Dogs. Yes, i said it. Dogs.

[Sunnyknight]

Now that we've completed our building at the back of the garden, i'm thinking of buying a dog or two.

 

My two favorites are the Siberian Huskey with blue / white eyes, or the Alaskan Malamute.

 

Does anyone have any dogs? If so, which? Why did you choose that dog? Monthly expenses excl. Vet bills?

[featured_spectre]

Get a rescue dog....they need homes much more than specific breeds

[Domino]

Have you got an experience with dogs?

 

I wouldn't suggest a breed like that for a first time unless you've some serious time to devout to learning and training - they WILL try to dominate the household

[Meldrew]

Have you got an experience with dogs?

 

I wouldn't suggest a breed like that for a first time unless you've some serious time to devout to learning and training - they WILL try to dominate the household

 

Agreed - you'd also need to do walk these types of dog for a couple of hours a day to keep them exercised properly.

 

Meldrew

[Sunnyknight]

Get a rescue dog....they need homes much more than specific breeds

 

Not to sound heartless, which i am, but not in this case, i've ALWAYS wanted one or the other of the two i've listed. Always. If there are some Siberian Huskey / Alaskan Malamute rescue dogs, i'd take 1 or 2.

 

Have you got an experience with dogs?

 

I wouldn't suggest a breed like that for a first time unless you've some serious time to devout to learning and training - they WILL try to dominate the household

 

I do. Family members have had dobermans, gsheps, rocks, pits. Out of all, the pitbull and doberman were the hardest to keep calm. Have been managed well by their owners, and are well cuddly once trained. They walk like a boss, and listen to every command given, unless they see the opposite sex *HOLD ONTO THE STRAP!*

 

Agreed - you'd also need to do walk these types of dog for a couple of hours a day to keep them exercised properly.

 

Meldrew

 

I have about 8 hours spare a day. I could manage 4 of those for my dogs, plus i can split the time with my brother. We also have a huge garden, for when they're young

[speckytecky]

Seven years ago we picked up a rescue dog - well new puppy actually; born as one of a litter of 10 from a dog 'dropped off' at a rescue centre. The motherwas defo part German Shepard but our dog is much more Labradoor. She looks like a lab, loves water and food and is just such a fab part of our family. Best bit is mongrels like her tend to be pretty healthy as they aren't interbreed which many of the more pure bred varieties are.

[ChrisH]

Make sure you train them well as most of those Huskies/Malamute beasts I come across seem to be completely psychotic, as they obviously don't get the attention or training they need. My wife had to fend one off, on the park in the ice when the owner couldn't keep control of it as it was trying to get one of our dogs.

[localzuk]

Not to sound heartless, which i am, but not in this case, i've ALWAYS wanted one or the other of the two i've listed. Always. If there are some Siberian Huskey / Alaskan Malamute rescue dogs, i'd take 1 or 2.

 

Romania has about 3 million street dogs last I read, and they're engaged in a capture and kill policy lately. I'm sure some of them are similar to what you want. Worth having a look around the different sanctuaries and charities at rescue dogs. There are a *lot* of dogs who need homes.

[arwen]

Please don't buy a dog on looks alone. They are not a fashion accessory.

 

Huskys and Mal's are both breeds that require specific care to keep them healthy and happy. Read up on breed types and see what suits your life style. IF you are a highly active family that has a large husky proof area to let the dog roam free, or have the means to properly exercise an adult of the breed while keeping it on a lead then yes, a husky or a mal might suit.

If not then be prepared for howling and destruction.

 

There are loads of breeds out there, at least one to suit every life style. Just read up on them.

[HarryMonkey]

We have two Westies that we got from West Highland White Terrier rescue by Westie ReHoming

 

These are cracking little dogs that have never failed to make us laugh.

