Husky Lovers & Owners Club

07/01/2020

Dog Poisons
It is critical that you never leave food within reach of your dogs. Below are the common things that cause serious illness or death.

Cooked bones: Any kind of cooked bones cannot be properly digested by dogs, this includes smoked and dehydrated bones that you can buy in the store. Cooked bones commonly splinter and cause punctures in your dog's intestines. Additionally, they can cause an intestinal impaction of which can require surgery or cause death.

Chocolate: If a dog eats enough chocolate it can cause serious damage or death. Keep your boxes of chocolate out of reach even if they are unopened.

Alcohol: That holiday beverage can be slurped up in seconds by your dog. Never leave an alcoholic beverage alone where a dog can get to it.

Raisins
Grapes
Grape Juice
Currants
Sultanas
Unbaked bread dough
Yeast
Nutmeg
Hops
Garlic
Onions
Leeks
Chives
Mushrooms
Cherries
Coffee and Tea Caffeine, Theobromine, and Theophylline
Gum
Toothpaste

Essential Oils: This includes direct contact and usage of essential oils used in diffusers.

Macadamia Nuts

Xylitol poisoning: Many foods contain this artificial sweetener and it is deadly to dogs.

Ibuprofin: Those holiday hangovers commonly end with us taking a few Ibuprofen. Make sure you don't leave the pills out because they are very deadly to dogs.

Poinsettia Leaves: Those pretty Christmas flowers can cause your dog to get sick. Keep them up high and out of reach of all dogs.

Sago Palm Leaves
Antifreeze and washer fluid
Paint
Glue

Cleaning Products (bleach, drain cleaners, ammonia, toilet bowl cleaners)

Pesticides
Insecticides
W**d Killers
Fertilizers
Rat Bait
Ant Traps
Bug Spray
Ma*****na
Anti-inflammatory medications
Antidepressant Medications
Stimulant Medications (e.g., for ADD/ADHD)
Acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol)
Vitamin D Overdose
Batteries

Detergents including fabric softeners and sheets

Avocado Seeds The large seeds found in avocados can become lodged in your pet’s stomach, esophagus or intestinal tract. If you live near avocado trees, be sure to monitor your pet to prevent choking.

Seeds of apples, apricots, cherries, peaches and plums
Moth Balls

Oxygen Absorbers These are found in food packets - especially in beef jerky and dried fruit.

Green sprouts of potatoes
Paintballs
Playdough
Rhubarb

Silica Gel Packets Silica gel is used to absorb moisture in medication, food, and other packaging.

To***co

Tomato Stems and leaves contain oxalates, which can cause bladder stones and acute renal failure.

Numerous Plants: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/s

If your dog does happen to get into something they should not have, time is vitally important. You essentially have less than a two-hour window to get your dog to a vet and to vomit, after that there is not much that can be done other than lots of fluids and hoping your dog will be fine. If you can't get to a vet in time, ask the vet if you can induce vomiting using 3% hydrogen peroxide. You should always have an unopened bottle of this and some activated charcoal in your first aid kit.

https://life.shared.com/dog-dies-after-eating-brownies-containing-xylitol

Dogs can't resist sneaking a treat. For Kate Chacksfield her Vizsla named Ruby, it proved to be a fatal act because the brownies she ate contained xylitol instead of sugar.

05/01/2020

Responsible Breeding

Making the decision to breed two dogs is not something to take lightly. Here are some of the reasons people state for breeding their dog:

- I want my dog to experience motherhood at least once
- My kids would love to see the creation of life
- We would like the extra money from selling the puppies
- It's healthier for the female to have pups at least once
- My dog is perfect, so I want to have another just like him
- I am an expert on the breed and would like to responsibly better the breed.

Only the last bullet justifies the breeding of your dog.

----------
Requirements for responsible breeding

For those of you that are serious about the breed and want to breed responsibly, below are the requirements to breed. Not a single point can be discounted.

- YOU have a minimum of 10 years showing, training, working and owning the breed
- YOU have a minimum of three titles in the ring and in working breed-specific competitions
- Both sire and dam have perfect temperaments towards humans and other dogs. Any aggression shall eliminate the dog
- Both dogs must not have any chronic phobias such as fear of noises
- Both dogs must be confident
- Both dogs must have a minimum of three titles in the ring and in working breed-specific competitions
- Both dogs must have PERFECT health. No allergies, no seizures, no eye issues, etc.
- Both dogs must have all the breed-specific DNA tests performed and be negative
- Both dogs must have their hips, elbows, and wrists xrayed while under sedation and the xrays scored by a third party certified evaluator. Scores for ALL joints in both dogs must be 0 or a perfect score
- In order to ensure long term health of the breed, the sire must not be under 10 years of age and the dam no younger than 4 years of age
- The expert opinion of the breeder has determined that the unique combination of the sire and dam will improve the breed

Yes, the above list is demanding, as it should be. Yes, many breeders will jump up and down in protest with these strict requirements because it would put them out of business.

