First Experiences

[siberian_wolf]

Thought this would be helpful to new owners to read about other owners first experience (i.e. First night home, first walk, first vet visit, etc etc) and how they handled it and what they would recommend to a new owner.

Will list here different first time experiences and you can either copy and paste all the titles and write about them all or choose to do a few.

Choosing your first dog

what happened

what did you do

what would you advise now more experienced

Preparing your home

what happened

what did you do

what would you advise now more experienced

First 24 hours home

what happened

what did you do

what would you advise now more experienced

First visit to the vets

what happened

what did you do

what would you advise now more experienced

First walk

what happened

what did you do

what would you advise now more experienced

First training session

what happened

what did you do

what would you advise now more experienced

First long journey

what happened

what did you do

what would you advise now more experienced

First time having someone visit home

what happened

what did you do

what would you advise now more experienced

First time meeting another dog

what happened

what did you do

what would you advise now more experienced

First holiday

what happened

what did you do

what would you advise now more experienced

More to be added in time. Suggestions welcome just PM me

[siberian_wolf]

an example post (also happened)

Choosing your first dog

what happened - Decided on what sort of dog we wanted (i.e. Size, working/non working, exercise needs, grooming needs, puppy or rescue, etc) and short listed it to 3 different breeds.

Rottweiler - as I had one previously but lost to illness when he was just a puppy still.

Border Collie - Jamie and his parents had previously owned them and liked them as a breed

Siberian Husky - A breed I had wanted since I was a child, loved their looks, their intelligence, wasn't bothered about the amount of exercise and grooming they needed.

what did you do - After doing research into all 3 breeds we decided to go for a siberian husky from puppy and decided to look for breeders and contacted a few different breeders until we found one we were comfortable with. Here we visited the breeders home to meet the breeder and their dogs and puppies. The breeder tested our knowledge on the breed and giving loads of advice based on their own experience owning the breed which they had owned since childhood.

We was going to have a white sibe to start with but when we was allowed to mix with them we decided to go for a 'peanut' coloured boy. We was told that he would become a grey white as he grew. He was only two weeks old.

We named him Gizmo which the breeder was really proud of as, like us, she said their little puppy cries reminded her of Gizmo from the gremlins movie.

what would you advise now more experienced - I would advise a new owner to make sure all house members are happy with the breed you pick and, if applicable, decide on who will do what duty of care before you go and pick out a puppy or rescue and if need be write out a rota. Also source other owner of that breed and trainers to get advice before you choose your new dog.

[AttilaVikingsDemon]

Thought this would be helpful to new owners to read about other owners first experience (i.e. First night home, first walk, first vet visit, etc etc) and how they handled it and what they would recommend to a new owner.

Will list here different first time experiences and you can either copy and paste all the titles and write about them all or choose to do a few.

Choosing your first dog

what happened Decided what breed to get, loved what I saw in the Cattle Dogs, so I got a Red Heeler and they are as smart as a whip and have had them since I was 21 still have one, and now I'm 40. I now(last Jan) picked to have a Siberian Husky as I've had one before when I was younger, but this time around did alot of studying on the breed beforehand.

what did you do We went to a breeder after months of searching, and picked one out and took him home after about 3 hours at the breeders

what would you advise now more experienced I would definately research the breed of any dog you are considering and see if you're up to the challenge-I have a friend who really wants an Irish Wolfhound, and since he has 5 acres, that may be feaseable, however, he isn't home much due to work, so...Also, if I were someone doing this, I would definately ask the breeder TONS of questions about the parents, grandparents, the litter in question, his knowledge about the breed (our breeder thinks that Sibes are closer to the wolf, or have more wolf in them!) So see how much your breeder knows. Doesn't hurt to ask questions, the only thing you'll get are answers after all

Preparing your home

what happened For our Husky we got him loads of toys, bowls, leash, harness, collar

what did you do we brought him home and walked with him through it, showed him around, and his toys, showed him where to potty-took him out every 15 minutes to pee

what would you advise now more experienced I would Definately get a crate!! I'll finnish this later-wife needs on the computer!

First 24 hours home

what happened

what did you do

what would you advise now more experienced

First visit to the vets

what happened

what did you do

what would you advise now more experienced

First walk

what happened

what did you do

what would you advise now more experienced

First training session

what happened

what did you do

what would you advise now more experienced

First long journey

what happened

what did you do

what would you advise now more experienced

First time having someone visit home

what happened

what did you do

what would you advise now more experienced

First time meeting another dog

what happened

what did you do

what would you advise now more experienced

First holiday

what happened

what did you do

what would you advise now more experienced

More to be added in time. Suggestions welcome just PM me

[Elyse]

Awesome idea!

Choosing your first dog

what happened -

I wanted a dog for years; finally I persuaded my Dad to allow me to get one. I researched the Siberian Husky, the German Shepherd, and the Malemute. I was closer to deciding on the GSD, actually, but when I took a trip to the shelter (my parents didn't want me to get a puppy. ) I saw Suka there. He stole my heart away - but I didn't want to adopt him just then. So, I went back home, research the Sibe breed more until I practically memorized everything. Browsed on forums (even this one!) to look up common problems either behavioural or genetic health problems.

what did you do -

I ultimately decided on the Siberian Husky (And I had a specific one in mind. Suka!!) because a) I fell in love with his personallity at the shelter (we did a 'meet and greet') and it surprised me. He was very laid back and quiet. He didn't bark at my Dad. All other dogs ALWAYS barked at my Dad or showed aggression towards him as he was scared of dogs. BUT, Suka didn't bark at my Dad. He didn't really show any interest in anyone, really, besides me. I was doomed then.

what would you advise now more experienced -

If the papers say he has separation anxiety, don't just assume it was a problem with the owners. Your house WILL get damaged, your parents WILL threaten to take him back, and you WILL regret adopting him for that moment. Also, if he does have to be left alone, properly CRATE TRAIN him. Just don't try the crate for a week, then give up because he wasn't taking to it. It can be done - lots of people have done it - it just might be harder to train him because he's older. In addition, don't fuel this separation anxiety behaviour by letting him ride around with you in the car. You'll be trapped in that situation forever, and it becomes a major pain in the ass because someone has to always stay home and watch him. Usually that isn't possible, so you have to pay for a 'dog sitter' to watch him. Which costs and lot.

Preparing your home

what happened -

Buy everything. Bowls, mats, toys. Also buy dog food - get the healthiest (usually the most expensive) brand you can afford. Don't forget to look at the ingredients to make sure it just doesn't pretend it is a good kibble.

what did you do - Make sure your yard is secure. If not fenced in all the way, buy the longest tether...but not long enough that he can't reach the fences (so he doesn't try to jump over; thus hanging himself.)

