Size
(when grown) Med. 26-60 lbs (12-27 kg)
Details
Good with dogs,
House-trained,
Spayed or Neutered,
Story
notes from his foster:
Overall, he is such a sweet boy. He was definitely timid and nervous when we first brought him home, but he opened up to me and Kett very quickly. He’s very affectionate once he feels safe and has been settling in more each day.
A few notes on his behavior and health:
Size & general demeanor
He feels smaller than 40 lbs and is a pretty little guy.
Very submissive and gentle with us once he settled in (24 hours or so)
No aggression with our dogs. He did growl at us when we first met while he was chewing the bully but has shown no other signs of aggression or biting.
Potty & leash skills
He is perfectly potty trained. We haven’t had a single accident.
He lets us know when he needs to go out and goes immediately.
Walks very well on leash when walked individually.
When walking with our other two dogs, he gets excited and pulls a bit more, so we’ve been walking him separately to minimize strain.
Prey drive when he sees squirrels. He’ll pull a bit but nothing that is too extreme or hard to handle since he’s so small.
With other dogs
He has been amazing with our two huskies (55–60 lbs).
He removes himself from bad without challenging or escalating.
Has shown some aggression towards one random dog on a walk. The dog was smaller than him, but not sure what caused that.
With people
This is probably the biggest area to note. He is nervous with new people, especially when they enter the home.
We had our dog trainer over and he was uncomfortable with him being in his space.
When introduced slowly outside, he’ll sometimes growl lightly if someone leans down to greet him.
He gives clear signs when he’s uncomfortable, so we’re managing introductions carefully and not pushing him.
Handling sensitivities
He ducks when pet on the head.
He gets nervous when the harness is put on, but he doesn’t growl. He’ll lay down and show his belly and lets us put it on.
He just seems scared, not reactive.
Food & teeth
He is very food motivated and seems quite hungry. We’re wondering if he may not have been fed consistently before.
He struggled a bit with kibble, so we switched to soft food and he’s doing great with that.
He drinks a lot of water.
We tried to look at his teeth and it does seem like he may benefit from a dental exam. It’s hard to get a full look, but his teeth/gums may be sensitive.
Voice & cough
He has a very hoarse, raspy bark.
Occasionally does a “backwards cough” (almost like a reverse sneeze).
We’re trying to minimize leash strain in case it’s related, but we’re not sure if this is something he’s always had or something that should be evaluated.
Overall, he is such a loving, gentle dog. Once he feels safe, he really bonds. The biggest focus area seems to be building confidence with new people, especially in the home.
GRAHAM is a neutered, 4 year old, 40 lbs., Siberian Husky that came into the Orange County shelter on 01/04/2026 after he was reportedly seen being dropped off near the fire station in Silverado Canyon.
The caller stated that he and his wife witnessed a vehicle abandon a Siberian Husky from a vehicle in Silverado Canyon approximately 10 minutes ago. He stated that he observed the silhouette of a person remove the dog from the passenger side of a mid-sized sedan on the turnout near the Forest Fire Station. The vehicle then drove away.
GRAHAM was impounded by an Animal Control Officer who used a catch pole because he was growling.
At the shelter, GRAHAM was initially scared and growling, but within a few days staff was able to leash him and remove him from his kennel.
Shelter Staff Notes:
* 01/13/2026: eager to come out of kennel; attempted to door dash. Eventually able to leash with no issues. Dog walked out easily, sniffed various bushes and engaged with environment. Did not look at me or come towards me despite offering treats
* 01/14/2026 Easy to remove from kennel today, no issues with door dashing. Non-reactive to other dogs, hackles up when passing by very reactive dogs but otherwise did well.
* 01/15/2026 Easy to leash, wide eyes, walked out nicely. Let roam around, able to pet with no issues. Walked him around the shelter, does not pull, walks nicely on leash. When putting back in kennel and taking leash off, his eyes became wide, and body was stiff. I slowly took leash off and once it was off, he did a little jump.
* 01/21/2026 Easy to leash, non-reactive towards other dogs when passing by. Walked around the big open yard. Sniffed around, took treats.
* 01/23/2026 Easy to leash and pull from kennel. Does well on leash. No pulling & no reactivity towards other dogs while passing by kennels in building.
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