Half-Way Home Canine Rescue, Inc.

12/24/2023

🎅 🎄

09/29/2023

08/05/2023

I thought since I had not gotten a Skylar update at the expected time I should call the Vet clinic to ask about Skylar's surgery.

They told me that one of the two scheduled surgery's ahead of Skylar had run long due to a complication. That means that Skylar was still waiting for his surgery.

I asked how he was handling the wait and they said that they were extremely impressed at how chill he was in the clinic. He has been kenneled for nearly 5 hours but he was not freaking out about it.

I suggest to owners to desensitize their dogs to being crated and here is a real life situation that can easily happen for any dog. So instead of the clinic having to give extra meds to keep him from thrashing around in the crate and freaking out, Skylar was calm and chill.

Vet visits, sick dogs, and needing surgery tend to be very frightening and anxiety filled situations. By desensitizing Skylar to using a crate, we were able to remove that extra anxiety for Skylar today.

Crate training, even if they are not crated very often, can help in situations where your dog must be kenneled.

06/30/2023

Could we please find a less deterimental way of celebrating holidays?

06/28/2023

It seems so obvious doesn't it, "Some Dogs Need Space". Why does your dog need space?

Fab drawing by Doggie Drawings by Lili Chin

06/26/2023

We are no longer accepting huskies at this time. Currently, we have none available..

06/20/2023

Careful when walking your dogs 🐾 keep in mind, dogs sweat out their feet. They cant sweat, their body overheats and organs shut down!

05/21/2023

It is the long weekend here in Canada and in the USA and that means people might be planning a hiking trip or camping trip with their dogs.
When you are out camping or hiking, do you have a first aid kit with you? Does it contain supplies for your dog too?


What’s In Your Dog First Aid Kit?
by Margit Maxwell

Many people love to go camping and hiking with their dogs. But dogs with their natural curiosity coupled with a high prey drive that compels them to chase and capture anything that moves means that they can get into some dangerous emergency medical situations. Are you prepared for a dog medical emergency?
Here are some things that you can have on hand that can help your dog feel better or at least help them until you can get your dog to get further medical assistance should you need it.

A Pet First Aid Kit

How many of you have a First Aid Kit for your dog? How often are you out walking or hiking with your dog far away from any medical supplies? What are you going to do if your dog suddenly gets hurt? Keeping bleeding under control or keeping your dog from becoming shocky may make all the difference between just an accident and a fatal accident.

You can assemble the following items into a plastic container and label the outside as your Dog’s First Aid Kit. It is handy to affix the number of your vet, the nearest animal hospital, and the number for the poison control center on the inside of the lid of your first aid kit. Keep your kit in an easily accessible location and let everyone in the family know where it is. If you’re traveling with your dog, it’s a good idea to either bring the kit along, or prepare a second first aid kit for the car.

*Bonus item to pack in your first aid kit ... one of those sturdy but easily collapsable and foldable reusable cloth shopping bags. When you cut the sides open it makes a great emergency sling ( with handles) in case your dog needs assistance walking back to your car. Carrying a 50 pound dog in your arms for a few miles is grueling! *

Your Dog’s Emergency First Aid Kit should include:

• Gauze to wrap wounds or for use as a muzzle if necessary,

• Nonstick bandages or strips of clean cloth to cover a wound or control bleeding,

• Ladies, you are going to love this .... have some adhesive backed disposable panty liners to use as a pressure bandage. They cover a large surface, they are absorbent, and they are already have adhesive on the back of them! And did you know that a tampon can be placed on a long deep laceration wound or cut down to fit into a deep puncture wound to help apply pressure and packing to the wound?

• Adhesive tape to secure gauze, bandages or strips of cloth,

• One small and one large Ace tensor bandage,

• Clean towels (paper and cloth),

• Iodine and alcohol for wound disinfecting,

• Activated charcoal to absorb an ingested poison (contact vet or poison control center before treating an animal for suspected poisoning),

• Hydrogen peroxide 3% to induce vomiting (but only induce vomiting after consulting with vet or poison control center),

• Digital re**al thermometer,

• Eye dropper or large syringe without needle to give medicine or liquids or to flush wounds,

• A soft cloth muzzle (injured dogs can become aggressive out of fear or pain However, if your dog is vomiting, do not muzzle him),

• Extra leash and collar,

• Tick removal tool and tweezers,

• Scissors,

• Styptic power (but watch as styptic powder can stale date. Try keeping a small spill proof container of cornstarch for stopping bleeding.),

• Cotton balls,

• Eye wash,

• Bachs Rescue Remedy (for shock from trauma), and

• Benedryl - The general rule of thumb for Benadryl dosage for dogs is 1 mgs per 1lb of the dog’s weight . A baby syringe with graduated markings is handy to have so you know how much Benadryl to safely administer.
-If your dog is prone to having seizures, make sure you have seizure meds with you, just in case.

