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Messages - siberescuegirl

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Are you worried about finding safe treats for your dogs? We at Harnessed to Hope Northern Breed Rescue (www.nbrescue.com) are, and we are putting together a book or recipes for homemade dog treats.

There will be a section for baked treats and a section for frozen treats for the hot summer weather. We will also have some recipes for doggies with food allergies and sensitive tummies.

AND if you contribute a recipe and send us your dog's picture, we will include the picture in the book! This is your chance to get your dog's picture in a book and help rescue dogs! Please email your photo and recipe to siberescuegirl@gmail.com. Please include your name, dog's name, city and your dog's photo so that we can give you credit for the recipe! Thank you!  ;D

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Harnessed to Hope Northern Breed Rescuehttp://www.nbrescue.com/ is having an eBay auctionhttp://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=nbrescue to raise money. All proceeds go to the care of foster dogs like Kenai http://www.gimpydogs.com/Fosters/kenai.html, a sweet 9 month old Malamute pup. She was rescued from a puppy mill. At one point her left front leg was fractured and never treated. On Nov. 6th, Kenai had surgery to repair her leg. Please check out our items for sale.

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marinafb, I have to disagree with your statements:
"husky are such a beautiful breed but i have to put them right up there w/ the wolf they need alot more then then any human can give them. "

and

"they need to be run a larage yard is not even going to cut it."

People who are prepared for the challenges of owning a Siberian Husky can provide great lives for these dogs, and a large yard is the ideal way for Huskies to be able to run, play, and get their excersize. Also, Huskies may look like wolves, but they are not wolves, and they are no more genetically similar to a wolf than a poodle is. Please be carefule, your well-intentioned but inaccurate statements make it sound as if it is impossible for humans to have obedient, happy, well socialized and well adjusted Huskies that get the proper excersize and have a good life.

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Oh yes! I've been asked if Indy is:
  • An Alaskan Husky (that's NOT A BREED!)
  • A Siberian Malamute (again...not a breed)
  • A wolf
  • A wolf hybrid
  • Demon from Snow Dogs (usually kids)

Most people want to pet him, and if he gets excited and starts talking, some people jump back as if they think he's angry. Other people hold out their hands, and when he goes to sniff it, they yank it back. Well, then, why did they hold it out? Stay away from him if you're so scared![/color]

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I'm sure you mean well and your passion for dogs maybe causes you to "harsh" however I know myself and I know that I'm a resposible pet owner even if by your standards I may not be.
Cymbaline

Hi Cymbaline,
I know that you love your dogs, you wouldn't be here asking for help and advice if you didn't. However, if they live outside, get only 30 - 45 minutes with you a day, and are escaping because they are bored and don't get enough excersize and stimulation, and you can't give them the time and excersize that they need - then the responsible thing to do is to contact some rescue organizations and see if you can find new homes for them where they will get the excersize, socialization, training and human contact that they need.  Many rescues have referral programs - this means that the dogs stay with you instead of being taken into foster care by the rescue. The rescue lists  the dogs on their web sites and invites you to bring the dogs to adoptions where they may be a good fit.

If you really can't give them the time and excersize that they need and socialize and train them, then finding them a home where they will get these things is the kindest, most responsible thing that you can do for them. 

As someone already stated, your dogs chasing the kid on the bike and killing the rabbit do not in any way indicate that they have aggressive tendencies. It's normal behavior for breeds with a high prey drive. That's why Huskies and Malamutes need obedience training starting at a young age. They need to be trained not to chase people and other animals while on leash. When they are off leash, it's up to their owners to make sure they are safely contained.

Your dog growling when the kid got in his face - he was NOT being aggresive. He was using normal "dog language" and letting the kid know that he did not like the kid being in his face. The kid needs to be taught that he needs to ask before petting a dog, and that it's not a good idea just to get in a dog's face like that. And now that you know your dog doesn't like kids getting up in his face, you need to tell kids that it's better if they keep their distance. You need to know your dog and be his advocate.

As far as attacking the other Malamute, from what I've read about Malamute males, this is pretty standard behavior. I too was surprised to read that you have two male Malamutes and that they are not aggressive towards each other.

This is from the Alaskan Malamute Club of America's site:
"Alaskan Malamutes were originally bred to haul heavy sleds across long distances in harsh winter conditions. This necessitated a dog that had tremendous strength, energy, endurance, independence and intelligence. These traits still define Alaskan Malamutes. A first time Mal owner soon learns what this really means. These dogs have extremely high energy levels which require release in appropriate ways. They need to run, play, and bounce around a lot. Without continuous physical and mental stimulation, they become bored and restless. This will certainly result in destructive activities of the dog's choosing, not yours. Alaskan Malamutes can be quite boisterous and even rowdy, especially during their growing years. They will try to challenge the family for the top or "alpha" role. With a large dog (they grow to 65lbs-85lbs and up) this cannot be allowed to happen. The family must learn how to properly deal with this for everyone's sake. "

The same is true of Siberian Huskies, which is why so many shelters have more Huskies than other breeds, and why Husky rescues are continually full.

