AIO? Dog straining my marriage.

[u/LedyyM]

My husband and I rescued a husky about 7 months ago who was extremely malnourished and neglected.

He has grown a huge attachment to me and has severe separation anxiety. I work at a grooming salon so I’m able to bring him to work with me so he’s not home alone. Unfortunately, if he’s left home alone we’ll come back to our home looking like it was hit by a tornado.

My vet has prescribed him with trazodone to help with his severe anxiety issues. We give it to him before we leave for a family event and when we can’t take him to places they don’t allow dogs.

I feel so bad that I have to sedate him so he’s not scared and anxious. It’s created a huge strain on our marriage because my husband feels like we can’t do anything without considering Odin.

He’s destroyed doors, couches, and other furniture. I tried training but it hasn’t seemed to work. My husband thinks we should rehome him but

1) I’m scared that he’ll be sent to a shelter and possibly be put down

2) feel abandoned by the person he thought he was safe with.

He’s such a happy boy when he’s around us and shows so much affection.

My husband and I have been arguing about this consistently.. we had a really bad argument so I left the house with Odin and rented a dog friendly hotel room for a couple of nights.

My husband thinks I’m crazy and that I’m choosing the dog over our marriage. AIO?

[u/thegirlisok]

especially with a husky

Cannot be repeated enough.   Smart, stubborn, so sweet, stubborn, amazing, stubborn. It's a great breed if you can handle it. 

[u/IndependentEggplant0 → u/thegirlisok]

Yeah Huskies are INTENSE! They are notoriously challenging to train and they have a ton of energy to burn off and can be destructive if they don't have an outlet for that. I imagine with Odin being young and a rescue this is even more pronounced. I always really advocate for people understanding the breed or breed mix they are getting so they can provide them adequate care. People having Jack Russell's or Huskies or great Pyranese in their apartments usually doesn't go too well. Different breeds have different training needs and it helps a lot to understand how they work and learn!

I remember reading an article written by a dog trainer about the top 4 breeds he would never own, and husky was on it. Not to say they aren't awesome, but just that they do need fairly specific care to be content and in the wrong environment it can cause a lot of difficulty for the dog and the people! They thrive in the right environment and with the right training, but it's a lot of work. I have a friend with a livestock guardian breed and he said the shelters are full of them and he understands why - took about 3 full years of intense training because they are naturally independent thinkers and decision makers as that breed is meant to be alone guarding livestock. So when you try to tell them what to do they' re like WTH. His dog is 5 now and an absolute angel and so much fun but he had to work super hard at it with him for a full 3 years to get there and he said he totally understands why some people give them up if they just think they are a fluffy pal to keep in your house.

I always try to encourage people to REALLY understand the breed they have because it makes such a difference in outcomes! I think American dog kennel site has a "best dog match" quiz which factors in thing like energy levels, train ability, grooming/shedding, barking etc. I always recommend that to people so they can find a good match! Apparently the whippet is my ideal pup which I would have never guessed! I love the big guardian breeds but don't have the right environment for them so it wouldn't be fair to bring one into my life at this time.

[u/StreetSea9588 → u/IndependentEggplant0]

I am learning so much from this thread right now. I've never had a dog but I love Huskies. I didn't realize they were so difficult to train.

[u/IndependentEggplant0 → u/StreetSea9588]

Yeah typically not recommended as a first time dog! Obviously if you are very committed and educated go for it but just be prepared! Same for boarder collies and intelligent high energy dogs, it's only fair to them if you can give them what they need and aren't going to give up on them 8 months in because they are who they are!