My Week With a Siberian Husky

By Cain Hernandez
Blog Content Contributor

A while back, my dad found a Siberian husky wandering through the streets. He was having trouble locating the owners, so I took it upon myself to take her in. When I laid my eyes on the dog, I instantly decided I was going to keep her.

I sent a group text to my roommates stating that I would be bringing the dog home. No questions asked. They were ecstatic, of course. If you met this dog, you would be too. My roommates and I decided to name the puppy Milo. With no prior research on huskies, I thought to myself, “how hard could raising a husky be?” After the first night with her, I realized that I might have agreed to a bigger commitment than I initially thought.

The realization that I would be the primary caretaker for this dog finally dawned on me when she pooped on the upstairs carpet. “Ok, no big deal right? I’ll just potty train her,” I thought. But it turns out, Milo just doesn’t like going outside. I spent over an hour each night that week trying to get her to go outside. I knew it would only be a matter of time for her to eventually get it.

However, that wasn’t the only issue. She also had a problem eating dog food. I could tell that she was used to table scraps. After a few days though, I was finally successful at getting her to consistently eat her dog food. I was on a roll training Milo. Over the course of a few days, Milo started behaving a bit more obediently towards me, and I was sure that she was here to stay.

Towards the end of the week, my roommates and I got a notice from our apartment complex about an unregistered husky. Uh oh. For some reason, the pet deposit hadn’t crossed my mind at all. Thankfully, the apartment manager thought Milo was so cute that she actually waived the fine for keeping her without paying the pet deposit. Although, I had to pay it by Saturday if I wanted to keep her. I was completely willing to pay the hefty $300 deposit for her, along with the $15 extra a month.

I came to realize something though; When I asked the apartment manager how she found out about Milo, she told me they heard her howling. She was howling because neither I nor my roommates were home to keep her company. You see, huskies are pack dogs. They need constant attention. Not only that, but they also need constant exercise. When I was home to tend to her, I was constantly taking her for outside for walks or to play. Milo had so much energy that I really didn’t have a choice. I thought about it for a couple of days, but came to the conclusion that I just couldn’t keep her. Looking back on it, the one week I had her was pretty exhausting. As you probably know, the life of a college student is pretty hectic. I knew I couldn’t give Milo the attention and companionship she needed.

I had planned on hanging out with my friend James in San Antonio over the past weekend. Of course, Milo came along with us. We spent the evening primarily downtown and I was astounded at how much attention she got. We literally could not walk ten steps without people trying to pet her or start a conversation. I told him about the troubles I’d been having with her, and he offered to give her a home. With four acres of land to run around on and other dogs to keep her company, I knew she would be better off than in an empty apartment. It was a difficult and disappointing choice, but I knew she would be in much better hands. Who knows, maybe I can get custody over her on the weekends.

As much as it pained me to let her go, I’m positive it was the right choice. I’ll never forget the exhausting week I spent fostering Milo. The least I could do was give her a proper send off via this blog post. Goodbye Milo. Even though I only had you for a week, I’ll always consider you my dog.

Featured image by Cain Hernandez.