Life with Siberian Huskies

For thousands of years, we lived up north,
in the lands of Ice and snow.
Living in the freezing cold,
where other’s fear to go.

We share a common bond with man,
that bond will never die.
It was forged upon this frozen land,
when we struggled to survive.

I’ll lead you through the darkest night,
and across the harshest lands.
We know you’ll keep us safe at night,
and feed us when you can.

Our hearts are true and given to,
those that understand.
The perfect bond between,
the husky and the Man.

Our bones are scattered along the trail,
as we blazed a path for you.
We lived, we died, we gave our all,
for that’s what Huskies do.

The storm is fierce, in dark of night,
the winds a blowing gale.
We will lead you home again,
the Masters of the trail.

Todd M. Johnson 2016

 

I spend a lot of time trying to understand why my huskies do just about everything. Some things are easy and then the answer to some behaviors is baffling. Many times it takes several days to put the answer together by eliminating what you do know.

Nikki and Sammie had this fight over a treat, but before that it was brewing anyway. I think part of it is a dominance debate, and part of it is a learned behavior. The dominance behavior is easy to understand as Huskies have a hierarchical pack structure.

Everyone has their place. Someone leads, and the rest follow and that makes sense to me. It’s the way it has been with them for thousands of years. In our case I think it is more than that.

The problem is Nikki and Sammie are both guilty of resource guarding. Now this does not affect us humans as they have never acted aggressive to us over food, toys, or treats. I can reach down and pick up Nikki’s favorite guarded toy and she shows no sign of aggression at all. Same with Sammie so that is a good thing or we would really have problems.

So, I’m sitting around wondering about this one night and it occurs to me that Nikki is small for a husky. I started to wonder if maybe she had to battle for food as a puppy, and maybe was kicked out-of-the-way by bigger siblings during nursing.

I’ve known real children that hoard food because they rarely had food to eat and it left a life long-lasting impression on them. The idea had real possibilities until I remembered seeing all of her siblings at the same time. They were all more or less the same size so I don’t think she was a runt grubbing for a teat.

The answer was right in front of me the whole time. Sammie taught that behavior to Nikki as she grew up. You see Sammie has always kept treats and dared any other dog to take it from her. She would not eat them just keep them in some sort of game. Not a problem until Nikki grew up.

Now where Sammie learned this habit from I have no idea. I got her as a puppy as well as Nikki. It never seemed to have been a problem until Nikki came into her own.

Nikki is the first dog that was willing to fight for it. I believe the combination of learned resource guarding and the urge to move as high in the pack combined… brought it to a head.

Here you have a multiple dog thing to watch out for. A bad habit from one of your other dogs can be learned by your new puppy. It never even occurred to me to watch out for this. Something a puppy learns in that first year is much harder to fix. It becomes part of them, and may never go away.

I have yet to figure out the solution. The obvious choice is to keep them separated during treat and food times. If they don’t eat it…pick it up and don’t give it back. This should teach them they only have one chance to eat it. Better not save it or you miss out.

That is going to be my course of action and see if I can break Sammie of this bad habit as well. If you have any experience with this problem, please speak up. You never stop learning with huskies, and as soon as you think you have it all figured out….wham!

I try to share with you things I’ve learned or am still learning. It should go into the husky file in your head. It might come in handy someday.

Understanding these dogs is a combination of many things, that when mixed together give you an overall picture of what the breed really is. There are variances in each dog but an overall knowledge base can help you in your journey.

TJ

I wrote this for anyone who has ever lost a husky.

Spirit of the Husky                                                                        

When she closed her eyes forever,
another journey had begun.
Her spirit soared across the frozen sky,
to the place where huskies run.

With wings of white upon her back,
like a comet passing by.
Racing towards that holy place,
beyond the midnight sky.

Soon her memories began to fade,
of her life left far behind.
The call of the northern lights,
was etched upon her mind.

At last she crossed the rainbow bridge,
to the place all huskies go.
A land filled with big tall pines,
and fresh unbroken snow.

 

A place where huskies run and play,
until it’s time to leave.
When one arrives another has to go,
and this you should believe.

