A Yorkie/Husky mix...
 

...and I don't mean breeding them together! :p
My apartment-mate for this fall is considering purchasing a Husky in the next few months (yes, it would be okay with the landlord. He is an animal lover himself!) However, he will not get one unless we know that it would coexist well with a Yorkie. Does anyone have any input on Yorkie/Husky relations? I know that Yorkies can live harmoniously with some larger breed dogs, and that many of you do own larger dogs, as well. I have not heard anything about Huskies, though. What do you think?

Yorkies get along great with large breed dogs, though I have no personal expieriance with Huskies. I think it would all work out if you got him/her from a responsible breeder and make sure they've been well sociallized (sp). If you get him/her as a puppy, remember that they're just like our yorkie puppies and will want to jump and play rough too. The only difference is you have to be more careful with their playfullness, because they are so much bigger. Good luck! :D

Make sure that he doesn't get a full grown one. Raising them together as puppies might be okay. But huskies do have a high prey instinct and can be very rough. I would do my best to keep them seperated honestly.

you can't base it off the breed itself. that's like saying, "would a brazlian person get along with an asian person?" It's all about the individual personality of the dog itself. Personally,. my yorkie gets along great with all types of big dogs since he comes to work with me a lot. So long as the husky is purchased as a puppy and brought up with the yorkie, you'lltypically have no problems.

That was what I was hoping not to hear...

And in response to lilbumbleybees, I know that I won't know exactly how the two dogs will interact without actually having them interact, but there are certain traits and characteristics that breeds tend to exhibit, and I would like to know about them beforehand. If I find out that Huskies truly do have high prey insticts like cheryl000 stated, I will make sure that I do not live with someone who has one!
But thank you for taking time to repspond to my question, I really appreciate it.

Oh wow! Thank you amyann, your reply has helped me a lot. If getting a Husky is something he really wants to do, I will make sure that the two animals are well socialized together, and that the Husky is purchased as a puppy! I gather that Huskies are smart enough to differentiate between prey and another family member. If anyone else has anything to add, I would be grateful to hear it!

http://www.windsortribune.com/module...ticle&sid=3359

I just ran across this... how sad for the yorkie :o(

That IS very sad! :( I'm not at all finished researching this (heck, I just began!) This story does scare me, but the dogs involved did not live in the same house, or know eachother. It seems obvious that Huskies are preying animals, but like I stated above, I hope that is only when the animals are not a part of their own family.
The person who wants to purchase the Husky has wanted one his entire life. However, his living situations until now have prevented him from getting one. It really is his dream dog, so I want to try and make this happen for him. He is so considerate though, and would not get one if I find out it really would not work out to own the two breeds at the same time. Thanks again for the information.

My husband had wanted a husky. I advised against it and we got a pug instead. But I did read that you should get the small dog first. But do raise them as puppies together.
For everyone else, I know you do not want to have a husky for say 5 years with it being the only pet and then get a small pet or have a baby.
This is one where a husky hurt a baby
http://www.lex18.com/Global/story.as...48499&nav=EQlp
Here is one where a siberian husky killed a baby
http://washingtontimes.com/upi/20050...0844-2164r.htm
dog attacks in general:
http://www.dogs-r-it.com/dog-attacks...01_archive.php

You don't hear much in the news about dogs attacking eachother, because I guess it's not big enough news. But I suppose you can compare the types of dogs who would hurt the babies to the ones who would hurt a small yorkie. I have even found an article where a bulldog killed a baby.
I just hope that whatever your roomate decides has your yorkie's best inrests in mind.

WOW. Those stories are horrible! :cry:

I read all the links on the attacked listed here and it was horrible. I remember it was more a year ago there was a kid attacked by a Lab (can't recall which state though). We got too many cases of pit bull attacks right here locally - not just kid; an adult was killed a few years back.

