Siberian Husky - where?

Vince32

Greetings, I am a first time poster

I have been looking for A Siberian Husky pup to buy or adopt, I live In Dublin Ireland, and most if not all of the adverts I have viewed, are either scams or out of country, perhaps if I am left with no alternative I will travel to obtain the animal, but for now.. if I may, I would like to ask a few questions about breeders.

1. Is there any way (beside random web hits) to find reputable Siberian Breeders in Ireland. -Perhaps a site I'm unaware of -

2. When I do decide on the animal I want, I will most certainly want to collect it from its kennel // home, as to inspect its living conditions and environment. Besides the obvious squalor that would indicate a bad / unhealthy home, What other signs of mistreatment are there to be aware of? or to the other, what might look like mistreatment but be considered normal, to an inexperienced person. ( I do not want an unstable animal )

3. I am fully aware of the active lifestyle a Husky will need, and the average life span of one, I want this breed of animal for those same reasons, but any tips or precautions would be welcome,
for example I live near a Public Park, which is quite large and has alot of ducks, swans and other fowl would it ever be safe to unleash the beast? I know by nature they are social and caring creatures, but I would hate to be responsible for any harm to another animal, person or god forbid - a child -

4. Veterinary concerns, aside from the standard shots and boosters, is there anything that may cause the animal harm that I may not be aware of, food, toys, harnesses, training activities etc.
I am fully committed to being a responsible and caring owner, but I still have concerns, and would appreciate any further help owners and breeders could lend toward the happiness and well being of the dog.

5. Training, Training the animal won't be very difficult I'm sure, but if there any tips, or lessons for me as an owner that I must know, I would be grateful to hear them.

I hope I'm not asking too much, but it would sooth my conscience greatly to know I have takin every available step to assure both me and my new companion will enjoy each other greatly and safely.

Thanks for comments.

portgirl123

[QUOTE

3. I am fully aware of the active lifestyle a Husky will need, and the average life span of one, I want this breed of animal for those same reasons, but any tips or precautions would be welcome,
for example I live near a Public Park, which is quite large and has alot of ducks, swans and other fowl would it ever be safe to unleash the beast? I know by nature they are social and caring creatures, but I would hate to be responsible for any harm to another animal, person or god forbid - a child -

.[/QUOTE]
dont know much about this breed but one thing i do know is their not a breed that can be let of the leash. apperently they have no recall and they have a very high prey drive.
so i imagine a park as you describe is a def no

Chris_Heilong

there is a good chance a duck or two would be killed and you dog may be so excited to be free he may never come back as he runs into the sunset. A lot of people dont realise Spitz breed dogs are not you average dog and have different needs. you could try Irish Sled Dog welfare if you are thinking of adopting. Do a bit more research as I am sure there will be questions if you are going down the adoption route.

Irishchick

Is there any way (beside random web hits) to find reputable Siberian Breeders in Ireland. -Perhaps a site I'm unaware of -

You can contact the IKC to find a registered husky breeder. However it is unlikely you'll get one so close to Christmas so be prepared for a wait.

What other signs of mistreatment are there to be aware of? or to the other, what might look like mistreatment but be considered normal, to an inexperienced person. ( I do not want an unstable animal )

Make sure the pup is bright and alert and interested in interacting with you. Ask for vaccination certs and the name and address of the vet the breeder used to have the pups checked over ( if they refuse this run away, fast)

would it ever be safe to unleash the beast?

No its not usually a good thing to do with huskies. They have a very high prey drive and its likely that it wouldn't come back.

4. Veterinary concerns, aside from the standard shots and boosters, is there anything that may cause the animal harm that I may not be aware of, food, toys, harnesses, training activities etc.
I am fully committed to being a responsible and caring owner, but I still have concerns, and would appreciate any further help owners and breeders could lend toward the happiness and well being of the dog

.

The majority of huskies that I see have skin and digestive problems. It can take a while to find a food that suits them. I have seen allot with terrible dermatitis that is hard to control. Thats all I can think of right now other than usually things that can befall any dog.

Vince32

Thanks for all the great replies, I am grateful to each of you.

IKC - I should of thought of that myself, tyvm for the heads up, I'm no where near ready to have a dog in my home yet, atm I'm just doing some research and trying to dog-proof my house and its soon to be living area. I think around feb/march I'll be ready, so im in no hurry to adopt before xmas.