Homeopathic Remedies For Dog Emergencies

Homeopathy works very well with animals. Remedies are chosen in accordance with how the patient experiences the illness. When you have the right remedy you will notice an immediate improvement or abatement of the symptoms.

Homeopathic remedies come in vials that can be can be easily stored and kept together in a small plastic bin with snap on lid. I suggest that you have some of these common remedies on hand because when emergencies occur there is often not time to run to the store to get the product. Also, how many times does an emergency happen late at night or on a major holiday when stores are not open? For animals I always suggest using a 30c strength. In cases of emergencies, you can give doses every 15 to 30 minutes for up to 4 doses. If you don’t see some improvement then discontinue use and try a different remedy.

13 Handy Homeopathic Remedies To Have In A Dog Emergency Kit

• Apis mellifica - great for bee and other insect bites. Give every 20 minutes for a few doses after a bee sting.
• Acontium – great for animals that have become shocky after an accident or illness.
• Arnica - good for general pain, stiffness due to overexertion, soreness and musculoskeletal injuries.
• Arsenicum album - great for GI upsets from eating spoiled food where there is both vomiting and diarrhea. Give twice an hour for a few hours.
• Borax (the remedy, not the powder) – excellent for fear of thunderstorms and fireworks.
• Chamomillia or Belladonna - for teething pain in puppies.
• Calendula (can be used both as an oral remedy and as an external ointment) – use for skin infections or any kind of external infection. It’s a remarkable healing agent and a tube of the ointment should always be on hand to apply topically to scrapes, infections and wounds. You can also buy a tincture and dilute it 1/10 and flush any cuts or wounds with it.
• Hepar sulphur - is wonderful to treat painful abscesses anywhere on the body and painful infected a**l glands.
• Hypericum - is an excellent remedy to give for any pain due to nerve damage or injuries to nerve-rich areas. Great for when you cut your dog’s toenails too short too.
*Ledum – the first choice for any type of puncture wound, including those from insect bites. Insect bites that require Apis will be hot and red whereas bites that require Ledum will be cool and appears bruised.
• Myristica - phenomenal remedy for a**l sac infections and chronic a**l sac problems.
*Phosphorus- in the case of sudden bleeding out.
• Rhus tox - for arthritis that’s better after moving around, general musculoskeletal injuries, red swollen eyes, skin infections and skin itching.
• Ruta - fantastic for any injury to tendons or ligaments and this remedy has a real affinity for the knee so you would use it immediately after any knee or cruciate injury.
• Silicea - pushes foreign bodies like splinters or foxtails out of the skin.

Be safe.
Be prepared.

04/28/2023

We want to remind people of the 3-3-3 Rule when adopting shelter dogs. We are tired of them getting returned in the first week or two after just getting adopted. THEY ARE NOT CURTAINS you bring back and our volunteer time is very valuable. Stop wasting it.

04/13/2023

02/23/2023

This message is so important. There are so many lost or missing dogs and cats that could be returned to their proper owners. Please make sure the microchip is registered in your name and all information is updated. Please get them re-scanned at your next vet visit.

This is an X-ray of a dog’s bent front leg. See that tiny white spec? That’s a microchip! It has migrated down the leg....far from where it was inserted, between the dog’s shoulders. This is actually quite common.....

When lost pets are scanned, the entire body SHOULD be scanned to catch any that have migrated. But, as an owner, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AT THEIR YEARLY VET EXAM, to ask for a quick scan to make sure that: (1) the chip is still working, (2) the location of the chip is good, and (3) that the chip info is correct.

Remember microchips save lives and reunite families with their pet.... just have it checked regularly!

12/20/2022

For dogs, the holidays mean the disruption of schedules, unfamiliar people in their home, and lots of other stressful situations. Would you be able to recognize your dog's body language signaling that he is stressed and should be removed from a situation? Missing these subtle cues may mean that your dog reacts to the stress and the situation in the only way that he can ... with a snap or a bite. Keep the bite from happening by recognizing the body language that signals that your dog is feeling stressed and uncomfortable.

Recognizing and Understanding Canine Body Language

by Margit Maxwell

When you look at a dog, how well can you read what this dog is feeling or thinking?

