[wchasr]

Seems we are very likely getting a puppie this weekend. My family had a dog when I was growing up. A Husky wolf mix that came from Attu Island so we were told. He was great and while we had him a long time My uncle raised him froma  puppy and when his life changed my grandparents ended up with him for a while then we took him. He was truly a whole family dog but in the end attached himself mostly to my father. 

My wife has similar stories of a few of ther family pet's & dog's especially. They had an awesome Black Lab that had to be put down about 4 years ago. They now have a Yellow Lab that is still at 3 years old a lot of puppy in him. he's settling down and is rather large for his breed. they got hime from one of my father in laws co-workers and is basically a relatively pure bred.

My father also finally got another dog too. My fathers was a rescue dog of sorts. Some neighbors had "found" the dog wandering the interstate but they only tied it up in the back yard and neglected it so my step mother was feeding and watering it so they told her to take him. He's been an awesome dog for them. Mostly Black Lab by looks and build he is again rather large for the breed. 

I've got friends that have had dogs and various pets. The latest being one friend getting a St. Bernard Puppy a year or so ago. 

So the wife has been wanting a dog or another baby. We ahd joked that it would either be a Lab or a Husky. She found a place in PA that breeds Siberian Huskies. They also have a litter or two of puppies available now. White Males and females and one Sable Female. 

thenorthernmanor.com/siberian_husky_available_puppies.php

So anyway we will be headed down there Saturday to meet the puppies and I suspect that unless something goes horribly wrong, we'll be coming home with one. 
We are unsure of which one though. I'm currently out numbered by girls at home, but my first instinct was to go with a female. Having said that I have more experience with Male dogs than Female ones. So sticking with what I know would be good right? (sigh) 

So not having had to ever deal with a puppy long term I'm sure I'm in for a shock and learning curve myself. I'm expecting we are going to be installing one of the Electric radio collar fences. Again I have absolutely NO experience with those but have heard some amusing stories about them. I really do not want to put in a full fence. It will make my yard seem even smaller. 

Anyhow I keep getting distracted here at work so I'll post this and add to it later.

Chas

 

[Nick Jr]

Chas,  my sister had a neighbor that had the burried wire with the radio collars.   Mike, golden lab pup was so excited one day, with a running start went right through the invesible fence.  Only problem was he couldn't get back IN the yard till they turned it off.     I also am adopting one this weekend, 4.5 year old golden/shepard mix.  I am sure the puppy will have you trained in no time.                              Nick Jr

 

[Greg Vocks]

RE: OT and NT but relevant: Dogs & puppies

As far as the male or female question goes, I'd say the answer is female: that is whichever puppy the females want, you go with.
I have have several dogs...big, small, medium, male, female. I never thought I would say it, but I like the small breed females for pets. Only the floor gets piddled on that way. You also have the option of having puppies someday.
For hunting dogs I still like the males; they seem to like to hunt more, and I feel like we understand each other better.
I've never had expeience with the invisible fences.

 

[markoles]

Chas,

Like you, I had dogs growing up.  When MB and I were married our first year, we decided to get a dog.  We had a good reference to a northern PA breeder (friend of the family) and that's where we found Lucia.

1. We do not have an electric fence for Lucia, neither do we have a regular fence.  Maybe we've been lucky, but Lucia knows her boundaries and stops when I tell her to.  I did not fully trust her until she was about 1.5 so she was on a leash whenever we went outside.  Do huskies tend to wander?  I was under the impression they did not.  Anyway, I imagine you won't let your dog out without watching her.  I get the impression that you want an inside dog, a member of the family, right?  Huskies, as I understand it, tend to associate with one member of the house.  I'm not trying to talk you out of it, just relaying my impressions.  My lab is really loyal to me, and doesn't have much to do with MB or Luke (yet).

2.  Take the time to train your puppy.  If you have the option, take her to puppy kindergarten.  I know it sounds stupid and the old guys on here will make fun of me for it, but it was night and day with Lucia after that.  We also used a device called a Gentle Leader to train her to walk on a leash.  This looks like a muzzle, but does nothing to constrict her mouth.  Instead, it has a strap that went over her nose and another strap across the back of her head.  These connected where her head meets her neck.  There is a small piece you hook the leash to.  When the dog is walking properly, not pulling, the portion across the nose is slack.  When the dog starts to pull, it puts pressure on the back of the neck, which the puppy associates with her mother's way  of telling her "no".  This will teach the puppy that you are the boss.  We haven't used her gentle leader in almost a year (becasue it got lost).  She walks OK with a regular leash now, but its not the same, and she lapses in to the pulling routine from time to time.

