Monday, January 25, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Getting a schedule going
So the project of Cane-proofing the gates has been completed. New hinges so they swing inward should minimize the ability to push them open. Plus, extra latches have been added to the exterior side for double-sided protection from accidental freedom. He hasn’t been able to open them but the feeling is that nothing can be completely Cane-proofed.
The first attempt at a walk around the neighborhood was almost an epic adventure. It’s hard to tell how tight the collar should be because of all that fluffy hair so it was initially put on too loose. Once around the corner from the house, Cane saw two Schnauzers that he just had to go see. So he immediately turned away from the pull of the leash and began to back out of the collar. As the collar was coming over Cane’s ears and he was almost free, New Daddy had to jump on him to gain control. It must have looked quite comical to the Schnauzer owners, but they still grabbed the little pups and hustled inside.
Now it’s known that Huskies are bred to pull, but walking Cane for the first time is like trying to guide a flopping fish down the sidewalk. He needs a lot of exercise and this is not the way to do it.
Cane had to get his follow-up vaccines and the vet recommended a trainer who is experienced with Huskies. We will definitely check them out. It was noted that he was a little underweight at 52 pounds and the vet said 60 should be a good weight for him. Cane also had a hot spot on one of his front legs from unknown origin. A little ointment for the leg, a recommended diet and the number of a trainer were made the vet visit very worthwhile.
We called the trainer and an adult dog obedience class was starting in a few weeks. We immediately signed up. The trainer also runs a day camp and boarding facilities. Cane should benefit from a little socialization prior to the class, so he was dropped off for day camp experience. They reported that he plays well with other dogs and had a ton of energy (like we hadn’t noticed). In fact he played so well that he became the “play dog” for the day while other dogs would be rotated in and out of the play area. Normally the dogs tire after an hour or so of play and need a nap, but not Cane.
It actually seemed that he didn’t need any sleep for the first two weeks at the new home. There was so much to investigate and destroy. The humans wouldn’t be allowed to get any sleep either. If Cane’s not sleeping, no one is. Cane continues with the same program of wanting to go outside and lay down, only to come back in and pee in the house. Fortunately, someone from New Mommy’s work has a large dog crate we can borrow.
People can think whatever they want about crates but this one kept Cane from going back to the pound for a fourth time. Once he was lured in there with a little snack, he would sleep thru the night. No more having to deal with hourly wake-ups to clean up pee. This was also the only way he could be left alone without destroying the house. New Daddy only works 15 minutes from the house so Cane can get a lunch break for a short walk and potty time.
Now knowing that he wouldn’t try to start fights on every corner, it was a lot easier to have a waking plan. So Cane’s walking schedule goes like:
5:30am – 1.5 miles
11:30am - .25 mile
4:30-5pm – 1.25 – 1.75 miles
8:30-9pm – 1.5 miles
This seems to be just enough to get him to sleep at night. He can even be trusted out of the crate and loves to keep the human feet warm on the end of the bed. This came in especially handy during the record two week freezing period here in Florida.
The first attempt at a walk around the neighborhood was almost an epic adventure. It’s hard to tell how tight the collar should be because of all that fluffy hair so it was initially put on too loose. Once around the corner from the house, Cane saw two Schnauzers that he just had to go see. So he immediately turned away from the pull of the leash and began to back out of the collar. As the collar was coming over Cane’s ears and he was almost free, New Daddy had to jump on him to gain control. It must have looked quite comical to the Schnauzer owners, but they still grabbed the little pups and hustled inside.
Now it’s known that Huskies are bred to pull, but walking Cane for the first time is like trying to guide a flopping fish down the sidewalk. He needs a lot of exercise and this is not the way to do it.
Cane had to get his follow-up vaccines and the vet recommended a trainer who is experienced with Huskies. We will definitely check them out. It was noted that he was a little underweight at 52 pounds and the vet said 60 should be a good weight for him. Cane also had a hot spot on one of his front legs from unknown origin. A little ointment for the leg, a recommended diet and the number of a trainer were made the vet visit very worthwhile.
We called the trainer and an adult dog obedience class was starting in a few weeks. We immediately signed up. The trainer also runs a day camp and boarding facilities. Cane should benefit from a little socialization prior to the class, so he was dropped off for day camp experience. They reported that he plays well with other dogs and had a ton of energy (like we hadn’t noticed). In fact he played so well that he became the “play dog” for the day while other dogs would be rotated in and out of the play area. Normally the dogs tire after an hour or so of play and need a nap, but not Cane.
It actually seemed that he didn’t need any sleep for the first two weeks at the new home. There was so much to investigate and destroy. The humans wouldn’t be allowed to get any sleep either. If Cane’s not sleeping, no one is. Cane continues with the same program of wanting to go outside and lay down, only to come back in and pee in the house. Fortunately, someone from New Mommy’s work has a large dog crate we can borrow.