Very concerned about the skin diseases, How are they treated, and how painful is it for the animal? and how visible are the symptoms, would I notice it immediately?

You mentioned that they have no recall, does this mean they won't come to a heel command? (if distracted) if so, that is good to know, and ty again.

Cherry Blossom

I wouldn't bother with the IKC, I found it took me months to get them to answer the phone and when they did they were zero help!

Try here:

http://allirelandsiberianhuskyclub.webs.com/

There are also a number of 'working' sled dog clubs around the country that may be able to help you also. Spring is the main time of year that litters are bred (better for the dogs) so decent breeders generally have pups from late February onwards.

Sibes should be hip scored before they are bred so look for advice on how to spot 'good' hip score. If there is a more than a small difference in the scores for left and right this could also cause joint problems also. As regards exercise etc. it's not a great idea to do too much too soon with any breed of dog while the bones and joints are still growing so don't go mad cycling or working the dog until its around a year and half and them build this up slowly if it's something you want to do.

There's lots of advice here on what to look for/avoid etc. when looking for a dog. Another good resource for Sibes is Tails 'n' Trails - lots of information there.

Good luck with your mission

theparish

Just to give my 2 cents.I don't own a huskie but I have noticed the growing numbers of them in the last few years where I walk my dogs.I have yet to see one that is not on a leash.They are a beautiful dog but it is a bit sad that they are on the leash.

chris139ryan

welcome along and best of luck with the dog search.
As for the skin problem i say its greatly down to diet. Stay away from dog food which have maize as the carbohydrate source, instead go for ones with brown rice. Foods containing maize gave my bull terrier very very dry skin so i switched him to an all natural food and his skin is now perfect.

heard orijen food is very good for huskey's, you could always supplement your huskey with foods that are high in vitamin B2 and B6. I no if a human is deficient in these vitamins cause dermatitis so it might be the same for canines. Foods such as meat and chicken has good level of B6 and orange and dark green veg for B2.

Id say a few of the huskey owners on here could help you out even more as regarding their diet and medical problems

jinka

Best of luck with getting the husky. They are fantastic dogs-I have 2 but you really need to research the breed again. One of the first things they say is to keep them under your control on a lead when outside. They love running off to hunt, but you will also still get comments off ignorant people about "letting that wolf loose". In fairness though most people seem to know they are huskys now.
Great dogs and hope you get sorted.

marley123

I wouldnt see that as being Responsible. Huskeys don't have good recall at all, that is why they shouldn't be off leash in un-enclosed areas.

theparish wrote: »

Just to give my 2 cents.I don't own a huskie but I have noticed the growing numbers of them in the last few years where I walk my dogs.I have yet to see one that is not on a leash.They are a beautiful dog but it is a bit sad that they are on the leash.

Vince32

All great answers to my questions, thank you all so much for taking the time to post, it really means alot.

A shame about not being able unleash the dog, but safety first. I didn't realise they were natural hunters, although after reading some more on them it would be a surprise if they weren't.

Also tyvm for the info on the maize loaded produce, if I had done anything to hurt the animal or make it uncomfortable I'd find it hard to forgive myself.

I would appreciate any other info, how and why they would become aggressive in a public place, from what I've read they are generally passive and social animals, greeting strangers with interest and curiosity.

andreac

What do you mean by reserve? Uusually when you talk to breeders they will have a list of prospective buyers so you could be down the list depending on how many people they already have wanting pups, including themselves.

So say you enquire and you are looking for a female, there might already be one or 2 wanting a female so you might have 3rd choice, so you would be hoping she has more than 2 so you will be able to have a choice.

Is that what you mean? Or do you mean giving a deposit?

andreac

Did you just delete that bit about reserving a pup?

Irishchick

Vince32 wrote: »

One last question, if I may, How necessary would it be to "reserve" a pup from a new litter?

It really depends on the demand for the pups. If you find a breeder he or she may already have a waiting list.

In the mean time you could ring around some rescue's and ask them to ring you if any come available for re homing.

As for the diet Im sorry that I cant give you more advice. I've only seen a handful of huskies in the practise this year so I don't have a wide enough experience. Its something I will; be looking into though as they are becoming a popular breed.