[ICTD_vicki]

This is Riley, my rescue German Shepherd. It's hard work, but he is worth it! He needs at least an hour and 1/2 of walking a day and on weekends he gets around 3 hours. Money wise - he hasn't been to the vets since I first got him - his jabs a due in a week or so, so will end up paying out then!!! Food wise I pay £20 for a bag bag of working dog dry food from a local mill (that lasts about a month) and then he gets butchers tripe which is usually on offer in Tescos. All in all he doesn't cost me that much, but he is still a fairly young dog (we think he is 5) and I am sure that might change when he gets older.

 

[bushby]

iv got 4 dogs, 3 shizues and a wibermarner(german gun dog, the one with the blue eyes)

 

the shizues get a walk each day for an hour and the wiber goes on her own with me in the mornings for a run about 2 hours around the farm i live on.

they also have free range of the house in the day.

2 of the 4 dogs a re homed 1 of those 2 is a brother and uncle to the other 2 shizues

 

they do need alot of time to train aswell im still training the youngest to NOT escape the garden(she climbes the fence and she is the smallest of them all)

[HarryMonkey]

 

 

 

These are Jack and Teddy, the aforementioned Westies. They haven't been the cheapest dogs that we've ever had but I don't begrudge a single penny (I just wish Jack wouldn't bark at the tv when another animal comes on).

 

£50 on food between them per two months, £50/month pet insurance, £300 a year each for allergy injections (that we're trying to see if they can do without), £50 every three months for haircuts. Plus a few treats and new toys and the unexpected vet bill when one gets something caught in his paw etc.

 

Remember, buying the dog is probably the cheapest part of it.

Edited June 25, 2013 by HarryMonkey

[tmcd35]

I'd love a dog but being a single person in a first floor flat who works all day - I'm not sure it'll be fair on them All my family have dogs, all Rough Collies or part Rough Collie. My sister has four dogs and my mum has two. I think my mum is going to let her two breed, if she does I may ask for one of her pups and see how it goes.

[Grey-gear]

Dogs can be hard work, when I was younger my family waited until me and my siblings were over twelve before getting a dog. Anyway if you want to get a dog try and have sometime off for the first week or so is all I can advise.

[pickman]

Would reiterate what has been said about these breeds. Both need daily grooming and lots of exercise. Being working dogs also have lots of energy.

 

Lots of rescue organisations out there. That are looking for owners like you :-)

 

( I do home checks for several in my area)

 

I have two dogs a Suluki and a lurcher. Spend about £25 on food a month and £100 on boosters a year. Mine are to old to insure but need to budget for that as well. Vets are expensive my last visit for an injury cost £150.

 

Good luck and hope you find your canine companion.

Edited June 25, 2013 by pickman

[teejay]

First off, little bit of a rant:) There is no such thing as dogs 'dominating' the household, they are either badly trained, have anxiety issues or are just bored and play up. The Cesar Millan is total rubbish, it's all based on some research done on wolves in captivity where wolves had been mixed up from different packs and so there was inter pack fighting just as there would be in two wolf packs in the wild met. When the research was redone on wolves from the same pack, there was no attempts at 'dominance', they all socialised and operated as a family unit. Plus we are dealing with dogs, not wolves, who over the many hundreds of years have been bred to be human companions and domesticated. The 'dominance' theory may work in the short term, but you end up with a dog that is unstable in the long term.

Anyway, rant over:p

The two breeds you have mentioned are both difficult to train and need lots of exercise, but when trained and properly socialised they are great dogs. They are also not suitable if you have other small pets, they will chase them. If these are the first time you've had these breeds of dogs then I would really recommend you do some research and find a trainer who has experience of training these dogs as they can be a complete nightmare if not trained properly. If the trainer mentions 'dominance', 'dog whisperer' or 'Cesar Millan' as their basis for training then run a mile, you want someone who uses positive reinforcement.

