NO, I’m not a wolf.
NO, I’m not going to bite you (I might jump on you though).
YES, Siberian Huskies can be all white.
YES, I know I have pretty eyes.
NO, my pulling is not a lack of training.
YES, Siberian Huskies can live in Florida. We have a double coat that keeps us warm AND cool.
NO, I’m not trying to hurt your dog. Huskies play rough.
NO, I can’t be trusted off leash.
YES, I can jump that fence if I really want to.
NO, I don’t bark. I communicate.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Friday, December 24, 2010
Natural Athlete
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.
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.
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!”
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Ghosts in the kitchen
Occasionally there are strange sounds coming from the kitchen. Many people would believe there are ghosts in their house. Not if you have a Husky. Apparently, a favorite pastime of Husky dogs is “counter-surfing”.
Now this is not some new form of an extreme sport. Counter-surfing is the habit of exploring the food options above floor level. Huskies know that can reach anything they want. All that matters is how much effort they want to put in to it and if they make enough noise so that a human catches them in that act.
Every now and then, there are little clinking noises coming from the sink area. These usually just mean Cane is trying to pre-wash the dishes before they get loaded into the dishwasher.
Other times it may be a noise of claws-on-countertop followed by a little chomping. Sometimes however, there is no noise at all; there will just be an empty pie crust that was full a few minutes ago. Or perhaps an empty butter dish that you swear had a stick of butter on it the last time you looked.
Fortunately for Cane, there is a carpet shampooer in the house. Just because it is delicious or humans eat it, does not mean that it is meant to be digested by a dog. The result is an upset tummy and a little puking. By “a little”, I mean a pool the size of a dinner plate. Hence, the carpet shampooer.
Now Cane does get credit for attempting to head to the backdoor if he feels vomit coming. Sadly, he usually unloads before the humans can open the door. He also has managed to keep it on the linoleum a few times (thanks buddy).
Sometimes the food does make it all they way thru Cane and he gets a different kind of excitement. I will tell you now that a whole pumpkin pie will give a dog diarrhea. Poor Cane.
This is one more instance where I don’t know if you can break a Husky of a bad habit. The best method is a little prevention. Put things back in the refrigerator as soon as possible; put bread on top of the fridge so it’s a little harder to reach and keep your ears open for ghostly sounds in the kitchen.
Now this is not some new form of an extreme sport. Counter-surfing is the habit of exploring the food options above floor level. Huskies know that can reach anything they want. All that matters is how much effort they want to put in to it and if they make enough noise so that a human catches them in that act.
Every now and then, there are little clinking noises coming from the sink area. These usually just mean Cane is trying to pre-wash the dishes before they get loaded into the dishwasher.
Other times it may be a noise of claws-on-countertop followed by a little chomping. Sometimes however, there is no noise at all; there will just be an empty pie crust that was full a few minutes ago. Or perhaps an empty butter dish that you swear had a stick of butter on it the last time you looked.
Fortunately for Cane, there is a carpet shampooer in the house. Just because it is delicious or humans eat it, does not mean that it is meant to be digested by a dog. The result is an upset tummy and a little puking. By “a little”, I mean a pool the size of a dinner plate. Hence, the carpet shampooer.
Now Cane does get credit for attempting to head to the backdoor if he feels vomit coming. Sadly, he usually unloads before the humans can open the door. He also has managed to keep it on the linoleum a few times (thanks buddy).
Sometimes the food does make it all they way thru Cane and he gets a different kind of excitement. I will tell you now that a whole pumpkin pie will give a dog diarrhea. Poor Cane.
This is one more instance where I don’t know if you can break a Husky of a bad habit. The best method is a little prevention. Put things back in the refrigerator as soon as possible; put bread on top of the fridge so it’s a little harder to reach and keep your ears open for ghostly sounds in the kitchen.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Brother Cane
It's been a little over a year since we adopted Cane. I was worried for a while that he was going to be and eternal pain in the rear but he gets better all the time. He's become a favorite of the neighborhood kids and never gets a walk without free belly scratches when the kids are playing. He also has a few regular dogs that he gets to play with on our walks.
Cane has also embraced baby Sidney into our pack and has been doing great with her. He gives her occasional licks and loves laying around her bassinet or swing while shes sleeping. He has not bothered her "stuff" execpt for one teddy bear which he mistook as one of his toys.
It looks like he's going to turn out to be a good big brother.
Cane has also embraced baby Sidney into our pack and has been doing great with her. He gives her occasional licks and loves laying around her bassinet or swing while shes sleeping. He has not bothered her "stuff" execpt for one teddy bear which he mistook as one of his toys.
It looks like he's going to turn out to be a good big brother.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
New addition
It's been a while since I've posted. Mostly due to the last part of my wife's pregnancy and the birth of our baby daughter, Sidney. She was born Sep 14th and Cane was satying with Auntie Silke until the following Friday.
Once Cane got home, he was excited to meet his new little sister and he has been doing great so far with her. He likes to lay near her when she's sleeping and he loves walking next to the stroller. He does so good in fact, that I wish I would have had a random stroller earlier :)
He gets mildly concerned when she cries loudly but mostly goes about his business as usual; meaning lying around and occasionally annoying me. We're trying to get him to naturally lay down when she cries and he's getting used to that program.
As soon as we get the sleeping patterns down for the new baby, we'll get Cane out and about so he can have new adventures.
Once Cane got home, he was excited to meet his new little sister and he has been doing great so far with her. He likes to lay near her when she's sleeping and he loves walking next to the stroller. He does so good in fact, that I wish I would have had a random stroller earlier :)
He gets mildly concerned when she cries loudly but mostly goes about his business as usual; meaning lying around and occasionally annoying me. We're trying to get him to naturally lay down when she cries and he's getting used to that program.
As soon as we get the sleeping patterns down for the new baby, we'll get Cane out and about so he can have new adventures.
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