Her spirit will cross that bridge once more,
to fly those frozen skies.
Arriving as a new-born pup,
with bright blue husky eyes.

Fear not when you lose a friend,
that one that meant so much.
A husky’s work is never done,
and your soul forever touched.

Again, and again those souls return,
to a place upon this earth.
To share their special gift of love,
for those who earn their worth.

They run and dig, and chase the cat,
but in the snow they fly!
It’s the spirit of your husky,
and that will never die.

Todd M. Johnson © March 7, 2017
You are free to use this for non-commercial purposes.

Today’s topic is feeding your husky. I’m not talking about food that they require to live. I’m talking about something just as important…time and love.

Because I’m a musician I spend a lot of time in my “Man Cave.” Which is my garage or what I call the “Jamatorium.” I write, or practice, or just hang out because it feels home to me being surrounded by implements of destruction. Amps, drums, guitars, loud PA system to play back tunes.

Music has always been a way for me to unwind. I can beat some drums to Led Zeppelin and when I’m done I feel so much better. All those idiots hell-bent on getting to work even if they kill someone else or them on the commute seem to fade away. I’m still alive in spite of their attempts to kill me on the road.

I spend an hour each way to get to and from work. Two extra hours in my day to pay the bills because…well I chose it. Nobody’s perfect but it works out, that is the price I pay to have this job which pays for my dogs wellbeing besides our own needs.

Many of you work as well, in fact most of us do, but we took on these complicated partners called Siberian Huskies.

Huskies have many demands that need to be met. But have you ever stopped to see the life you give them through their eyes? We demand a lot out of them so that they can fit into our schedules and life style.

They do not complain unless it is unbearable for them. They don’t bitch, they might eat your couch because that is the only way they can tell us they are unhappy. Huskies in my opinion howl when they are upset. Sure they might howl at a siren, but the howl of loneliness is a very distinct one.

Because of my garage habits I’ve had much time to observe my dogs. I didn’t just look at them from time to time…I looked at them like a scientist would. I observed and recorded in my head how they react and treat each other.

I think I have a pretty good handle on how they act. I call this “Quality Time.” It’s quality because I learn about them, and its quality for them because they want to be with me. I think they want to learn about me as much as I do about them. It may be in their own way, but still I see it in their eyes when they look at me putting together some IKEA furniture or some other project like putting a sled together.

They get in the way and sniff everything. They lay on the parts, and grin because they are happy to be sharing time with me. They are enjoying our time together even if it makes no sense to them.

Its quality time for both of us. We learn and we grow closer because of that. I don’t get home from work and give them a pat on the head and then spend the next 4 hours watching re-runs of Judge Judy. I spend time with them.

They might have spent 8 hours in a crate while you were at work. You need to be a good partner and reward that with the thing they want most…your attention to them and their needs for exercise etc.

Huskies demand a lot, but they also give more than we do. They live in hot climates, they are stuffed in crates, they are neglected, but still they remain true. They cannot pick their boss any more than we can in our own jobs.

Spend all the quality time you can with them. It will only make you closer and the bond stronger. Your husky will be gone before you know it. Don’t look back and wish you would have spent more time with them while they were here.

Do it now, and every day for the sands of time run faster than you think!

No regrets, that is what I want to have when mine pass over the Rainbow Bridge. Feed them the love they need, they give their all for you in so many ways we don’t even think about.

Look at the world you give them through their eyes. Are you good enough for a husky? I hope in the end that I held up my end of this partnership.

They give me their entire lives… that’s worth some of my precious time.

TJ

Since most of you don’t really talk about daily life with your huskies I’m left to fill you in on mine. It might be interesting or boring depending on the day.

I’ve talked about the many levels of husky ownership before. We all have our own family units and different lifestyles. The thing we have in common is the love for our huskies. Some, if not all of you are happy at your level and that is so wonderful!

Then there are some who just can’t get enough like me. Every time I see a puppy picture I want to buy that dog! I’ve given this sickness a name, “Husky Acquisition Syndrome or (HAS) for short. It’s a terrible thing to have!