The bottom line is that only highly experienced breed experts should breed dogs.

--------
Advantages of Shelter Dogs Over Buying Puppies

There are countless wonderful dogs of all ages in nearly every breed within shelters all over the world. Millions, yes millions of dogs are euthanized every year. We don't need any more dogs irresponsibly bred.

When you get a puppy you are essentially throwing the dice on a craps table. Even if the sire and dam are amazing, every puppy is unique and can either be a nightmare or an angel. All the training in the world is not going to change the dog's genetics and instincts. You won't really know what you are in for until the dog is one year old and by that time you are committed for the next 12 years. With a shelter dog, you essentially know what you are getting on day one. The chances of getting a star from a shelter are much higher than when getting a puppy.

Most importantly, you are saving a life when you get a dog at a shelter and this is priceless.

15/12/2019

How much should my dog weigh?

There is no right answer to this question, as every dog is unique. Your goal and focus should be body condition, not a pre-defined weight.

When deciding how much to feed, be aware that the amount of food recommended on a label is just a starting point and not the likely endpoint. Breed, age, activity level and quality of food all play substantial roles in food quantity.

When evaluating your dog's body condition you need to feel their ribs. With some dogs, you won't be able to see their ribs because of their thick fur, but you should be able to feel them when they are standing up straight.

In order to help you understand what the ribs should feel like, take your hand and close it into a fist. With your palm facing you and your hand still closed into a fist, run your fingers over the fingers that are facing you. This is how your dog's ribs should feel. If your dog's ribs feel like the top of your hand, your dog is too fat, and if your dog's ribs feel like the top knuckles, your dog is too thin. A more simplistic way to look at it. Your dog should have a "touch of ribs". If you are not sure the ribs are palpable, your dog is too heavy.

The vast majority of dogs are overweight. What "looks good" to the human eye does not equate to a healthy state of the animal. Judges of dog shows will reward the overweight dogs because of looks thus making the general public think fat is healthy. Vets, in general, will hesitate to tell an owner their dog is moderately overweight unless it is obese either because they are misinformed or more likely they don't want to waste time arguing or offending the owner. In this day and age where people are hypersensitive to being offended about everything, it only takes a few times before the vet learns it is better to say nothing.

The body condition rules apply to nearly ALL dog breeds.

A lean dog is much healthier and will have less stress on their joints. Keeping them lean will add years to their life and reduce future medical problems. It is much better if your dog is on the lean side than on the heavy side.

Pet owners will go to the ends of the earth spoiling their dogs with cushy beds, long hikes, special clothing and loads of love. Yet, they neglect one of the most important things to keep their dog healthy, their weight. Big does not equal healthy, it equals an early death or debilitating pain in their joints later in life. We are their caretakers and it is our responsibility to make sure they are at a healthy weight. If you knowingly neglect to keep your dogs weight in check you are failing as a pet owner.

- Evaluate your dog's body condition. If your dog's condition is perfect, feed the same amount you have been feeding. If they are too heavy, reduce food by 20%, and up by 20% if they are too thin. You must measure your dog's food precisely in a measuring cup.

- Weigh your dog today by weighing yourself and then holding your dog in your arms and weighing the two of you together. Subtract combined weight from your weight.

- After two weeks, reevaluate your dog's body condition and weigh your dog. If you have achieved your ideal condition after gaining some weight, reduce food now by 5%. If you have achieved your ideal condition after losing weight, increase by 5%.

- Keep adjusting until your dog gets to the ideal condition and make note of their weight. Then once a month on the first weigh them to make sure you are not drifting in the wrong direction. Body condition is the main goal, not a particular weight, so keep re-evaluating their condition throughout their life.

Food reduction after spaying and neutering
Reduce the food volume by 20% right after a dog is desexed and re-evaluate every 2 weeks.

13/12/2019

Grooming Huskies

It is not recommended to shave a husky. However, some people might be tempted to say that trimming is okay.

First, we need to understand the purpose of the double coat. The bottom coat is thin, short and very dense, to trap the warm air inside and stay cozy. This coat will shed twice a year, usually around autumn and spring. During cold seasons, it the coat thickens, and for summer, some will get so thin that it could feel like none existent.

The top layer is made from a rather thick fur straight, not so dense, and typically is much longer than the undercoat. They do have many purposes. They are also called guard hair. They keep the undercoat nice and clean. Those hair are also water repellent and self-cleaning. This is what keeps the huskies safe from the cold melted ice during winter so they don’t freeze to death.

Trimming the topcoat is literally bringing their guards down. The top and undercoat won’t blend in well, and ultimately the topcoat will offer no more protection for the undercoat. Making the undercoat easy to get dirty, or damp.

