Siberian Husky Adoption Questions

[schrade]

I read something by a dude that was a professional photographer of labs. He stated that the greatest thing about his dog was that he slept on the couch until it was time to "go" - he didn't do daily walks with him but maybe weekly or even monthly outings. They're bread to rest up for the big hunt (that mine never get to go on!?! ) But shhhh...don't tell him!

I've noticed the same thing about my lab. I don't walk him every day...he does get "throwing the ball" excercise and get to chase a fake duck - and then the 13 year old will use his rip stick around the block a few times a week. Other than that? sleep! When we camp it's a whole nother story. I take him out and I ride my bike and we do 3 miles before the day even starts so he can be calm for the day with all of the excitement?! [/QUOTE]

I dont usually comment on posts but this one is a good one. I have two labs one black we have had since he was 16 weeks old, and a yellow one we rescued almost two years ago now. They are both six. As mentioned above, I love the fact thaty they will just lay around and "wait" until it is time for excercise. Mine get between 3 and 5 miles a day of fast walking or jogging. If they miss a day you wouldnt even notice.

As far as kids go, someone once told me "Every kid deserves a dog, and every dog deserves a kid" There is a lot of truth to that statement. I had to wait till I was almost 32 years old before I got my first dog, and I feel I missed out not having one when I was a kid.

As far as travel goes, you are right you are a bit limited, but dog friendly travel is almost always good family time travel. Camping, Hiking, Boating, etc. Good quality time with the wife and kids and the dog.

Sure we don't jet off to Vegas or San Diego or Chicago for the weekend, but it is a great sacrifice.

 

[Dave_B]

Schrade

Great post! I will be the first to admit that I really didn't want a dog but I had one growing up and was told the same thing that every kid deserves a dog and they love her! I just hope that continues.

As far as travel goes, We never jet off to anywhere and I hear about it all the time from my wife! We go camping and to the cabin up north. I am not worried about that at all. the dog, and us, will just have to adjust.

She doesn't really seem to have any issues with exercise. I take hoer for walks a couple of times a day and let her play in the back yard and that seems good enough for her. Otherwise, she just chills out around the house. Haven't heard her bark one which is a good thing. I just wish I could teach her how to run the vacuum!

Dave

 

[nic]

Labs are shedders. I have a rott and was unaware that they are big time shedders as well. Almost all breeds shed- I guess I just wasn't prepared for the amount of fur he had. I love his intelligence though, so I'm thinking dobe for our next dog. Of course, my 11 yr old Rott acts like he's 2, so I think he'll be around for quite a few more years.

I just wanted to chime in on the electronic fence thing. First off- they are not 'cruel'. When you first get the fence, you flag the perimeter (I'm sure you've seen it). For the first 2-3 weeks the dog wears a rubber cap over the prongs so they will never get zapped. The collar beeps when you get too close to the perimeter. To train, you essentially walk the dog on a leash daily. Let them approach the flags- when the collar beeps, you turn them back towards the center of your yard. I swear my dog figured it out in 2 days. Then you slowly remove the flags... every 3rd one... every other one... until there are no more flags. You don't even remove the rubber cap until the dog is well aware of his territory and clearly understands that the beep is a warning and he turns back to the center. The zap only happens if they don't follow their training and actually cross the barrier.

Also- I was worried b/c I heard that dogs with a strong 'prey' instinct don't do well with the fence. Well my psycho has a serious hatred of any delivery vehicle, bicycle, you name it. He will charge up to the end of the yard- bark and jump in circles, but not leave. The collar is beeping, he's still barking, but he does not leave. Not that he's never crossed it- there have been a handful of times in the almost 7 years we've lived here that he's gone over it. Also note- our old house had a fence. We moved to this house when the dog was 5 yrs old. He had no problem figuring out the situation. (I think someone said these are only good for puppies who learn it from the beginning).

Anyway- congrats on the new dog! Just wanted to share my IF story with you in case you are still looking into this option. It of course is not 100% secure like a standard fence. But it does the job 99+% of the time. So if a standard fence is not an option (I live on waterfront property, I'm not fencing in my view) it's a great alternative. Just put the time in the first few weeks of training and you should be good to go.

 

[LoveMyDobe]

Intelligent Breed

NIC: Dobe is a great choice! Very smart, elegant, watchful and they aren't big shedders!!!

 

[skiroule]

Dave_B,

I'm away from this thread for a few days and look what happens. Funny how things work out. You ended up with a completely different dog than what started this whole thing.

I think the Kid's faces say it all - pure joy!!

Your new family member will repay you many times over for bringing her home (OK, some of it will be in fur).

Congratulations!

 

[Dave_B]

Dave_B,

I'm away from this thread for a few days and look what happens. Funny how things work out. You ended up with a completely different dog than what started this whole thing.

I think the Kid's faces say it all - pure joy!!

Your new family member will repay you many times over for bringing her home (OK, some of it will be in fur).

Congratulations!

Thanks again to you, and everybody! The fur really isn't that bad. Just not what I was expecting. Oh well! Someday someone, besides me, will learn how to vacuum on a daily basis! Love the dog, as do the kids!

At least she's an "it" now so I don't have to worry about that kind of stuff!

Dave