I'm sure someone on the sled dog club would have more than enough experience to guide you in selecting a food. Also ask the breeder what type of food they use.

Vince32

Sorry, but I deleted that question, and thought it better to ask the breeders myself, those questions, but as you asked, both questions seem to merit interest.

Would I need to reserve a "male" and would I need to pay a deposit at the time of inquiry?

andreac

Vince32 wrote: »

Sorry, but I deleted that question, and thought it better to ask the breeders myself, those questions, but as you asked, both questions seem to merit interest.

Would I need to reserve a "male" and would I need to pay a deposit at the time of inquiry?

Well you would need to tell the breeder what you are interested in so they can keep you in mind. See the above comment i made about how many pups she has and how many of each sex and depending how far down the line of enquiry you are too.

Not all breeders ask for a deposit but some will once you have gone to see the pups and are def interested in taking one.

Vince32

Thats great andreac, I'm just emailing The All Ireland Siberian Husky Club now to see if they can put me in touch with a breeder, either in N.Ireland or RoI, I'll post with any replies I get so you guys can monitor my progress, and offer advice if needs be.

Thanks again for the info, your a * <-- lil star

Cherry Blossom

OP strong hunting instinct/prey drive does not equal aggression, it's what the breed instinctively does, its deeply programmed into them. I've always looked on Sibes as being more primitive than most breeds, their roots are deeply ingrained in them.

In saying that though there is a line of huskies that have aggression issues, these dogs shouldn't be bred from but it still happens, that's where finding a good reputable source comes in. They can also be extremely noisy so your personal circumstances are important here, if left on it's own all day to howl at it's misfortune a husky can do irreparable damage to your relationship with your neighbours.

boxerly

There are alot of sibes in the pounds lately .I minded one last year....NEVER EVER EVER AGAIN :)Seriously I mean that hehehe.Beautiful dogs but this dog was mad!!!howled all day and night and in between.Ate an armchair,broke lights and cornered me .You could actually see how smart he was in his eyes,it was scary.Not a breed to be taken on by someone without doing ALOT of research,Only my opinion of course:) xxx

Chris_Heilong

Hope this dose not put you off too much but they can be noisy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amcTLHbtY5U

Cherry Blossom

Chris_Heilong wrote: »

Hope this dose not put you off too much but they can be noisy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amcTLHbtY5U

That's just a brief conversation about what's on telly tonight

Vince32

rofl, thanks for that vid... I don't think my dog would ever be that lonely or miserable, This dog needs to get outside for 2-3 hours a day, and be allowed to run -on-leash, until they become exhausted.

my plan would be to run / cycle with him, and together we would keep each other fit and healthy, honestly I'm not a huge fan of rain and snow, but I'm willing and able to do this.

I've seen some YT vids on bringing a sibe to heel, and obidence training, but each dog is different so we'll figure each other out. I've read some alpha techniques too, I'm not worried, in fact I'm more and more excited about this, more than I thought I would be lol.

IK09

hey,

just got a husky pup, shes 13weeks, i have her 4weeks now, and shes a HANDFUL! but shes great. She came from a litter of 8, and i think she was the only bitch. Last i heard from the breeder he still had 4 left. All male. I can pm you his number if you'd like. The pups are in Galway. Theyre beautiful.

I understand that your enthusiastic about having a husky, and that you know how much work they are.....but clear your schedule for about 2 or 3months. The mistake i made was JUST thinking that the are energetic, somewhat wild, and very active. Add that to the hyperactivity of a puppy! But they also need to be trained. I did the same as you and watch about 100hours of YT clips. One thing to remember, is that the clips you are watching are off fully trained dogs. You will have a puppy who hasnt got an iota whats going on when you call his name. Not like in the youtube clips where they instantly respond. This can take you a few days, just to get them to react to their own name! Its frustrating. So frustrating at times, that i just have to go inside and chill so i dont get angry at the pup.

get LOTS of chewable materials.

If you need any help when you get one just pm me. Im no expert by any means, but im sure you can learn from so of my mistakes.:pac:

Vince32

yes please forward me his name and number, or send him this link and ask him to contact me, ty

IK09

pm sent

Vince32

received, thanks again, I'll call first thing tomorrow.

cheers

Celly Smunt

Vince32 wrote: »

3. I am fully aware of the active lifestyle a Husky will need, and the average life span of one, I want this breed of animal for those same reasons, but any tips or precautions would be welcome,
for example I live near a Public Park, which is quite large and has alot of ducks, swans and other fowl would it ever be safe to unleash the beast? I know by nature they are social and caring creatures, but I would hate to be responsible for any harm to another animal, person or god forbid - a child -

Perhaps a border collie would be better suited?

