26nikita

What a beauty! This is near my hometown. http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/rare-white-fox-found-at-comlara-park/article_1b5f5248-1ee8-11e2-afac-001a4bcf887a.html

My sons GF has a pet hedgehog. Piper, their husky/gsd, is super good with it. They've posted pics on FB of both of them together.

My mom had it done and she is so glad that she did!

Laska was beautiful! I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost my boy 10 months ago to a seizure. It's the hardest thing I have ever had to go through. Just know that you did the right thing, easing her pain. Run free pretty girl and say hi to my Dakota for me.

Thank you for rescuing him! I baffles my mind that people can do such a thing! Is there any way you can have charges brought up against these people?

So jealous! I hope everything goes smoothly and you have excellent weather!

My rescue Aspen just got diagnosed with ZRD. I give her human grade zinc supplements. I crush the pill and put it in her evening meal. I read crushing the pill helps but i cant find the article on it. If i find it again, i will post it. She is also on a Salmon kibble. This seems to be working so far. I found a website that tells you the min. & max. amount of zinc to give a dog. It also tells you that plant based diets and diets high in calcium bind Zinc, preventing absorbtion. So food is a trigger. The article below also mentions that zinc combined with a fatty acid supplement is beneficial. ZRD article http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1659+1662&aid=718 Fatty acid article http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2&aid=666

"it's riding better. Thanks!" And no, it's not sexual! Lol!

What a beauty!

Beautiful pup! They find the darndest places to lay don't they?

Lets be honest here and re-read what I posted about an ethical breeder having an interview process that HELPS weed out people who won't properly care for a dog. Will some still get through? Yes, but again, we are not talking perfection here, but prevention. The key thing is prevention! No system is perfect. Just educate yourself to make thebest possible decision. That's all anyone can ask.

Am ethical breeder does not continue to use the breeding pair that produces a pup with a genetic defect, as you put it. Gigi posted in page one that genetic defaults can skip generations. That's why the testing is so important. A puppy mill orBYB will continue to breed the same dogs that produced that pup where an ethical breeder won't. An ethical breeder will take there pups back because there are people out there that will give a dog back if it has a genetic default especially if it's going to cost them money. An ethical breeder does everything in their power to keep their pups out of shelters. Most BYB'S won't take a pup back and so the owners dump them in a shelter or worse. Yes most of us would not give up a dog because of a flaw but the amount of dogs in shelters shows you there are way more people out there that will. An ethical breeder would also have an interview process that will weed out people who won't take proper care of a dog. A ethical breeder will put restrictions on breeding one of their pups if you don't plan on showing that puppy to prevent useless breeding. It's important for people looking into getting a puppy to consider all of this before making a decision. Price has too much value when it shouldn't. A properly bred puppy with all the health testing required for their specific breed costs money not so the breeder can get rich but so their pups are the breed standard and healthy.

I think a lot of people feel that if a dog looks and acts healthy, then they are. That's why it's so important that whatever breed of dog you look into, is tested for the genetic diseases that breed is prone to. Some genetic issues don't show up until many years later. I just took in another husky 6 months ago from a private foster/rescue who rescued her from abusive owners. She was pregnant when she rescued her and she has ZRD. She should never have been bred! She has to take Zinc supplements for the rest of her life and she is only three. Good luck in your search Jennifer! You know that we will look forward to lots of pics!

My first two were from BYB's. I didn't even know what that meant until I joined my first husky forum. So yes, I was very naive. Dakota, my first, was the love of my life and I lost him 4 years sooner than I should have. I too would have said, what's the harm? Hes healthy and has a wonderful temperament! I felt that way until he turned 10 years old and his bad breeding started to come out. He had his first seizure on Jan. 4th, 2011 and his last seizure on Nov 4th 2011 that killed him. In the midst of the seizures i found out he had hip displasia as well and would be in pain for the rest of his days. It killed me to see him suffer. This is just one possibility that you risk when you buy from a BYB and why so many are passionate about it. No one thinks your dog is inferior. They just want to stop the irresponsible breeding so no more dogs suffer. When your dog suffers, so do you.

My Willow tuns 2 today! Man, time flies! Her and Aspen got to enjoy a steak to celebrate.