New pack, hello!

[Guest Hollow]

I've been reading a lot on this forum for the last week or so, since we got our now 9 week old Sibe, and so far found some very useful advice.

He is just learning to behave with our tom cat at the moment. I think it's going to help that Jim (Our Tom cat) is very talkative and loving towards us, unlike some cats who just spend all their time on their own unless being fed etc. it should give Syntax (That's the sibe) the idea that Jim is a pack member, not prey. Also, Jim is a hunter, brings back rabbits and birds etc, so I think they really have much in common. Jim is now starting to lash out less, and Syntax just wants to sniff, nudge and rub with the cat, where as with us, he wants to bite, climb and jump. Although he has now started barking at Jim, he's only just found his voice and is only barking when Jim isn't easy to get to and he wants a sniff, we tell Syntax off for the barking and he stops.

Off-lead training is something that concerns me. I've never had a dog I couldn't off-lead train, I've had labs, german shepherds, collies etc. all of which have a pretty strong "chase gene" and all of which are very intelligent dogs, so I'll be heavily disappointed if Syntax (So far turning out to be the most intelligent of the lot) turns out to be one that must be on a lead. But if that's the case, I shall just have to run with him a lot more often, to make sure he gets his exercise and running quota.

So far he's mastered his name, sit, stay, come here (Although he's trying his luck with this already) and two very important ones, bed and down, not bad for a 9 week old, oh and of course NO! The one thing he isn't grasping just yet is the toilet training, but I'm trying an alternative method of toilet training to other dogs, after reading several things on here about sibes getting the wrong idea with conventional toilet training. So instead, I'm ignoring anything he does in the house and simply cleaning it up, then making a huge fuss of him when he toilets outside instead. We will see how it goes.

I'm not keen on crate training, so I'm going to do everything I can to train him not to need it. I work from home, we have two kids and plenty of family around to "dog-sit", so he shouldn't ever be alone really, with any luck he won't need the crate. He has a bed next to ours, which although he does try to get on our bed now and again, he seems more than happy with and knows where it is and that if we get in to bed, it's time for him to get onto his etc.

After the first few weeks of sibe ownership, and reading through this site, it's becoming very apparent that they are very different to a lot of other dogs out there, but at the same time, with a lot of similar traits. We adore Syntax and are very much looking forward to him growing in to his ears and paws.

We had an interesting episode with the hoover the other day, even after it was turned off, so here's a link to the youtube vid below:

and here's a quick piccy taken about a week ago with my 5 year old:

We are really happy to have him and I must say I'm very thankful we found this forum, in terms of specific breed information, it's been invaluable. As a family, we are Alex (That's me), Rose (The missus), Ellie (16) and Michael (5), with Jim the black Tom cat (He did have a brother called Spock, but he turned up dead a few months back, no idea how, we miss him dearly ) and now Syntax the Husky.

[Tan J P]

a big hello and huge welcome to you all

Syntax is absolutely gorgeous:heartbeat:

you've already had a good look around the site but feel free to post any question/queries

some1 will be around to help:D

can i be the 1st....but probably not the last to say

please please dont allow him off lead,he may well seem to have mastered the art but in 1, 2 or maybe even 10yrs time you may well lose him!

[valkyries]

Hi and welcome he's stunning but please keep the lead on, we all think when their young it's fine and their doing great but it only takes that once then it's to late xxxxxxxxxxxxxx look around see it you have an enclosed area you can take him for off lead runs xxxxx

[Guest Hollow]

Yeah I'm planning on trying some Greyhound style training, not to remove the urge to run, but to introduce the ability to break that urge with a call. It's not guaranteed but does tend to work well. Basically in a safe enclosed area, give him something to chase, then make him break the chase on command, if it works great, if it doesn't I'll be disappointed, but won't love him any less. I've had lots of dogs and trained many that weren't my own, but never a husky, so it will be interesting to see how he reacts to the training. I'm hopeful, but I also tend to find the limits of a dogs training quite quickly, there is some stuff I know he just won't do, for whatever reason, and other things he will do that will be inexplicable. I won't be letting him off the lead randomly in a park that's for sure, lol.