IK09

hope this works, heres my little one

Vince32

She's perfect

Yep, If I can be the proud owner of a dog like that, it would make my year.

I've looked at many breeds, and thinking about the kind of companion I want, and I have to say the sibe suits me the most, I can't wait to bring mine home

Vince32

Great news

TY Iko9 , Galway Mike, was more than happy to let me take home "midnite's" sister, her name is "thunder", he asked alot of questions, at first I thought he wasn't goiing to let take her, but we talking about sleding, and harnesses his eyes lit up and we chatted for ages. I can't wait to get her strong enough to kite me on a bike, should be alot of fun

Here's a pic, its a little blurry, but she won't sit still lol.

Thunder

I've been trying to do a little obidence training, but she is not interested in me or the treat lol, then when I get up to leave the room she won't leave me side which is the wierdest thing.

I'm going to see a specialist on sat / sun so hopefully she can give some pointers on holding "Thunder's" attention.

Thanks for everything XoXoXo

PS: I'll try to get a better snap up later on, thats all I have atm, but you can see the family marking on the head, it kind of looks like a white sword.

Wibbs

Vince32 wrote: »

I've been trying to do a little obidence training, but she is not interested in me or the treat lol,

I've had that with strong willed working/"northern breed" dogs, but most of all when they're very young. They get better. No really, I swear Though with each new one you forget that for some reason. Well I did They seem to take time to learn "human" more than the more "pet" dog breeds. Ok now this was/is just my experience and doubtless better advice will come along but I found that hand signals worked more for me at first.

then when I get up to leave the room she won't leave me side which is the wierdest thing.

Had exactly the same with mine. Very pack/family/owner focused(delete depending on your viewpoint ). That changes too as they get more confidence in themselves. And you when they learn you're always coming back kinda thing. My advice on this score anyway is it's easy to be there for them a little too much. Not giving them small amounts of alone time because they start crying. Try and avoid that.

PS: I'll try to get a better snap up later on, thats all I have atm, but you can see the family marking on the head, it kind of looks like a white sword.

Lovely looking doggie Congrats.

Irishchick

Vince32 wrote: »

Great news

TY Iko9 , Galway Mike, was more than happy to let me take home "midnite's" sister, her name is "thunder", he asked alot of questions, at first I thought he wasn't goiing to let take her, but we talking about sleding, and harnesses his eyes lit up and we chatted for ages. I can't wait to get her strong enough to kite me on a bike, should be alot of fun

Here's a pic, its a little blurry, but she won't sit still lol.

Thunder

I've been trying to do a little obidence training, but she is not interested in me or the treat lol, then when I get up to leave the room she won't leave me side which is the wierdest thing.

I'm going to see a specialist on sat / sun so hopefully she can give some pointers on holding "Thunder's" attention.

Thanks for everything <3 XoXoXo

PS: I'll try to get a better snap up later on, thats all I have atm, but you can see the family marking on the head, it kind of looks like a white sword.

Best of luck. Would you mind keeping us updated? Im always interested to know how people are getting on with new pups .

Vince32

Yes of course I will, I can keep this thread open so her progress is trackable,

I'm know it's early day, but I've a 6 week old pup, obey more commands than my lady, thing is I would have more success if I could hold her attention for more than .002 of a second :P Is there a way I can hold her attention? or is there some treat food that Huskies cannot resist.

I've heard of strong willed pups. but I'm getting concerned that she won't play, there is something wrong with a child that doen't play - creepy wierd -

All she does is sit by my feet, until its time to walk, feed or poop, the few toys I got her are boring, some squeaky chews, and thats just wierd

Vince32

I just finished a 20 min training session with a clicker to mark the correct position for the sit command and ... nothing.

She has zero interest in me, the treat or the command, anyone who thinks they can train a dog in a few days is deluded imo. But there seems to be some progress, she does sit, and wait for praise, but not on command, shortly after the command when it looks like I've given up she will tease me by sitting, but on her terms lol.

