Niko 2014 Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 Hello, my name is matt, and my fiancee liz and i just adopted a 1 year old siberian husky. At least thats what we were told. We were doing research online and came across a mixed breed called a klee kai. And our new dog seems to resemble it more so than a typical husky, as he is only 38 lbs right now. And he has jagged feathering... Is there any distinguishing factor that we could tell the diffrence. Not that either of us care... he is a great dog, We am just trying to be as knowelagable as we can about him. Also he has a little bit of a cough is this something that should alarm us or typical in the breed. We have watched a malamute for a friend that did a similar thing. Our dogs name is Niko by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mydiamond Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 Hi there Matt! Thanks for rescuing! Alaskan Klee Kai is a separate breed instead of a "designer dog", so there are some pretty distinctive features you can immediately see to tell 'em apart from Huskies. First and foremost, the size. Adult Klee Kais can only reach the height of an average Beagle. Their UKC page says their height range (from toy to standard here) is 13-15 inches. Their coat isn't supposed to be largely different from a Husky's so there's not much you can look into in that area, but I do know that they have this "more Chihuahua-like" facial features including pointy muzzle and round eyes. But then again, there are also purebred Siberian Huskies bred by the worst kind of backyard breeder that came across as a miniature. My boy, a purebred rescue with official papers, is five years old and 16.1 inches tall. He's not a Klee Kai, or has any Klee Kai in his line. I honestly think this is what Niko is. Klee Kais are such a new breed (they're still kinda "in progress" by the way) there are so few of them out there. Chances are small that you'd find one in a shelter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emma Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 Hi there and welcome to the forum. He doesn't look like a klee kai to me although I'm not going to pretend to be an expert, lol. Huskies fur can be varying lengths. The breed standard is for a "short smooth coat" but you can get long haired huskies too, aka "woolies" and at 1 year old he's still only little and won't be fully grown until somewhere around 2-3 years of age. I would get that cough checked out by your vet to make sure it's ok, it's not something that either of mine have ever had a problem with before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 Welcome to the pack :-) how tall is he? The fur just looks like he's longer coated ( I have a long coated too as does mydiamond who commented above) it can be common in huskies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormy Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 Hiya and welcome to the forum looks like a normal husky to me They come in all shapes and sizes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goingsolo Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 Welcome, beautiful pup you have . I have no idea what a klee kai is will have to Google. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niko 2014 Posted September 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 Thank you all for the quick responses, and he does have a vet appt. for monday to get checked up and get his peanuts sniped. We thought husky too, Wejust wanted some "expert" or at least experinced opinions. He knows all his basic comands and is very well behaved i think his elderly owners passed and he was surendered. I also have a golden/irish mix that loves to go to the dog park any suggestions on of leash training, as wehave read huskies are more difficult to train than goldens. Should weeveuentaly be able to trust him off leash or is it best for all of us if i keep him on a leash? Again just looking for opinions and sugestions. Thank you!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 welcome to the pack - he is so adorable! I would say no to the off leash, the risks far outweigh the positives, my boys enjoy running around on 100ft leads in safe areas but i can always get them back if another dog comes along that's off lead or if we see a wild animal etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 It's usually best to keep them on lead unless in a secure safe area they can't escape from , even if they seem trust worthy and reliable there's always a chance even if it's 8 years down the line that they could bolt , u can get 50/100ft long leads from eBay tho so they can still have the freedom of being offlead but be safe still :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BKarchitect Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 He is adorable...good on you for adopting an older pup. NEVER trust a husky off leash. NEVER EVER EVER. Now, that said, there is nothing more exhilarating for a husky than to run free in a large expanse of tallgrass or woods or a snowy field. So if you have access to a secure, fenced space/dog park or area - I would say after you have properly trained him to the leash, it is quite a joy to watch them run. But don't do it unless you know the area is secure and you can keep a visual watch and keep in mind huskies can figure out how to go above or under perimeter fencing. I let my girl Yuki, who ended up being a wonderfully obedient dog (to me anyways!) off leash in a large field once and a pack of deer happened to trot by. Two hours of frantic searching and name-hollering later, I ended up going back to my car, fearing I had lost my girl. And there she was, panting with a giddy smile as if to say "that was a blast! where have you been?". But lesson learned right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 Aww Niko is so lovely and welcome to the forum Matt. He probably still has some growing to go, some lines take longer to mature than others but I would guess he might have another 15% body weight to gain by the time he is 2 years old. Oh and if he is a Klee Kai (which I doubt) he is the best looking one I have ever seen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 Welcome to the forum, another Nikko He looks husky to me, like was said, they come in all shapes and sizes. And I think they are a difficult breed to train, more so than other breeds. That doesn't mean they are not as smart, but quite the opposite, maybe too smart for their own good lol And as others said, 99.99% of huskies cannot be trusted off leash. They were bred to pull sleds and run long distances, so it is in their DNA to run and run and run. Again, welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunc Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robke Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 