3. get a crate big enough for the full size husky.  Put her in it from day one.  Put in a blanket or old towel so she gets your scent.  

4. remember the first night you had your girls home from the hospital?  This will be as bad, but probably not worse since you won't be so tired and sleep deprived. 

5. don't skimp on cheap dog food.  Make sure the first ingredient is Chicken or meat.  Corn is no good, same as for us.  Not much nutrition, and really just filler.  We've used Eukanuba for Lucia, and she seems to like it.  I've followed the feeding instructions and she's not a big ol porker like a lot of labs.  Try not to feed her table scraps. This'll cause you more headaches as she gets older.  I met a 18 month old black lab that had to be 20lbs overweight because "he likes ice cream".  Wow.  Poor dog could hardly walk.

6. Try to be as consistent as possible.  You already know this from raising kids.  If the dog isn't supposed to be on the couch, don't let her up ever. 

7. In general, females tend to be less aggressive. However, I have found my small lab to be a dominant type, humping other dogs to prove it.  I liken this to a Napolean complex, only I call it "Little Lab disease".  Someone at the dog park thought it was a real disease.  I had her going for close to 10 minutes about it. 

8.  DON'T go to the breeder planning to take one home.  You really want to take a look around and see where the puppies live, what the condition of the mother and father are, etc.. All puppies are cute. 

9. Be patient!  Puppies are work, not as much as children, since you don't need to hold them all the time, and they can sleep on the floor.  make sure she knows she is part of the family, but that the humans are in charge.  It is a learning experience for everyone, so be patient with everyone. 

Good luck!

Mark

 

[tmejia]

Wow, I took a look at those Puppies, they are beautiful. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/blush.gif
I prefer large dogs (White German Shepherds) and since we got our latest one when my daughter was 5, I chose a female puppy.  I didn’t want the dog to get to big for my daughter.  The dog (BearBear) after 5 years, weighs in at 80 lbs, males are 100+.  She fits right in. 
Those first couple of years were quite interesting.  Lost the grass in the backyard and my drip system within the first 6 months.  Now she’s mellowed out and is indoors more than out. 
Wasn’t interested in more puppies, so that was taken care of as soon as possible (after she was 6 months, I think).  

As for being outnumbered by girls (me too) I think Shad has us all beat. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/laugh.gif

Tommy
Rio Gracie

 

[SteveC]

Chas

Not quite sure that I'm one of the people that you should be listening too regarding pets. Mark has covered pretty much all the bases, the only thing I can think to add is take your time and watch for the attention span, even at a young age it a good indicator of future train-ability. But definitely go for it!

See what I mean?

No, not the horses, the Great Dane(s) /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/hehe.gif this time around.

 

[Doug Tome]

RE: OT and NT but relevant: Dogs & puppies

Back in 1969 my wife and I got a red and white Siberian Husky female puppy. I n 1971 we had her bred and kept a black and white male from her litter. We knew people in the Siberian Husky club and were invited to join in on several dog sledding events. Those were a real fun events. The years passed and we never replaced the huskies when they passed on.
About 3 weeks ago we decided to get another dog. I have wanting a yellow lab for the longest time. We have about 2 acres here in northwest Pa. Watching the papers and checking with animal shelters for about a month. I finally found a litter of yellow labs for sale over in Ohio that the owners didn't want an arm and a leg for. We got a 6 week old yellow lab female with red highlights. We are in the process of housebreaking now. She is real good in her crate.
I am looking forward to the training and time we will be spending together.

