Dogs. Yes, i said it. Dogs.

[Sunnyknight]

Update.

 

I can now confirm that i would want a Siberian Huskey Pup. All of the rescue centers i was shown, and looked at myself, do not have any pups? I'm looking for a black and white with blue eyes. Male to start off with, and a female would be bought in when i've got the 'jist' of things.

 

Can anyone explain why on so many males, owners 'snip' their parts? I heard it's to calm them down? Or lower their sex drive Would this be a solution if it happened to us men for women!?

[localzuk]

It calms them down, and it reduces the chance of them getting a random dog in the park pregnant - which is a risk that no responsible owner should take. All dog owners should have their pets spayed or neutered IMO.

[Sunnyknight]

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.

I got this a lot when i was helping my family member train up their doberman. It's frustrating, and sometimes i felt i was being a little harsh. Has paid off now though, so i will definitely bare this in mind. If all else fails, SLEIGH IT TO WORK!

 

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.

 

Outdoors, unless i've got them fully trained, i probably won't let them off the lead. I'll have a strong strap too, but non the less, i know the power of dogs, so i'll have to be alert non the less.

 

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.

Not an issue the walks. Plus, we've bought some strong toys for family dogs before, still in cracking condition!

 

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.

Yes, i was told this by a fellow malamute owner. Damn well hard when they're so energetic for so, so, SO long. Grooming kits looks like the best option, rather than a few combs here and there.

 

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.

 

*Cuts out games* Will be impossible for it to get bored, apart from when were at work. 4 people in the house to have a good brawl with it!

 

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

 

Stupid 6 word requirement!

[LiamH]

My OH's brother has a husky, beautiful looking dog, but if he leaves the room she is in, even to go to the loo, she starts pining and making a racket, even if other people are in the same room with her.

 

Edit:

 

this turned up in a search http://www.shwauk.org.uk/available_dogs.htm could get in touch to see if they have any pups. (and please offer to redo their website while you are at it!)

Edited June 26, 2013 by LiamH

[korifugi]

Will be impossible for it to get bored, apart from when were at work.

 

This is what I mean - To be honest, Kymme usually lazes around - and she's fine around the house when she's on her own while me and wifey are out at work, but we built her up to this (and still do to a degree) over school holidays.

 

Basically, we ensure she has toys - and when it's coming back to term time, we nip out for an hour, then the next day a bit longer, then later a few hours to make her back to being used to having the house to herself.

 

We did get the occasional bit of chewing on an odd shoe at the start, but put a stop to that by getting her a 'friend' (actually an old Simba stuffed toy that I won yeeeaaaars back). She actually carries her 'friend' around and it makes great company for her and stops damage from happening in the house.

[witch]

Update.

 

I can now confirm that i would want a Siberian Huskey Pup. All of the rescue centers i was shown, and looked at myself, do not have any pups? I'm looking for a black and white with blue eyes. Male to start off with, and a female would be bought in when i've got the 'jist' of things.

 

Can anyone explain why on so many males, owners 'snip' their parts? I heard it's to calm them down? Or lower their sex drive Would this be a solution if it happened to us men for women!?

 

Unless you are keeping your male for breeding, all male dogs should be neutered imho. When he is off the lead you don't see what he is doing and there are FAR TOO many unwanted dogs in the world to bring in more. An unneutered male will often try and mate with any female dog, whether on heat or not, and this can result in a frightening and painful experience for another dog.

Also, other dogs will attack an unneutered male even if the dog is a great softy himself.

[Sunnyknight]

Hmmmmm, interesting, a lot of people do 'snip' their dogs if they're not breeding. However, i don't want to rule out the fact that i could breed a few in the future, so i'm unsure.

 

As everyone has stated, i'll have to visit a petshelter / rescue center and find out more information. Leaflets aren't enough.

[featured_spectre]

It is unfair to the animal if you do not know if you want to breed. If you do, do not do it for the money on selling the pups, thats a bad reason. If you do breed, be prepared to have additional costs (my brothers german shepherd had pups a little while back, and she had 7 of them, cross breed between german shepherd and a sheepdog, they look gorgeous!) Costs for vaccinations, additional food, and time to house train them has been astronomical. Just a heads up.

