Life with Siberian Huskies

Yes, even my hobies involve huskies. I need to start painting again, it’s been a few weeks now.

Seppala Siberian Sled Dog (SSSD). If you’ve never feasted your eyes on a SSSD before here are some pictures of a great looking girl. She turned one year old in December. If that isn’t an athletic body for a dog I don’t know what is. All she wants to do is run, if she happens to be hooked to something to pull along behind her, she digs in because it’s just a minor inconvenience.

Pedigree:

https://pawvillage.com/pedigree/pedigree.asp?ID=I8O4DMAMCF

http://www.polandspringseppalas.com/

Today’s topic is about love. Not such a macho thing for most guys but I guess I’m not like most men. I took a silly test a while back that said that this is my first life as a human. In my previous lives I was always an animal.

The more I’ve thought about this the more it makes some kind of sense. I’ve never been good at being social with people. I have a lot of problems dealing with a room full of strangers, and it makes me feel closed in.  I’ve always wanted to live up on a mountain far from the madding crowd. A cabin on the side of a mountain would be heaven to me.

Video from my partner in Maine. http://www.polandspringseppalas.com/

It seems there are two types of huskies when it comes to eating. Finicky and Food hogs. I happen to have 3 dogs that are finicky. This is not an isolated example at all. I’ve read many accounts of people like me wondering why their dogs won’t eat like… well dogs.

Eating like a dog is not necessarily required for a husky. Selective breeding for thousands of years produced dogs that could work hard with very little food. They also have an ability to switch their metabolism that to this day researches still cannot understand.

What happens when they are worked very hard, is their bodies switch to burning fat instead of glucose. This keeps muscles from becoming worn out and sore after a strenuous work out. The muscle cells start extracting fat directly from the blood and somehow transport this fat across the cell membranes and into the cells, where it can be burned as fuel. This is why they can run 100 miles in a day, and get up and do it again and again. (More can be read here: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/sled-dog-science/)

I fought the finicky eater battle for a few years before I found a solution that works for me.

First of all, you need to understand that if your husky eats very little, it isn’t necessarily bad for them. I think its difficult for most people including me, to get used to that idea. We are conditioned to believe that a dog will eat everything put in front of it. Mine seemed quite healthy eating next to nothing, and still working (pulling) for two years before I found a way to increase their appetites.

My dogs have turned up their noses at almost every good brand of dry dog food I have tried. I’ve also tried many brands of canned food to no avail. Having heard much about raw diets I decided to try it. I began slow with raw chicken and fish (Boneless.) I still do not feed bones on the off-chance that they may choke or get a blockage from them. It is said that dogs can eat bones if they are not cooked. When cooked… bones become brittle and can splinter. Even with that being said, I find it not worth the risks to my beloved huskies. They do not get bones to “Eat” they do get marrow bones to lick the marrow from the inside as a treat.

One husky will only eat chicken (cooked) and does not like fish. The other two love fish, but will eat the chicken raw as well.

Many people worry about the mess of raw food. I’ve found it is not a problem because of the way I feed it. The fish stay in the freezer. At feeding time, I yank out a couple of frozen fish and give it to them. Off they go to enjoy.

This sounds unappetizing to humans but not to my huskies. For thousands of years this is how and what they were fed. My dogs lay out in 10-degree cold weather, enjoying their frozen fish. It’s quite natural to them, and they don’t seem the least bit put out by it.

So now, after approximately 3 months of this, I can tell you that the once finicky eaters have found real appetites. Each morning they want their breakfast fish or two. Then in the evening around sun down they want dinner. They also have times when they want some canned food. Before this was never heard of in my house. They still hate dry food, but with all the pet food recalls that is okay by me.

My dogs fur looks the best it ever has. They have lots of energy to burn. But just to make sure, I give a supplemental vitamin in case I’m missing something important. True raw diets need organs as well as other parts to achieve balance. I do it with vitamins and fish/chicken.

Should you do this? I would recommend that you study up on raw diets before you decide. It seems to work for me even though my vet doesn’t approve. But then I don’t always agree with him on every topic. They remain healthy so far, and I only see improvement not degradation of any kind.

In my opinion dogs have eaten raw meat since day one. Dry food was invented to please humans not dogs. Like all things related to your pets, you are the leader and you must decide what is best for your own dogs.

I just wanted to share my experience with my huskies. You should do some research and see what works best for yours.

TJ

As another year comes to a close its time to do a bit of looking back over the past year with my huskies. Nikki turned 2 and Cooper turned 3 a few months ago.

We had a few adventures this past year. One was the transition from walks to bikes. I built the modified recumbent bike which allowed both dogs to pull me around our asphalt jungle. We traveled over 200 miles together on my contraption in just a few months.

It was another milestone in bonding for all of us. We worked together, well they did most of the work but I was the guiding hand. I did my part keeping us as safe as possible in traffic, and all things that dogs don’t understand. They need me as much as I need them.

