Dog Teeth

Here's Jack, the youngest, cutting his adult teeth. See the smaller, adult, canines to the side of each of the narrower baby canines! We managed to save a couple of those, and one of his molars.

Willy, the 11 year old mix, had to have a molar extracted last year. She chews so hard on bones that she has cracked several teeth. One of the back molars abscessed, so it had to be taken out. This year, with the now annual dental cleaning, the vet asked, "What does she do, chew on rocks?"

No... but she does really chomp down on stuff. No more bones for her! The vet told me that she has worn all the enamel off most of her teeth, so that is why we see the yellow sides and brown tops - dentin showing. Follow this link: http://www.avds-online.org/info/wornteeth.html for reading about worn teeth and a great picture.

Husky Pictures

Here's a post devoted to Jack, starting with a picture of his mom.

This slender dog is the mother of our new puppy, Jack. Her coloration is nearly identical to Jack's. Supposedly, the dad looks just like this, too. The owners apparently never brushed out her winter undercoat. However, this was a very gentle and nice husky, so we were encouraged about the probably (and normal) friendly behavior that Jack would (and does) have. I'll post pictures of Jack's male siblings at a later time.

Jack's life is... hard. NOT!! Here he is, chilled out on the couch after a hard day playing with the older dogs.

A couple of play scenes. Let me set them up - though this won't be complete until get a video of Jack running through the living room and using the leather chair in the middle as a "safety island" to vault from. Usually it's either Lobo (chocolate color, dark) or Jack that initiates the play. There will be posturing, pushing, barking, or "tag" play to start the festivities. Soon the two of them are playing "who has the largest jaws" to try intimidating the other. Our ferrets used to do this with each other as well (the ferrets are now all over the Rainbow Bridge). This picture, which I finally caught the right time and angle, is typical of the snarling, open mouth posturing. There is typically some growling and barking accompanying this - but not too much. Willy, the shepherd mix, will join in, but her style of play is definitely different!

Another thing that Jack likes to do is to catch Lobo by his harness and hang on. I guess he started this because a) there's always a harness to hang onto, and b) Jack was much smaller that Lobo so gained a mouthhold using the harness. Scruff of the neck or shoulders for hang on are nearly as good, lately, but the harness does get a lot of abuse. One of our daughters caught this picture of Jack hanging onto the harness with both dogs nearly in her lap! How cute... When these dogs play, they play HARD!

Husky puppy added to family

When my husband came home one day in August this year and announced that he had driven past a "husky puppies for sale" sign, we knew that this might be the time to add the puppy we had talked about for around two years. Our thought was that we wanted another copper red Siberian Husky, but then... who can be too fussy? And, no, the choice of a puppy should never be based on color.

The home where the puppies were for sale had five dogs left. The "backyard breeder" is much maligned in most professional breeder websites, but happily we found out that this was the family's first time breeding this female. See this website http://www.cracarsiberians.com/2005/All%20About%20Siberians/whattolookfor.htm for some great reading about picking a breeder and a puppy. Hopefully this family does not make a habit out of breeding the female, partly because they ended up keeping three of the puppies that people "reserved" without downpayments. Sadly, most of the times when we go past this house now, the four dogs are all in a 6' x 6' kennel. The kennel has a dog house and cement floor, and the dogs are sprawled around, bored. Not good.

So, here's a picture of the puppy that our daughter picked. We call him Jack (short for Jack Daniels). He is the same color as his mother.

The other pups varied from one that was nearly all white to one that was copper red. Three of the five males left were pale blonde/brown like Jack. We were told that the father of the litter had the same coloring as Jack - and his mom.

I'll make several posts out of this puppy story. Some of the continued portions will include socialization of the new pup with our current dogs; puppy teeth and chewing; and just plain fun and pictures.

Jack is now nearly 6 months old. We've had him neutered, shots updated, and microchipped. The vet bills have exceeded his initial purchase cost by two times. Consider this, also, when getting a pet! That is something we discussed when considering the addition of a third dog.

So, more later!