If you are constantly surprised by your dog or another dogs’ behaviour, then you may want to familiarize yourself with canine body language. Every year many people are surprised and then bitten by a dog. It is not uncommon for people to be bitten by their own dog. Humans claim that the offending dog just suddenly bit for no reason and “ the bite just came out of nowhere”. Sadly, this is seldom the case. More accurately, the dog gave signals about his fears or his level of feeling uncomfortable but the humans just did not recognize the dog’s communications.

Learning to accurately read dog body language will not only help to keep you safe, it will also assist you in forming a better and deeper relationship with your dog. When you understand what your dog needs in a situation, you can better support the dog. When you can better support your dog’s needs this goes a long way toward making your dog feel relaxed and happy. Having a happy and relaxed dog is what allows us to develop and foster a deep and trusting Relationship Bond with our dogs.

Dog Communications

Dogs are communicating with us all the time. They are constantly giving feedback to let us know how they are feeling at any given moment. But since they do not have spoken language capabilities like human beings do, dogs resort to communicating using a complex combination of non-verbal communications including body postures, facial gestures, tail and ear postures, sounds, and a silent networked communication of bio-electric body energy to send their messages to humans and to other dogs.

It is because they use a combination of signals to communicate that we humans cannot just look at one aspect of their body language to decipher the true meaning behind their message. In order to accurately interpret your dog’s message, you have to learn to look at the whole dog, all the elements of their postures and facial gestures, the full context of the situation, and his immediate environment to be able to draw an accurate conclusion.

A scratching dog may just mean your dog has an itch. A dog that is scratching without real purposeful, plus lip licking nervously, and his eyes are darting everywhere is most likely showing you that he is agitated or very uncomfortable about something in his environment. This time his scratching had nothing to do with being itchy.

Let Your Body Talk

Dogs subtly communicate to us how they feel. It is vitally important to look for the body language clues to be able to accurately determine if a dog is happy, worried, fearful, unsure, or aggressive. Remember to look at the WHOLE dog and his immediate environment before coming to a conclusion about what a dog is communicating to you.

What to look for in a dog’s body language:

Face – Is it relaxed or tense? What direction is the face pointed; towards you, facing down, or away from you?

Eyes – Are the eyes soft or are they staring hard, piercing, and fixed? Are the eyes open wide or are the whites of the eyes showing? Are they squinting or smiling eyes? Is the dog looking directly at you or is he averting his gaze down or off to the side?

Mouth – Open or closed? Lips curled showing teeth? Open mouth, tongue hanging out, smiling? Tongue flicks or fast lip licking?

Ears – Neutral, pricked up, laid flat against the head, drawn back, or pulled forward?

Tail - Stiff or hanging down limply? Wagging, flagging, or vibrating? Hanging down tucked between the legs?

Piloerectors – Hackles standing up at the neck? Hackles standing up in strip all the way down the back?

Body Postures – Normal and neutral? Relaxed, rigid or tense? Standing with weight balanced over all four feet, or leaning forward, back ward, or off to the side? Back hunched? Trying to look small? Body flattened to the ground? Standing tall, erect, practically standing on tip toes, trying to look as large and menacing as possible?

Know The Signs

Not every tail wag means that a dog is happy. Not every growl is meant to be menacing. Not every bark is about being vicious. How well do you understand dog body language? How does a dog act when he is happy? How about anxious, fearful, or aggressive? Learn to recognize these signals when you see them.

Happy, Playful Signals

A happy dog has a relaxed body and face. Tail and ears are kept in a neutral position. His tail may be wagging but need not be. His mouth is slightly open with his tongue showing. His eyes are soft and he does not have a penetrating gaze. He is not trying look large and menacing nor is he trying to shrink or move away from people. Playful dogs issue play bows and display bouncy behaviours meant to entice and initiate play. Their barks are high pitched and sharp. Their mouths are open wide and their tongues are hanging out of their mouths.

Alert, Wary, and Assessing The Situation

Dogs that are a bit unsure of a situation will stand at attention and try to figure out what they need to do to keep themselves safe. Alert dogs have a very focussed and intense look on their face. The stand very erect with their tail and ears held very erect. Their mouth will be tightly closed. He may growl or bark. Barks are of a lower pitch than happy or playful dogs.

The Excited Dog

Dogs can be excited in a happy way or in a dominating way. Happy dogs have open mouths, their muscles are not tense, and they may issue a bark. Dominating excited dogs stand very erect, rigid, and tense. Their tail is erect and may be flagging. They may shift their weight more over their hind end in case they need to jump or pounce. They may growl or bark in a deeper voice. If the dog has raised his hackles then he may also be reactive, aggressive, or fearful.