I need to find a way to become the alpha, or this will continue, any thoughts?

PeakOutput

just a note on the aggresion / prey thing

our sibe is awful off the lead, if you have treats she will come back if there are no wild animals around but if there are birds or rabbits around good luck she wants them more then anything. she never attacks other dogs but is always interested, sometimes the pulling in the lead might look like she is trying to get at them but really she just wants to say hello.

its the same thing with kids really. We have young cousins who come over regularly so she is used to kids of a wide age range and they have hurt her by mistake and the reaction has never been aggressive always submissive. when out and on the long lead she will run up to toddlers if I don't notice they are there first and that can freak out parents as can her tendency try and get her paws on their shoulders / jump up (she is only a pup so not huge) but its always just to say hello and its great when the toddler and parent isn't afraid but obviously if they are nervous and not used to dogs it can look aggressive so I try not to let it happen.

I know someone with a male dog and he is super laid back and dosnt care about anyone or anything, I imagine if he was let off the lead he would go after the wild animals like our one but dogs / children can pull off him and he isnt bothered

Irishchick

Vince32 wrote: »

I just finished a 20 min training session with a clicker to mark the correct position for the sit command and ... nothing.

She has zero interest in me, the treat or the command, anyone who thinks they can train a dog in a few days is deluded imo. But there seems to be some progress, she does sit, and wait for praise, but not on command, shortly after the command when it looks like I've given up she will tease me by sitting, but on her terms lol.

I need to find a way to become the alpha, or this will continue, any thoughts?

You need to remember how young she is . Keep training and training and you'll find that when she gets a bit older she will pay more attention and learn faster. At the minute she probably just thinks your mental, but keep at it!

ABitofsense

My husky, Dash, is nearly one. I was loosing patience training him too but keep at it. Try using small bits of cooked chicken or meat. She will very quickly learn then but only on a huskys terms. I find this sooo funny.
On recall my fellow was great up on till 8months till he learned he can out run me. Dont turn it into a game of chase or you will never get the lead back on. I used to walk the other direction and he quickly knows to come back. I ONLY let him off in enclosed parks or fields.
For walking at heal, i gave this up. i tried every kind of hailtis and harness and no luck. So bought a bungee lead and harness from country hounds (someone on here recommended them) and it is the best buys ever. I would highly recommend them.

Best of luck. Huskys are great

Vince32

well I finally got something, after trying various treat foods, I finally found her weakness, hehehe, she just loves sliced deli ham, and in very small amounts I was able to teach her to sit :cool:

It took ages for her to even look at me, but now, at least when I have ham, I get her attention, and producing the sit command is actually quite easy, Thunder gets it almost every time, and with some re-enforcment she will get it every time. only took 2 days.

I've started working on stay, but lol now she won't release, she sits and won't move until I leave her line of sight, I need to get her on the leash so I can release her quicker...and on command.

On our walk in the rain today, we decided to play in the grass and mud, she loved it, so did I if i'm honest :P , so I decided to try something, and I just dropped the leash and took a few steps, she followed, then I changed direction and she followed again, we did this a few more times, and I removed the leash completely, AND SHE RAN... a quarter mile, then she looked back, I called her name and a short whistle, and she came tearing home to my side.

After I changed Direction a few times and she followed without command, I noticed a few other dogs in the park, and decided not to test my luck, since she completely ignores me when something else has her attention.

So After finding the right treat food for her, I was able to teach Sit, a part of Stay, and a part of Heel, She stills pulls hard on the leash, lol my shoulder and back hurt alot more than I thought they would. When She pulls on the leash, I tell her NO! and change direction, and repeat until she learns to stop pulling, or I STOP moving for 10 Secs and start and again with the command "walk on!"

So far its really going well, but I still am very worried // concerned that she won't PLAY, not with me, her toys nothing, no one. She is content to sit silently by my feet and follow me around. When I try to play a game, like fetch, or tug-o-war, she dis-engages, I've never seen this in a pup before.

Is there something wrong with a pup that wont play???

Vince32

For walking at heal, i gave this up. i tried every kind of hailtis and harness and no luck. So bought a bungee lead and harness from country hounds (someone on here recommended them) and it is the best buys ever. I would highly recommend them.