Best of luck to you. If you can't give your dogs the life that they need, then helping to find them the right kind of home is the best thing that you can do for them.

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I'm sorry this happened. I would try to talk to the people who say that they saw your dogs loose. If someone put them back in their pen, why wouldn't they have just escaped again? Why wouldn't the person who put them back have left a note or tried to reach you? That sounds odd to me.

A few questions - how much exersize to the dogs get on a daily basis? I know you love your dogs, but 30 to 45 minutes a day is not a lot for these dogs.  These are high-energy breeds, and they are working dogs. They need to expend that energy. If you don't give them enough exersize and they get bored, they will find a way to get out and find something to do.

Why do they live outside? Do they ever come into the house? Do they sleep in the house at night?

You said that these dogs are not really obedient - how much training have they had? Do you practice the obedience training with them? Do you use the training they have received consistently and regularly? Unless you do, they never will be obedient, especially if they don't get to spend much time with you. If they were more obedient could they come in the house and sleep there at night?

I know you love your dogs, but from what you've written, it doesn't sound like you have much time for them. If you want advice on making the outdoor pen more secure, go to www.everything husky.com and go to the forum, there is a section for fencing and containment. You may also want to contact a Husky or Malamute rescue and see if someone can give you tips on making it escape proof. The Husky rescue I work with does this a lot for people who just need some tips.

Good luck. I hope this helps.

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Siberian Husky Discussions / Re: My Husky-any advice?
« on: December 03, 2005, 03:38:52 pm »
Yeah...most Huskies have something that they don't like and turn their noses up at. When my dog still got commercial food and treats, he was extremely picky about treats.  Someone from the rescue we work with gave us a box of Trader Joe's All Natural Peanut Butter Treats, which he LOVED. Well, we don't live near a Trader Joe's, but we live near a Whole Foods Market. Silly me, I figured that the all natural peanut butter treats from this store would be just as good. Indy did not agree. He sniffed the treat, then turned his face away, and looked at me as if to say "This is not the same treat, I am not fooled. This is not up to my standards." then walked away.

I gave them to my boss, whose Lab will eat anything.

In August we took a dog out of shelter and took him to the vet before taking him to his long term foster home. He was a Rottie/Husky mix. He looked mostly like a Husky, except that his head was shaped like a Rottie's and his tail wasn't very fluffy. He was really underweight and had been very neglected. The vet tech tried to get him to eat a treat, and he sniffed it and turned his nose up. I laughed and said "Yup, he's a Husky."

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Oh, we did the  canned pumkin. It helps "clean him out" but it doesn't help firm up his stools. On raw chicken he does great. He can't handle large amounts of beef. He does okay with marrow bones though.


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Siberian Husky Discussions / irinad83 - your dogs are so cute!
« on: December 02, 2005, 12:47:00 am »
They look like they LOVE  playing together! :D

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Indy has struggled with digestive problems for the past 8 months - no matter what premium, organic, all-natural or prescription kibble he was on, he had diarrhea. We went through 3 vets, all of whom ruled out parasites, bacteria, infection, etc.  They all just wanted to put him on another kibble brand and on another drug, none of which helped.

Finally, I decided that nothing else had worked, so what did we have to lose? Well, after 3 days on raw chicken, no more diarrhea! Since Indy has a sensitive stomach and had been on antibiotics, I also give him acidophilus and digestive enzymes, and he's doing great! He doesn't handle beef fat or bone well, that REALLY upset his stomach.

We have an appointment in a few weeks with a holistic vet who supports raw feeding for pets and I am very excited. Finally a vet who really knows about dog nutrition and doesn't want to just suppress the symptoms but actually wants to treat the underlying problem!

Here is the vet's site where they talk about raw feeding: http://www.vhcdoc.com/diet.html

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Siberian Husky Discussions / Re: Training my Husky to not run away...
« on: December 02, 2005, 12:36:33 am »
Yes, and the point that you have failed to grasp is that the statement that Huskies cannot be trusted off leash and are prone to running off is not a myth. It's a breed instinct, just like pulling a sled and loving snow and cold weather. It's in their genes.

And even very experienced Husky owners who have trained, owned, and fostered many Huskies would never ever take the chance of letting their dogs off leash outside of a fenced area, simply because they know the risks and they care too much about their dog's safety. Not because they aren't capapble of figuring out how to train their dog to be reliable on recall.

