klee kai dog and pup touching noses

Preparing Your Home For Your Mini Husky Puppy

You’re getting a mini husky puppy, also known as an Alaskan Klee Kai! That’s so exciting, and we’re certain that you are going to have so much fun together. Like any relationship, however, it’s important to get things off on the right foot as immediately as possible. This means that it’s especially important to puppy-proof and puppy-ready your home for your wonderful new furry friend. Let’s get started!

  1. Put everything away that you don’t want your puppy to get their paws or, more importantly, their mouths on. This means making sure they can’t chew on any wires lying around, plants, appliances, curtains...mini husky puppies are especially curious and anywhere their little paws will take them, they will go. And get into. And start chewing. Even if you don’t think your puppy can get to it: if it’s on or near the ground and they want to know what it is (they do), they will figure out a way to get into it, so be especially vigilant. Being overly protective beats a trip to the vet with a sick or injured puppy any day.

  2. They will probably be shy. While they are an especially fun breed, they are particularly shy and calculating at first. Consider that your puppy just left everything they knew and loved for the first eight weeks of their lives to be with you. They now have to get used to new people, smells, places, crates, play areas, toys, basically absolutely everything. Give them time and whatever you do, don’t force them into interacting, especially at the beginning.

  3. Handle loneliness effectively: there are a few different things you can do to help them not to get too lonely while you’re away

  • Give them an old t-shirt that you have worn a lot to keep in their kennel (and remember puppies chew, so don’t give them anything you’re going to want back in one piece) so that they have something that smells like you nearby.

  • Buy a large, long bone with a big hollow in the middle and fill it full of peanut butter, cottage cheese, whatever they see as a treat that is going to take them a long time to get every bit out of (can’t easily reach with their paws or tongue). Present the bone to them when you are leaving for a duration and crating them. Make sure you take it back from them as soon as you return and wash it thoroughly. This treat is only for when you are gone for awhile, don’t use it at other times.

  • If they are crying at night, take them outside to go potty. After they go, praise them and put them right back to bed. At Kika’s Klee Kai, we have found that 100% of nighttime whining is bathroom related, if it’s legit. If they get out and want to play or won’t go potty, put them back to bed and leave them for the night. They clearly don’t need to go, and it’s important not to reward them (with you!) when they are simply whining.

  • Some people have found leaving a ticking clock nearby helpful, as it may mimic the sound of their mother’s heartbeats.

  1. We recommend beginning training almost immediately, as your mini husky has a lot to learn and understand about you and their new surroundings. However you want to make sure that they have warmed up to you beforehand. Training or obedience classes is a great bonding tool between you and your new puppy. (You don’t want to wait too long, but it is important that they are familiar with you as their owner before you begin training.)

  2. Food: we send you home with Purina Pro Plan Focus puppy food; if you decide to use a different food, make sure that you mix it ⅓ new food to ⅔ Pro Plan for a week, then half and half for a week, then ⅓ Pro Plan and ⅔ new food for a week, then just the new food. Use this regiment anytime you need to change their foods, and try not to do so very often. We also put our puppies on Nu Vet multivitamins and strongly suggest continuing it; most of our dogs are under 5 lbs, so they only get half a wafer each day.

  3. Create a place for your puppy to have of their own. Their crate can be in this place and you can leave it open so they always have a safe and familiar place. Otherwise, they should also have a puppy pen they can run around in and play, and having a fenced-off area keeps them from getting into all of the stuff we talked about before. Items you might have in your puppy pen may include:

    • Toys of various different types and rewards

    • A patch of fake grass and/or pee pads to potty train them.

    • Obstacles built/designated specifically for them

    • Water, and their food, if you are free feeding them or if they take awhile to eat

    • Whatever else you may think of that will make your Klee Kai happy!

7) Socialization: It is important to start socializing your dog as quickly as possible, so that they are familiar with the world around them. Socialization doesn’t refer to getting them used to other dogs but rather, other people. It is especially important for a shy breed like the Alaskan Klee Kai to get a lot of good exposures to as many people as possible early on — and make sure those people aren’t forcing themselves or causing your dog to feel fear or concern or stress, but are good about letting your dog come to them, being very casual and nonchalant about it, and allowing the dog to warm to them on their own time. Check out our page on Socializing your Alaskan Klee Kai for more information.

You can also find a more in-depth look at getting your home ready for your new best friend here on our page about preparing for your mini husky. And of course, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at any time. We look forward to working with you!