You can try to spray water on your husky. They just need a nice shake and all the water is gone and they barely feel wet. That’s the topcoat in action. If water sips through the undercoat. It is very hard to get rid of it as the undercoat acts like a sponge. You guys know what I’m talking about 😉 even with an industrial hair blower, it takes a while to dry them.

And also, by clipping the topcoat, you’ll lose the husky's beauty. Try to pull out some of your fur babies' top coat. And you’ll notice how the hair is made. Only the tip is colored. By trimming the tip, you trim off the dog’s pattern. Leaving just a white coat. You’ll need to wait for a full cycle to get back the natural look. As the new hair must be made to replace the trimmed one. It’s not like human hair, where we just let them grow back. For huskies, they need to start the process from the beginning.

Description courtesy of Franck Valot

10/12/2019

10/12/2019

Huskies
Below is a detailed description of the Siberian Husky. These dogs are not for the faint of heart and generally, they're not a good fit for first-time dog owners. Even the most experienced trainers can find Huskies to be one of the most difficult dogs to manage. Yes, they are gorgeous and loving, but the total package is frequently too much for the typical pet owner. If you are thinking of getting a Husky, seriously look at each of the challenging bullets before making a 12+ year commitment.

Although the below characteristics are common, not every Husky is the same. Each dog is unique and can demonstrate attributes that are not typical to the breed.

Most Husky owners will tell you that life with a Husky is a love/hate/love relationship where they learn to endure and embrace all aspects of their Huskies. One thing is for sure, life with a Husky is never boring :-)

# # # Positive Attributes of Huskies

- Friendly
- Intelligent and cunning
- Cuddlers & lickers (Like cats, 50% are, 50% are not)
- Loyal
- Beautiful with gorgeous deep eyes
- Agile, athletic and amazing contortionists
- Playful and free-spirited
- They love to work and run. Husky owners are amazingly healthy because they are forced to exercise with their dogs each day. A Husky owner quickly learns that cheat days come at a cost. Your Husky will find other ways to burn energy such as chewing your shoes or deciding the house is now an agility park and that's when you learn the meaning of the word "zoomies".
- Free alarm clock: You no longer need to worry about setting your alarm clock, your Husky will take over this responsibility 365 days a year.

# # # Challenging aspects of Huskies

- Heavy, Heavy, Heavy Shedders: Your house WILL be full of hair. This is not a battle you will win, you must surrender and accept.

- Rambunctious, incorrigible, obstinate, stubborn, independent, and headstrong. These are not the characteristics of dogs that are easy to train.

- Intense Diggers: The only thing that stops Huskies from digging is concrete...

- Escape Artists (Hairy Houdini's). Your yard must be more secure than a SuperMax prison. You need an 8 foot (2.5 meters) stone wall with a concrete base along the entire perimeter. Every door should have an airlock (two doors/gates). They can climb a wire fence of any height, they can jump over 2 meters, they can dig under, they can wiggle through holes their head can barely fit through, and they can open latches. If there is a way out, they will find it.

- Runners: It is extremely common for Huskies to run away from their owners never to be seen again or to be found a very long-distance away. It is highly recommended to have a GPS collar, microchip and a collar with identification on all Huskies. Most Husky owners never let their dog off-leash. Loose Huskies, Malamutes, and Akitas are frequently shot by farmers mistaking them for wolves.

- Any self-respecting Husky will tell to you that walking on a loose leash is for sissies. Real dogs pull humans down the street, around trees, and get the most enjoyment when they are dragging a frantic owner on the ground that is grasping the leash for dear life.

- Highly prone to separation anxiety: This can become a serious problem if you live in an apartment. Don't be surprised to come home to a shredded sofa, door molding chewed to bits, and the contents of the trash strategically placed in every corner of the house.

- Howlers: This cute behavior gets old very fast when the neighbors form a lynch mob outside your home demanding silence or your eviction.

- Jumpers: A potential problem if the dog will live with elderly or young children

- Highly Mischievous: If it isn't 8 feet (2.5 meters) off the ground, expect your furry friend to find it, destroy it and pretend he has no idea what happened.

- Sassy, cheeky, goofy, weird, arrogant, selective hearing, back talkers, and unpredictable

- Attention seeking and prone to jealous behavior

- Atomic levels of energy that can suddenly appear from nowhere (zoomies)

- Mouthy

- Destroyers: Expect to purchase new socks and shoes every week. There is no toy on the planet that a Husky has not destroyed in seconds flat.

- Prefers cold climate

- Highly social and they are happier if they have a housemate

- Intense Prey Drive (generally not safe around potential prey like cats, rabbits, ferrets, birds, etc)

- Must have daily mental stimulation and LOTS of physical exercise.
-