I often dream of a thousand acres of pine forest and trails I own. Huskies running free and all of us running sleds and bikes and just plain exploring and enjoying life. I would truly love that more than winning the lottery…but if I did you know what I’d be spending it on.

I’m involved in lots of husky things. My fascination with Leonhard Seppala and his dogs drives me to a higher levels than most of you. What he did either with luck or divine wisdom was breed the dogs that now are all over this world. The Siberian Husky in all his varied colors and personalities have spread out just about everywhere.

The original direct line of Seppala Siberian Sled Dogs (SSSD) has been kept going for over 100 years by a few people who wanted to preserve this original working line. They did their best, and some spent their entire lives trying. That’s how strongly they felt about these dogs. That is another level that most don’t achieve.

With declining numbers, the dogs have been inbred a great deal to keep the bloodline alive. Eventually this runs out. Health issues show up and attrition reduces the numbers of breeding pairs. Many have given up and say the line is dead or about dead.

This is true and why I’ve become involved in a new project with Jonathan Nathaniel Hayes and his kennel. Poland Spring Kennel in Fort Kent, Maine.

If you are a history buff of Leonhard Seppala you will immediately recognize the name “Poland Spring.” This is the first place in the lower 48 Leonhard Seppala brought his new breed of dogs.

“Leonhard Seppala brought his dog sled team of Siberian Husky’s to Maine in 1927 during a tour of the United States.
He and his dog team were part of a famous serum run in Alaska known as the Great Race of Mercy that used dog sled teams to deliver an emergency supply of diphtheria serum to Nome in 1925.
His team raced Arthur Walden’s Chinook team of New Hampshire at Poland Spring in 1927.
Seppala’s dogs won the race. Seppala and Elizabeth Ricker, wife of the Poland Spring Hotel manager and a “musher” herself, started a kennel breeding these Seppala Siberian sled dogs at Poland Spring.” https://www.mainememory.net/artifact/20920

The Seppala Husky traits are a dog that is more loving and bonded to the owner than a normal husky. A dog that has an unquenchable desire to pull and work. A friendly dog who gets along better with his/her teammates than a normal husky does. They do not look exactly the same as well. A practiced eye can pick out a Seppala if you know what to look for.

Seppalas don’t exactly look like the modern-day Siberian, and they have different traits as well. They are the performance dogs of the breed you and I enjoy now. If you could follow your dog’s pedigree back all the way…you would find him or her line ending at Togo and Fritz and many others of those original dogs Seppala bred. All of our Siberians share this.

So where am I going with all this?

Well I’m following my heart. I’m going to help do what I can to move the project to a happy conclusion. Not everyone wants a working dog that rips your arms out of their sockets. But some do, some still want to race even though they will never compete with the speed of Alaskan huskies (See Iditarod.) But that does not mean they are not without value. In mid distance races they are very competitive to this day.

I really don’t care so much about the racing part. But it is what they do, and how they are tested. It is what they are. They are Seppalas, the true decendants from the 1925 Serum run to save Nome. But race or no, that doesn’t mean I don’t want to help.

Some people are proud to have a classic car because of its history not its speed. I guess I’m one of those people, I’d rather have a yard full of Seppala dogs than one full of mutts only bred for speed no matter what they look or act like.

The goal is to bring them back to prominence.  It won’t be fast or easy but in time I think it will happen. It will happen because those who have been around these dogs find out how special they really are. Seppala Siberian Sled Dogs… a breed unto itself based on history and their unique traits as working dogs.

So if you are going to buy another husky at some point, why not consider a Seppala?

For the breed to survive it needs owners. They are not for everyone, but for some they are the only thing that will do.

The first step has been taken. And that is to add dogs to the kennel. From here we work towards a new future for the Seppalas.

I hope you will join us on this journey.

You can read more about the Poland Spring Kennel  here: http://www.polandspringseppalas.com/3.html

TJ

The Husky is one of those creatures that will judge you by your actions. If you treat him well, you will receive his undying loyalty. Treat him badly and you will never see him again. To me these dogs have an uncanny ability to reason out things about the world that other dogs do not. They are not programmed robots or slaves. They are at ease in almost all situations that make other dogs go insane.