On this, I was told by a pet store clerk, that the harnesses are designed to encourage "pulling" and once they start it's almost impossible to break, and it would be better to use a leash on collar, and just "tug" to correct, and change your direction.

I've been doing this, and honestly I'm tripping on her half the time, its a good technique, passed down from pet shop clerk to pet shop clerk over the centuries, and it honestly is working for me, but maybe that because my pup isn't big enough for her harness yet.

Irishchick

Vince32 wrote: »

Is there something wrong with a pup that wont play???

No, I have a feeling that she just doesnt know how. If she is used to playing with littler mates then she might not know what those things are for.

You'll have to teach her how to play. Show real interest in the item yourself, pretend it the best thing you've ever seen in your life.

If its a chew toy put it to your mouth and pretend your having a great time chewing it. I know it sounds mental but it actually works. A little bit of jealousy/curiosity works wonders

ISDW

Vince32 wrote: »

On this, I was told by a pet store clerk, that the harnesses are designed to encourage "pulling" and once they start it's almost impossible to break, and it would be better to use a leash on collar, and just "tug" to correct, and change your direction.

I've been doing this, and honestly I'm tripping on her half the time, its a good technique, passed down from pet shop clerk to pet shop clerk over the centuries, and it honestly is working for me, but maybe that because my pup isn't big enough for her harness yet.

Just because someone works in a pet shop doesn't mean that they have had any training in the products they sell, or indeed in anything to do with the animals that fit these products, they are just someone who works in a shop that sells pet products. There are different harnesses available for different things, including some fantastic non-pulling harnesses. A lot of sled dogs learn that their x back or shoulder harnesses are for pulling, and a collar is for walking nicely, think of all the siberian huskies who are shown, going around a ring on a very, very thin collar and lead, but who are also working dogs, pulling very hard in their harnesses.

Siberian huskies aren't untrainable, but if you want the dog, you have to think about what they are bred for, and what their history is. They were set free every summer by the chuckchi people to hunt for their own food, so they still have a very, very high prey drive, and if let off lead in an unenclosed area, they can and usually will run off, and run and run and run. Most sibes are actually pretty obedient off lead until they hit the 9/10 month mark, that is when they realise they can run faster than you.

Also think about the scenario that I know I use a lot, but it does sum up the sibe mentality. A team of sibes is mushing across a frozen lake, the lead dogs feel the ice shift under their paws, or sense the ice thinning. The musher way behind on the sled is telling them to go on straight, but the dogs know if they do, there is a good chance they and the musher will go through the ice and die. So the dogs go around the thin ice, ignoring the commands they are being given. A good musher accepts that, and trusts his/her dogs as all of their lives depend on it. Not many life threatening situations here while dryland mushing, but that is the psyche of the dog, and you ignore it at your peril. They are intelligent, and need to be trusted by their owner and they need to trust you that you're not going to ask them to do something that they can't do. This is why people say they are difficult to train. I don't think they are, but it depends what you want to train them to do. A lot of my dogs know the words to turn left and right, they know when to stop and when to go, when to go straight through a junction, those are the kind of commands they are easily trainable to. They can be trained to obedience, one of my sibes did the kennel club bronze good citizen award scheme with my son, she passed with flying colours. However, I wouldn't put her in the position where she had to take any part of the test outside in an unenclosed field, why would I put her life at risk like that?

Know the breed you've got and embrace it, they are fantastic, wonderful dogs, I love them to bits. But know where they came from, and what they can do.

Vince32

Thats a great insight into the sibe, I have to admit I hadn't considered all the aspects of the dogs mentality, only what I want from her. She seems happy to make me happy and follows the scheme of work I put to her daily, but as you said, I'm starting to realise that I need to follow her scheme of work too, so she can be as happy and content as possible.

Right now, she is a real handful and I have to walk her to the point of almost exhaustion, to spend all her energy. At first I was concerned about overdoing it, but she seems to prefer walking and running more than performing tricks for treats, as she bores easily.

At the moment we just got back from a long hike, she stays with me or trying to coax me into going even faster, but I stay in command and refuse to run or walk fast, instead we take longer slower walks, and now she is exhausted and sleeping peacefully in her cot.

I would like to hear any ways I could progress her training, or if I would be better off taking her to obedience school and having it done properly by a professional. As I said before she has little interest in "Sit" "Stay" or "Heel" and only does what she wants to do, when she wants to do it.

