Life with Siberian Huskies

Huskies never cease to amaze me with their personalities. They have facial expressions that tell what they are thinking and a voice when the situation warrants it.

The other night I was reading my book with Nikki curled up on the bed. It was dark out and not too late at night. Cooper was outside and hadn’t wanted to come in when I let Nikki inside. See we have a routine for the most part. It does change depending on the season but now that its colder Cooper prefers to stay out.

Nikki likes to have a little more comfort as she is the Queen and thinks she deserves it. I thought I heard a dog howling or some such noise outside. This isn’t unusual as we have a few neighborhood dogs that raise their voices from time to time.

The noise continued and I thought I better investigate. I opened the sliding back door from the basement and heard the unmistakable husky howl. It was coming from the front yard and so I grabbed my flashlight to go see what was going on.

As I walked around through the gate there was another long howl mixed with some Roo-Roo talk. At first, I thought maybe Cooper injured himself somehow. But it wasn’t the kind of howl an injured dog makes.

I found him in the front making all this noise for no apparent reason that I could come up with. It was similar to the sounds he makes when he feels that he has been offended in some way. Usually when Nikki has stolen his bone or treat from him.

I looked around and could not see any critters or such that might have gotten him to make a fuss. Normally he’s quiet all the time. I snatched him by the collar and brought him back inside. It turns out he was just hungry.

Now that its cold at night he burns more calories and even though he ate earlier he must have still been hungry. I fed him another large pan of food which he dispatched quickly. It was like he’d never eaten in days! Nikki looked on with disgust at his table manners.

With his belly full he stretched out on the tile and went to sleep. I can’t say he’s ever done this before and it just goes to show that these dogs change their minds and how they act from time to time.

The next day I had another food related incident. Keep in mind that for two years these dogs acted like food was a bad thing. In my mind they barely ate enough to keep them alive. That too has changed recently.

I went out and called them to come get their fish. Each morning they get a nice big frozen whiting fish for breakfast. To the uninformed this may seem harsh to give a frozen fish for a meal. To a husky it doesn’t matter the least little bit whether its frozen or fresh off the grill. Its good either way to them and they usually make quick work of their fish popsicle.

This time Nikki turned up her nose at it and wouldn’t come to the door. So, I gave Cooper his fish and he trotted off to the front to enjoy it. No sooner than I shut the door Nikki comes racing from the front yard and runs up and stares in the door.

I opened the door and asked her what she wanted. She had this pained expression and let out a very loud and long…ROoooooodle!  Its something between a howl and the sound a trumpeter swan makes.

I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at her. For this I got another look and another Rooodle just for good measure. It seemed that the Queen was upset that the underling had eaten before her!

I got another fish out of the freezer. She snatched it out of my hand and raced for the front yard to show it off to Cooper. Cooper was long done with his and came racing for another one. I showed him my outstretched empty hands and said, “All Gone.”

This was met with sad eyes and he turned to leave. Feeling sorry for him I found a small fish and let him have another. Just another day in husky land learning to live with these Siberian people.

I think since I’ve switched to feeding them raw food, which is mainly fish and chicken their appetites have improved. They are eating like they were meant to do, not some manufactured corn-based kibble. I think it suits them well. Nikki’s coat has a shiny black racing stripe down her back now. It has never been there before. Cooper’s winter coat is getting full and so is Nikki. They look better than they ever have.

I do give them each a vitamin everyday to make sure they are getting all they need. Being new to raw food I don’t want to take any chances.

TJ

It’s a good thing huskies are a friendly bunch. I’ve mentioned before they can fight and take care of themselves if they have to. Here is a little example of how the Husky stacks up in the dog world for the power of their bite.

“Bite force is the scientific term for the measurement of the amount of pressure in a dog’s bite. There are several factors that determine bite force, but scientists agree that the size of a dog’s head has a lot to do with the amount of pressure it can exert with its jaws.

The strength of the bite of a breed can’t be measured with any accuracy because you can’t teach a dog to bite with consistent force time after time. The bite will be different each time it is measured, and each dog will have a slightly different measurement. It is important to keep in mind that when the bite force of a breed is discussed, it can only be in a general way.

Trained dogs typically have a higher bite force than untrained ones. A human averages 120 PSI (Pounds Per Square Inc.) As one of the two dog breeds that are closest in appearance to wolves, Siberian Huskies have a tremendous bite force of about 320 PSI. For reference it generally it takes only 130 PSI to break a human arm bone.”