They are Intelligent enough to use reason first, and not training that was beaten into them. In fact, trying to force a Husky to do anything is a complete waste of time. They will only do what you ask if they trust you. Having a Husky work for you is more of a partnership than a dumb beast of burden.

In spite of their wanderlust and the free spirit that drives them. They want to be part of the pack. They hate being left alone more than any other dogs I have ever known. The will to travel and see new things is strong in them. They are like our forefathers who blazed unknown trails seeking adventures unknown. That is what is in a Huskies heart, and what made him such a valuable member to the gold miners, and adventurers for many years.

The Husky is willing to work hard all day for those in his pack. All he asks is some food in his belly and not to be left alone. Willing to strike the trail whether it be snow or asphalt. It’s taken me several years of observation to make these claims. I believe they are right as rain. They crave companionship, dogs and humans.

Huskies and man needed each other to survive the unforgiving frozen lands of the north. That bond was developed over thousands of years. It was a family that took care of each other and thus ensured their individual survival.

Sadly, the wild places are almost gone. I fear the Huskies days are numbered in his pure form. He will lose the wild spirit and become another lap dog who watches T.V. The urge to pull and travel long-lost from his genetic makeup.

The Husky is being over-bred and slowly losing those traits that make them what they were meant to be. Being bred to be lap dogs and fluffy eye candy with many genetic faults like epilepsy.

You can have no truer member of your family than this creature in his pure form. I’m going to do my best to keep that spirit alive. Be it paved roads or dirt trails, my dogs will run like they’ve done for thousands of years. I don’t want to see working huskies vanish from the world, at least not the one I live in.

TJ

I love talking about my dogs. It does my soul good to let my feelings run wild.

First of all I want to thank my wife for her part in this Husky adventure. She walked all three dogs at the same time tonight because I had one of those days from hell at work. I’ve walked them like that, and I have nothing but respect for her. It is not an easy task by any means.

It’s a team effort, I can’t do it all by myself unless I retired. As much as I’d like to be, someone has to buy the endless amounts of rawhide chews, harnesses, and the other million things I want to give my dogs. I put my dogs first just like you would your own children. I mean after all they are my children, maybe not in the technical sense but I feel that way about them.

I took on the challenge of the Husky, and I’m forever grateful for them. I’m not a preacher but I suppose I sound that way. It’s because I believe so strongly that I can’t help but expound their virtues. I didn’t buy a Husky, throw him in the back yard and watch TV. They are part of me, part of my family, and they have taught me so much. Maybe you’re dogs can teach you just as much if you take the time to try to understand them like I have.

The animal world has much to teach us dumb humans if we only take the time to observe them. They have simple needs compared to the rest of us. But we bitch… just about everything we can think of. I’m just as guilty of that as you. But I’m changing for the better, I’m learning to think about others before myself. I owe that to my furry friends.

If you are lucky you have this moment in your life where things become clear, and epiphany if you will. A moment in time when it suddenly dawns on you…”I get it!” I’m not an educated man, well actually I am, but college doesn’t mean you know anything that really matters.

College taught me how to write papers, to fit into a job, to be a cog in the machine. No matter what your station in life is, you will struggle at some point. Even the rich have problems, there is no easy path for anyone. There is no reason to be jealous of anyone, they have problems just like you. Be thankful for the good things you do have. Don’t let hate burn you up, it’s not worth it.

My dogs have taught me so much more than college ever did. Like the things that really matter, love, acceptance, and peace that the world will be what it is. There is nothing any of us can do to change what we are more than a little bit, no matter how much we would like to. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to change the stars we were born under, you can improve your situation to some degree. But I believe our lives will be what they were meant to be, no matter how many lottery tickets we buy.

Live each minute like it was your last.

