If you didn’t know, huskies are probably the most natural athletes on earth: (http://outsideonline.com/bodywork/201003/sled-dogs-human-athletic-performance-research-1.html)
Cane hasn’t been training for the Iditarod, but his feats of strength are amazing. He can clear a 4-foot fence without a running start. He can jump a 6-foot fence by hooking his front paws on the top and launching over. This seems to only happen with chain-link fences where he can see something that catches his interest on the other side.
He has been known to jump one fence, explore the neighborhood, and jump a second fence when he finds another dog to play with. He escaped once and found another dog a couple blocks away behind a fence. Before he could jump it, the owner let him in and began checking his collar for info. Meanwhile I was driving down the road in the truck calling for him. Before the Good Samaritan could see the number on Cane’s ID collar, he was amazed that Cane turned and jumped the fence to see who was calling him. Cane got away with that one since you can’t really punish a dog from coming when called.
Cane has managed to do this a few other times while visiting family but Daddy’s cell number is on his collar and he’s micro-chipped so he’s always found his way back. At home we have a 6-foot privacy fence and he can’t see what awesome things await him on the other side.
Recently, it seems there is a sad increase in escapes in the husky community. It’s hard to tell the circumstances, but a lot of huskies are showing up in shelters as well. I think sometimes the true owners just don’t want them back which is an injustice to the dog. But the rest may be due to the fact that a husky can travel a long distance in a short amount of time and end up far away from where the owners are looking. It’s important to ensure that your pet (especially a husky) has every possible means of identification on them at all times.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Husky Diet
No, I don’t mean a special diet for chubby puppies. I mean the things that a Husky likes to eat. Huskies are pretty much omnivores. They will eat dirt, rocks, sticks, plants, lizards, frogs and maybe the occasional cat (just kidding on the last one).
Everyone knows that dogs love human food. Maybe it’s because they just want to be like us or maybe they know that what we eat is just so tasty. But, most of what we eat is not good for our dogs. A lot of what we love is actually poisonous to them. Now preventing them from eating human food is partly not giving it to them and partly giving them tasty alternatives.
I don’t know why I worry about Cane’s palate but he’s part of the family now and there’s no reason to leave him out of the goodness (even though he eats dirt).
When we adopted Cane we had been mixing Pokey & Lacey’s favorite dog food (Kibbles & Bits) with the veterinarian recommended Science Diet. So we figured why not try it with Cane. He seems to like it so that’s what we’re sticking with. We use about a 50/50 mix.
We also use Milk Bones for regular treats and a variety of soft chews for training and special occasions. And since there is a debate on how healthy rawhide is, we usually limit him to one very small rawhide a week.
Now on to the point of this story; Cane frikken loves ice cream. Cane’s Gramdma bought a product called Frosty Paws for him. It’s basically ice cream for dogs in little individual serving cups. Now I’m not sure what they’re made of but they are formulated to give dogs the wonderful feeling of dessert without the stuff that’s bad for them. Plus they feel like they’re getting the same stuff the humans have.
A couple of disclaimers:
1. As with all treats, use in moderation.
2. If you are a human, don’t taste them. Trust me on this one.
Everyone knows that dogs love human food. Maybe it’s because they just want to be like us or maybe they know that what we eat is just so tasty. But, most of what we eat is not good for our dogs. A lot of what we love is actually poisonous to them. Now preventing them from eating human food is partly not giving it to them and partly giving them tasty alternatives.
I don’t know why I worry about Cane’s palate but he’s part of the family now and there’s no reason to leave him out of the goodness (even though he eats dirt).
When we adopted Cane we had been mixing Pokey & Lacey’s favorite dog food (Kibbles & Bits) with the veterinarian recommended Science Diet. So we figured why not try it with Cane. He seems to like it so that’s what we’re sticking with. We use about a 50/50 mix.
We also use Milk Bones for regular treats and a variety of soft chews for training and special occasions. And since there is a debate on how healthy rawhide is, we usually limit him to one very small rawhide a week.
Now on to the point of this story; Cane frikken loves ice cream. Cane’s Gramdma bought a product called Frosty Paws for him. It’s basically ice cream for dogs in little individual serving cups. Now I’m not sure what they’re made of but they are formulated to give dogs the wonderful feeling of dessert without the stuff that’s bad for them. Plus they feel like they’re getting the same stuff the humans have.
A couple of disclaimers:
1. As with all treats, use in moderation.
2. If you are a human, don’t taste them. Trust me on this one.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Cold weather = Husky Energy
Cane has come up with a new game at the end of our walks. Since this is a recent development that coincides with freezing temperatures, I’m blaming the cold weather on this.
It starts at about the last block before we return home. Cane will slow down and start staring at me. He’s usually never that attentive. He prefers to pay attention to cats, shrubs and cable boxes or anything else that may need chased or peed on.
While he’s staring and waiting for a response from me, he’ll get a dumb but happy look on his face; tongue hanging out to the side.
Then he grabs the leash in his mouth and starts pulling. When I tell him to “drop it”, he starts springing around and begins running in circles at full speed. I have to hold on tightly to the leash and spin around with him as if I’m the Sun and he’s in orbit.
By the time I get dizzy and slow down, he comes bouncing up to me and we play the rough ‘rasslin game like we do in the house occasionally.
It the midst of all our fun, I usually notice cars slowing down or stopping. I’m not sure if they think I’m getting attacked, or if they’re worried he'll dart out into the road. Either way, it’s a spectacle.
I wasn’t sure what to call this game when it began, but the Berserker song from Jay & Silent Bob had been stuck in my head for a few days. Now when Cane starts giving me the look, I sing: “ DO YOU WANT TO PLAY YOUR GAMES, BERSERKER!”
It starts at about the last block before we return home. Cane will slow down and start staring at me. He’s usually never that attentive. He prefers to pay attention to cats, shrubs and cable boxes or anything else that may need chased or peed on.
While he’s staring and waiting for a response from me, he’ll get a dumb but happy look on his face; tongue hanging out to the side.
Then he grabs the leash in his mouth and starts pulling. When I tell him to “drop it”, he starts springing around and begins running in circles at full speed. I have to hold on tightly to the leash and spin around with him as if I’m the Sun and he’s in orbit.
By the time I get dizzy and slow down, he comes bouncing up to me and we play the rough ‘rasslin game like we do in the house occasionally.
It the midst of all our fun, I usually notice cars slowing down or stopping. I’m not sure if they think I’m getting attacked, or if they’re worried he'll dart out into the road. Either way, it’s a spectacle.
I wasn’t sure what to call this game when it began, but the Berserker song from Jay & Silent Bob had been stuck in my head for a few days. Now when Cane starts giving me the look, I sing: “ DO YOU WANT TO PLAY YOUR GAMES, BERSERKER!”
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