[Andy]

Welcome

You've found the BEST husky forum in the WORLD. !!!

Syntax (great name ) is soooo cute.

Offlead. . . .

You'll get LOTS of replies on this.

Please understand that our comments are not based on

hearsay and old wives tales, they are based on HARD EXPERIENCE.

We also have a White German shepherd (Echo)

we can let her off lead because her recall is excellent. Why?

Because as a breed you can train for recall and they OBEY.

You can train huskies for recall and they . . . .THINK ABOUT IT.

This is THE major difference between Huskies and other dogs that recall well.

and if there is anything even slightly more interesting,

another dog, a cat, a squirrel, a leaf blowing in the wind. . . Your Husky at some point

WILL simply run off to investigate and explore. Once they are OFF then they are very singleminded.

Sniff, chase, investigate. they are not aware of roads, cars, buses, just the need to sniff chase and investigate.

Too many of us then have spent HOURS or even days searching for the missing Husky.

We all train our dogs for recall, however we never trust that training.

Sorry for the rant

Looking forward to watching syntax grow up and be the love and pain in your life.

[Guest Hollow]

I couldn't agree more Andy. The only dog I've met so far that couldn't be recall trained, was a lab/australian collie cross. But he couldn't be re-call trained because he was too dumb, not because he was intelligent and stubborn (As I'm learning Huskies are). To be honest, from what I'm learning about the Husky, I may not get far with the recall training, but I also have to try, if you understand me? Trusting the dog in a situation where he's chasing something, is where the greyhound training comes in. They have the same urge, something moves, the dog is gone. You can try running after a greyhound all you like, you're NOT going to catch them, so it's important to be able to break the instinct, which just as with Huskies is exactly that in Greyhounds, instinct. Like I said, I won't be taking him to some random park and letting him off the lead, and I won't be putting ultimate faith in him to come back until he is at least a few years old, been through the training and proved himself to be capable of ending a chase on command without doubt, if that never happens, he simply won't be let off the lead unless he's enclosed. I am not thinking what's being said is hearsay or old wives tails, simply from my own experience, even dogs people say can't be recall trained, can, it just depends on the dog, the trainer, the training etc. If the training fails, then it fails and he'll be kept on the lead

[Sarah]

Welcome to the pack

He is gorgeous!! and i Love the vid - so funny!!!

[Andy]

You can try running after a greyhound all you like, you're NOT going to catch them,

LMAO ain't that the truth.

When one of ours (usually Darwin) gets off lead / slips out of harness.

(and despite your best efforts it happens, Houdini has NOTHING on these guys)

First thing we do is take the other two home.

Then we get the 'EMERGENCY TIN OF TUNA'

Once we've tracked the missing pooch down, then they love to play "Chase me"

Staying just far enough ahead so you can't get hold of them.

So When they go in someones front garden, open the gate

sit on the floor outside and 'waft' the tin of tuna, Mmmmmmm nom, nom, nom

they soon come over for a feed. Job done.

You're probably still 2-3 miles from home though.

[Emma&Cookie]

Hi and welcome

[mydiamond]

hi and welcome @Hollow !! What a lovely boy you have there (aaww wanna steal him am I allowed? LOL) and what a lovely name! ^0^ that's a unique one

Btw I am very glad to know that you're not going to let Syntax off-lead with the fact that you have always lived with breeds that can be easily recalled, it is such a wonder that you're willing to understand that huskies aren't one of those breeds you have always worked with

Oh and since this is your first husky, feel free to post any question you wanna ask. This forum is active 24/7 with LOTS of husky experts and experienced owners. Whatever question you post, I believe at least one of us will be able to give you answers

[Guest Hollow]

Thanks for the welcomes guys, much appreciated. I should probably explain the name huh?