Bite Force in PSI:

Human 120

German Shepherd 238

Bulldog 300

Rottweiler 320

Husky 320

Mastiff 550

Kangal 700

Wolf 1200

Have you ever wondered how well your Husky can see? Maybe if they are color blind or how well they can see in the dark. I found this interesting and maybe you will too.

From Science Daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071108140336.htm

“Dogs have evolved to see well in both bright and dim light, whereas humans do best in bright light. No one is quite sure how much better a dog sees in dim light, but I would suspect that dogs are not quite as good as cats,” which can see in light that’s six times dimmer than our lower limit. Dogs, he says, “can probably see in light five times dimmer than a human can see in.”

Dogs have many adaptations for low-light vision, Miller says. A larger pupil lets in more light. The center of the retina has more of the light-sensitive cells (rods), which work better in dim light than the color-detecting cones. The light-sensitive compounds in the retina respond to lower light levels. And the lens is located closer to the retina, making the image on the retina brighter.

But the canine’s biggest advantage is called the tapetum. This mirror-like structure in the back of the eye, reflects light, giving the retina a second chance to register light that has entered the eye. “Although the tapetum improves vision in dim light, it also scatters some light, degrading the dog’s vision from the 20:20 that you and I normally see to about 20:80,” Miller says. The tapetum also causes dog eyes to glow at night.”

What colors does my Husky see? How good is their vision?

Dogs in general don’t see reds, oranges, and greens. Their visual acuity is not as good as ours and that’s a tradeoff for being able to see better in low light. But they can see motion many times our ability to process it. This is a genetic trait predators rely on to hunt.

I’ve noticed that if I sneak into view and stand completely still 20 or 30 yards from my pack they don’t seem to notice me until I make the smallest movement. Then they see me instantly. Try it with your own husky and see what happens.

TJ

My second husky puppy was not at all like the first one I picked out. The first one I picked out was a Christmas present for my wife who had recently lost a dog she cared very much about. We didn’t know anything about them and I thought they just looked cool.

Sammie is now ten years old and I really never paid much attention to her. I was more of a cat person at that time. The kids now grown and gone and my wife spent the most time with her. I really didn’t even know about mushing other than I knew what the Iditarod was. Not that it mattered much to me at that time.

When we lost our lab/pit mix due to a heart failure we wanted to get another dog so Sammie wouldn’t be alone. Sammie seemed a gentle beast and so I began to look for another husky. I asked my vet the next time I was there if they had any clients that had huskies. Amazingly they did, and puppies old enough to go to new homes.

I like to think that this was one of those times when something was meant to be. The stars aligned at this point in my life. They aligned because some higher power decided it was time for me to change. The family with the puppies only lived 6 miles away from me! The price was very reasonable and the dogs looked great.

I had full pick of the litter and picked out 8-week-old Mr. Cooper. I took him home not knowing that this time I had a full-blown husky. Sammie for all her goodness does not pull, get excited, or do any of the normal husky traits except escape. Now in her golden years she’s given that up as well.

I was about to start a long journey and education of just exactly what a husky is in pure form. I’m not talking about show quality but a real working husky. I wrote about my trials and tribulations my first year with him in my book (“Behind Blue Eyes” available on Amazon Kindle for $3.99)

It’s a small book and I won’t rehash it here. This article is a little continuation of my education and enlightenment living with these dogs.

I now have 3 huskies and two of them consume a lot of my time. I continue to learn from them on a daily basis. Building a relationship takes time. In my case it seems to grow stronger slowly. With Cooper (3) and Nikki (2) I still see growth in our bond.

I’ve come a long way from what most first-time owners go through. I went through the frustration period, and instead of giving up, I immersed myself into learning everything I could about them. Mainly it was done to try to figure out what I was doing wrong.

Either through dumb luck, or the fact I studied them so much has made a huge difference from that first year. One thing I’ve found that has really helped… is to be part of their world, their history, and their heritage…and that is mushing.

To me it makes no difference that we do it on wheels. The commands are the same, the only differences are the lack of snow, and they are pulling me on a bike not a sled. They sleep with me as well. More team bonding, but they are also allowed to stay out all night if they prefer.

So, they live as pets and workers at the same time. I guess that makes me a Hybrid-Musher. But the benefits of this I’ve seen first-hand. We live together, and work together as a team. I may be the Captain, and them the crew, but we are also family.