I personally don't think Huskies are bad to be around small dogs or kids. Hey, even lab attack sometimes. What we don't know is what causes the attack. Why was it that the dog and baby interaction wasn’t supervised? Don't get me wrong, I am certainly not trying to point finger here. I am just saying as dog owners (or being own by dog in my case), we have the responsibility to make sure that the dog is well socialized and is safe for kids to be around him/her. We need to keep in mind that adding a new born is hard on the dog emotionally and we need to keep an eye on things at all time. Otherwise, they should be separated until someone can watch them. Dog and kids can not be left alone unless the dog has been proven trustworthy. They need to earn the right to be around kids or puppies.

A friend of my added a German Shepard puppy to her family a few years back. At the time her boy was in kindergarten and her girl was a still a baby. She can not be happier with the dog 'cause he is always guarding the kids. When they are out playing, the dog actually run the kids up should they wonder too far (in his eyes) away from the family. They supervised the dog-kids interaction for a long times of course. And they make sure the kid knows how to be around a dog.

Even with my 4 lbs Yorkie, I train her not to bit no matter what. I make sure she won't react if you drag her by the tail, grab her ears, pock her body, take stuff out of her mouth. You know, just in case (not all kids are gentle with her). Puppy and kid are a lot alike. They don't know much of anything until we take the time to educate them. So we must. It's our job as their parents. Though something it’s uncontrollable, too many tragedies happened when it could have been prevented and that's just sad.

Anyway, I do think Yorkies and Huskies puppies can live together peacefully and they would have fun too - given they are trained to be gentle (with both dogs and people). Huskies are not aggressive dogs - they just hunt. So does Yorkies. Terrier hunts too. Yorkies use to be vermin hunters, remember? That doesn't means they will look at each other as prey especially when they are family members.

Again, supervision and training are the keys. I am sure you would take all the precaution to make sure your baby is safe. If you and your roommate shall decide to get a Huskie, it would help if you can take your baby along to pick out the puppy. Who knows? They might make friends with each other right on the spot. :)

These are two young people who will be living in an apartment. How can the pups be separated in an apartment environment when both people are gone?

Doors.

Well, you can keep one in the bathroom and the other in the kitchen or living room or a puppy playpan when you can't keep an eye on them.

I've noticed a lot of people leaving feedback with how they're known for attacking things. Did you know the NUMBER ONE DOG liable to bite someone is a COCKER SPANIEL? That just goes to show, just b/c they're small and cute means nothing. My point is, research the breeder he's planning to get one from, the line of dog, how their personalities are. I've met huskies who are love bugs in my groom shop, and I have ONE who we have to muzzle. It's all about the dog itself and the upbringing, not it's breed.

An apartment really isn't fair to a dog that size.

This article speaks to the reality of a husky in an apartment:

Siberian Huskies do have their short falls.
Like shedding (or blowing their coat) twice a year,
so you need to have a love for hair and fuzz or a really good vacuum cleaner....
Siberians also need room to exercise, so a one room apartment is out.
Companionship; Siberians need it! If you leave to go to work for 8 hours and there is no one else at home, there maybe no home left when you get back! Everything you own maybe in little pieces when you return. So it is wise to have a kennel at home where they can exercise and do their thing or just have someone around them.
They do like to dig! Well, at least some of them do. So if your backyard happens to be their kennel too, be ready to replant everything.
The Siberian Husky is a known escape artist and are extremely proficient at getting out! You may end up cementing under fences, or wiring above fences. If there is a way out, THEY WILL FIND IT!
Cats and Siberians, if raised together, will generally get along, as long as the cat never crosses the Siberian, like trying to eat out of the Siberians empty food dish, may cause the cat to become deceased. A stray cat crossing the Siberian's territory, or even close, is toast!
Mice, gerbils, hamsters, and alike are simply food to a Siberian, so don't even think about it.
Running: Siberians LOVE TO RUN!!! If you open your front door and have no fence or leash on the Siberian the chances are good that the Siberian may become the following: roadkill (he ran across the road so fast that I...), shot (your dog was eating my chickens....) so don't let them run unless in a enclosed area!!
There are more considerations to be made if you or even your neighbor have other pets, or animals and how much time you spend on training and raising the Siberian Husky.

http://homesteadsibe.com/rightforme.htm

But huskies do have a high prey instinct and can be very rough.




the man my husband does a lot of work for has a huskey his lovely, but he advised me not to bring rosie round as bruce plays rough and may hurt rose.
so id think before you mix the two together it would be a terrible shame if anything happened to the yorkie.