First 24 hours home

what happened - Picked dog (Suka) up from the shelter. Brought him home. Let dog into the house; but led him around on his leash so he knew it was OUR house and not his.

what did you do - Allowed him to get used to surroundings. Let him know that when you say 'mat', he is to go to the mat and stay there.

what would you advise now more experienced - Set rules and limitations IMMEDIATELY. If you don't want your dog in a certain room, keep the door closed or correct them if they try to go in. If you don't want your dog to beg, keep an eye on your mother to make sure she doesn't feed him people food on a regular basis. He WILL understand the pattern quickly; and he WILL always hang around the kitchen when she is making her husband's lunch. Or when she is making dinner.

First visit to the vets

what did you do - Asked lots of questions. LOTS of questions to make sure this vet knew what she was talking about. Also cried when I had to pay the bill.

First walk

what did you do-

Gave him (Suka) the whole leash. I didn't know how to properly walk him, and as he was still on a normal flat collar, he kept on pulling me this way and that.

What would you advise now more experienced- Research how to properly walk your dog so he doesn't rip your arm off. Also learn how to correct unwanted behaviours (like pulling or chasing after small animals) before he thinks it is okay. Learn how to 'lead the walk' so he doesn't 'lead the walk' and end up being the 'Alpha' over you. The walk is critical for that.

First training session

what happened - Registered the dog (Suka) in for a PetSmart training class. We needed to bond with him, and because we didn't really know how (back then, he still rarely played with toys) we decided the training class was the best thing available.

The first session, the dog (Suka) completely showed off and destroyed the 'competition'. He did everything that was asked of him except for 'lie down'. I later trained him how to do that later. It was a wonderful bonding experience, and it was still worth the money even though Suka didn't learn how to do anything. It was also a learning experience because I learned how to handle him, how to use a firm voice, how to be the 'Alpha' over him (I was a really shy girl back then; having Suka has forced me to be more outgoing and assertive. Made my life better overall.). I learned how to start training him tricks (reward the behaviour/action first, then connect the action with the word.)

what would you advise now more experienced - Make sure to 'test' your dog to make sure he won't destroy the competition and that he doesn't know everything (and then some) that will be taught.

First long journey

This section is N/A for me - my first dog (Suka) was already excellent at car rides. Doesn't complain even when the car ride is over 7 hours long! (with pee breaks, of course.)

First time having someone visit home

N/A for me as well - Suka was already good at greeting strangers. Although the first time he did jump up; make sure to nip that it the butt before it gets worse.

First time meeting another dog

what happened -

While walking dog (Suka), another owner with his doberman came around the corner. Doberman barked and growled. Tried to chase after Suka. Suka dragged me toward the other dog to say 'hello', though he was still being dominant over the doberman. Cocky little sh*t.

what did you do -I tensed. Was scared because I didn't know what to do. Suka picked up on that, and he put himself between me and the now snarling doberman. Now that I think about it, he might have been being posessive of me, but it made me feel safer because Suka was now snarling back at the doberman. The first time I felt/heard/saw him snarl...it was a wake up call and let me know that dogs are DANGEROUS and could easily hurt you.

what would you advise now more experienced - When another dog approaches, don't tense up. Don't be afraid. Be calm, assertive, and read the body language of both dogs to make a quick decision. (Should I continue to walk this way, turn the up-coming corner, stop and turn around, or go on the other side of the street?)

First holiday

what happened -

Relatives and cousins came over for dinner. Suka had a corn-o-copia put on his head. Was hilarious.

what did you do -

Made sure people understood he was allowed NO people food.

what would you advise now more experienced -

Make sure people still don't give him people food, even though you told them a billion times, by sitting the in the seat closest to the dog. Also make sure the dog is in your sights at all times so people don't 'sneak' him food.

[raindog]

Choosing your first dog

We spent almost 2 years reading about the breed (there were only about 5 husky websites worldwide in those days), visiting breeders, visiting Championship Dog Shows, visiting rallies, visiting owners and generally getting ourselves known (the UK husky scene was a very small world in those days). We decided on the bloodlines we wanted for our first husky and started looking for a breeder. Eventually we found one who had a litter and managed to convince them that they should let us have one of their pups.

I still think that this was a brilliant apprenticeship. By the time we got our pup, we were totally committed to the breed.

Preparing your home

As we already had a dog, we didn't have to do a great deal apart from increase the height of our fences and install baby gates on all the areas we didn't want the pup to get into.

First 24 hours home

Don't remember that much about it as it was nearly 18 years ago. I remember that Merlin slept in our bedroom and seemed to be able to know exactly where our feet would land when we got out of bed so that we were assured of puppy pooh squished between our toes.

First visit to the vets

This was for Merlin's second vaccination - he was very well behaved and was treated like a superstar - he was the first husky the vet had ever treated!

First walk

I don't know if it was his first walk, but it was an early one - he tried to kill our neighbour's cat! He liked our cat, so we assumed he would like all cats - BIG MISTAKE!!!

First training session

I remember taking him to puppy training classes, and him winning Best Baby Puppy at the match night

First long journey

This was the journey from the breeder to our home. The breeder was in Cambridgeshire so it was a lengthy journey for a baby pup. We didn't want to stop to walk him as he had only had one vaccination. He held out until we got off the motorway and then poohed in the crate. It was a very smelly journey as the breeder had given us some of the "food" he was on to bring home. It was cooked sheeps' brains and stank to high heaven. When we cleaned up the puppy pooh, we jettisoned the brains along with the pooh!

First time having someone visit home

I don't remember anything specific - Merlin always loved everyone and always got a huge fuss made of him.

First time meeting another dog

We had an old Labrador called Biscuit at the time, so he would have been Merlin's first encounter with other dogs. They got on very well, although Merlin ran poor Biscuit ragged and taught him lots of naughty tricks like opening doors and cupboards.

First holiday

Still waiting for it!

In 20 years we have managed two long weekends away (without the dogs) - another one coming up in January - whooopee!!

[Candace]

Choosing your first dog

what happened - My boyfriend and I had always wanted a Sibe and we had just moved in to our house. Just as we decided we wanted a dog, my Sister's Huskies had puppies.

what did you do - We spent weeks researching the breed and picked Odin at first sight. We bought everything we needed weeks before we could bring him home.

what would you advise now more experienced - take house training seriously. If we were more consistent we could've cut our house training time in half. I also would say take the proper steps to avoid separation anxiety

Preparing your home

what happened - Odin was our first puppy that we raised on our own and we thought the house was puppy proof... we thought wrong. He ate plants, panties, and library books.

what did you do - hung more plants, did more laundry and bashfully returned the destroyed copy of "Getting to know your puppy" to the library.

what would you advise now more experienced - puppy proof your house and when you think your done.. puppy proof some more!