This is not a foreign concept to a husky. In fact, it is what they have done for thousands of years. If you study the history you will begin to understand them like I have. Then you take what you’ve learned and put it into modern-day life and adapt.

You adapt so that all, get the most of what they need and want. You will hear many times that a husky is not owned. That your relationship is a partnership, and both sides have to make concessions. This to me, is in fact the truth.

The husky will accept not getting everything he wants. But you must do the same in order to reach a happy medium. Give and take, that’s what it’s all about. You build this partnership…this new life together as a team. And much like any relationship it can either continue to grow or wither and die. Based solely on each person or dog doing their part to keep it alive.

This might seem like a foreign idea to most dog owners. Unless they have lived with a husky, they really won’t understand how it works. I’ve always said they do not fit the normal ideals of what a dog is. They are more than a dog in so many ways. It’s an education in itself to live with them.

I look at myself now compared to 3 years ago and I have changed in many ways. They changed me, my attitude changed, my compassion increased, along with so many other positive things.

I owe it all to the Siberian Huskies.

These days I can tell what they want by the way they look at me, and how they present body language. I’ve learned to read them and they read me. We may not have the same language, but they communicate all the time. The body and especially the looks they give you. A husky has many facial expressions and it takes time to understand the nuances.

I don’t force them to run. Some days I can tell they are not in the mood. They want to relax and goof around the yard. I let them, and we run another day. Seldom do they bark but when they do I know what kind of message it is. They speak in “Roo-Roo’s” and I can tell what that means most of the time. I can look at their gait and tell if they are good or have something wrong.

It’s taken 3 years to get to this point. 3 years of constant study of every little move and thing they do. I’m now just realizing how wonderful it is to see the rewards. The rewards come in many ways as well. A well-trained team running down the road in light or dark, wet or dry.

Confident, and all of us enjoying our little adventures together.

I can’t wait to see what I’ll learn next.

Latest Husky run put to one of my favorite songs.

Music by 3 Doors Down:

Love Me When I’m Gone:

There’s another world inside of me that you may never see
There’s secrets in this life that I can’t hide
Somewhere in this darkness there’s a light that I can’t find
Maybe it’s too far away, maybe I’m just blind
Maybe I’m just blind

So hold me when I’m here, right me when I’m wrong
Hold me when I’m scared and love me when I’m gone
Everything I am and everything in me
Wants to be the one you wanted me to be

I’ll never let you down even if I could
I’d give up everything if only for your good
So hold me when I’m here, right me when I’m wrong
You can hold me when I’m scared you won’t always be there
So love me when I’m gone, love me when I’m gone

When your education x-ray cannot see under my skin
I won’t tell you a damn thing that I could not tell my friends
And roaming through this darkness I’m alive but I’m alone
Part of me is fighting this but part of me is gone

So hold me when I’m here, right me when I’m wrong
Hold me when I’m scared and love me when I’m gone
Everything I am and everything in me
Wants to be the one you wanted me to be

I’ll never let you down even if I could
I’d give up everything if only for your good
So hold me when I’m here, right me when I’m wrong
You can hold me when I’m scared, you won’t always be there
So love me when I’m gone

Maybe I’m just blind

So hold me when I’m here, right me when I’m wrong
Hold me when I’m scared and love me when I’m gone
Everything I am and everything in me
Wants to be the one you wanted me to be

I’ll never let you down even if I could
I’d give up everything if only for your good
So hold me when I’m here, right me when I’m wrong
You can hold me when I’m scared, you won’t always be there
So love me when I’m gone

Love me when I’m gone, whoa
Love me when I’m gone, when I’m gone
When I’m gone, when I’m gone

This dog is one of the most expressive creatures I know of. They have so many facial expressions you would just have to live with them to see them all.

A person is sometimes said to, “Wear their heart on their sleeve.” A husky wears his heart on his face…in his eyes, and in his body language. When in tune to one of these magnificent creatures you can read them like a book.

They love like no other. It’s not given freely, its earned, and that is the best kind of love you will ever know.  Because you share it with mutual respect and admiration.

The Siberian is all that.

TJ

This week the Jumbo/Shrimp Team and I have been exploring running at night. Not dusk but full darkness. I was really starting to enjoy the serenity of rolling through the night with only my headlamp pointing off to whatever I happened to be looking at.

It’s quiet except for an occasional car to deal with. For the most part there are no people out walking their dogs. This is a big plus when you don’t want interference of un-socialized critters (pet dogs) trying to eat the team.