Hmm, nice info. That isn't too much of a concern for us, and our circumstances though. We will be moving into a pretty spacey three room apartment. The landlord owns a Golden Retriever, and there is a fenced in yard easily accessed through a sliding screen door in the kitchen. Also, my roomie is pretty big on fitness! He is an avid hiker/biker, and would love to have a buddy for the trails!
You definitely meant well with your post, thank you. I am just explaining that the concerns you may have don’t really apply here.

Good point! :thumbup: Siberians do need a lot exercise and they love to run. I don't know how active your roommate are so I can't tell you whether this is going to work for the Huskie. What I can tell you is, it can be done. Remember the friend of mine with two Goldens and a Yorkie? They got their first Golden while they were still living in an apartment. He jog every morning with his Golden and it works out fine. At first, I thought people should not get a Golden in an apartment as they need too much exercise. Now, I am not so sure. I guess your friend would have to think about how he is going to meet a Huskie's needs in exercising. :confused:

Doors are wonderful, but I hope the manager, who you say loves animals is understanding when the husky decides he doesn't like being shut behind a door. He's going to scratch mightily. But I do wish you all of the luck in the world. They are beautiful dogs. I have a friend who has one, but they live out where he can run and isn't shut inside. ;)

I have heard that brought up before. What you're talking about is biting. Yorkies and alot of other dogs bite too. When it comes to the ability for a dog to kill a human or another dog or from prey instincts then you would talk about a husky, pitbull, or bull dogs. I believe that is moreso is the theme of this thread. you are correct that is about it's raising and what it has been around.

Guess I was a little late on submitting my last reply. Timing :D. I am certain any Huskie would be lucky to have your roomie as his human with all the hiking and biking. There is gonna be a lucky pup. :)

I just want to make sure everyone knows that this is NOT a done deal.. AT ALL. We are simply looking into this, and I love everyone's input! My main concern is STILL the interactions between the Yorkie and Husky. I just called my roomie and told him what everyone is saying, and he appreciates all the advice, as well. I know it is hard not to make assumptions about people who you have never met, but I am assuring you that we are not irresponsible young people, and I would not be considering bringing such an active dog into an apartment environment if I wasn't sure that it was something that we could handle, and that would be healthy for the dog.

Wow, no I didn't. Very interesting.

Just in case someone reads this thread and wonders if a Husky is the right dog for them, I found this and decided to share.

If you want a dog who...

Is medium-sized and furry, with a wolfish appearance
Is free-spirited and playful
Is athletic and agile and loves the great outdoors, especially in cold weather
Thinks that running full-speed, pulling carts and sleds, and/or carrying a backpack on a mountain hike is his purpose in life
Is usually good-natured with strangers and sociable with other dogs
A Siberian Husky may be right for you.


If you don't want to deal with...

Vigorous exercise requirements
Rowdiness and exuberant jumping, especially when young
Massive destructiveness and howling when bored, left alone too much, or not exercised enough
Strong instincts to chase and grab anything that runs
Escaping from your yard in search of adventure
Strong-willed mind of his own, requiring a confident owner who can take charge
Heavy shedding
A Siberian Husky may not be right for you.

Amanda,

IMO you do not want these two dogs together for the above reasons. A young Husky could jump up and then down on a little Yorkie and break its back and who knows what he thinks a Yorkie is.

Many dogs will breed true to the breed and I don't know what the website is that you got this information off of but I am sure this is more the norm for a Husky than out of the ordinary.

You will just have to decide if you want to take the chance with your little one's life.

I'm trying to understand what you mean... I didn't say these characteristics were listed as out of the ordinary.