 

[markperr]

RE: OT and NT but relevant: Dogs & puppies

I agree with Mark. Look for a reputable training place. I have taken my last two danes to a training academy which trains both the owner and dog simultaneously. Some people advocate sending them to a place where the academy trains them and then brings you in later to train with the dog. I don't go for that since I don't know how they are training my animal when i'm not around. The place that I went to vehemently denounced striking the animal for any reason, citing that a stern command works equally as well. Both my dogs love(d) to race around the property. It takes a Great Dane about twelve seconds to traverse the perimeter of a quarter acres of land at full gate. If he wanted to run away, I'd never in a million years catch him. But right from the outset, he learned that I am the most important thing in his life. I truly believe that, since dogs are pack animals, they all feel this way. Get his mind around the concept that you are in charge and he's safe around you and the dog will never leave your side. Also, be vigilant about others striking him/her.

I can personally attest to making sure that your dog gets the best quality food you can afford, especially large dogs like huskies. I fed my dog kibbles and bits and kept his bowl full at all times but he never seemed to fill out. A 96 pound Great Dane is a pretty scrawny looking animal. I finally got wise and switched him to Eukenuba for Large Breeds and in the past three months he has put on 11 pounds. Besides looking better, there is a pleasant side efffect of less piles in the yard. Make sure they get a large breed formula since it has glucosamine in it which is great for the dog's bones and joints.

Being mostly a giant breed owner all my adult life (Danes/Mastiffs), I tend to lean toward males. Don't know why but I just seem to connect with them better. Females have always given me problems. I could never wrestle with my females, for some reason they were always too agressive and tended to bite, even when corrected. The males knew their place in the heirarchy for some reason. Remember, you are always the Alpha Dog. Any time your pup does something agressive, quash that behavior immediately. There's few things scarier in life than a 100 pound dog baring his teeth at you and you have no control over him.

One last thing about large breeds is their life expectancy is lower than smaller dogs. Know that going in. Not sure what a Husky's life expectancy is, but on average, my danes and mastiffs lasted about eight years. Oldest died at about ten, youngest was 4 1/2.

Good Luck and congratulations on your soon to be new addition.

Mark

 

[markoles]

I love those big dogs.  We have friends who have a Mastiff rescue.  Love that 'little' Gracie! Lucia is barly 58 lbs.  Here she is at a 'doodle' romp two years ago.  She's the one under the Liamburger-doodle.  The rest are labradoodles and golden doodles.  I was the dog park rep that day, and so that's why she was there.  She had a good time putting the doodles in their place!! 

By the way- she's digging to get to the water at the bottom of the pool.  No one ever said that dogs were that smart.

 

[wchasr]

RE: OT and NT but relevant: Dogs & puppies

Labs LOVE the water! LOL! My wife's parents old Lab Smoky was the runt of the litter and he would swim so much that they'd have to lift him out of the water and carry him to the car he'd get so lame. Our old Husky mix loved to run! Full out sprints when we could let him loose.

Thanks guy for all the comments online and offline. Truly appreciated and hopefully some of it stuck!

IF for some stupid reason the trip tomorrow doesn't work out we'll be looking elsewhere and likely at Labs.

Of course this somewhat limits my railroad space as the dog will require space in the yard too. Thus the not quite off topic header.

I looked in our local phone book to find "Dog obedience or dog training" and it says to look under "fence" Sheesh!

 

[Nick Jr]

Look for your local PetsMart, they usually have training classes.  Training is mostly the person learning and being consistant with the animal.
Nick Jr.

 

[sbaxters4]

RE: OT and NT but relevant: Dogs & puppies

Good Luck witht the puppy plans... My room mate and I had a husky many years ago now. She LOVED to run... That in fact was her downfall, she ran off, breaking her CHAIN in the process and then was hit by a car. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/sad.gif Now my brother has a black lab/Malamute mix and he's huge! The only advice I can give is Just what mark said... DON'T FEED the Pup People food!!! My brother's dog eats better than alot of humans. Regular trips to McDonalds and DQ FOR THE DOG!!!! Not good, way over wieght and having joint problems. Have fun but let her know the bounderies!!! We will expect pictures....

 

[paintjockey]

RE: OT and NT but relevant: Dogs & puppies

I have had a few German Shepards both male and female. I have found that between the two the males tend to be more protective of property and the females tend to be more protective of the family. Don't get me wrong if someone unfamiliar comes to close to the kids Zeus lets them know about it, but the female i had would let anyone wander through the yard just not come close to my wife. (no kids at the time) The biggest problem i have had with males is if you don't fix them, you have to remind them once in awhile that you are the alpha male. Otherwise they try to take control of the house. This wouldn't be bad if he had a job that paid well
Terry

 

[wchasr]

Well it was a wild weekend! LOL! 