So today’s picture is of Cooper, content after eating a mouse. He helped me rid my garage of the vermin and I appreciate his efforts to help our family. I appreciate him for what he is, the good and the bad, because just like the rest of us he is not perfect by any means. But he means more to me than, “Just a dog.” He is family, just like Nikki and Sammie, and our three cats are.

Find your trail and run it.

TJ

Another day has passed living with the Siberians. Today’s lesson is the “Rule of One.” This is a story that I should have written long ago but today seems to be the day.

Our Siberian People are very social, they enjoy living in a pack, but that doesn’t stop them from trying to rearrange the order of it. Picture a board room full of fresh new college recruits. Each one eyeing the other as their first real meeting begins.

They are constantly looking for an opening to assert themselves into a higher position with the boss, and company. They scribble notes, listen to each word anyone says in hopes of using it to their advantage. Scoffing inside when someone says what they perceive to be stupid.

To some degree this describes a pack of Siberians. They all want to be, “The One!”

If they cannot be “The One… of humans…well then, they must find a way to be The One of the Siberians!

In the old days before the Siberian People struck a deal with humans, it was as simple as the Tooth & Nail. Battles were fought to decide who would be the supreme leader of the pack. Those days have long past, but are not forgotten. For the hard wiring of DNA is not so easily tossed aside.

They can go to the Tooth & Nail if they have a weak human in command. And our job is to prevent that. If not a trip to “Club-Med” which is the “Vet” may be in your future.

The Siberians are a clever race. They observe and they learn. And once some idea gets into their heads… they will spend any amount of energy to achieve it.

They will escape by any means with feats equal to Steve McQueen in the movie “The Great Escape.” They will make fools of their jailers by using cunning, and sometimes unimaginable physical feats not thought possible.

Huskies are the equivalent of bored teenagers with the bodies and power of professional athletes, you must never consider yourself smarter than they are. For to do so, will leave you humbled and in awe. Sometimes so much so, that you can’t even be angry. You can only smile, and accept the fact that you were duped in some manner.

In my own observations of my pack, the recent trend to be the one, revolves around a marrow bone. This is the most highly prized treat my dogs have ever encountered. They love them, and will growl at each other like it is life and death. All of that in spite they snub all other forms of food designed for dogs. Most human food will trump the marrow bone but not by much.

I think for the most part… us humans, were raised in thinking things should be fair. Share your toys, equal the playing field for games, make rules so that everything is “Fair.”

This concept falls on deaf ears with the Siberians. They really don’t get it at all. It goes against the thousands of years of DNA that made them survive. To a Siberian, there is no such thing as “Fair.”

So, each morning when I let my people go. They go outside, and wait for the precious marrow bones to be distributed. They distinguish week days from weekends by my morning ritual.

When the alarm clock goes off at 4:30 AM I get up and turn it off. I say to them, “Time to go to work.” On the weekends this doesn’t happen of course, and they have learned that when I say “Work” I will be gone all day.

They also know that no amount of crying or fussing is going to change that. So, they wait for the treat I have. This payment is a tribute on my part.

Paying this tribute allows me to take a shower, get dressed, and have a cup of coffee in silence. I don’t have to run downstairs and outside to appease them. This works to keep my wife sleeping without being disturbed by my early morning hours.

Being fair-minded I give one to Nikki, and then Cooper, and they trot off as proud as if they had just killed a wildebeest. I take another up to Sammie who is waiting with just as much anticipation for hers. She just prefers her deck side penthouse in her old age. The young dogs have lost their appeal to her.

The weekend is a different matter entirely.

The marrow bones are kept frozen. It takes a while usually an hour before the dogs can eat that delicious marrow. Each one guards their prize and eyes the others intently.

You see the Siberians also have no problem with the concept of theft. They believe if you can steal it, you deserve to have it. Once again “Fair” does not enter into the equation at all.

Now Mr. Cooper being a gentle beast of large proportions, would be happy to enjoy his bone without the upstart Nikki constantly trying to steal it. It doesn’t matter to her that she already has one, the fact that he also has one cannot be tolerated!

Ms. Nikki lives the rule of one. She is “The One.” At least in her mind she is, and will do anything to remind all of that fact.