Nikki displayed more and more of her funny character. She’s grown into a fine funny girl who doesn’t take any crap from the other animals. She’s attaching herself to me more each day. She’s still stubborn at times like when its time to come in. But she also wants to be with me more and more. Sleeping on the bed, laying next to me and just being close.

I’ve noticed the aloof Cooper is also starting to come around. He’s always been a bit of a loner but these days he seems to crave affection more than he ever has before. Today when I took Sammie for a walk I could hear him howling from a block away. This is coming from a husky who acts like he doesn’t want to walk when I show him a leash. But as soon as I left he was upset about being left behind.

I’m not sure what drives him when he acts like he does. I think maybe he is torn between his wild spirits talking in one ear, and me in the other. He also wants to come in at night and get on the bed. Normally both of them are outside about 16 hours a day. Free to run the fenced in property and do husky stuff. But after dark they want to come in and sleep with me. I’m not complaining about that at all. Having a furry husky next to you is very soothing.

Huskies are very complex personalities. At least mine seem to be complex, compared to other dogs I’ve owned. It’s taken 3 years to get to this point with mine. They didn’t just attach themselves to me almost instantly like other dogs. They seem to have a higher intelligence than other breeds. Not in solving problems (which they also do) but in social behaviors as well. It’s almost like they weigh each new thing as we would contemplate social interactions with others of our own kind.

Socially they can differentiate between work/play, animals/people, and show so many emotions on their faces like happy and sad. But it’s not a blind distinction. It’s not a simple reaction to any stimulus. You can see that they have something higher than other dogs. Some higher intellect that allows them to have higher thought processes. Not just simple absolutes like fetching a stick. They consider and think about things at whatever level of brain power it is they have.

Surely not as high as ours, but higher than other dogs I have known. This is why they are considered hard to train. You have to do more than bait them with treats. You have to gain their trust and this takes a long time. They remember any breach you make, and it takes a long time for them to forgive and forget.

Each of my huskies has a distinct and different personality. That is why it is so hard to give advice to someone about their husky. You have to have intimate knowledge of that particular dog. Very few husky issues are fixed with one solution. You have to take into account how that dog was raised, his current environment, his personality/quirks, and what he craves to be able to begin to solve a particular problem. Couple that with their inbred husky qualities and there usually is not a simple solution. In many cases time fixes a lot of problems. Just like our own kids as they mature they get smarter and wiser.

I think what appeals to me the most about them is their unique qualities. They are not slaves to man, they actually think past instinct’s born into them. They are pure athletes, and of course they are the most majestic and beautiful dogs on the planet.

They are as unique and complex as we are, but unencumbered by too much intelligence that fouls up things with over thinking, ego, greed, and the host of other things that make up humans.

So, as I look forward to another year I feel blessed for this past one. I’ve made many friends through our mutual love of these dogs. It takes one to know one (husky lovers) for if you fall in love with this breed like I have…there is no substitute.

I often worry about my husky friends. They are being over-bred, discarded, and running out of wilderness. But in my heart, I know they will survive it all…because that is something they have done for thousands of years.

I look forward to many more years in their company if they will have me.

TJ

When someone ask about a problem they are having with a dog invariably there will be two types of answers. Several people will say you need to be the pack leader or “Alpha.” Immediately this will be countered by several who proclaim, “The dominance theory of dog packs has been debunked!”

The “debunked” people think that anytime someone mentions “Alpha” they are talking about alpha rolling a dog for every little infraction. In fact, the alpha-roll is hardly ever used by a real trainer.

Alpha is another term…ready for this…” Leader.”

So, when someone says you need to be the Alpha…they are saying you need to be the leader of the pack.

They are not saying, “Beat your dog into submission, and alpha roll that sucker every time it looks crosswise.”

Your remarks to a question for help stating: “The dominance theory has been debunked. Use positive teamwork and partnership instead.” Does nothing to help that person with their problem!

What exactly do you mean? How are they supposed to do that?

If you don’t have the answer why did you even respond?

This shouldn’t even be a debate. You should actually do some research instead of surfing headlines or hitching your wagon to someone else’s ideals pulled out of context.

This is not a subject that can be understood by reading one sentence. Dog behavior is complicated, and there are no one-line answers. If you really want to understand things start with this article from Ralf Weber.

Ralf Weber is a certified dog trainer (IACP CDT) and behaviorist. A professional member of the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP) and an AKC evaluator for Puppy S.T.A.R., Canine Good Citizen, and Community Canine certifications.

https://www.happydogtraining.info/behavior/dog-pack-hierarchy-dominance-and-submission-explained/

Barely enough snow but we gave it a try anyway.

This is another chapter in the annals of Queen Nikki the 1st. A true story that has a lesson or two in husky behavior and training.