There are also a lot of these breeds in rescue as they've become a trendy breed and when they end up with a dog trashing the house and being aggressive because they haven't put in the effort to train or exercise them properly then the dog gets blamed and off to a rescue it goes. The only problem is they do come with baggage that has to be trained out, which takes a lot of commitment and time, but is highly rewarding:)

[Fleetwood]

Not to sound heartless, which i am, but not in this case, i've ALWAYS wanted one or the other of the two i've listed. Always. If there are some Siberian Huskey / Alaskan Malamute rescue dogs, i'd take 1 or 2.

 

DogsTrust - OLIVIA

[korifugi]

I have a Siberian Husky - while they really are a wonderful, loyal breed (to be fair - this is true of most dogs) there are a number of things to look out for if you're going to get one...

 

If you get a pup then you need to be on them from day one as regards pulling - they're bred to be able to pull for a blummin' long time without getting tired. You need to let them know (while they're still a pup) that they're not meant to pull while walking on a lead, otherwise they'll be the one walking you.

 

They also can be a bit difficult off the lead - they're very headstrong and mixed with their tendancy to hunt, they'll often charge off heedless to your calls to chase that smell of rabbit/fox/mouse/whatever. Recall can be a bit troublesome as a result.

 

On the subject of walks - you'll need a LOT of them. We take ours out at least three times a day. They like to play as well and they play rough - so any toys you buy for them need to be able to stand up to the punishment.

 

They also have a double layered coat - so summer means you'll often spend quite a lot of time chasing them around with various brushes / moulting combs. But NEVER shave them - they'll not be able to regulate their own temperature and you'll end up with an ill dog. Some Huskies (mine included) have a pink section on their nose - this is known as snow nose and means they are more suceptible to sunburn.

 

Also - as with other dogs, make sure they don't get bored. While Huskies are somewhat lazy (when there doesn't seem to be food about or the prospect of a walk), they can be incredibly destructive when bored and you may find yourself coming back to find your sofa is somewhat more spread out than you remember - as in all over the house.

 

I'll put up more as I think of it (and when I get home!)

[DJ-Jonesy]

About Huskies in Need - Huskies in Need

 

AT the moment their are alot of Huskies being given to Dog shelters due to the fact the previous owners cant handle the amount of care they require, have a look at all the re homing sites local to you. If you do want your own from a pup which most people will then please see both Parents of the pup, make sure they are not puppy farmed, get a vets opinion if your not sure, make sure they are over 10weeks old and also make sure they are fully vaccinated. and with the breed your after make sure you Insure the pup from day 1.

 

Good luck!

[pickman]

http://www.malamuterescue.org.uk/

 

http://www.sharerescue.co.uk/

 

As a home checker there are a lot of things we look for.

 

Such as security, experience suitability etc. one of the major questions is length of time left during the day. Most resuce require that they are left no longer than four hours. I know that dogs trust are very strict on there home checking policy.

[witch]

Please consider a rescue dog? They really need a good home and if you are set on a Husky or Malamute then you can still get a rescue - even a puppy if you want one. I have always wondered how those breeds don't overheat in this country as they are made to be able to stay outside all night in sub-zero temperatures - surely they must be uncomfortable most of the time?

 

I have a rescue mongrel who is now 14 and will live longer than most pedigree dogs.

[korifugi]

To chime in with Witch (and others), a rescue dog is a great idea - I know a couple of people in my area that have rescued Huskies, and once they've been given the proper love and attention - they're just brilliant dogs.

 

And now (because I can't resist) a couple of Kymme (my Husky) pics...

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]18943[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]18946[/ATTACH]

[GeeHubb]

Step-daughter has a Malamute. Completely neurotic (dog not step-daughter!) Scares the life out of me.......

[Alkaline]

Make sure you are prepared for the sleepless nights if they are a crying type (not sure if different types tend to cry at night more), and also for picking up the mess off your floor before they are house trained. Lots of people buy pups and don't think about this sort of thing, and then end up getting rid of it. So horrible for this to happen. If you put in the effort you will get a friend for life (The dogs life).

 

Oh and don't try and take food from them lol.

 

My dog passed on last year, she was 14. They are like a member of the family.

Edited June 25, 2013 by Alkaline