First 24 hours home

what happened - On the ride home he slept across my boyfriends shoulders. He learned sit within the first 10 mins of him being home.

what did you do - I slept with him for the first night, then he was crate trained after that.. It would be the last full night of sleep I would be getting for a while...

what would you advise now more experienced - Dont just throw your puppy in the crate and not expect it to scream for hours on end. They need to be weaned into it. There's plenty of crate training aids, use them all if you have to.

First visit to the vets

what happened - Odin got de-wormed and had all his shots, I'm sure this wasnt very fun for him..

what did you do - Cringed while the vet put the thermometer... places:whistling:

what would you advise now more experienced - Shots and Vet visits are very important in their first year

First walk

what happened - I don't remember our exact first walk, I'm sure he pulled and wanted to run everywhere he went.

what did you do - Tried every walking trick in the book, it took me years but Odin finally walks nice

what would you advise now more experienced - If used properly, prong collars can be really effective, just make sure they don't get collar-wise

First training session

what happened - A friend of mine had his sister, so I tried training them together, which was a foolish idea. They just got pack mentality and didn't listen to anything.

what did you do - Eventually I tried splitting them up so I can get their attention. It seemed to work better that way

what would you advise now more experienced - Keep your training sessions short & sweet. Take them somewhere where there's little distractions at first and work your way up to busier environments.

First time having someone visit home

what happened - We were waiting for Odin to stop crying so we could let him out of the crate. Some friends stopped by and were gushing over him, which was only making him cry more

what did you do - I told them to leave him alone for a bit and put a blanket over his crate. Eventually he stopped crying and we calmly let him out. The crate training went a lot smoother after a while of doing this.

what would you advise now more experienced - Visitors need to know the rules and guidelines for your puppy. Some people come in and say "its ok I dont mind if they jump" But the 80 year old woman that he jumps on next surely will.

First time meeting another dog

what happened - We were watching a family members dog at the time, a big Newfoundlander mix. I left the room for one second and she nipped at Odin's ear. Odin screamed and there was blood on the table legs.

what did you do - I called the vet in tears and hysterics but by the time I got him on the phone, the bleeding had stopped. We brought the dog to another persons house.

what would you advise now more experienced - Don't leave them along with other dogs, I'm sure a lot of people are thinking "well, Obviously" But it only takes a second for something bad to happen

[sarahp87]

Choosing your first dog

what happened - we had moved into a suitable house with a lot of land, and i mentioned to a colleague we were thinking of a husky, a friend of his happened to be a breeder and within an hour the puppies came to visit me at work!

what did you do - there were only 3 pups left as one had died after being stung by a wasp. we knew we wanted a dog and Keiko was the only dog left in the litter.

what would you advise now more experienced - well we've recently just got our 2nd husky, Breeze, and it was nice not having to ask loads of questions, we felt prepared and it was suddenly easier to bring a puppy home having already been through it a year before.

First visit to the vets

what happened - well our vets host what they call "puppy parties" so our first visit was to one of those. you basically let all the puppies play together, have a few drinks and chat to the nurses about any concerns you have. its a really good way of getting them used to the vets surgery without all the stress of the injections etc, so they associate the location with fun! its worked for our 2 and i really recommend it to people. the best part is my vets offer it for free!

First walk

what happened - lots of sniffing and tangling up in the lead lol! and plenty of people stopping to ooooo and awwwww over the pups!

what did you do - well Breeze has his first walk last week, we took Keiko on his normal extendable lead, and breeze went on his short leather one just to get him used to the walk before putting him on one where he can run after Keiko. Im actually going to buy a second extentable lead today, so they'll both be out causing havoc lol

will write more later - getting a bit busy at work now so best stop typing lol!

xx

[Mike Mekhdjian]

the biggest question to ask yourself for first dog wanters or owners is:

DO YOU HAVE THE SAME ENERGY LEVEL AS THE DOG YOU BUYING?

I have a pure bred husky which I walk twice a day 1.5 hrs each session.

the first thing to do is scout for dogs, see their behavior, do not choose a dog for cuteness or colors, let the dog come to you.. that will be best way.

plus introducing to new home is hard, always walk the dog for 1-2 hrs before you let them in the new home... it will be easier to train them after they lose all the excessive energy.

[JohnT]

This is my first Husky and although I am an experienced dog owner, I had limited knowledge of the breed at the time we got him. A friend of my daughters have a wonderful husky female who recently had a litter of pups. We brought "Blitz" home just about 3 weeks ago.

Our experience has been very positive. He whined a bit for the first couple of nights but that's all. He quickly learned to ring the "tinkle bell" on a string from the door knob to tell us he needs to go potty and after 4 days or so was housebroken with only an occasional accident since. He is just 12 weeks old and still gets me up once at night to go potty (it has been getting later each time).

We put plenty of chew toys around and monitored him closely to correct him if he chewed on anything else and directed him to his toys. So far he has only chewed up some paper napkins and a cardboard box.

Our walks have been pretty good with one exception where he was scared by a rotweiller (fenced). We made a U turn and called it a day. We aren't there yet with loose leash walking but making progress. For training I use a clicker along with 90% positive reinforcement and 10% negative. Car rides have not been a problem and when I come back to the car from the store he has been calmly waiting for me.

He uses his crate but isn't used to staying in it for long - we have left him alone in the house several times now for 2 to 3 hours (not in his crate) and it has not been a problem.

Frankly I am amazed it has gone so smoothly... I think it has helped tremendously that I work from my home office 95% of the time and have the time, patience, and motivation to train him properly but perhaps I just got lucky...

So far so good!