That said, I'm not looking for miracle fix, I've only had her 3 day now, but still anything that could possibly help me hold her attention and help her learn the commands would be a god send, you mentioned teaching her "left and right", to me that seems like a huge undertaking, and I wouldn't even know where to begin teaching that.

I'll take a trip to the library tomorrow and see if they have training books for the husky, but because they are such a rare breed these days (becoming popular) I doubt I will find anything suitable.

Thanks alot

Zapperzy

Vince32 wrote: »

I'll take a trip to the library tomorrow and see if they have training books for the husky, but because they are such a rare breed these days (becoming popular) I doubt I will find anything suitable.

Sibes are far from a rare breed these days, donedeal is full of them and unfortunately they're not a breed for everyone.

Did you say this pup is 6 weeks old and you've had her walking in the park? She won't be fully vaccinated yet so is at a big risk of picking up parvo which can be fatal in such a young pup. Keep her confined to your house and garden until she is fully vaccinated.

Good luck with your new pup!

andreac

How old is your pup again?? You are saying you walk it until exhaustion, please do not do this under any circumstances.

Puppies are not meant to be walked very far at all at a young age as you risk damaging growing joints and bones. They shouldnt be walked much until they are fully mature. The rule is usually 5 mins per month of age per day. So if your pup is 4 months old then thats only 20 mins walk per day in total.

Please give this poor pup a chance to settle in to your house and routine. She needs time to settle and get used to her new life and surroundings. You seem to be expecting an awful lot from her so soon.

Vince32

no zap, I should of written "I have seen pups who were 6 weeks and are better at taking commands than mine" also the pups I have seen are more alert and owner directed.

Sadly we did have a pup that died from parvovirus, a Maltese Terrier, about 18 months ago, and we disinfected everything and anything the new girl could possibly come in contact with, and everything else besides, The Gardens were hosed with a 1:30 Jeyes Fluid solution 4 times, completely saturating the grounds, walls, gutters, grass, flowers and everything in the yards was soaked 4 times in 2 weeks. We did the same with the entire kitchen, walls, shelves, cabinet doors, doors, door frames. the rest of the house was steamed, carpets, curtains, chairs, sofas. I think it's fair to say we took all possible measures to safeguard against contamination, but nothing is 100% in this world, and if she starts to reject food or water, or has even the slightest bout of diarrhoea she will visit the vet within the hour day or night. It was totally heartbreaking to lose a dog to that insidious virus and we will not let it happen again. Thanks for your concern and I'm sorry to raise alarm, she has had her last shots at week 12, and the breeders assured me, though it was early, she would be ok to walk.

@andreac
My girl is nearly 14 weeks, born on sep 1st, so I'll start limiting the walks immediately!! our walks had been for a minimum of 30 mins, at a slow pace, and understandably now she is exhausted, thanks for letting me know, and I'm not really expecting alot from her, but her lack of focus and inability to look at me in the eyes had me concerned.

I'll make sure she is not tired or sleepy after the walks, and make a play period after when she is most alert. I will let her adjust some more, but she is happiest sitting at my feet, and even now she is crying about my absence, I guess she doesn't like being alone in a new place, who can blame her.

Would a cuddly toy about her size help calm her down? its gut wrenching to listen to her cry while I try to sleep, but I can't sleep with her, and she definitely can't sleep with me. What to do?

EDIT: I found a windup clock, wrapped it in a blanket and put it under her bed, the crying stopped !! 1:07am... finally some sleep lol

ISDW

Vince32 wrote: »

@andreac
My girl is nearly 14 weeks, born on sep 1st, so I'll start limiting the walks immediately!! our walks had been for a minimum of 30 mins, at a slow pace, and understandably now she is exhausted, thanks for letting me know, and I'm not really expecting alot from her, but her lack of focus and inability to look at me in the eyes had me concerned.

I'll make sure she is not tired or sleepy after the walks, and make a play period after when she is most alert. I will let her adjust some more, but she is happiest sitting at my feet, and even now she is crying about my absence, I guess she doesn't like being alone in a new place, who can blame her.

Would a cuddly toy about her size help calm her down? its gut wrenching to listen to her cry while I try to sleep, but I can't sleep with her, and she definitely can't sleep with me. What to do?

