Adoption Questionnaire
A set of honest questions to work through before deciding to adopt one of our huskies.
If you are interested in adopting one of our dogs, please work through the following questions. They help us get to know you, and help you picture life for you and your new dog at home. Our dogs' health and well-being is our number one priority, and we want that to continue in their new life.
- Downloadable questionnaire to complete and return
- Most huskies cannot be walked off the lead
- Dogs can live to 15 - adoption is a long-term commitment
- Many dogs bond with just 2 or 3 people and need patience
Before you decide
Battersea Dog's Home in the UK has a great factsheet to help you and your family think through the issues involved in adopting a dog. As Battersea note, giving a home to a rescue animal is one of the most rewarding things a person can do, but you must feel ready for the commitment of taking on another life that will be totally dependent on you. If you hope to adopt one of our dogs, please download a Word copy of the questions, complete it and return it to us.
Questions to challenge yourself with
Be honest with yourself and your family about each of these before you apply.
- Your reasons: what are your reasons for wanting a dog, and have you owned one before?
- Who it is for: who are you adopting for, and do they understand the commitment?
- The breed: what do you know about the husky breed, and how it really behaves versus how films portray it?
- Family agreement: are all family members in agreement, and do young children in the house know how to behave around dogs?
- Home set-up: where will your dog sleep and spend most of its time, and do you have a secure garden?
- Walks: how many walks a day will it get, and are there suitable places to walk? Most huskies can't walk off the lead
- Time together: how much time will you spend with your dog, and how long will it be left alone?
- House training: we try hard to house train our dogs but can't guarantee it, so allow a small adjustment period
- Patience: many came from farms with little socialisation and may only ever bond with two or three people, so do you have the patience to bond with your dog?
- Activities: are you hoping to skijor or bikejor?
- Finances: are you financially able to care for the dog, including vet registration, insurance and ongoing booster vaccinations? Most of our dogs aren't spayed or neutered
- Back-up care: who will care for your dog if you become ill or need to travel?
- The long haul: are you ready for a long-term commitment, since dogs can live to 15 years old?
If you're still keen
If, having thought through all of the above, you are still keen to adopt, we can't wait to hear from you. For those who do give a husky a final comfortable home, petfinder in the US has great tips for your first 30 days together, easing the transition for both of you.
Practical considerations
Where will your dog spend its time, and where will it sleep? Huskies are very strong, intelligent dogs, so they need a secure garden or outside area if let outside unsupervised, and most cannot walk off the lead. How many walks a day will your dog get, and how much time will you spend together?
Are you financially able to care for your dog? All our dogs are fully vaccinated, but boosters are required every few years, and we don't spay or neuter all of our dogs, so yours likely isn't. Are you willing to deal with any medical issues that arise, and do you have anybody to care for your dog if you become ill or need to travel?
A long-term commitment
Are you ready for a long-term commitment? Dogs can live many years, often to 15. We have older or retired dogs who need a good home for their remaining years (which could still be 5 or 6), and younger dogs who can't run in teams due to size or health and have most of their lives ahead of them. Please weigh this before you decide. If you are still interested after all of the above, we can't wait to hear from you.