John

[mydiamond]

Choosing your first dog

what happened A friend gave me a call, telling me that there are two husky boys--both teenagers--needing a home. After a week of struggling for permission, my parents finally allow me to bring home the dogs I am originally preparing for two boys, but Diamond's brother has severe health issues and his prev owner decided that an inexperienced teen like me won't be the right owner for him. He went to a dog groomer who owns a pet store and obviously knows lots about various dog breeds unfortunately he passed away not so long after it's just too late. The treatments--no matter how well--is just too late to save him. So yea since this is the case I didn't make any choice... There's only one dog, and he's the best

what did you do Diamond's arrival is pretty much a surprise. My parents just act as if I'm about to bring home a grizzly bear the week before so no preparations was made. I thought he would never come home.... But he did! So.. What did I do? I woke up every 1.5 hour to make sure he's fine--because prev owner told me he has digestive problems. I can't stand the image of him sleeping in a hard cold floor so I provided a few newspapers for him to lay on. Guess what happened -.- I woke up to a pile of shredded paper and gotta clean that up before school the next day my family remodeled our house in order to welcome him x) All the plants and lovely carpets were rehomed straight away, front porch was turned into a cage-less dog house, meds and vitamins were bought, research was done (DO NOT do as I did. Researches should be done before welcoming the dog. Lots of people--including me--do it the other way round, and not everyone is as lucky as I am. Most dogs just came to the wrong person and ended up dumped in shelters)

what would you advise now more experienced please don't bring home any kind of dog--especially rescues--without too much thought beforehand Diamond is both my first dog and my first husky... And I am a fool for doing a research after he came x_x first months were hellish, honestly I'm still surprised I managed pull through =\

Preparing your home

what happened Diamond has digestive issues.. He threw up couple of times and had diarrhea everywhere :eek: he also showed us how much he loves gardening by his 3rd night at home : so yeah first days is pretty chaotic x_x

what did you do I do my research and learn as much as I can about huskies while my parents keep rehoming stuffs our lovely red carpet was rehomed on Diamond's second day at home. Then our lovely exotic plants got the "free to good home" tag the very next day I raid local pet stores, kidnap the poor shop assistant and interrogate them with questions which they could not answer (rescue dogs are exceptional, and only a handful of people own a rescue in my country) next up, I joined a lovely site that rescued those shop assistants from my never-ending questions

what would you advise now more experienced you don't want those plastic vases in your home anymore. Puppy or no puppy, that dog would tear them to pieces =\ oh and no matter how much gravels would make your yard look elegant, please keep in mind that your dogs don't know the difference between your colorful gravels and his colorful treats. I actually gave Dime a specific training to make him stay away from gravels I always got a heart attack when I saw him putting those gravels into his mouth :eek:

First 24 hours home

what happened I got Dime at night-time.. Probably 8 pm on Friday. So the title needs to be changed to first 4 hours at home x) how was he? He's an angel, obviously. All dogs in their first day are like that they do need quite some time to grow their devil horns don't they LOL anyways, he's very calm and sweet I remember he slowly sniffed everything I showed him when I took him on a tour around the house.. And how he politely greet my family members with a bright smile and puppy eyes even if I woke up every 1.5 hours to check on him, I found my efforts are pretty much useless since he slept like a baby all night long. No whining, no crying, not even slightest hesitation. It's as if he already knew this is his forever home and there is nothing to fear

what did you do I put him on a short leash while taking him on a tour around the house. I showed him where he can sleep, where he can chill out, where he can go potty... And any other areas where he would be allowed to enter. Soon I found out that this is the appropriate way to introduce a new environment to a dog my only mistake is I don't take him on a walk before I bring him home. Accidents in the morning? My fault.

what would you advise now more experienced don't take your dog to areas where he won't be allowed to enter in the future. For example if you don't like the idea of sharing your bed with him don't show him your bedroom. Show him the family room instead--where he'd be allowed to chill out and relax. And it is very important to take your new dog for a walk before you bring him in. You need to tire him out to decrease the chances of whining at night.. And you also need to let him relieve himself. We don't want accidents, do we?

First visit to the vets

what happened Diamond gave the poor vet a death stare too bad, death stares won't cure his digestive issues. The vet carried on, and Diamond cried when the vet tried to check on his ears x) I also remember when he got his yearly jabs... He literally run riot around the house (vet came to my house that time) and the vet, me and my mom has to chase him down, hold on to him and keep him steady while the vet did his job it takes three people to keep him in one place

what did you do Diamond looooves neck rubs. I just keep my arms around his chest to keep him in one place while rubbing his neck and scratching his head.. Trying to calm him down. Did it work? Well...... A little x_x

what would you advise now more experienced what did your husky like best? Prepare it for his first vet visit. It can be toys, treats or simply someone he adores. Make sure your vet is the most gentle person on Earth, and then cross your fingers x)

First walk

what happened nothing but havoc x_x

what did you do I took him out for a potty walk on 12 pm, without shoes. Didn't know yet how to handle his leash properly and just hold on to the far end letting him pull me along Diamond dashed on full-speed once he sees he's out of the house, and I am dragged behind him--not knowing how to stop such a strong dog. I don't want to hurt his neck by pulling, but I also don't want to let go of my grip so--5-10 minutes after he started dragging me--I sat down, putting Dime's run into a halt. He obediently came back to me with pair of eyes asking why do I stop the walk (he needs to ask?!) and then somehow he heeled perfectly when I walk back home--limping =\ My left foot's skin bled and peeled-off in some areas and my right foot's toes got cuts here and there can't walk for three days straight--all because of a hellish mid-day first walk x_x guess I learned my lesson the hard way x)

what would you advise now more experienced don't hesitate to give your puppy a short, sharp correction tug to stop him from pulling. Your husky is not a greyhound, his neck won't break by a short tug only. By hesitating to correct your dog, you are hurting yourself even more x_x don't let my hellish first walk happen to you

First training session

what happened I always adore husky's intelligence. Unlike other people who fall for them for their looks, I am truly amazed by how smart they are here in Indo, it is believed that tricks training are only necessary for show dogs. I used to believe in it, but I don't care. I know huskies are smart! I've to let them use their genius mind! So I trained Dime how to sit. At first I wanna teach him how to stand up (on four feet--from a laying down position) and lie down but guess it's a bit too hard for a starter trick so I moved to "sit". Diamond has never learned any kind of tricks in his life therefore, this training session is something new to him. He was really excited, and once he mastered the trick "sit" he began to love training sessions. He is always eager to learn, and it is more of a challenge to find new tricks to teach than teaching the trick itself! Diamond is probably the smartest, most obedient dog in the whole neighborhood no other dog heeled perfectly like him, and no other dog would do fancy tricks such as "crawl" and "circle" like him!

what did you do treats, and some TV-watching. I only know that dogs love treats, and treats are the most effective reward for them. With a little push to his back, Diamond sat down and that's when I say "sit" and praise him. 3 days later, he would sit before needing to be pushed on the back. 4 days later, he would sit before needing to be asked!

what would you advise now more experienced training is important, and there is no such thing as "tricks are only good for show dogs". They all need mental exercise, and tricks training is one of the best way to tire their mind out. After all, who doesn't want a well-behaved baby?