Allergies

One of our dogs has a mild allergy. We think he's allergic to dry, decomposing leaves because the only time he has trouble is after he's been pushing his nose through (and under) layers of old tree leaves. The only symptom is that Lobo's upper eyelid - usually only one lid - will swell up. He looks rather odd, and it took a while for us to realize what was happening!

Check out this picture to the right, where his swollen right eye shows, to another picture(normal), below.

This snow picture is from 2005, but shows you that both eyes look the same. One article about allergies in dogs, this one: http://www.homevet.com/petcare/allergy.html, gives reasons for a dog's allergies and possible treatments of the allergy. Dr. Feinman mentions inhaled allergens, for instance, as one type of allergy (versus contact allergy or food allergy - among others). The inhaled allergen for a dog can be similar to the inhaled allergen for a person. Putting a name to this type of allergy: Atopy (inhalant allergy).

Personally, I am quite allergic to dust mites, and I react with sneezing, runny nose, and swollen eyes. Apparently, Lobo is allergic to something about the decomposing leaves. He will sneeze, shake his head, and then we'll notice the eyelid swelling. The swelling lasts several hours, but does not seem to bother him, so we don't treat him with any medications. Another web page I've looked at is: http://www.sniksnak.com/doghealth/allergies.html. If your dog has more severe allergies than ours, you should see your veterinarian first. The vet may recommend a treatment such as an anti-inflammatory, a shampooing or a hyposensitization therapy. Each of these therapies is discussed in brief in the above mentioned web pages. But talk to your veterinarian before trying anything on your own!

Canine Eye Color Reflections

Our shepherd / husky mix dog, Willy, has brown eyes that reflect two different colors. I had never noticed this in another dog, but it probably is at least as common as a dog having two differently colored eyes.

The green reflection, like you see in a cat's eyes at night, is caused by the tapetum lucidum layer on the canine (or feline) retina. That layer is thought to cause a double reflection of light to the back of the eye, which increases the canine night vision (http://www.vet.upenn.edu/schoolresources/communications/publications/bellwether/52/canine_symposium.html).

Obviously, then, Willy lacks the tapetum layer on her right eye since only her left eye reflects green. Our Siberian Husky, Lobo, had red reflections from both of his eyes. We've never specifically tested the dogs, but from the reading I've done, Lobo's night vision is probably not as good as Willy's - even though Willy has just one eye with the tapetum layer.

Do NOT shave your husky for the summer

You may think - gee it's getting warm out and my husky will overheat in this weather. So, maybe I should just have all that fur shaved off. DON'T DO IT! Even if your groomer / vet / friend recommends such radical action, read on first. There are a number of reasons why your northern breed needs the fur during warm weather.

A Siberian Husky, like many northern dog breeds, has two coat layers. The inner, or under, coat consists of short, fluffy, downy soft fur. The other layer is the guard hair layer, which is not shed in general. The guard hairs stay in place while the husky "blows" his coat (the term used for the sudden shedding of the undercoat) - generally in the spring. That guard hair coat has natural oils which keep the husky clean and dry (ours virtually never gets wet to the skin, and does not pick up dirt and debris from the yard in his coat).

Our husky bulks up on this undercoat during the fall so he is warm outside during our cold, snowy winters in Michigan. Now, in the late spring, he has fluffy tufts of fur working loose all over his body. This husky, as you can see from the photo, is a short-hair type. When I scratch him, his fur feels like sheep's wool because the undercoat has become bunchy and tightly packed. The undercoat is creamy colored with a touch of copper at the outer ends. His guard hairs stay in place, and remain copper or white, depending location.



It's a family effort to get the tufts of undercoat loose throughout the spring. Lobo was a rescue, but I don't know if that explains his dislike of grooming. He has sensitive skin, and only plucking at tufts (best done when he's asleep) or holding him down and using a human comb seem to work well. I limit the "holding him down" time to 15 minute sessions.



Why does the husky need his guard hairs in the warm summer? You may ask yourself... why do desert peoples such as Moroccans wear loose, cheesecloth-like clothes that cover the body (http://www.berbertours.net/faq.php#3)? It's to keep the sun off the skin and allow cool breezes to get to the skin. Same thing for your northern-bred dog. He needs the guard hairs to keep sun off of his skin, but breeze will filter through since the undercoat is mostly gone during the summer. Also, the guard hairs protect your dog against biting insects!