Somehow, she manages to steal Coopers bone from him. I’m not sure how she does it, but I soon hear the after effects of someone not happy.

Cooper will be whining and talking in “Roo-Roo” this is the native language of his people, Telling the world of his misfortune, and pain.

Being of fair mind, I go to help him. After all he is my child just as Nikki is, and I want them both to be happy.

I find Nikki with a bone in her mouth. Standing above the stolen bone and letting out this God Awful “ROOOoooodle!” whenever Cooper gets anywhere close.

Being very wise Cooper is afraid of the Queen, and he keeps his distance, and Roo-Roos his frustration of having been burglarized of his precious treat.

When the Queen sees me coming, she knows the tides will soon be turned. She stuffs her mouth with both bones and runs. Looking back at me and Cooper, she continues the call of the “ROOooodle!” Just to remind us that we are challenging the rule of one.

One time I found her guarding a pile of old chewie’s and a few bones. Now she will never confront me with Tooth & Claw but she is not happy about my interference in the Queens business.

In that case I took the pile of booty and threw them one by one, all around the yard. Very far as I have a huge yard.

Nikki looked at me with this face, “How could you do that?” shot from her eyes to mine. Then she ran to try and regroup her pile of stolen bones.

There was no way she could cover all that distance before Cooper snatched up one of the bones and high tailed it to safety. His precious bone clamped between his massive jaws with a force that would equal the “Jaws of life.”

To be safe, I’ve also thrown out 4 marrow bones at the same time. This befuddles the Queen, because she cannot fit them all into her mouth for safe keeping. So, the rule of one can be broken by us if we use the big brains we were given.

As smart as they are, the Siberian People can be out foxed at times. You just have to find their weakness, and use it against them.

“Is that fair?” You ask me.

No, but I’ve learned from the best.

TJ

“If you can laugh at it, you can live with it.”
~ Erma Bombeck

Today’s topic is about training. Even though I train my huskies to be sled dogs or urban mushing machines, you can take these ideas and apply them to your own situation. Training to follow commands works in more ways than one.

My disclaimer is that just because it works for me, doesn’t mean it works for you, or your husky. Just like people… dogs each have their own personality, and you have to understand your own dog to find what works.

To start with I have three dogs. They are all very different from each other. My first husky Sammie (now 10 years old) is not a normal husky; she is an outlier from the norm. She likes to bake herself in the sun, doesn’t want to pull, and for the most part is a normal dog, but far from what you would expect from a husky.

Honestly this is probably the result of over breeding, and the loss of real husky traits like “Pulling.” I’ve been told that this can disappear in 3 generations if they don’t work.  I didn’t know that when I bought her. In spite of that she is a great dog…just not a working husky. She would be more suited to an apartment than a sled.

Imagine my surprise when I got Cooper!

He was the total opposite and I had to learn fast what the hell was going on. Cooper was my first insight into what a real husky is. Driven is the best way to describe him. He wants to go and if he has to drag you along with him…so be it. That is what a husky does when they pull and run.

His first year I walked him three times a day. Always correcting him and teaching him what I wanted. It was a battle of wills, but I won in the end. We walked an estimated 1000 miles his first year.

Cooper also slept on my deck at night, and to this day he prefers to be outside. By himself because I didn’t want to clean up any messes. (Yes, I was learning as well.)

As a puppy Nikki slept on our bed from day one, and to this day she prefers to be inside at night, but not on the bed any longer because she gets too warm.

Now the results of these two extremes are easy to see now that they are adults.

Cooper is quite content to be outside provided the temperature is cold enough to keep him comfortable. In his case the colder the better. Nikki on the other hand likes to be with us even if it is too warm for her in the house. She is more attached to us than Cooper. It took Cooper two years before he showed attachment like she has. And that only came from the bond we formed running together as a team.

There is a lesson in this. And that is what you do that first year leaves a lasting impression on these dogs. Both are very loving members of our pack, but they have different taste in sleeping arrangements. They also have different levels of attachment to us.

