This is Ghost, a beautiful 5 year old Husky/Malamute mix. After many hours and tearful conversations, my husband and I have come to the very difficult and painful decision to rehome him. Ghost loves to lounge outside and go on adventures. We got him 4.5 years ago just after we got engaged. We purchased him from a couple that already had two dogs and couldn't have three due to local pet restrictions. He is neutered and up to date on all of his shots. He needs a home with no other animals or young kids and a fenced yard to play in. We are no longer able to keep him due to cohabitation issues with our growing family.
Ghost has brought us so much joy. He is super smart and eager to please. He loves getting scratches and ripping up dog toys. He is the best companion for someone without other animals or kids, otherwise he can be very grouchy and reactive. This is why we had to make the painful decision to remove him from our home. He knows all of the basic commands including sit, lay down, stay, come, shake, high five, kennel, bed, speak (bark), and tell me (the popular husky whine). He only speaks on command. Ghost is crate trained and enjoys taking naps there. He walks great on a leash or next to a cart. He is very friendly and approachable in public and has lots of experience walking around stores like Lowes and Home Depot. He knows the workers often have treats and will sit nicely for them.
When we first got Ghost, we had one cat. Ghost was always very sweet with her. The cat always kept to herself and was never a problem. It wasn't until we got our second and third cats (we got them at the same time), that we realized Ghost resource guards his food/treats. We had one incident where Ghost was eating a treat, dropped it on the floor and a cat came by to check it out. Ghost bit the cat and we had to take her to the emergency vet for a large cut on her face. Since then, we have always been very careful to give him treats far away from the cats and feed him in another room. Otherwise, Ghost has gotten along with our cats just fine.
When Ghost was two years old, we added another puppy to the family. Regrettably, we made the mistake of bringing home this puppy 1 week after moving into our new house and we got off to a bumpy start. Ghost was very excited about the puppy at first, but when he realized he was here to stay things changed. Ghost bit the puppy on the first day and split open his lip. We decided to keep the dogs fairly separated and allow them to play outside together while supervised. We spoke with a local dog trainer, and she helped us notice warning signs for when to separate them. Ghost will get stiff, close his mouth, his eyes will dilate or he will bow his head when he is agitated. You only have a minute or so to alleviate the situation and take Ghost for a time out. This usually involves letting him outside by himself or taking him to his crate upstairs to rest. Ghost does not want to be bothered by other animals when he is resting. All of this has worked out great but has been quite stressful. Over the next year, we worked on training with both dogs; however, most of our training efforts were focused on our puppy as Ghost was already an obedient dog. The puppy learned some boundaries/manners and they grew to be the best of friends. However, every once in a while, our other dog will bother Ghost when he is uninterested in playing and this can turn into a fight. We have always tried to be proactive in making sure our dogs are trained, socialized, getting the mental/physical exercise they need, and getting breaks from stimulation. This hasn't always been easy, especially as our family continues to grow.
Last June, we had our first baby. Prior to having our daughter, we had talked about how to safely cohabitate with a baby, two large dogs, and three cats. This required us to be precautious and proactive. We have continued to be very careful about where we are giving our dogs treats, always supervise especially when the baby is around, and we do not let our daughter bother them. This was manageable at first, but now that she is crawling managing everything is becoming more difficult every day. Last week Ghost bit our nine-month-old baby's face. Ghost was sleeping when our daughter crawled up and startled him. It all happened so fast. She was rushed to the emergency room and had to have stitches. We are so lucky things didn't turn out worse. Our worst nightmare came true. We cannot live on pins and needles playing a game of rotating Ghost from inside to outside when our daughter is awake.
It is with deep regret we must find him a new home. Ghost will need a fenced yard and consistent exercise. Like many huskies, Ghost will run away to explore if given the chance. We really wish we didn't have to do this as we love him very much and have years of wonderful memories with him. We realize that Ghost is no longer thriving in our home but he could be again with the right owner.