Fearful Dogs

Fearful dogs want the thing that is frightening them to go away or at very least they want to make themselves shrink down and look small. Their backs are hunched, tail held between their legs, ears flattened down against their heads. Their muscles are tense. Their face is tense with a tightly closed mouth. They will not look directly at you. They may frantically lip lick or yawn. They may or may not bark at you.

Submissive Dogs

These dogs rely heavily on sending Appeasement Signals. These are natural signals issued by dogs to show that they mean no threat, harm, or challenge to another dog or person. These dogs make their bodies small or as flat to the ground as they can. They may roll over and expose their vulnerable undercarriage. Tail will be held low and may wag gently or the tail may be tucked between their legs. Ears will be pinned back and held against the head. They avert their gaze, yawn, or lip lick. They may even urinate in submission. These dogs do not want to initiate an attack but if approached or if they feel cornered, they may issue a quick lunge and a bite.

Aggressive Dogs

There are varying reasons for a dog to act aggressively. The body postures will show a dog with a very tense body, the face is tense, eyes are fixed and staring intently on its target. He stands erect and as tall as he can. Tail is erect and ears are looking forward. Hackles are often up all the way down his back. His weight is carried over his front legs ready to lunge forward in an attack. These dogs often growl, snarl, show their teeth, and bark. The bark from an aggressive dog is a very deep sounding bark that comes from deep inside their chest unlike the higher pitched barks that come from playful dogs.

Know the communication signs. Look at the whole dog. Understand what they are telling you.

12/20/2022

Is Santa Paws Bringing Your Dog Toys For Christmas?

By Margit Maxwell

Many dogs will have a gift waiting for them under the tree on Christmas morning. We all want our dogs to have fun with their gifts but please use good sense when choosing toys for your dog.

Make sure that you give careful attention to the size of the toy and the toughness rating of a toy BEFORE you purchase it. Also, please note that there is a marked difference between toys that are designed for chewing and toys that are designed for playing. If you allow your dog unsupervised access to toys that are only meant for playing, they will eventually be destroyed by your dog.

There is not a toy out there that cannot be destroyed by a determined dog with lots of time on his hands.

Deadly Toys

Also, be an educated shopper and avoid buying cheaply made toys that will have small parts that can then be swallowed by your dog. Many of these very cheaply made toys are found at your local Dollar Store. Not only are they untested and badly made, they can be made with materials that are toxic for your dog. It is not worth saving a few dollars if it means that the toy makes your dog sick or causes the death of your dog.

How To Preserve The Life Of Your Dog’s Toy

Things that you can do to help preserve the longevity of your dog's toys and to make sure that your dog gets the maximum enjoyment from a toy:

1. Make sure that the toy is a good match for how your dog plays or chews.

If your dog is a soft chewer giving him a toy that has no “give” means the dog will likely abandon the toy. Dogs like to think that they have a chance of conquering or mastering a toy.

Conversely, if your dog is a rough and tumble player, giving him a lightly built toy means that he will destroy it in only minutes because it does not provide him with a suitable challenge.

Toys should be fun for the dog so make sure that you pick toys based on what your dog likes, not on what you THINK he would like.

2. Make sure that you show your dog how to play with a toy.

Don’t just give your dog a toy and then just turn him out in the backyard with it. Left to his own devices a dog might just do what he knows to do … chew up the toy. Instead, play WITH your dog. Show him how much fun he can have with a toy other than just to chew it up.

3. Supervise your dog playing with toys.

Not only is this necessary for safety reasons, it also helps preserve toys. If you notice that your dog has flipped into Destruction Mode, remove the toy and give him something else to play with. If he is in a rough and tumble mood make sure you give him a toy that reflects his play style in the moment.

4. Do not leave all the toys out for your dog. Cycle the selection of toys.

If you just leave all the toys out, your dog may be overwhelmed at the selection of toys. Instead, try cycling the toy selection. Every few days, pick up all the toys and put them away. Put out some different toys and watch your dog’s face light up with the addition of “new toys”.

5. NO RAWHIDE CHEWS!

Rawhide still contains the toxic chemicals used in the commercial tanning process so if your dogs chews the rawhide, he will ingest these toxic chemicals.
Additionally, swallowed chunks of rawhide can easily cause bowel obstructions that will require surgery to remove. The swallowed pieces of rawhide can also easily become a choking hazard for your dog so just pass on any rawhide chews as Christmas gifts.