I was actually starting to relax from my normal anxiety of possibly having to deal with this sort of annoying and potentially dangerous encounters. I mean who wants a vet bill? My job is to try to keep all of us as safe as possible. Sure, the dark has some other risks but anytime you run you have those.

At night even the squirrels seem to be out of sight, tucked away in their tree rat nest far above us. We have lots of woods along the road and few street lights. It is in fact pretty damn dark. Have no fear… the huskies can see well enough to keep us straight and level as we glide through the dark.

My preoccupation with dogs and suicidal squirrels made me forget one other critter that comes out at night. I was quickly brought out of my blissful moment.

In a flash a large shape bounded across the road in front of us. I could make out the outline of a nice big doe. The dogs sure didn’t miss it and the 240 pounds of me and trike suddenly went to warp speed as Cooper exercised his excitement into overdrive.

Not wanting to be outdone, Nikki had her ears down flat and legs pumping just as hard as they could. We were headed for the ditch across the road and probably into the woods If control was not regained in about 2 more seconds.

A combination of disc brakes and yelling “On BYE!” slowly brought the trike out of a three-wheel drift. It was much like an inner tube being towed behind a boat taking a corner. The deer was long gone through the woods and the dogs may have decided pulling me through the woods would also put them out of the chase.

It was a repeat lesson of a couple of summers ago. The lesson is you can never relax completely when you are running. To top it off we met a couple of midnight skulkers walking their dogs. No flash lights, or reflective coatings. But I was tipped off each time by my dogs sudden burst of pulling. Sure, enough they would come into my little circle of light as we raced upon them.

They cowered on the side of the road.

Their dogs are freaked out as this Flying Dutchmen of flesh and steel goes by. The only thing they see is the red flashing tail light as we disappear into the darkness. I chuckle at the faces that flashed past me. Open mouths, as they tightly hold their dogs leash and collar, and watch this madness appear and disappear before they really can comprehend it.

I hope we left them with good stories to tell when they got back home.

Too bad I wasn’t wearing the video camera. Maybe tonight there will be more fun afoot.

TJ

I dabble in painting. Yes at the age of 60 I’m not to old to learn and try new things. For without new adventures and tribulations what am I? Dead would be a good response. I’m not dead until they cremate me. In the meantime I’m going to keep exploring new things and pushing the boundaries put upon me.

Say I can’t do something and I’ll do my best to prove you wrong. That is called attitude and motivation. That is what life is about, reaching out past what you think was possible. Taking some risk and going for it.

So I paint, and show it to the world. I grow and I learn for this is what life was meant to be. I’m not done yet with this life.

We only go around once, and I want to get everything I can out of this life I was given.

You have an idea? Go for it or forever hold you peace.

TJ

Running the owl hoot trail is a saying from the American old West. Its what outlaws called what they did. You run at night, to avoid all those unpleasant bullets wanting to put you into an early grave.

I guess in this neighborhood I’m a bit of an outlaw myself. We run, and avoid the unleashed, and walking dogs/people with no socialization skills. We run free of interference and I give these dogs what they love. We run silent, and fast.

I have a headlight and tail light on the bike. I have a headlamp on my head over a stocking cap. I’m dressed in all black and my dogs are black and white.

There is no barking, there is only the sound of pads on the asphalt and the occasional jingle of brass hardware that attaches them to this 3-wheeled implement of destruction.  We are stealth, special forces of the husky clan.

We fear not the cars, or the trail because we are trained for it. We eat up ground at an amazing pace. To a husky this night time adventure is what they live for. Something new and something special.

I want my dogs to have that adventure, to live as free as I can let them, before they leave this world.

It’s special because we do it together. We take the risks as a team, and that just adds to the excitement.

We run, and when we get back home we are ecstatic because we get to run another day or night.

We ran the Owl Hoot trail one more time with no injuries to the team or me.

This is what we do to break the boredom of a civilized life. We do it with no harm to any other living being…. we run.

TJ

This is a true tale about the road to understanding a Siberian. I can’t speak for everyone, because our trails and dogs are not all the same. Even so, I think there are some common things that happen as you start out with one of these old souls.

The first part of my journey was falling in love with how a Siberian looks. Not hard to do at all because it was one of the most beautiful creatures nature has ever produced. Not only do they have beautiful colors and markings…it’s the eyes that get me.