First time having someone visit home

what happened diamond was scared to death.. He'd run away and hide from the guest--that came JUST to see him fortunately the guests are experienced with dogs and soon he let them touch him

what did you do I reminded the guest that any dog may bite if they're cornered in fear, so I asked them to give him some space. I always keep an eye on Diamond's body language so that I know how is he feeling. Once he doesn't seem comfortable I told the guest it is time to leave him alone. But being such an attention seeker Diamond rarely seem uncomfortable with guests x) he used to show fear, but then when the guests say "aww he's shy how cute" he would let anyone come and pet him LOL

what would you advise now more experienced just keep in mind that any dog can bite. Yes, that's including your little furry angel. Keep your guest's safety by asking him/her to give your dog some space. Never corner a dog, especially the one that is in fear. If you know your dog won't tolerate some overly-loving guests, keep him away while guests are visiting. Maybe put him in his crate? Or if you don't have a crate you can put him in a lead and tell the guests that he's not okay with strangers.

First time meeting another dog

what happened we (me and my dad) were out for a walk when one of my neighbors jumped out of his house and stopped us. He told us how beautiful Diamond is, and when he realized he has behavioral issues he offered to help us by giving advice he taught me everything about dog care--including how to care for his ear canal infection--and introduced Dime to his very first four-legged best friend. Thanks to Troy the Rottweiler, Diamond soon got rid of his fear of other dogs and--few months after that--would do anything to greet a dog he met on his walk!!

what did you do I am honestly a bit intimidated by Troy's breed, and therefore kept Dime a tad far from him in case anything bad happened. Well I was proven 100% wrong. Rotties are the nicest breed ever, and Diamond cried like a baby if I kept him away from Troy. Soon the two boys loved each other just like brothers, and us owners were always dragged in full speed when those two met! LOL how I love puppy spirit! Now Diamond is almost three, and Troy is almost four. But they are still puppies at heart and would wrestle like crazy every time they met x)

what would you advise now more experienced while it is wise to keep an eye on larger breeds that may accidentally injure your puppy, it is not necessary to keep your puppy away from the crowd all the time. As long as the dog is proven friendly, and the owner is there to supervise, let your dog meet his new four-legged friend

[Robinhuskylover2231]

Choosing your first dog

what happened

My boyfriends brother had to put down his 1 1/2 year old Siberian husky whom we all loved. My boyfriend and I started looking into getting another dog, we said absolutely no huskies and looked into other breeds. In the end though, my love of huskies brought us back to getting Cally

what did you do

We emailed back and forth with the breeder before the litter was even born asking all sorts of questions about the health of the previous litters, parents, grandparents etc. We didn't want to have to go through the same experience again

what would you advise now more experienced

We picked out Cally when she was only a week old, so her eyes weren't even open yet... although this worked out perfectly for us and we did it so that we wouldn't have troubles picking one because "their all just too cute", I would suggest getting your puppy when you can see their personality a little more, especially for an inexperienced husky owner or first time husky owner

Preparing your home

what happened

We went out and bought a crate, a leash, a collar, bowls, treats, toys, food (we knew what she was eating at the breeders). Everyone was super excited to get her home and I visited her every single week until 6 1/2 weeks when we got her. (Even though the drive was 1 1/2 hours.

what did you do

We made sure that everything was set out and ready for when she arrived home. We also made sure that we had arranged everything downstairs so that my boyfriend could keep an eye on her the first night, though we ended up taking her to my house and staying together with her the first night!

what would you advise now more experienced

I would say most definitely if you plan on crate training your puppy, no matter how cute, crate the very first night! So much easier!

First 24 hours home

what happened

The first 24 hours home were a little hectic as my boyfriends parents were getting ready to leave for a trip and so we ended up keeping her the night at my house instead.

what did you do

We played with her, got her to eat a little bit... mostly she wanted to sleep

what would you advise now more experienced

I would just say remember that they are still a puppy and have just been taken away from their parents/siblings. Be understanding with the whining and crying, they aren't going to be perfect right away. Cally wasn't bad since I saw her once a week until the date we took her but for people who haven't met their pup prior to purchase, be understanding

First visit to the vets

what happened

Cally was good and had her second shots

what did you do

Give lots of praise, you don't want the vet to be something "scary"

First walk

what happened

It was the night we got her home, at 6 1/2 weeks old. She went outside to pee and she was jumping and hopping and pulling back (wanted nothing to do with it)

what did you do

I just let her jump and hop around and do her own thing and then picked her up and brought her in (after her business)

what would you advise now more experienced

Honestly, that seemed to work because the next morning she walked outside like she had been doing it her whole life.

First training session

what happened

Cally shocked us all and learned extremely fast... at 7 weeks old she was sitting, giving paw, other paw, lay down, roll over...

what did you do

Gave lots of praise and lots and lots of treats!

what would you advise now more experience

Just make sure that you are consistent in your training and if you are getting frustrated, Stop, and come back later. Your puppy isn't going to learn anything while getting bad vibes from you. Also lots and lots of treats!!

First long journey

what happened

Her first long journey would have been the hour and a half drive from the breeders to our home. She whined for about 15 minutes when we left and then fell asleep. She's been good in the car always.

what did you do

I let her whine and cuddled with her and comforted her and she eventually stopped

First time having someone visit home

Cally was good with people right from the start

First time meeting another dog

what happened

I brought her to my house and she met my pug Chewy. She immediately loved him and started playing with him

what would you advise now more experienced

Make sure you introduce them slowly, just in case the other dog doesn't like the new puppy. Hold the puppy for the other dog to sniff and reassure both dogs

First holiday

what happened

We haven't really had a first big holiday yet! The next one will be thanksgiving and we will see how that goes! I'm really looking forward to X-mas though as that's Callys birthday!!

[MollynDiesel]

Choosing your first dog

what happened- i had depression, and wanted a dog that i could be responsible for. I've loved huskies all my life and thought a husky would mean i had to talk to people and would build my confidence.

what did you do- Researched for months, looked for breeders with waiting lists but in the end found a notice on the pets at home notice board from a breeder that had husky pups. Went to look the next day and the day after and it was a choice between D and a pup that kept coming to me for cuddles. I chose D because i was always told to get the more adventurous pup

what would you advise now more experienced- Probably dont pamper the pup too much because they will rely on you too much and will be difficult when SA happens...

