dogs a fair bit ahead thinking they are small animal, her face is a picture though when she realizes it's a dog because then she looks so downhearted so trots off in a strop, she'll sulk for at least half the walk.


Anyone who is letting thier husky off lead is an idiot, so i'd stay well clear of an offleash husky. Some malamutes like maya can but 90% it's a no go, they too can have a high prey instinct.

It is not just huskies, a friend of mine ha her maltese puppy killed by two lurchers who were told to attack the dog by the stupid tenage boy owners. At the end of the day it's not just huskies, saying that i've met many huskies who get on perfectly with small dogs

 

Hey
I have two alaskan malamutes who like Maya can be trusted off the lead however as soon as I see anyone come on the field they are called back and leashed be it just people with or without dogs, I think its awful to let ur dogs run up to someone else as u don't what my two are going to do or vica versa,
With regards to small dogs and animals these two are brill balto lies down and let's these two little yorkies climb on him regularly, and if you saw balto walking at u, u would panic! Lol he is just huge! But we do have people pick there dogs up and I had one women scream with a staffy pup and we were the other side of the road and balto wasn't reacting to anything :S
Xxx

 

But we do have people pick there dogs up and I had one women scream with a staffy pup and we were the other side of the road and balto wasn't reacting to anything :S
Xxx

:lol: I had a staffy owner do that, she put the dog on her head and screamed at me to get my evil monster away from her precious baby. In the mean time this staffy is wiggling and wiggly dying to come say Hi to Maya, Maya is looking at the woman wondering why the hell her dog is on her head :001_tongue:

I told the woman to get a grip her dog is a staffy not a chihuahua, Maya's not going to eat your dog.

 

I think it's just the high prey drive that worries me. The husky up the road is always kept on a lead now so that ones not a worry although he keeps it well away from other dogs. If they are on a lead I can avoid them but this one just came bounding towards us from quite a way off so there wasn't much I could do. I just put my two on lead and walked away the other way. I know they are friendly because one of them has played with my dogs but I'm just scared that that natural instinct might just kick in I suppose.

 

The main way a prey instinct will work is if your dog runs away or screams, Maya has to stay on lead around small dogs that scream when excited because she wants to go after them. If a dog is sat down, hardly moving then it becomes boring for the dog. It may be a great idea to make your dog then as boring as possible

 

The main way a prey instinct will work is if your dog runs away or screams, Maya has to stay on lead around small dogs that scream when excited because she wants to go after them. If a dog is sat down, hardly moving then it becomes boring for the dog. It may be a great idea to make your dog then as boring as possible

Yes that's what worries me as my female Bichon sometimes gets excited when she sees another dog at first and sometimes she does this high pitched crying and that worries me in case it incites the dog to attack her. When the other husky growled at her though she wasn't doing anything, she was on lead and just staring into the distance, not even looking in it's direction and was oblivious to it taking an interest in the back of her neck.

 

Havent read the whole thread so just replying to the OP

But yea of course I can, they have high prey drives but they can tell the difference between another dog and dinner! The only issue i've had has been my guys playing together and a silly little dog who thought it was a good idea to get involved, it nearly got stood on, but they didnt realise it was there.

Even though my dogs usually play quite rough, they know the difference and are really gentle with little dogs

 

My husky was brought up with a patterdale and a jack russell, never ever had any problems at all.

Although she did become boss of the pack much to the disgust of my mums long standing JR but they have never had a fight, had the odd stand off though



Here is blurry proof they can get along:

although I do find that other dogs in the park aren't always too sure about her, must be the way they are?

 

.

I met my daughter from school and then went to carry on with our walk with my dogs on lead when the husky came towards us again, still off lead and it's owner a good few feet away. The husky stopped about 6 feet from my two dogs and all the fur on it's back went up and I was scared it was going to attack. Luckily the owner came towards it at that point and put it on a lead without saying anything and led it away.

in sibes this generally doesnt mean they attack, they have different body language (which is why other dogs often dont like them), my guys will spend the 1st 5 minutes around another dog with thier hackles up, its just excitement in monst cases

I know the owner and we were talking when all of a sudden the dog started looking interested in the back of my female bichons neck and then gave a growl at which point the owner decided to carry on with their walk and everything was fine again.

again, perfectly normal, sibes can be quite a mouthy breed and like to play by mouthing, they are also incredibly vocal and do growl a lot, again it isnt usually agression, you would know if a husky wanted to attack, it would be snarling and everything.