EDIT: I found a windup clock, wrapped it in a blanket and put it under her bed, the crying stopped !! 1:07am... finally some sleep lol

Eye contact for dogs can be very difficult, I wouldn't be forcing that point at all, if you're trying to get her to look you in the eyes, she may feel threatened.

Sibes can suffer from hip dysplacia, so definitely heed Andreac's advice on the exercise.

Really I would suggest that you relax:D Just enjoy your new puppy, let her settle in and find her paws, she's been taken away from her mum and her littermates, it will take her time to feel safe and secure. Be her friend, definitely get ground rules in place now, but in a nice, caring way that she trusts and likes you, wants to be with you. I always make my dogs sit before they get their dinner. Trust me, she'll learn soon enough, just give her time, don't overload her with commands. If you send a child to school, you wouldn't expect them to be able to read after the first week, just let her be a puppy for a while, but as I say, with ground rules, about toilet training etc.

With the crying at night, you have to be hard hearted if she can't sleep in with you, but again, she will soon learn. However, at that age, you'll have to get up and let her out at least once during the night, depending on what time you put her to bed, so her cries might be because she needs to go to the toilet.

Vince32

Yeah your right, it just seemed to me she had way to much energy and a "long, slow" walk might be what she needed to settle, She'll be taking it nice and easy for the next few weeks, games and toys mostly, and one 15 min walk a day, until she's older.

I can see how sibe owners would think them a menace, with so much energy. I'll be taking both your advice and keeping her "at play" more, and helping her feel at home. Sometimes I forget how scary the world is when your a kid.

Vince32

We had alot of fun today and you were right, she is starting to build confidence and become more alert. I took her to the dog park, and we met a few other dogs and their owners, she was very interested and calm which was a bit of a shock to me.

When we got home, we had a play session for 20 mins, and a 10 min training session, when she started to sit on command it was amazing and we had alot of fun with that. As soon as she lost interest in sitting we left it there.

Starting to see the wisdom in your words now, we're both happier because of it, thanks for the support over the recent days, and I'll try to post some news every other day, we will be taking the training slowly and as she comes more into herself we will try a few different commands of the next weeks and months.

I took her to see a pro dog trainer, who was spending 2 days in the local pet store and she explained in depth about taking it slow and playing alot more, and training alot less, once she is ready for more commands, the dog will let ME know when its time.

Thanks again for the great advice, and if I run into anything else unexpected I'll let you know.

Vince32

Hmmm, should I start a new thread?

anyways, my 14 week old bitch wieghs 7.1kg is this right for her age? I know don't need to worry about it, she is happy and healthy.

But I want to know what her ideal weight is, and if there is a scale I can follow to make sure she will always be at a good wieght

Squall19

The girls are usually alot smaller than the boys, most girls end up being between 17-23kg, so 7kg at just over 3 months puts looks good to me.

Hard to say but if she keeps up that pace of growth she will probably end up just around 20kg, which is normal for the breed.

This was my boy Fado at 8 weeks ( had him 2 days )



Fully grown with female who was tall for a girl almost 23" at the withers but very lean, at 22kg.



Here is a chart here you can use.

http://www.belpatt.fr/dogs-puppies-weight-curve,Siberian-Husky.htm

Fado is not a full Siberian Husky, I found that out after a year, that he is a mix with an Alaskan Malamute and Siberian.Paper work says his grandfather was an Alaskan Mal ( not sure if full ), mother was a full Siberian and father was a Siberian, Alaskan Mix.

Was a bit gutted as I payed a nice bit for him, but I forgot about it the same day:)

I thought he was going to be huge as he was well over 30kg and nearly 26" at the withers when he was a year old, he hasn't grown since then, put on a few kilo.

Squall19

Take loads of pictures

They are gorgeous puppies.

Here is a few of his brothers and sisters.




Two babies fighting



Gorgeous girl in the front.





Was great seeing them free, I kept mine off the lead until he was just over a year, but his instinct to hunt and run came out and he is on the lead at all times now.It's sad, but at least he had a year to run through the rivers, beaches, mountains etc.

I think the happiest he has ever been was when he was 11 months and we spent hours up the Torc waterfall in Killarney, we must have walked 10 km's that day through the forest and mountain and he was free the whole time.