Husky behavior with food / raw food

We feed our dogs dry kibble (crunchy dog food) and frequently add in tasty "human" treats. The full husky male is especially picky about having to get a "treat" with every feeding - which is usually two times a day. One of our dogs will sometimes take larger chunks out and eat it off the the side, frequently on the living room carpet :-( The larger chunks are, for instance, a piece of meat or a slab of bread (the full husky loves any type of bread). Some people will soak dry kibble on purpose for their dog, either to help out a dog with tooth trouble or to avoid "bloat."

One way to keep your dog's teeth healthy and white is to give them raw bones. The raw bones are better for them (although they get stinky in warm weather) than boiled and bleached bones (that can splinter) which you usually get from department stores. We give our dogs both kinds. The bone Willy has (at right) in the picture is a beef bone from a slaughterhouse. Now - to be fair and allow you to make up your own mind, there are two sides to the thought of giving raw bones (and raw food) to your dog. The PetPlace website gives both sides here: http://www.petplace.com/dogs/raw-meat-debate-should-you-feed-it-to-your-dog/page1.aspx. Second Chance Ranch's website (among others I've found) is against giving raw foods and raw bones to dogs (http://www.secondchanceranch.com/training/raw_meat/index.html) because of bacteria and parasite dangers. Also, this website (http://www.thepetcenter.com/imtop/bones.html) that includes x-rays of a hound with splintered deer bones lodged in its stomach and impacted colon from the waste. Yes, you will see dry, hard, calcium-laden droppings from your bone-eating dog! One the positive side is this website that sells bones (http://www.allthebestpetcare.com/handouts/raw_bones.html) and this Scottish site (http://www.caberfeidh.com/Safe.htm) is more on the raw side - with care - than not.

Another thought about food and treats is hiding behavior to keep another dog (or you the owner - who are part of the dog's pack or family now) from stealing the food. Sometimes a dog will steal food. I've found websites that say huskies are a breed that will steal food (http://www.canismajor.com/dog/siberian.html - for instance; see Care and Training) - and I know that our two dogs like to steal food and treats from each other. You should put any uneaten food up out of the dog's reach when she seems to have had enough for that feeding. Our full bred husky "hides" his uneated treats in not-very-safe places, like right in front of the couch. Duh! The mixed breed dog saunters right over and snags the treat!

Does anyone out there have a dog that plays with his water in the water dish? We have had animals that like to play in their water (ferrets - could entertain them and us by putting out a bowl of water or - better yet - snow!). I've seen online discussion boards where people talk about their dogs playing in their water by jumping (front feet) into the bowl, pawing at it, pushing the bowl with the nose, and the like.

While browsing today, I ran across a website that has a rather different style, where you have to hold the mouse pointer over "scroll" to read rolling text, but there is great accurate information written in a humorous fashion: http://www.homelesshusky.com/homeless.html. Check it out if you want - you husky owners will get a chuckle from the accurate portrayal of our pups!

Husky Social traits

Huskies sure do like to be part of a "pack" as they are a social dog. Our full husky really hates to be separated from the husky/shepherd mixed dog. We chain them out during the day where they can see each other and get within a foot of each other, but not get entangled. When we are home, they are almost always inside with us. The husky will whine to get the other dog in for the company. He cries if left home when the other one has a vet appointment, so they both go in the car together. Even the family members are "part of the pack" with each person in a pecking order to the husky.

My husband is the Alpha, or leader, of the pack, and that's something is seems that both dogs need. One of our daughters (the youngest - who was 15 when we rescued our husky) is usually slightly below him in the pack. She has to work hard to maintain a place of near equality.

One thing the husky especially needs is lots of attention from each person as soon as he or she gets home. He does lots of "talking" - as small portion of which I've put on my website. A lot of the ruuu-ruuu-aruruaru stuff when we get home seems to be an "about time you're home to be with me" type of message. The husky also likes a schedule - for instance in the evening we're "supposed" to get into the living room and lie around on the floor with the dogs to watch TV or movies. The dogs sleep with us adults, one on the bed and one on a doggy bed. The husky also "tells" us to get to bed when it's late!

Also, along with love and companionship, the husky needs to be active. He will initiate play with a toy, having taught himself to fetch. This dog was abused and neglected, and afraid of children and bicycles when we got him. He did not know what treat was, and he did not know what to do with toys. Now he does! Additionally, huskies need exercise, like a good walk a few times a week. If you don't get them out enough, the dog will dig up the yard, for instance. We have concrete blocks to fill holes in various places in "his" area because of times that we have not gotten out for walks frequently enough.

We were afraid that our husky might be mean because of the abuse, but instead he was shy. The patience and love, and training (stay, sit, come - just expecting him to be "good") was enough to bring out the natural husky lovingness.

One other thing, which I don't know is a husky trait, but might just be a Lobo (our husky) trait. He chews off any nylon (or leather or any material) harness when he is chained in the yard. It only takes him a half hour! He has even chewed off his collar when it was too loose. The only type of harness we can keep on him is a custom made (by my husband) chain harness. It's really loose, but he does not back out of it (unlike the mixed dog, who is more intelligent, and has a belly band in addition to the nylon harness). We switch the husky into a nylon harness for walks so the chain doesn't dig at his skin too much. My husband never trained the dogs to NOT pull during walks, so they look like a sledding team - shoulder to shoulder.

One thing a fellow husky owner told me to do is to blow gently into the dog's nose (early during ownership - don't know if she repeats this occasionally). Something about your breath and your smell is supposed to bond you to the dog. This gal has owned up to 5 huskies / mixes at a time and has done some sledding. I know my husband had done this nose / breath thing, but I don't know if it was for that reason.

Husky versus German Shepherd Dogs & Training

Our female dog (on the right) is a mix of Siberian Husky and German Shepherd. She should be 65 pounds, max, as a optimal weight. During the past three years, we've had to measure her food to limit her weight, since she got up to 85 pounds. At her shoulder, she stands comes to our knee. We are lucky, as our husky/shepherd mix can eat virtually any dog or human food without problem - unlike the husky who has trouble with any dry kibble containing ground corn (he gets loose, watery stools - yuck!).

On dog training, my husband is the wizard. Make sure the dog knows its name - you could start out by giving love when your dog looks at you when you say his name. Love and very small treat (like a piece of a puppy biscuit) are good rewards.

Always start a command with the dog's name so he knows you are talking to him. We also train with hand signals along with the word (and keep the word / words simple!). For instance, hold your first two fingers up with your right hand while you say, "Rover, sit!" I think you'll find the dog looking at your hand as well as listening. It's gotten so we can just say the dog's name then make the hand signal and get obedience. Always reward (happy words, a pat on the head or back) the obedience. Anger with disobedience does not work. You'll just make the dog scared of you. Oh - and don't expect a husky to come when you want it to - so be careful not to let the dog wander off of a leash until you know he will come when called.

Make sure that everyone in your household uses the same commands and signals, too, for consistency. Just think what a child would think if mom said, "Come here" when she wanted the child to come near, but dad said, "Cum'er, cum'er, little guy" for the same thing. The child might figure it out - or not.

Something else, depending on which traits a mixed dog inherits from either breed, he might be more like one breed than the other. In many ways, I think the shepherd is dominate in our mixed breed dog. The tail curl and friendliness is all husky, but the intelligence and food tolerance (for instance) are shepherd.

More thoughts later!