TO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clare70 Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 Hello What ever he is he looks happy As for the cough, if he's been in a rescue centre there is a good chance he has kennel cough. This can be treated but is highly contagious, so I'd keep an eye on him and if he's seeing the vet on Monday then get him to check it out. All of mine had a bit of a cough when they first came home but soon disappeared within a week, it maybe stress related with the new enviroment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niko 2014 Posted September 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 What is the differance between kennel cough and reverse sneezing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOBELHOWLUC49 Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 Hi Welcome to the forum.. My Husky and GSD (bella has the runs and is not coughing yet) has just been diagnosed with Kennel cough. I am going to try record it so you can hear what it sounds like. Shes a beautiful dog. Good on you to rescue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MollyCharly Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 I'd describe reverse sneezing like a blocked nose sneeze (and rapid continuous one) and kennel cough as something get caught in the throat type of coughing, like the dog trying to spit out something. When my dog is having reverse sneezing, I would hold his nose for a few seconds and it will stop the sneezing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mydiamond Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 What is the differance between kennel cough and reverse sneezing? I think the biggest difference is that kennel cough is an illness, whilst reverse sneezing is nothing to worry about (even if it sounds scary). YouTube should help you identify reverse sneezing if that happens, you just hold the dog's nose down for several seconds. Kennel cough is a contagious disease you can vaccinate against. WebMD can explain it far better than I can, so here it is: http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/kennel-cough-in-dogs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niko 2014 Posted September 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 One more question for the intro part then we will start a new topic elsewhere, Niko is being a very picky eater. We got him to eat some pedergree canned food, he has no interest in the natural balance dry that we give cooper or i think it was inova canned that we picked up last night. Also he is not even really into people food except for chicken nuggets... haha... any suggestions on how we can get this little guy to eat, we are both worried and want him to put on some weight, as he is just skin bones and fur. He will eat a little out of our hands but after a few bites he spits it out. Please help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mydiamond Posted September 20, 2014 Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 One more question for the intro part then we will start a new topic elsewhere, Niko is being a very picky eater. We got him to eat some pedergree canned food, he has no interest in the natural balance dry that we give cooper or i think it was inova canned that we picked up last night. Also he is not even really into people food except for chicken nuggets... haha... any suggestions on how we can get this little guy to eat, we are both worried and want him to put on some weight, as he is just skin bones and fur. He will eat a little out of our hands but after a few bites he spits it out. Please help. Yep, that's it. He's a Husky. Huskies are notorious for being fussy eaters. Their body is built to produce more energy with less food, so they use that in their advantage to get the exact food (brand) they want. Now this one has never been scientifically proven, but I'm sure they know full well how worried we become if they don't touch their food. Guess what happens when you worry? You go to the store and buy whatever your Husky likes, be it cheese or sausage or whatever crappy brand that somehow enticed him so much. Niko knows that. It's a battle of stubbornness. So here's your battle plan: 1) How much food you're giving him? How many times a day is he fed? Maybe he's simply not hungry. If you're feeding him twice a day right now, try to feed him just once. Worked like a charm with mine. 2) Have you checked with the vet to make sure there's no medical issue that made him unable to eat? 3) Wait, how long have you had him again? Maybe he's just a bit stressed out right now. Try to leave him alone, preferably in a room your other dog can't access, when he's eating. Mine still doesn't want to eat if anyone's watching, and I've had him four years! 4) If there's no medical issue going on, and giving him some time alone doesn't help at all, and this fussiness is becoming a long-term issue, and you're starting to pull out your hair; use the ten-minute rule. Put down his bowl on mealtime, leave him alone for ten minutes and pick the bowl up right after the time is up. No more food until next mealtime. When he's hungry, he *will* eat. I know it sounds harsh, but like I said, this is a battle of stubbornness. He needs to know that you're not under his spell. Lastly, I really don't think Pedigree is the best option. I have never heard of Innova or Natural Balance but it already sounds way better! Stick with what you think is best, not what you think he'd eat... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MollyCharly Posted September 20, 2014 Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 Agree with mydiamond. My basset is a super picky eater i went through all the stress n trouble changing things around, in the end what works is the same food but reduced volume. We feed raw and feeding guide says 2-3% of his weight but when i reduced it to 1%, he feels the hunger and eats his food. I stopped being obssessed about how he HAS to finish his food, but make peace with the fact that he isnt losing weight and looks good, also he has low level of exercise demands so maybe he simply doesnt need so much. He is still a fussy eater and only eat hand fed, but at least he is on the right track again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MollyCharly Posted September 20, 2014 Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 Also dogs need less food in summer than winter.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cas Posted October 17, 2014 Report Share Posted October 17, 2014 Hello and . Niko is cute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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