Life with Siberian Huskies

Keep this in mind as you decide to bring a Husky or any dog for that matter, into your family. They rely on you for everything. It is your job to do the best you can to provide for them just like you would your own children and family.

To do less than your best, is not acceptable to a Husky. They always give you their best. Here is an example from my own experience.

When Cooper was about 4.5 months old I was walking him on a hot humid Virginia afternoon. I think it was about 80 degrees with 90% humidity. I was bopping along with no water for us, and he seemed fine. He still had his puppy fluff which is meant for winter.

The adult Husky coat also protects them from heat and he didn’t have it yet. So he was even warmer than he should have been.

I didn’t know all these things at that point and we walked a two mile-loop. He never backed up, pulled up or acted like he was distressed. But all of a sudden he went into a ditch and just lay down, panting heavily.

Cooper lay on his side and wouldn’t move. I realized he was suffering from the heat and I was a mile from home with no car. I didn’t know what to do, so I picked him up.; all 40 pounds of Husky and carried him in my arms as far as I could. I quickly learned how hot and miserable it was outside!

I didn’t get that far when I just couldn’t do it any longer. I sat down in the ditch with him and he laid there with his head on my lap as I tried to comfort him. We were both spent. I was beside myself that I’d probably killed my dog from heat stroke. I felt helpless and stupid at the same time. Never again would I do that.

In a little while he got better, because Huskies are tough as hell. He got up at last and we made it back home under our own power. We both had given our all, and he didn’t hold my stupidity against me.

I learned my lesson at his expense, but that was the day I learned a little about this amazing dog called a Husky. They give everything without complaint to their partner, even to the point of death.

I also learned that day about watching out for my dog with more than just a casual eye. I learned he would do anything for me. I learned I loved him more than I thought possible.

It was just one event in our journey together that made me a better human being. I will be forever grateful and thankful he is sharing his short (by human standards) life with me.

Huskies never quit, and that makes training them more difficult. They are hard-headed an that’s because they were made that way. Balto guided his team through a driving blizzard to deliver the serum so badly needed when the musher was lost, and couldn’t see a damn thing.

I’ve always made a point to teach Cooper the command, “Take us home!” in case something happens to me out on the trail.

The Husky will give you everything they have, but they expect no less in return.

Learn your own dogs strengths and weaknesses.

TJ

The world lately seems to be hell bent on destruction. Pull down the statues, kill anyone who doesn’t happened to agree with you, destroy everything because it offends you.

You lost it people…you lost the hope and the love.

You lost the connections to love of life. You lost how fleeting life is, and how quickly it can end.

You lost the ability to contribute, instead you want to destroy, because you have nothing else to give but hate for your own life, and that of others.

Try getting a dog…any dog. Someone, or something that depends totally on you for their survival. They are full of hope that you will come to your senses and provide for them. They have hope and trust in you even if you do not.

They have nothing else but you… You who holds the power of life and death over them.

What kind of leader are you going to be? In a dog’s eyes we are Gods.

Are you going to be a benevolent God or one full of evil?

Choose wisely.

TJ

Dogs were put on this earth to help man survive. Pure of spirit and free of the seven deadly sins they have served us in spite of our faults. We’ve beaten them into submission, forced our will upon them, and even eaten them when we were starving.

Mankind abandon’s them at will, let’s them go into the great unknown alone and without a friend. We accept their love when we need it, and then turn them loose to fend on their own. Why do we break the deal that was made between dog and man?

The deal was to take care of them, a little food, a little love. In return they give everything they have. They give their very lives to us, but still we turn our heads and look away when it suits our needs.

I guess in these days when we gun down innocent people, there isn’t much hope for our four-legged friends. If we can kill our fellow humans what chance does a mere dog have? They have served us well for thousands of years. Around the campfire at night, when bad things lurked in the dark, our four legged friends gave warning and comfort.

To abandon your dog because your girlfriend broke up with you. Or to drive them out to a lonely road and let them out to explore. They run and are happy at the new adventure you have given them, until you drive away and leave them to fend for themselves.

Dogs are no longer wild beast, they need us for food and love. They cannot survive in the wild like their ancestors did. Why? Because they gave up the old ways to be with us, they traded what they knew and put their hopes and lives in our hands.

If you’ve been given the gift of love from a dog do not take it lightly!

They have short lives… and to spend it with you is a blessing from God. Do not break the faith they have put in you.

I put my dogs first, above my own needs because that is the least I can do for them. I owe them that much and so do you.

That’s the deal…don’t break it.

TJ

Huskies in slow motion.

From the Husky cam. Dogs eye view of working on the line.

A little run and meeting some new people…a great little adventure for huskies.

I try to take my dogs for a walk or run everyday but sometimes work and life makes me miss a day. You can sure tell the difference it makes. They get wound up the next day and cause havoc with each other and us.

Huskies are like having a hot water heater building up pressure until it explodes. You have to let that pressure escape in a controlled way instead of hoping for the best. Trust me, if you wait too long, something will feel the fury of a husky with too much energy.

Usually some inanimate object will die a horrible death due to fang & claw. Do not underestimate the power of these two tools the husky possess. I’ve lost a few things, and my deck still shows the scars of fang on wood.

Knowing all this I got home late from work last night. Thanks to the time change it now gets dark by 5:30. I took the dogs on a walk about 7:00PM and it was pretty much pitch black outside. But I signed up for this so off we went…huskies got to walk!

I took my flashlight and we went the two miles. The huskies seemed to have enjoyed this night time adventure as we usually walk in the daylight. Darkness doesn’t seem to bother them in the least. I guess it wouldn’t bother me If I could see as well as them in pitch black.

The nice part was nobody else was out walking their sometimes aggressive un-socialized beast. It was quiet and actually not bad except for a couple of cars thinking they were on the Indy race track. I must say that now that I have my dogs trained for bike/sled commands it makes things much safer.

I say “Haw!” and they turn left and get on the safe side of the road. They do this almost instantly now. Same with “Gee!” for right. It makes life much simpler and safer for all of us. Even in the pitch dark.

TJ

A slide show of my pack from last year. Music by Van Halen.

Fort Kent, MA.