Both Rose and I are programmers, and more often than not, the reason a piece of code won't compile/run/display, is because of a syntax error. As we work together and from home a lot, we used to have a "thing", where every time we found the error, we shouted "SYNTAX!" It then became a joke, that if we ever got another dog, we should call it Syntax, then whenever we had an error and shouted "SYNTAX!" the dog would come running and make us feel better. We actually had a dog just after the joke happened, but he was a Black Lab who ended up being called Galaxy. When we got the sibe it just seemed to fit him quite well too . Galaxy unfortunately had to be re-homed when we decided to re-emmigrate back home to England from New Zealand, so he now lives on a the beach with a retired English couple in their 50's, goes fishing on the boat and is in general living an awesome life for a dog Here's a YouTube video of us visiting Galaxy one last time at his new home before we came back to England:

That video just had me crying when I watched it again .

@mydiamond, I've dealt with so many different breeds, I understand that each has certain characteristics which are unique to the breed, also different dogs from different backgrounds, upbringings etc have different behavioural issues. I once had a GSD called Jerry Lee, who simply would not leave my side, if I went to the bathroom, he'd sit outside howling until I came out again. If I left the house, he'd destroy it beyond belief. But he was a rescue dog, he'd been left alone in a shed for a week with his mum and sister, with no food or water, amazing they survived to be honest, poor guy couldn't stand to be alone. Eventually he coped better at being left, but still wasn't happy about it. I had to give him up for adoption when my partner and I at the time broke up and neither of us could take him to where we were moving to . He now lives with a couple a few miles from where we live now funnily enough and must be nearly 10 years old, maybe more, I occasionally see him being walked, which is nice .

[mydiamond]

Wow Galaxy is such a handsome boy =) He looks just like my relative's black lab! (LOL all labs look similar??)

I know it must be hard to part with him, but hey you did the right thing anyways ^_^ btw since you mentioned you have dealt with many different breeds, I think you might be one of our experts in the forum!! ^0^

Check on the "training and behavior" section often okay? People out there might need your advice!

[Biggles]

. Could I recommend the walkydog bike attachment when Syntax is older as this gives them the opportunity to have a trot or run. I can only reiterate please don't let him off the lead. Huskies have a genetically inbuilt high prey drive. If they see something they want no calling, whistling etc will get them back. Bo is only a little husky but on the straight has the speed of a greyhound. I know this because he runs with 2 every weekend in an off lead secure dog park and his speed always amazes me. If Syntax was to run off I doubt if you would be able to keep up either with the speed or with the duration of the run, unless of course you are a marathon runner. Running off may not happen in his first, second or third year, but the likelihood of it happening is extremely high and therefore is always a risk. PS Love the name.

[Guest Hollow]

LOL thanks for the compliment, I think only time will tell whether my experience with other breeds has any use with the Husky I've found previously every dog is different, not only by breed but the actual animal themselves. Things that have worked for me with Labs, have not worked for others for example. I had one lab/collie cross who was so obedient and loyal you just wouldn't believe, she'd chase a squirrel or a rabbit in the fields, but she had a 6th sense that made her stop and look around to see where you were, if you were too far away, she'd just come back, no calling required, other labs I've worked with have not been so sensible and other collies, well, I've met a collie that used to go and buy it's owner a pint with it's own special doggy purse in it's mouth and I've met collies that were so disobedient it hurt to watch. I'm looking forward to training Syntax, and I will no doubt have many questions to ask here as he grows up, right now he's laid on top of and underneath (flexible dog) the feet of my computer chair and farting, so I think it might be time for walkies!