People can think whatever they want about crates but this one kept Cane from going back to the pound for a fourth time. Once he was lured in there with a little snack, he would sleep thru the night. No more having to deal with hourly wake-ups to clean up pee. This was also the only way he could be left alone without destroying the house. New Daddy only works 15 minutes from the house so Cane can get a lunch break for a short walk and potty time.
Now knowing that he wouldn’t try to start fights on every corner, it was a lot easier to have a waking plan. So Cane’s walking schedule goes like:
5:30am – 1.5 miles
11:30am - .25 mile
4:30-5pm – 1.25 – 1.75 miles
8:30-9pm – 1.5 miles
This seems to be just enough to get him to sleep at night. He can even be trusted out of the crate and loves to keep the human feet warm on the end of the bed. This came in especially handy during the record two week freezing period here in Florida.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
First Impressions
Cane was adopted Oct 6th, 2009. He got noticed by leaning against the kennel gate wanting to be touched. He looked up with striking blue eyes and a friendly face. His pale white fur was damp and slightly stained. His quiet demeanor earned a walk to the play pen. There were balls and toys to investigate but it wasn’t clear at the time why he spent so much time studying the fence‘s design.
The shelter staff said it was his third visit and the previous owners would not come to claim him. He was originally picked up as a stray and adopted, but he was an escape artist and couldn’t be contained by his second family, or third. So there he was, performing the same act that was sure to get him adopted again. And it worked.
The first order of business was a good bath. That white fur cleaned up nice and he smelled like a new dog. Cane’s exact age is unknown but the vet and the shelter estimate that he is between 1.5 to two years old. Not exactly a puppy, but not a mellow adult dog like his new parents’ previous “kids”.
He has a hard act to follow. His new family were proud parents of a shar-pei mix for 14+ years and her “little” sister, a Shepherd mix for 12 years. They both succumbed to health issues in the past year. Although very experienced with dogs, it was soon to be seen why so many Husky websites say “do your research first”.
Pokey, the shar-pei was not exactly an active dog. She could be compared to the Yellow Dog from the movie Funny Farm. If a door or gate was left open, she would lay there and wait for someone to come step over her, that is if she even noticed it was open. She knew where the food came from and wasn’t going far from it.
Lacey, the Shepherd was more like Lassie. She was the active one, but knew exactly what “come” meant and would appear in a few seconds if called. She exemplified the word trust and would sit in the garage with her dad for hours and watch the world go by.
They complimented each other perfectly and will be in the hearts of everyone they met forever. Oh yes, Cane has big shoes to fill.
He began his first night by jumping on the bed every hour or so to see if anyone else was awake. Time to go outside and take care of business? No, he just likes to lie in the grass and smell all the new smells. Drag back inside and repeat hourly until alarm sounds.
After a night of minimal sleep, the patience level is pushed even farther down when he comes back inside after the morning walk and leaves a “gift” on the office floor. What were they feeding this dog? Good thing for carpet shampooers. Fortunately, Auntie B is visiting for a week and can watch him during the day.
Too bad she had to go to the store. Cane decided to explore everything in the house. Chairs were overturned, most items on tables were now on the floor and every door in the place was open. Round doorknobs were to be added to the “to-do” list to replace the lever style knobs.
It was assumed that a six foot fence would be sufficient for Cane’s back yard realm. It didn’t really matter once he saw one human operate the gate latch. He immediately went to work on the latches and figured out how to flip them up, and since the gates swing outward, he found freedom. All the humans followed him through the bushes and tried to block his path between the houses, but Huskies are fast and Cane is no exception. Fortunately, there was a young girl a few houses away playing with a soccer ball that looked very interesting. As he stopped to investigate how tasty a soccer ball could be, the girl grabbed his collar and the chasse was over. “Never chase a husky” was one of the many lessons to be learned by these new humans.
Introduction
My wife and I never imagined how much work and fun owning a Husky would be. We have always been "dog people" and had to face the inevitable with both of our previous dogs in the past year. Our 14 year old Shar-pei mix, Pokey succumbed to cancer in may of 2009 and was followed to the Rainbow Bridge by our 12 year old Shepherd mix, Lacey in July 2009. Both were rescues.
I may tell their stories at some point but this will cronicle the experiences of how Cane takes up pretty much every waking minute we have. There will be both good and bad, and hopefully some of humor will come across thru text.
If you are thinking of adopting a Husky, PLEASE DO YOU RESEARCH FIRST! These are not the dogs for first time owners and until recently I only thought they were suited for the certifiably insane. I'm still not sure if this is going to be a great dog or I fall more farther into the latter category then I previously thought.
I may tell their stories at some point but this will cronicle the experiences of how Cane takes up pretty much every waking minute we have. There will be both good and bad, and hopefully some of humor will come across thru text.
If you are thinking of adopting a Husky, PLEASE DO YOU RESEARCH FIRST! These are not the dogs for first time owners and until recently I only thought they were suited for the certifiably insane. I'm still not sure if this is going to be a great dog or I fall more farther into the latter category then I previously thought.
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