So, my assumption based on them is that huskies in that first year can be raised to be like normal dogs for the most part. Meaning indoor members of the family, or they can grow up thinking outdoors is king. Never mind the chewing, destroying toys and beds, and zoomies etc. Some things don’t change.

Cooper will be 3 this December. Cooper is so well-trained that just a little grunt of a command he reacts. His job is to go down the road and he takes it very seriously. I’ve not spent as much time walking Nikki like I did the Coop, but all is not lost. The work I put into him that first year made training Nikki much easier.

The time I spent with him makes it possible for him to actually train Nikki.

I tied her with a neck line to him, and off we went. He teaches her, and has the strength to make my life easier. Instead of two dogs pulling on me, Cooper resist her pulling and he deals with it instead of me. He pulls her back into formation or applies the brakes if needed.

Let’s face it, he has more strength than me, and all I have to do is follow along. Both of them learned directional commands right away. Cooper leading the way.

I always work directional commands. Because the dogs are in front of me at all times. It comes in handy even if you are not on a sled.

I hear a car coming behind me and give a “Haw or Gee” command and they switch sides of the street like clockwork. The same thing happens when we are approaching someone else walking their dog. One command and they switch sides of the street and we pass. All done with one word, no pulling and yanking of leashes etc.

I guess the point I’m trying to make is that your dogs should learn their directional commands. It comes in very useful for many things. The command to slow down or stop is something that huskies don’t appreciate too much. Huskies want to run, and the faster the better as far as they are concerned.

Why is that important? This is the part about understanding the husky. This is where you need to get into their mind and understand why they do things. For if you understand the “Why?” you have a clue as to how to use it.

Huskies have a great desire to see new things. To explore, and to have new adventures. This is what drives them to escape and run for miles. This is what drove them to pull sleds and see new things. It’s the free spirit in them that makes it possible. Just like their masters, they were explorers and adventurers. They don’t care about risks as much as seeing what is around the next bend in the road. Pulling a human with them is just a minor inconvenience. They are strong enough to drag you along since we are too slow for a husky’s taste.

So now that we know that, the only way to teach “Whoa” is to give the command, “Whoa!” in my case, and pull them to a stop. Then when they want to take off again, you turn your back and go the opposite direction, or just stand there with your back turned. Not obeying means we don’t go forward. Obeying means we do and you dogs get to see more new things.

Even refusing to move until you are ready works. When they have given up hope you say, “Hike” in my case and off you go. They have to learn that you are in command, and it takes time. It takes a lot of time and repetition. In time they will get it, if you don’t give in. Most things with a husky are a test of wills.

Who is the boss? You or the husky?

They will test you every day until they realize you are in command. You don’t have to be mean, but you have to be firm and steadfast in what you want. Huskies understand strength, and will eventually accept you as the leader.

You earn this respect and obedience, and it is not easily won. Winning over a husky with your mind will give you a dog you can count on more than if you beat them into submission. They will accept you as a leader but only if you show them you are fair and consistent.

I think the biggest mistake all people make with dogs is they fall so in love with them that they give up who is in charge. They fall into the trap that dogs think and reason as well as we do. You cannot let this happen. They are not humans…they are dogs. And to hope that they will think like us is a huge mistake.

You have to think like a husky! Because they are not going to think like you!

I love my dogs to death! I want to give them the benefit of doubt because I love them so much. The hardest thing you will ever do is remember they are not human. You have to guide them into your world. You have to be strong first, because a husky will not accept a weak leader. And they will not accept an abusive one either.

Unlike us, the husky will not hate you for being strong and giving direction. In fact, they will love you more because that is what they understand. That is about putting yourself into the mind of the husky. That is about meeting them half-way. Understanding what they need and want, and teaching them what you need and want in return.

It all starts with understanding where this dog came from. For thousands of years he did one thing and you need to know why. That is the secret… if there is one to huskies.

I’m not here to tell you how to raise your dog. I’m just pointing out lessons I’ve learned along my own journey. You will learn your own lessons as well. You and your husky will run your own trails of life.

May your trail together be blessed with good fortune and fast snow.

TJ