[teejay]

As well as preventing unwanted pregnancy, male dogs can smell female dogs in season from over a mile away, which some complete males are fine with, others it causes them to get extremely stressed with a strong natural urge to get to the female dog on heat. This can mean they get destructive in the house, try to escape from the garden or run off on walks. If they escape they are so focused on getting to the dog on heat that they will ignore any recall commands and also their surroundings, so they'll do things like run across a busy roads etc.

Also, there are far too many dogs in this country already, you just have to look at the figures for the number of dogs put down by rescues to see it is a massive problem. I would also say that female dogs should also be neutered as it helps prevent the stress caused to male dogs and also further prevents unwanted pregnancy.

If you want a Siberian Husky puppy, please ensure you get it from a reputable breeder and you need to see the paperwork for all the health tests have been done for both the sire and the dam. For that breed both should have elbow and hip scores and also DNA tests for Progressive Retinal Atrophy and GM1-gangliosidosis. You should also see both parents to ensure they have a good temperament. If you can't tick all these boxes then walk away. Yes you will find puppies from good breeders are more expensive, but that is because they care for the breed and are ensuring they breed from healthy parents and doing their best to stamp out inheritable conditions. Getting the right puppy at the start may cost more, but you're likely to have less ongoing health problems and a dog with a better temperament.

Another thing to watch out for is there are some companies that have set up online registration for dogs and try to fool people into thinking they are Kennel Club registered, so check the certificate is actually from the Kennel Club and also go onto the KC website and check the registration of both parents.

[arwen]

Also worth noting that if you get a puppy from a decent breeder or a pet shelter, many of them demand that you get your dog neutered at the right age.

 

Good breeders want control over their breeding lines. Some breeders will allow you to not neuter, but will not let you breed from the dog without their consent. Shelters are wanting to limit the increase of unwanted dogs as much as possible. In many breeds neutering also reduced the chances of medical complications later on.

 

There are many husky type rescues out there, but I am refraining from linking you to them as personally I think its wrong that you seem to only want a dog on looks alone. If you want a husky, done the research and decided that yes you can look after it and keep it healthy and happy. Why are you so specific on looks? Maybe that is just me though and my love for all animals, pretty or otherwise.

[Rawns]

I'm going to be out there and suggest getting a cat!

 

Bluepoint Ragdoll FTW!

 

[Joanne]

This is my dog Colin

 

He is a miniature poodle. I chose a poodle because of the no moulting thing, the ease to train and the miniature size, because he is not too big or too small.

 

I highly recommend poodles. As long as they are trained properly, they are brilliant, clever dogs. They live for approx 17 years and have few ailments.

 

I have to get him groomed every 8 weeks or so, but I am starting to do that myself with a £40 set of shears (I'm upgrading soon!)

I pay £8 a month for insurance. £35ish for boosters each year.

 

He got an infected saliva gland once and that cost £65 for a couple of injections and a course of anti-biotics, but that has been it.

 

When we went travelling around Europe a couple of years ago we took him with us and people would gather round him (he likes to dance) and make a fuss. Most amusing.

 

Most people think that poodles are fancy, but Colin isn't. There is nothing he loves more than to jump into a river to fetch a stick, or run through mud. He is just a normal dog because that is how we have brought him up!

Edited June 26, 2013 by Joanne

[LiamH]

Ohhh we are posting pictures now.

 

That's my dog Ozzy (pedigree name "the dark rider of Oz"), border terrier. His hobbies include being whittling sticks, sleeping, doing tricks and being stubborn (when he twigs you are on the way home from a walk he will just sit, unwilling to move until you walk away from home again... makes it fun devising new routes home from the park/woods)

[featured_spectre]

being stubborn (when he twigs you are on the way home from a walk he will just sit, unwilling to move until you walk away from home again... makes it fun devising new routes home from the park/woods)

 

I found from my own experience of when I was younger, that this was because they didn't think they were exercised enough.

[LiamH]

I found from my own experience of when I was younger, that this was because they didn't think they were exercised enough.

 

This is after a 4 hour walk when he is panting and puffing, and when we do get home he kips! He does like playing with other dogs though, i think that's mainly why (only dog atm) He gets 2 walks a day minimum, first one 1 hour, second one is normally a few hours at least.

[ICTD_vicki]

 

Riley striding out!! I have joined a German sheperd rescue group on Facebook and we all meet up for walks all over the North West - its ace!!! This is Cuerden Valley near me about 20 GSD's turned up! people wet them selves when they saw us!!!