My wife works at the Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel and they opened there new entertainment center with a big concert Friday night which we had tickets to. The Blues Brothers with Dan Akroyd & Jim Belushi! Sold out crowd and a packed house with a high energy concert. The only unfortuante part was that it was a really late night. We got up bright and early to make the 3 hours drive to the Kennel. We managed to find our way in the fog although this was a bit scary at times!

We got to the kennel and they had the male ready for us. He's a real cutey. No photos yet simply because I had the computer shut down last night when I thought of it. The first stop on the way home was the local TSC to get a leash and collar. Then we stopped in Erie on the way home at PetSmart because they had the pupppy food that the kennel had been using. Bought a cage which he hates (sigh) and a bed which got "messed up" when we found out he doesn't like being in the cage. The overall trip went well though and he was pretty calm for the whole trip. So travelling seems like it'll be pretty easy. We left home about 7 am and got back a little after 4. So Satruday night was a series of walks. He's afraid of the storm door and the sound of a chair moving or something like that. He's not used to the collar and leash but he's doing much better. He enjoyed the ride in the cart at PetSmart too! We defintely need to do something different eventually other than the stake and cable we have. I'm not a big fan of the cable runs and want to go with the Radio fence system but I'll have to wait for a few months for that I geuss? We'll struggle thru in the meantime.  Last night went much better. No messes inside with only a few puddles. We also left him out of the cage for dinner and he didn't beg he simply laid under the table quietly. He's definetly attached himself to my wife so far though. Laying in her lap all the way home and sleeping by her side Saturday night. Sitting at her feet at dinner time, yeah she's "the one", at least so far.

Thanks everyone for the advice and shared stories!

Chas

P.S. We looked briefly at the puppy classes available at the Petsmart in Erie. It's an hour and half drive one way and is an 8 week course. (sigh) that's not happening! The other Petsmart that is local is also an hour and half away in the Buffalo area. Time to do some more research.

 

[markoles]

Chas,

CONGRATULATIONS!!  We need
That first night was tough for us, too!! I had to drive 3 hours to Danville to meet the breeder who came down from Canton, PA.  I stayed with friends that night (with the dog), and then the two of us drove back the next day.  She did OK that first night, but only because I let her sleep on my chest. MB and her family came home from the beach later that day, and it was a "surprise" for them!! 

This topic is not entirely off for this board.  I picked up a Bachmann 4-4-0 and am planning to name her 'Estelle'.  (Lucia Estelle is the full name of my dog!)  I started a builder's log on this site about the repaint of that engine.  I have to post a poll about the paint scheme and another poll for something that "G. R" could stand for...

Mark

 

[John J]

When I lived in Sanata Rosa California  I had two  horese.    Just before I moved to  Arizona in  1994  I sold them.    It took me almost  a year to quit missing them.  /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/sad.gif 

When I was unloading the truck after I got here  I pulled out two horse  water tanks for watering my horses.   

The neighbor aksed  if I had horses.

I said I sold them,      

Why did you bring the tanks with you?   he inquired.

When you dog dies  do you throw his  dog dish away? I answered.

He asked no more questions.

No more pets./DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/sad.gif

PS   Same neighbor who  DROVE me into   Large Scale Trains.  but that is a  story for another time.

 

[wchasr]

RE: OT and NT but relevant: Dogs & puppies

John,
I know exactly what you mean. Been there done that. Doing it again. Hopefully not for a long time.

Chas

 

[wchasr]

Well since I've had you guys strung along... I finally got some of the photos of him downloaded from the camera this morning.

Please Welcome Casper to our family!

 

[SteveC]

Chas

Beautiful looking animal, has the breeder done any tracking/study of their specific family lines regarding problems like hip displaycia (spelling???) and such?

 

[markoles]

Great pics!!

Looks like the girls are enjoying having a puppy!! Either that or they were full pitch screaming!! LOL!

I like the last shot.  Looks like Casper has had enough of the flash.

Mark