If you are in an extremely warm area, you may wish to keep a pool of water, like a kid's wading pool, where your dog can reach it. Of course, change the water frequently to keep it fresh and stop mosquito larvae from hatching. Shade throughout the day, and drinking water should be givens. You may wish the bring the pup inside, too, if you have air conditioning during the peak heat times. Our husky will dig holes to get to cooler dirt to lay in - not that we want him to, but this is one of those behaviors the husky is known for.



And as for the shepherd / husky mix of ours, she has an undercoat the sheds in the spring as well. We can use a shedding blade, or human comb, or wire brush as needed... and she loves to be groomed. Her undercoat is smoother - not as bunchy - as the husky's, and does not bunch up quite the same way. She does have a double coat, and does keep her guard hairs, though.



Further reading and references I've used for this post are at: http://www.sibrescue.com/tip-shave.asp, http://www.ccndr.org/library/shaving.htm, and http://www.siberrescue.com/Flsibes.htm.

Huskies - Great Mousers!

I've read on other websites that huskies are good mousers, and have well-developed hunting instincts. Well, I believe it now, as scarcely a week goes by that one of our dogs does not have a new mouse, chipmunk, or squirrel trophy. Okay - you got me - sometimes a couple of weeks go by, but still, I had no idea we had so many little critters close to the house. A couple of pictures are included at the lower portion of this blog to substantiate this claim. I've chosen the lower area so you can avoid the pictures, if you wish. But there's nothing graphic - it's just that I know some people will think - aawww, the poor little critter.

Lobo, the red full husky, will sometimes completely ignore us humans when he's intent on searching for a small critter. Be wary of that if you're a husky owner - the convenient apparent deafness of your dog. Willy, the shepherd mix, will usually at least listen to us humans, and she definately knows what we mean by "find the mouse!" She gets very intense, and will search all of the surrounding area - especially anywhere we point or poke at with a stick.

Now, the normal hunting zone is, of course, the area each is cabled to by our house when the family is away. There are an abundance of sunflower seeds spilled into my flower garden area, and under the back deck, by the energetic goldfinches (our most abundant visitors). And, we have large beech trees in front that contribute beechnuts for birds, chipmunks, and mice. As the snow melted this spring, I could see where mice had created tunnels through the spilled seeds and shells to get under the deck. BTW, the flowers are fenced in, or I wouldn't have any after a doggie (on a cable) tromped, turned, dug, and laid in them. So some mice get away with months of local living before "their time is up" by sticking to the fenced area and moving when the dogs are inside.

The competition for catching any particular mouse, when both dogs are on the hunt with one of us at the same time, is entertaining to watch. Willy, as the alpha will frequently lead. Lobo, excitable, will follow, run circles, check nearby areas, jump (front feet) on Willy's back (making her mad - she'll grow and snap at him), and (sometimes) try to push his head in front of Willy's. At times, one or the other will give up too soon at a particular area, only to have the rival dog dig at just the right area and !Pounce! on the prize. Still, they each get their share.

Below is a series of three pictures showing Lobo scenting a mouse through a foot of snow, pouncing, and bringing the prize over for inspection. The strange alignment is due to the limitations of the Google's Blogger editing tools. The HTML tags with the photos are weird enough, I'm not messing with them too much.




Here's one that my siblings and family didn't want to see, as they felt bad for the squirrel. Willy caught this black squirrel all by herself. Yes, the dogs will sometimes eat the squirrel (or other rodents), but not always.



Finally, here's a new one. Lobo caught a mole this April, and I have never even seen any mole trails. Yes, it's a snowy Easter week here, too, like most of the eastern United States. So much for our very short spring, and enjoying the crocuses, daffodils, tulips, and forscythia bushes, though I know the warm weather will return.

One more thought. Does your dog like to roll on their catch? Ours do, especially if it's aged a bit. We take turns "losing" the several-day-old prizes in the deeper woods. Phew!