The most prized treat and possession of my dogs are marrow bones. They are cheap and sliced up beef bones full of the prized and fat heavy bone marrow. Bone marrow delivers 786 calories per 3.5 ounces. It’s very rich in fat which must be why it taste so good to them.

I keep them frozen and dish them out when I want a few hours of piece and quiet. Cooper and Nikki carry these prized bones to some part of the yard. Then they lay down facing each other from a few yards away to guard them until they begin to thaw.

When that happens, they spend a great deal of time knowing out that precious marrow. It’s not easy, they have to work at it like a Kong toy filled with peanut butter only harder. They also gnaw at the bones and since they are raw I don’t worry if they happen to eat a little of it.

The “Pro” side of this is they keep their teeth in excellent condition. On her yearly check, up the vet was amazed at how white and good the Queen’s teeth looked. The down side is given too much it puts on weight. Currently the Queen is a bit over weight. I’m not about to mention it to her… but I have started tracking her meals and cutting back on the fat.

A little fat is not bad on them in winter time. My dogs spend around 16 hours a day outside running around the property. They would stay out all the time, but I make them come in at night. Mainly because I’m worried someone might try to snatch the Queen and hold her for ransom.

Tonight’s episode of course revolves around a bone. I think it’s the equivalent of gold in our world. Its highly desired, fought over, and hoarded. A true treasure for the 4-legged members of the court.

The dogs came in early this evening and went to sleep right away. Around bed time for me I ran them out for a potty break. Cooper came back in a short while and the Queen wasn’t to be seen. I was reading a book so I let her stay out for another hour or so.

When I was ready to call it a night I yelled out the back door for her. Now, the Queen doesn’t always answer these calls. I mean after all she is a Queen in her mind. At times the demands of her staff are ignored.

After several tries at calling, I resigned myself to having to put on shoes, coat, find the flashlight and go out to retrieve her in my PJ’s. Now I have a gate not 20 feet from the back door that leads to the front yard. But the view is blocked by big bushes. I walk around the bushes and just on the other side of the gate I spy her curled up in a self-dug divot. A perfect little husky swirl, covered in black fur for camouflage.

I walk up to her and tell her it’s time to come in. She ignores me and hopes I’ll go away. This is interrupting my bed time plans and I’m not about to quit that easy. I give her butt a push with my foot which usually works to get her up and moving.

Not this time. She’s dead weight and not moving one bit.
When this happens with either one of them usually reaching down and starting to pick them up with my hands under the chest works. Not this time however and I received a menacing growl. Very seldom has she ever growled at me so I was a bit surprised.

In an instant I made my choice. I could have run to the house and got a toy to try and convince her to get up. I could have just ignored her and let her have her way. Or I could have tried using any of the worthless methods some folks would have you do, so that you don’t hurt the dogs’ feelings.

Instead I just ignored her and picked her up off the ground anyway. Sure, I risked a bite, but it wouldn’t have mattered. Sometimes you have to risk it to stay in control of these strong-willed dogs. I wasn’t mad, I wasn’t mean or rough but I made it known that she was going to get up.

Once on her feet she snatched something from her little hole in the ground. Yes, you guessed it. One of those bones she loves so much. She was guarding it from Cooper or anyone else that might have found it during the night.

I reached for it in her mouth and she gave it up without a growl. She followed me to the back door and in we went. It was all caked with dirt from being buried so I washed it off and gave it back to her. She immediately wanted to take it back outside.

That wasn’t going to happen so I told her I’d put it in the freezer for safe keeping. She watched me do it and was satisfied it was safe. Then she went to her little bed and after 6 twirls curled up and the incident was over.

No pain, no tricks, just a lesson for the Queen that she can’t always have her way.

The morale of this story is that you have to understand your dog(s). A husky depending on its personality can take over if you let them. I really wasn’t too worried about being bitten because we’ve done this once or twice before over different issues.

It started during puppy days, and the Queen has a very strong drive and personality. She learned early that sometimes I was going to win. That lesson stayed with her at some level. She didn’t bite because she believed I was going to take it no matter what.

That doesn’t mean she is going to give up testing me. She’s a husky and one with her own plans about how our pack should be run. Tonight, she got another update in pack hierarchy.

She doesn’t hold it against me. She just went to bed and it’s a done deal until next time she feels the urge to test the boundaries of her world. I let her do husky stuff that really doesn’t matter to me. She can rule the other dogs if she wants but there are limits I impose when needed. Its completely fair and they accept discipline if its handled correctly.

And that means fairly, consistently, and without anger on my part. If your going to lead the pack, that is the correct way to do it. Understand your dogs needs and what drives them. They have simple wants but they are very important to them. So, use your big brain and not your frustrated feelings when the issues show up.

You will have a much better relationship, that both you and your dog will enjoy.

TJ

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