Preparing your home

what happened- Found out from here what other people did and what they brought etc

what did you do- dug the crate out from the shed but since we already had 2 dogs we had alot of stuff already

what would you advise now more experienced- Crate train from the start! Its so much easier

First 24 hours home

what happened- Diesel was sick the first night probably due to his jabs. Explored the garden, said hello to my other dogs then slept

what did you do- Slept downstairs with him for the first night and took him out everytime he needed to go

what would you advise now more experienced- dont get stressed, they are new to it all and nervous

First visit to the vets

what happened- D went in in my arms, put him on the table, had him weighed, jabbed, sorted

what did you do- Just carried him, he was fine

First walk

what happened- He'd already been out before he had his last jab around my road so i just walked him and praised him everytime he wasnt phased by a bus or lorry

what did you do- Let him explore and didn't push him

First training session

what happened- Went in really scared, D barked a bit but didn't bother with the other dogs

what did you do- Didnt let myself get too nervous otherwise D would be nervous. Was just optimistic

what would you advise now more experienced- Get training sessions asap!

First long journey

what happened- D whined alot in the car because he was in his crate and wasnt with us

what did you do- Ignored him, otherwise he'd learn he can get what he wants

First time having someone visit home

what happened- D was a bit nervous but was fine once he got to know them

what did you do- Told the person to be calm, not too excited and sit on the floor to wait for D to come to them

First time meeting another dog

what happened - It was at Diesels first meet and he just told EVERY dog off lol

what did you do- Told him off if he got too full of himself but let him say hello or hide if he wanted to

First holiday

what happened- Took D camping in Norfolk before October camp and he loved it

what did you do- Took him to the beach, took him to town to meet people, didn't fuss too much in the tent so he didn't panic but let him sleep with me

[Tilly]

Our first husky, A female 12week old called Beau.

Choosing- I have always liked the look of sibs, they r stunning looking dogs. Unfortunately I had a miscarriage, which left me distort and lifeless. I distracted my self with house work and tryed to persuade hubby to consider another baby.we already have two children and never wanted anymore. One Sunday in October we dropped the kids at their nana's and we drove to Boston, 3 1/2 hrs away. When we got there my hubby said we have come to look at my Xmas pressy. As u can imagine it was love at first sight. We came home with beau that night.

Advice to people that r considering a sib. They r not to be taken on lightly. I don't regret getting her but I wish I had done my research first.

preparing the home- as getting beau on a wim, we had nothing other than a blanket. She came with some food, a bowl and lead. Petsmart made a fortune out of me the next day.

advice- have everything ready before getting the dog, including the right food.

first 24hrs- sibs howl.lol was not expecting that.

Putting her in a cage over night came down in the am too a pup covered in poop. First bath was interesting.

advice- read up on sibs.

visit to vets- she loved them as they gave her treats. Which gave her the trots. Other than that she was fafab advice- take sibs own food as treat.

first walk- she was a little nerrvous but now she is fine.

advice- they pull hard!!

beau was friendly to everyone. It helps that I gave them some of her food to give her.

warry of dogs first few times now she love them.

over all do your home work! I didn't and I have paid the price. Well my house has.

she has only been here 2weeks.

im yet to experience blowing.

I would not change my decision now , she is part of the family

[lee0113]

Choosing your first dog

what happened-

we told ourselves we wouldn't pick the first one went to see but it didn't end that way and glad we chose Luna as she is amazing

what did you do-

only went to one breeder but we had researched since march and got her end of August

what would you advise now more experienced-

research a lot and when you think your ready research some more don't rush it as these are very headstrong stubborn dogs and as it says everywhere if your a person who doesn't get out much don't get a husky as they love to be out

Preparing your home

what happened-

Luckily we prepared for nearly 6 months as they do need quite a bit we also decided on were in the house she could go

what did you do

Wrote a big list and went from there we also used our old stair gates to stop her going we're we didn't want her to

what would you advise now more experienced

I'd say don't use puppy pads we did for a week and I think she see it as I can go pee anywhere I want luckily we stopped that and now she shows us she needs to go out

First 24 hours home

what happened-

She was really confused I think she wouldn't come near us for the first hour or so then she slept a lot and also went potty all over the house

what did you do-

We waited for her to come to us we didn't want to overwhelm her which was hard when you have a new cuddly puppy in the house and every time she went potty on the carpet we put her outside we didn't shout or tell her off just said no and put her outside

what would you advise now more experienced

Be strict with rules that you decide on from the first day and always be calm if they do anything wrong

First walk

what happened

She loved every minute of it it was raining and very muddy she got very dirty but loved it

what did you do

Took her down a lane near our house for 20 minutes

First time having someone visit home

what happened

She loves everybody so she went ballistic running round like a maniac

what did you do

We told the people coming to greet us first and wait until he was calm

what would you advise now more experienced

I'd do the same again but maybe focus on her jumping up on people as its something I didn't think of and now it's hard to get her out of it it's getting better slowly

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[PoBD]

Choosing your first dog

what happened-

We went to a huge market, this very crazy is always there selling dogs. Lo and behold, the cutest little female husky with a purple bow...I told my husband, if they have a boy I want him, he said ok thinking they didn't! Then I hear a lady in the crowd "put that puppy back we have to leave!" here comes a boy running through everyone, his mom telling him to hurry, he gets to me and says "put him back for me?" and drops Moro in my arms....he looked up at me like "thank you! a sane person!" and fell right alseep, I didn't put him down until we got home <3

Preparing your home

what happened-

We left the market immediately with Moro and headed to the Pet store, he pooped on my hoodie in my truck!

what did you do

bought everything we thought we needed for him, collar, leash, toy or two (stowed the hoodie in the tool box of the truck)

what would you advise now more experienced

Make sure you are getting a healthy puppy!!!!!!!! Moro was very sick when we got him (we did not know).

First 24 hours home

what happened-

he met the boxer & beagle for the first time, he tried to bite the beagles nose lol.

what did you do-

we let them play after a calm intro, took him to the potty spot, went back in, let him sleep.

what would you advise now more experienced

Be strict with rules that you decide on from the first day and always be calm if they do anything wrong (great enough answer I don't have anything different to say).

First walk

what happened

he nearly pulled my arms off.

what did you do

called on our friend Brian (the dog trainer) to help me. I didn't know how to begin to teach heel.

First time having someone visit home

what happened

he wanted to lick them to death!

what did you do

made him sit & wait.

what would you advise now more experienced

make sure he is more calm before meeting someone new, so he doesn't get too excited and jump.