Spreading a myth is unproductive. Ignoring the truth can leads to lost, injured and dead Huskies, which is why Husky rescues are always at maximum capacity.

By the way, have you ever owned a Husky?

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Siberian Husky Discussions / Re: Dog in love
« on: December 02, 2005, 12:31:05 am »
That's why the place where I take Indy requires all doggie day camp participants to be neutered and spayed, so that nobody goes home pregnant! Also, it's very disruptive and can cause intact males to become aggressive, so it's also a safety issue. I'm surprised that the day care owner allows intact females, especially while they are in heat!

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Siberian Husky Discussions / Re: Training my Husky to not run away...
« on: November 29, 2005, 08:03:37 pm »
Anky, I agree with you 100%. The bigges risk to the Siberian Husky is the novice who comes along and says "Well, I met one person once who walked their Husky off leash and it was fine, so I'm going to walk my Husky off leash."

There are always exceptions to the rule. However - the general instinct of the Siberian Husky is to be an independent thinker, and to chase things that run. It would be extremely risky to the dog, and extremely irresponsible of the owner, to take such a chance.

The rescue group I volunteer is always full. Why? Because there are more Huskies than almost any other breed either found as strays (because they ran off or escaped from a yard) or turned in because they "don't listen and run away all the time". DUH! That's what Huskies do! I became extremely creative in reinforcing my parents' split rail fence and the chicken wire that went around the inside. I helped my dad put in new chicken wire all the way around, and we buried it 6 inches deep - my Husky, thank goodness, is not a digger or climber - he just looks for holes, weak spots or gaps that he can push through.

But if I hadn't read about the breed beforehand, I wouldn't have known I needed to always make sure that the gates were securely latched, and I wouldn't have been so proactive about making sure that the fence was secure.  I would not have known that it's a breed characteristic, and I might have thought he was just a "bad dog" and tried to find a new home for him. People who aren't prepared and don't know what they're getting into, 90 percent of the time, end up wanting to "get rid of" or re-home their Huskies.  Hence the shelters and rescues that are overflowing with them.


We've heard and seen horror stories about dogs that jumped out of cars in parking lots or at gas stations and were hit and injured or killed. One dog lost a leg this way, because someone left the car door open at a gas station and he saw a squirrel.

About a year ago a Husky was adopted out to a family on a house near a busy road. Well, that alone can't disqualify them (or we'd never adopt any dogs out!) and we educated them THOROUGHLY on security, doors, leashes, gates, etc.

The day after he was adopted he got out of the house (bolted out of the door after someone) and was hit and killed.

Please - just be a responsible owner, be aware of the breed characteristic s, and do what you need to do to protect your dog. I'm amazed at how many Husky owners I run into that stop and ask why they don't listen, why the always run off, etc. When I start talking about breed characteristic s they have no idea. It just amazes me.



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Siberian Husky Discussions / Re: Nanook Just Had Surgery
« on: November 26, 2005, 08:48:42 pm »
It is very important to keep him from licking the wound, otherwise it could become infected or develop into a granuloma lesion, which is nasty. I did a Google search for alternatives to e-collars and found this: http://www.funstufffordogs.com/Qstore/Qstore.cgi?CMD=011&PROD=1132167446

It may be easier on him, or you could try trimming the e-collar a little shorter. You could also try making an e-collar out of clear material that he can see through, this site has instructions for making an e-collar: http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/health/elizabethan.htm

The important thing is not to fuss over him too much with the e-collar on, just act like everything is normal. If you have a GNC or organic market nearby, they sell Rescue Remedy, which is safe to give to animals and can help to relax them. I gave it to my dog when he had an allergic reaction and I was really upset, becuase it was important to keep him calm. Many vets suggest it for dogs who are afraid to go to the vet.

Best of luck, I hope it's not cancerous!

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Siberian Husky Discussions / Re: My Husky-any advice?
« on: November 26, 2005, 08:41:33 pm »
Huskies are VERY smart, to the point where they can be manipulative. They can even train their owners to put all kinds of goodies in their food in order to get them to eat. Be careful though, Huskies are finicky eaters, but they can have sensitive stomachs. Also, once they figure out that if they hold off on eating you'll tempt them with all kinds of treats, they'll just keep up the routine. Also, Huskies are pretty "fuel efficient" - if they're not getting much excersize, they may not be very hungry.

Granted, I'm no longer a fan of commercial dog foods. My Husky can't digest grains and he can't handle beef, so now he gets raw chicken, and we found a holistic vet who will help us find out what other foods he can handle.  But the raw diet is a really good way to go, and once you find a good supplier that sells in bulk, it's usually cheaper than feeding premium dog kibble.

Check out this link about the Husky's appetite and eating habits: http://www.siberescue.com/Breed_Info/BDiet.html

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