They eyes are the window to the soul. These huskies have the most enticing eyes. Eyes not only of color, but those that exude intelligence. They are in some ways the eyes of the wolf.

Burning into you, examining everything around them, and looking deep into your own gaze… with a judgmental and questioning glow.

The total package is mesmerizing, and why I think so many people just grab them up. Grab them up without a clue as to what that exterior conceals.

Behind those looks is a dog from ancient times. A dog with a long history of surviving. Encoded into their DNA by the bones of relatives lost along some frozen trail in the middle of nowhere.

Do not let the age of your husky fool you. They have wisdom beyond their days. And it is compressed into the short life they are given, that in many ways is a good thing…a survival thing.

For a new owner of the husky breed, the first thing that happens is you bring home this puppy and they seem to be perfect loving little dogs. They might chew a bit more than other dogs, might take some extra work to potty train but they are docile and loving.

I remember this part very well. I kept thinking what’s the big deal? Why do all these books say you just brought home the devil? My little husky pup is no different from any other dog I’ve owned.

This manner of thinking was quickly turned inside out. As my puppy grew, so did his appetite for new things. Chewing, digging, being stubborn where just a few of them. The only time he was happy was on a walk…and I walked a thousand miles his first year. Truly one thousand miles on foot with my pup. Rain, snow, heat, we did it all no matter what.

I quickly learned that this “Dog” was some kind of engine designed to go forever like the energizer bunny. Insatiable, and when not walking, or chewing, he was a digging machine. Mix this with a lack of trust on their part. Obtaining husky trust takes a very long time. Two years was the magic number for both of my dogs.

Just like human children the husky has a puberty time to go through. During this time, you think that everything you taught them was suddenly forgotten…but it wasn’t.

This is the hardest time for a new husky owner. This is the time when you have to find the patience of a saint, and the wisdom of an oracle.

This is the time when the husky suddenly realizes what he is and flexes his might.

Supercharged on hormones, he will test all boundaries. He will test you to see if you truly are worthy of being his partner.

Being the bringer of food is not enough for a husky. Most dogs will love the food provider…not so much a husky if you lack the ability to provide what else they need.

He will test his status in the household or in the pack. He wants to climb in status, much like anyone of us does. The big difference is he has a unique set of tools, fang and claw. Able to destroy our man-made treasures like they are nothing.

Material items are of no concern unless they provide one of the three basic needs. Shelter, food, adventure, and more adventure.

To be honest,shelter and food are not so important to a husky.

A husky has built-in shelter in his coat, and the ability to go far on very little food. Ah, but adventure is a huge thing! The husky wants to see the whole world, and wants you to see it with him. For what good is adventure unless you can share it with your pack?

Compared to these Siberians we are clumsy and slow. We don’t have 4- leg drive, claws, and energy to burn. They do and then some, but you know what? For whatever reason there is a bond between them and us.

It came from all those years in the dark ages when huskies and man first became partners. They did it so both could survive. They have not forgotten that, it’s part of them as much as anything else or they would not even bother with us.

The secret to a happy life with a husky is to understand their past. Just like you would consider the journey of any man before you lay judgement on them. You have to walk in those shoes, face those terrible moments of fear and hardship to honestly judge.

The Siberian retains all of the knowledge of his kin. It is locked away in a little part of their brains but emerges from time to time. One thing is for certain…it will not be denied when it comes out.

The many lessons from the past are in them.

Running to get to where the trail ends, no matter if they have food or shelter, no matter what the goal is…the husky will get there or die trying. It matters not if that goal is important or not…it is the goal…and the journey is the pay-off. The journey is what they live for…. good or bad it makes life exciting!

I have learned that working my dogs is the key to their hearts and minds. We run, we train, in all types of whether. I endure the elements just like them even though I’m not made for it. Somehow, I think they know this. They provide when I cannot, they pick up the slack in the dark, or in a storm when I am just dead weight with a loud voice.

We bond as a team. Each has strong points and weak ones. I keep them safe, and run them not into danger. They provide the muscle, and they will go the distance when others fail.

And when it’s all done… and the goal has been reached.

They cuddle up with me and we sleep soundly in the company of each other’s warmth and security…. until tomorrow.

Then we try it again, for each day of life is fleeting, and we need to live in the moment for there may not be a next one.

And this is the dog you have brought into your home. This is a creature like no other dog you have known before.

This is the Siberian Husky.

TJ