[LittleLuka]

Choosing your first dog

what happened

I've had family dogs my whole life and after living by myself for about a year I decided I was ready for my own. My boyfriend and I were planning on moving in together in the summer so we discussed what breed we were interested in. I wanted a German Shepard as they've always been my favorite and I've never been able to have one. Josh wanted a Weimaraner. We both disagreed on each others choice. My second choice was a husky. He surprisingly agreed. We then decided to research the breed and breeders. It was finally set that we would get a husky.

what did you do

We contacted a local breeder who told us they were having their last litter for the year (they only had two for two years, talk about timing) she mentioned that we could come over, meet their dogs, and what not. We met her and her beautiful huskies and she gave us more information about the breed. We discussed the importance of having a fenced in backyard, shedding, picky eaters, etc. I was in love with Luka's mom and it was set. We signed up to the waiting list.

We came back after the litter was born to pick up our puppy. I knew I wanted a boy and I just melted over Luka. We then got him at 7 1/2 weeks. (Slightly early I know but I didn't know then what I know now.)

what would you advise now more experienced

Look into rescue first. There are so many without homes and even if you're dead set on a puppy you can find puppies in rescues as well. I probably will never purchase another dog.

Preparing your home

what happened

I bought a large crate and sectioned it off along with a quality food (taste of the wild), chew toys, stain remover lol, bowls, collar, leash, and set up a vet appointment for a checkup since Luka already had his first set of shots.

what would you advise now more experienced

I would have been more consistent with potty training as it took Luka forever. Whether that was me living in an apartment the first 5 months I don't know. It was hard.

First 24 hours home

what happened

He was very nervous at first as he wasn't used to his new home. He slept with me and peed on the bed haha. The next day he was so playful!

what did you do

Was completely obsessed with him.. Lol played cuddled

what would you advise now more experienced

I didn't really have a bad experience with bringing him home as I was already a member here and had gotten loads of advice.

First visit to the vets

what happened

My vet looked him over told me he was healthy and we discussed his future visits.

what did you do

Made his next appointment!

what would you advise now more experienced

I lucked out with me vet, he owns a husky mix, is familiar with the breed, and many friends recommended him.

I would def suggest researching multiple vets to find the best one for your husky as many don't know about the breed.

First walk

what happened

My parents lab pulled very bad so it wasn't anything I wasn't used to.

what did you do

Remained consistent, worked with a trainer.

what would you advise now more experienced

Use a trainer!!

First training session

what happened

Luka howled and talked the whole session and disrupted the class.

what did you do

Was embarrassed but he learned so much so it was worth it haha

what would you advise now more experienced

Def go to a trainer that has experience with the breed. Ours was, but I didn't even check before so it was a lucky chance.

First long journey

what happened

We took Luka to Josh's moms house this Christmas.

what did you do

Had to deal with hair allllllllll over my car.

what would you advise now more experienced

Have a big vehicle able to hold a crate haha

First time having someone visit home

what happened

He jumped all over them.

what did you do

Told him down. Which he promptly ignored.

what would you advise now more experienced

Don't let them get away with behavior you don't want. Luka still acts insane when people come over and it's hard to fix later on.

First time meeting another dog

what happened

He went crazy playing with a fellow friends beagle. He ha a blast.

what did you do

Watched him carefully.

what would you advise now more experienced

Socialize your dog early, I did and its paid off. Luka gets along with everyone.

First holiday

what happened

We had our first Christmas together last year! Can't wait for his birthday!

what did you do

Spoiled him rotten duh

what would you advise now more experienced

Buy lots and lots of gifts because its so fun!!

[zannabianca]

Choosing your first dog

what happened   

Me and my girlfriend we decided to take a dog together, but we had different ideas regarding the race and the age of the dog.

At the beginning, we were thinking about a 6-months old dog from a shelter, but after a while we agree that it will be for the second dog, because for the first we wanted to feel the puppy-experience in the whole meanings. 

what did you do

We checked many web pages, we read many forums, and talk with several breeders. But, regardless of our attentions we committed several novice mistakes, such as picking him up from a not good breeder. Nonetheless, it was love at the first sight. We just see him and we knew he was the puppy we wanted. 

First, he was the only one of the puppy group to don't cry, he was watching us and when I took him in my arms I was almost crying for the happiness and he just started to lick me and he never asked to go down.

When we put him on the ground, he never tried to go back to the mother, rather he was calm and assertive. Then, he started to sniff around. During the travel back home he did not cry, but just sleep calmly. 

what would you advise now more experienced

Follow your heart, but be more careful than us. Check vaccinations, de-worming, fleas, and be sure that they don't cheat you on the real age of the puppy. 

Preparing your home

what happened

 

We took some dog food arrange a comfy spot for him. We didn't really know what to expect. 

what did you do

what would you advise now more experienced

For a puppy in a flat? A lot of toilet paper and make a nice spot for him, but don't give him possibility to go around or he will poo and pee almost everywhere. 

First, some toys he can bite, otherwise he will bite your finger.Second, prepare yourself to don't sleep well at least a week. Third, check your local vet address. 

First 24 hours home

what happened

 

We were tired, he was as well. He just pooped and peed all around the flat .

Second day, he didn't want to eat or drink so we bring him to the vet. 

 

what would you advise now more experienced

Go to vet !  



First visit to the vets

what happened

He was calm and nice all the time  

[Zanki]

Choosing your first dog

what happened?

I went to the local dog shelter to look at the dogs. I wasn't sure if we were going to get one because my boyfriend wasn't sure about it. I wasn't going to pressure him into it, but if we felt it was right we would say yes. We looked around and spotted a few dogs we wanted to see/know more about. We didn't want a husky though, I knew how hard they are to handle, they prey drive put us off and the fact that we can't let them off the lead anywhere. Age didn't matter to us, but we wanted an older dog.

what did you do?

We chose to meet Shadow. She came up to the glass when she saw us and tried to lick us through it. When she couldn't get to us she just sat against the glass to try and be close to us. Out of the dogs we picked out, she was the only one to have only shown aggression at the vets. We weren't worried about this, my boyfriend didn't want a dog that had shown aggression to anyone, but the vet thing didn't bother him as all dogs act up there. So we went to meet the dog. First thing she did when she met us was put her ears back and lick us to near death. She was so damn friendly. It was instant, we knew she was our dog.

what would you advise now more experienced?
Nothing actually, just if you have problem with pulling and walking, get a Halit head harness. I knew everything I needed really. I have never been around dogs much, but I had experience with large dominant dogs because my uncle had one I was kind of scared of as a kid, but as I grew up I got used to him and he was a pushover in the end.


Preparing your home

what happened?