 

We get many people scared of Maya, she adores small dogs especially yorkies. Sometimes she gets very excited, all her hackles on her back will raise (if she was aggressive, they would only raise on her shoulders) and her tail wags ten to the dozen. Many small owners then panic and it's a shame because more often than not they will pick their dog up and storm off

Sadly I have heard in my training class another malamute that often bullies a cocker spaniel, so for along time anytime he saw maya he psychically shook. He's fine with her now and she's the only one, mostly because she finds him boring so ignores him :lol:

Maya has a few times run up to small dogs a fair bit ahead thinking they are small animal, her face is a picture though when she realizes it's a dog because then she looks so downhearted so trots off in a strop, she'll sulk for at least half the walk.

Anyone who is letting thier husky off lead is an idiot, so i'd stay well clear of an offleash husky. Some malamutes like maya can but 90% it's a no go, they too can have a high prey instinct.

It is not just huskies, a friend of mine ha her maltese puppy killed by two lurchers who were told to attack the dog by the stupid tenage boy owners. At the end of the day it's not just huskies, saying that i've met many huskies who get on perfectly with small dogs

Thank you!!!!

I had this argument with a mally owner the other day who was adamant his dogs fine off lead, I said I would be worried about them clearing off and he said nah it's only huskies.
:nono:

 

Balto and jenna are both mallys and are always off the lead I wouldn't have it any other way they are excellent at recall, yesterday afternoon they spent ages chasing swallows on the golf course. Not a chance of catching them! But when we had had enough of standing and laughing we called them back and they came straight away even though the swallows were still flying around there heads

 

Balto and jenna are both mallys and are always off the lead I wouldn't have it any other way they are excellent at recall, yesterday afternoon they spent ages chasing swallows on the golf course. Not a chance of catching them! But when we had had enough of standing and laughing we called them back and they came straight away even though the swallows were still flying around there heads

Oh so they are ok off the lead then?

I am confused

 

Oh so they are ok off the lead then?

I am confused

It's like springerhusky said some aren't my two we have trained and trained lol an they are brill I think it's because since we
Had them both we let them off I think I would be risky if a mally was say 1 and then suddenly let off! It would think freedom! Lol xxxx

 

i trust my sibes they are brilliant with small dogs but they can play very rough so i wouldnt let a small dog charge around with them, our friends have one tho who gets on great with all but very small dogs...they dont trust her with them at all and ive seen the way she eyes up the little lancashire heelers at shows..like mine eye up a cat!

sibes have a very open and honest body language so 'he says what he means' so their body language is easy to read.

but its irresponsible folk who let them off lead like this that give them a bad name, on another forum i go on someone came on asking if her daughters sibe should be destroyed because while it was loose it had killed a chihuahua!:nonod:

anyway heres Inca with my Mums lhasa Teddy, shes very gentle with him but likes to smack him on the top of his head when he gets on her nerves

 

Oh so they are ok off the lead then?

I am confused

i dont think you'll find many in the breed who risk Mals off lead Sparky....but as with sibes they will teach them recall..just incase

 

i trust my sibes they are brilliant with small dogs but they can play very rough so i wouldnt let a small dog charge around with them, our friends have one tho who gets on great with all but very small dogs...they dont trust her with them at all and ive seen the way she eyes up the little lancashire heelers at shows..like mine eye up a cat!

sibes have a very open and honest body language so 'he says what he means' so their body language is easy to read.

but its irresponsible folk who let them off lead like this that give them a bad name, on another forum i go on someone came on asking if her daughters sibe should be destroyed because while it was loose it had killed a chihuahua!:nonod:

anyway heres Inca with my Mums lhasa Teddy, shes very gentle with him but likes to smack him on the top of his head when he gets on her nerves

Brilliant!!

hows things noushka?

I don't think I will ever be letting sasha off. I do want to get a new big lead for her though