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

welcome to the pack - syntax is gorgeous n such an unusal unique name! i love it

with regards to offlead - no it shouldnt be done HOWEVER you should ALWAYS teach a recall incase he was to escape - you can also keep him onlead n let him have the freedom of being offlead by buying a 100ft long lead (ebay just search 100ft dog lead) i have them for mine and they LOVE it best £8 ish ive ever spent!

and crate training - you dont have 2 do that either - ive never had my nearly 3 year old in a crate - i did however have 2 crate my girl once she hit her teenage stage (7 months old) for a few months when we went out ect cuz she started chewing but grew out of it - but had 2 crate her for her own safety as she was chewing electrical wires - but shes not been crated since she grew out of her teenage stage a few months later

heres a vid of skyla my girl on her 100ft lead -->

[Biggles]

welcome to the pack - syntax is gorgeous n such an unusal unique name! i love it

with regards to offlead - no it shouldnt be done HOWEVER you should ALWAYS teach a recall incase he was to escape - you can also keep him onlead n let him have the freedom of being offlead by buying a 100ft long lead (ebay just search 100ft dog lead) i have them for mine and they LOVE it best £8 ish ive ever spent!

and crate training - you dont have 2 do that either - ive never had my nearly 3 year old in a crate - i did however have 2 crate my girl once she hit her teenage stage (7 months old) for a few months when we went out ect cuz she started chewing but grew out of it - but had 2 crate her for her own safety as she was chewing electrical wires - but shes not been crated since she grew out of her teenage stage a few months later

heres a vid of skyla my girl on her 100ft lead -->

Love the vid and great advice

[KIMMY 66]

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

Love the vid and great advice

thanks

[natalie]

enjoy the forum and don't forgot to post lots of photos!

[lurchybold]

Welcome @Hollow, seems to meet like you've got your head screwed on the right way when it comes to understanding the individual dogs needs. That's all it really takes, none are the same be it between breed or within, all have a level of training that they can attain. Best of luck with Syntax he's gorgeous, see you around the forum,

Andy & Bone

[Guest Hollow]

@BingBlaze'n'Skyla - Thanks for that, the 100ft lead was already in my plan and I'd seen a few photos on here, watching the video has just confirmed it, a requirement for sure. I'm actually planning on using the lead in the greyhound training I mentioned. Essentially the dog has something to chase (Dangle thing off back of a bike someone is riding) in a big field, lead is attached but dog doesn't care and chases the "wabbit" and the dog is then trained to break off the pursuit by command, by simply holding the lead at a certain distance, once the command is made, the lead is tightened up a little and the dog gradually starts to get the picture. It's parrot style training that has to be done over and over and over again, but it works with most greyhounds, so I'm hoping it'll have the same affect here, but we'll see. I'm not going to be too upset if it doesn't. Just so everyone knows btw, pretty much any dog that gets in to a chase is going to ignore it's masters calls when young and untrained, some have a stronger urge than others, like Greyhounds, hence the extra training requirement.

Skyla is gorgeous btw, gotta love a white husky

@Biggles - I have no aspirations of keeping up with any dog, let alone a greyhound or a husky when they're in full chase. The long and short of it is, if the greyhound "break training" works, I'll be happy, if not, I'll live.

[BlueWolf]

I love the name Syntax! Will your next dog be called Debug now?

When creating names, I like getting inspiration from unusual places. In the catshelter I work for there is always a need for new names for cats. I've proposed a some geeky ones and a few like Tux and Fedora have already been used now

[Sabien&Abs]

Syntax is gorgeous and what a great name. Enjoy the forum.

[Mazz]

Hey Hollow, to the Pack. Syntax; what a cool name. Sounds like you have more on the ball than many of us when we got our first Husky. Enjoy the forum. Lots of pics would be nice. Looking forward to seeing you on the forum.

[Guest Hollow]

I love the name Syntax! Will your next dog be called Debug now?

When creating names, I like getting inspiration from unusual places. In the catshelter I work for there is always a need for new names for cats. I've proposed a some geeky ones and a few like Tux and Fedora have already been used now

LOL thanks, I'm glad everyone likes the name so much, we wondered if it might be a bit controversial tbh, but so far so good. I'm a cloud engineer these days working mostly with Linux, so Tux, Fedora and Gnu might be on the list yet