Wishing you all a very Merry and Dog Safe Christmas.

12/16/2022

An important reminder. The holidays can often bring changes that your dog doesn't understand. Give him a quiet space where he feels safe and always respect a growl.

12/14/2022

⁣⁣As a husky owner, Christmas always makes me cringe... ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
And no, it's not just because I get asked where my dogsled is 4-5 times a day (more if there's actual snow on the ground). It's because inevitably, as soon as the temperature drops, people start watching holiday movies like Balto, and 8 Below, and Togo. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
And then it's not long before someone on Facebook posts about their brand-new husky puppy:⁣⁣
⁣⁣
"SURPRISE! Look what we got for Christmas!"⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Followed shortly by... ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Post 2: How on EARTH do I get this thing to stop peeing in the house?⁣⁣
Post 3: How does one actually TRAIN a husky?⁣⁣
Post 4: I love him/her so much, but I'm making the heartbreaking decision to...⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Yeah. Christmas Huskies. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Thousands of them end up in shelters after the holiday glow wears off - it's how we got Montana. And the heartbreaking fact is that some of them don't make it to their second Christmas.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Inevitably, the little land-shark that was “SO CUTE” as it scratched up your hands with its razor sharp tiny-teeth is now mouthing aggressively with full-grown canines, screeching like a banshee to the point where your neighbour is filing noise complaints, and you've lost your _______. ⁣⁣
⁣
RIP couch, baseboards, shoes… sanity. ⁣
⁣⁣
And I'm not here to chastise the Christmas-puppy-getters, I'm really not. We got two impromptu pet store puppies almost 15 years ago within 2 weeks of each other (in the summer, not that that's better... and yes, we are insane). But I’m hoping I might be able to give you some insight on how to approach the choice of a Christmas Husky - and make the best decision for you. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
So, here we go...⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Owning a husky is like the TV show Survivor: outwit, outplay, outlast. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Many people describe going on the show and absolutely hating the physical and mental torture they go through while there, only to later describe it as one of the best experiences of their lives; huskies are the same. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Starting when they're tiny (and forever and ever, amen) you have to outwit them. They are SMART dogs - too smart in fact. So unless you are consistent and firm in setting their schedule and boundaries, they WILL mess with you. The best advice I have if you are a new husky owner is to tether your puppy to you in the house and be prepared to take it out hourly. The fewer the accidents right off the bat, the better. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Step 2: Outplay. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
There's a saying in the husky community that "a tired husky is a happy husky" - it's 100% true. Huskies are a working breed and have SO much energy that tiring them out is near impossible. But here's a sneaky trick: try taking your husky puppy for the max walk you can each day (based on recommendations for their age) and THEN work on their training - double whammy - body + mind. And maybe, just maybe, you'll get a few hours of peace and quiet.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
(I feel like this is the point, I should put up "the warning":⁣⁣
⁣⁣
If you are a couch potato and not committed to getting out with them multiple times a day - rain or shine - then 99.9% of the time, a husky is not for you. I've heard rumours that there are “unicorns" (rare couch-huskies) that exist -- but I have yet to actually meet one.⁣)
⁣⁣
And finally, outlast. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
All huskies are different and will find unique ways to (delight and) torture you. Yours might need puppy classes, a dog walker, or doggy daycare. They might require hand-feeding (to combat resource guarding), or kennel training (to prevent su***de missions with your power cords), or any number of proactive or preventative measures you (or I) haven't even thought of yet. Which is the most fury-inducing part: their needs can and WILL change with time and without warning. You have to be ready for that - to be ready to ride out the storms of owning a husky, to persevere.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
But if you've thought of all of that, or even if you haven't but are as stubborn as that fluffy little velociraptor sitting in front of you, and you're willing to adapt - you'll be ok. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
You'll get past your PTSD-inducing puppy years, fall in love with the best breed in the entire world, and look back on the time before you had a husky, wondering how you ever existed without one.⁣
⁣
And while there’s no million dollar prize at the end, I PROMISE it will be the best experience of your life.

10/22/2022

We cannot post this enough.

Please allow the animals time to adapt to their new home environment when they first get adopted.

Start talking to certified dog trainers as they have so much to offer.

08/09/2022

Huskies are not for everyone but here at DVSHR we love them and all of their fluff!
Check out our page for more information, how to donate or foster and adoption opportunities! https://www.siberianhuskyrescue.org/



Photo: HealthyPaws

07/01/2022

Fourth of July Plans...