I had a ton of crap downstairs, I got rid of as much as possible and moved my rats upstairs to my bedroom so they would be out of the way. We have actually had no problems with our dog and stuff. Shadow for some reason respects us enough not to steal and ruin any of our stuff, well apart from any food left in her reach.



First 24 hours home

what happened?

She ran around the house getting into everything. She had to pee a thousand times, ended up getting overexcited when I went to feed her and peed on the carpet, even though she had been out to pee ten minutes before.

what did you do?

Left her to her own devices pretty much. I took her out back every half hour to pee because she was that excited that she couldn't hold herself. She also ran around like an idiot with her toys.

what would you advise now more experienced?

Do not let your boyfriend leave you alone for an entire first day with a strange new animal alone. It's stressful as hell with them free ranging around the house and not knowing them.



First walk

what happened?

She took me for a walk. It was so bad I had to give her to my boyfriend because I ended up with no skin on my fingers from the lead once we were around the corner.

what did you do?

I bought her a Halti Head Harness and a body harness and it worked wonders with her walking. It was instant, I could finally walk her without any of the problems.

what would you advise now more experienced?
Work harder at getting her lead trained. I'm still working on it and she's getting so much better already, but we are still having some issues, especially when she gets distracted, which happens very often with her.


First training session

what happened?

She was pretty responsive when I bribed her with treats.

what did you do?

I did all her basic commands and taught her some new ones. She loved it, but got distracted pretty easily.

 

what would you advise now more experienced?

Don't use treats she snatches from you, those teeth hurt (working on it).



First long journey

what happened?

She climbed into the back of the car, cuddled up to me and just sat still on the floor next to me. No issues at all. Well, apart from dog hair.




First time having someone visit home

what happened?

She ran to the door and jumped straight up at the person.

what did you do?

I couldn't do much that time, she wouldn't listen to me.

what would you advise now more experienced?

Do what I'm doing now. I put her in the living room and make her sit on her bed. Today she went to her bed, realised she had to behave before she got attention so she lay down on the floor and just watched us. When she was settled down she was allowed to greet our visitor and just licked her to death.



First time meeting another dog

what happened?

She was a typical husky and scared the other dog off trying to rough play.

what did you do?

I learned to make her sit and hold her back while meeting a new dog just to keep her calm so she doesn't scare them. She tends to intimidate dogs without trying which freaks out the owners.

what would you advise now more experienced?
Be careful with her around other dogs. Most other dogs get scared with her and tend to become aggressive around her. She is fine, but she is more wary of other dogs now.


First holiday

what happened?

When we tried to leave with our bags and she made a break out the front door for the first time ever. I ended up dragging her back inside. I gave her a hug and she just hid her head in my arms. She had a good few tantrums with my friend the next few days but she calmed down pretty quickly.

what did you do?

I left her at home with a friend she liked who ended up house sitting.

what would you advise now more experienced?

Nothing, everything went well and she is very happy to have us home.

[Rachael_Astro]

Choosing your first dog:

I actually wanted an Irish Setter because of their temperament but my partner wanted a Husky. I was a bit concerned because he has had a husky before with his ex and sold it because it was 'too naughty' but eventually I agreed. I found a lovely couple selling husky crosses, the mum and dad were family pets and they were all happy and healthy.

What I would advise - Make sure you research the breed and be prepared to put a lot of work in

Preparing your home:

I got Astro a big plastic bed in case he wee'ed (which he ate, now in skip) toys (ate) and his first lead (ate!)

Learnt from this - do not waste money on cute little teddies, puppy nylabones and kongs are the way forward! Also pull up any nice rugs until they are house trained

First 24 hours:

I got him settled in, didn't make too much noise around the house, made sure he knew where his food, water and bed were. Didn't want things to be too daunting for him as he had just left his family!

First visit to the vets:

He went for his vaccinations/microchip. He got a lot of attention which is a far cry from now as he barks so much when he goes!

Get your dog used to having his teeth checked etc from an early age. Astro does not like having this done so I'm trying to practice at home.

First walk:

2 little girls came up and asked to stroke him, he had never seen children before and backed away from them! Realised this was a potential problem and have socialised him more around children since. He also met all the dogs in the park which he loved!

First training session:

I took him to dog training sessions at my local animal rescue. In hindsight I should have taken him to proper puppy socialising classes as most of the dogs there were adults from the rescue. He did do very well though, Huskies pick things up very fast!

First long journey:

Astro doesn't really go in the car much and when he does he gets very distressed. I would recommend getting your dog used to being in the car, even if you just go around the block. I have to walk him to the vet now because he gets so distressed in the car by the time he gets there he's all wound up and causes havoc in the waiting room!

First time having someone at home:

We don't have visitors much, and when we do Astro likes to jump up and bark a lot! I would recommend keeping a lead by your door so if you do have visitors you will be able to control them and also teach them not to jump! Make sure they learn they only get attention when they sit

First time meeting another dog:

I can't really remember this, it was possibly Skyla the German Shepherd in the park. I've never had problems with him around other dogs, although he did go through a faze of having a paddy fit if I wouldn't let him go to say hello to another dog! In this kind of situation make your dog sit while the dog walks past, check them on the lead if their bum starts twitching like they are going to jump! Make him watch you and not the other dog

First holiday:

Absolute nightmare, found a home boarding place on a farm she said he would be out in the yard all day playing with the other dogs. A week into my holiday got a call saying he was being dominant around her children and she had locked him in the utility room away from the other dogs (?!) and that she was taking him to a kennel. He was an absolute mess when I picked him up he practically jumped into my arms and he absolutely stank, the woman claimed to have been a dog trainer in the army but I don't believe that at all now. Make sure the person they are going to knows how to handle this breed! I'm never going on holiday again.

Also recommend crate training, I learnt the hard way after chewed walls, kitchen cupboards, ripped out pipes from under the sink amongst other things!

Also, be the alpha male or female from the outset. My husky knows instantly if he can take advantage of you and he will if he can! They are very cute but also a very dominant breed. Have your breakfast before they have theirs, make sure you walk in front of them on walks (check the lead if they start pulling).

They are also very active and like wound up springs, I've tried and failed to find local agility classes to help engage his mind in something so instead I am saving for a scooter so he can have a run about the lanes and have the chance to do something which is natural to him

[DoggieWoof]

I am going to get a husky puppy soon and I can't wait to be sharing all of these first experiences that you are writing about!

I still can't decide on the name thou.. I got this list of names Alaskan Dog Names but I CANT decide!! I am stuck.. Can you guys please tell me how did you make such a hard decision when you were first naming your pup..