Sascha Posted October 26, 2012 Report Share Posted October 26, 2012 First post here, so I thought I'd start with a good old introduction We're a large family in the Bay Area, my wife and I plus six kids, and we're about to become an even bigger family through the addition of a cute Siberian Husky puppy next week! We're very excited, well maybe 90% excited and 10% terrified, or was it 10% excited and 90% terrified, we'll see After years of asking for a pet my kids finally wore me down to the point where we decided to get a dog However, since I knew no matter how helpful they will turn out to be I would be spending quite a lot of time with the dog I wanted to pick a breed that I really liked, so when I found Husky puppies up for adoption nearby I immediately jumped at the opportunity. We picked a male puppy when he was six weeks old, and will pick him up next weekend when he turns 8 weeks! In the meantime I've been doing a lot of reading, research, preparation, and have learned a lot of stuff yet still have so many open questions! :eek: My goal is to properly and consistently train our dog as much as possible, and I've studied up on all the housebreaking and bite inhibition and socializing and crate training techniques. I'm a bit worried how exactly that will work out with all my kids who obviously demand their own share of attention... Hopefully it'll all work out fine over time! I'm sure over time I will come back here more and more to get some advice and share experiences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devildust76 Posted October 26, 2012 Report Share Posted October 26, 2012 to the pack and can't wait to see pics of your new addition. Well done on doing all of that research. We did and it made life a lot easier you sound like you're going into this with the right attitude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robke Posted October 26, 2012 Report Share Posted October 26, 2012 to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mollys_mum Posted October 26, 2012 Report Share Posted October 26, 2012 A huge welcome to the forum, hun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha Posted October 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2012 Thanks everybody, I'll definitely post some pictures as soon as he comes home, and also announce the final name we picked! I was about to ask a question about pet insurance but then I realized that nobody who replied even lives in the USA I'll look through some of the forum threads, I'm sure this topic has come up plenty of times... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cas Posted October 26, 2012 Report Share Posted October 26, 2012 Hello and . Can't wait to see some pics of your pup soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmscott Posted October 26, 2012 Report Share Posted October 26, 2012 Wow, there really are a lot of Californians on here. (Former placer county resident) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saskas-mum Posted October 26, 2012 Report Share Posted October 26, 2012 i have only recently joined here too and i am hooked, so much good advice on here and very friendly too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kieferwolf Posted October 26, 2012 Report Share Posted October 26, 2012 Re insurance I don't know what other members do re pet insurance in the uk but I have 3 sibes and they are well ran on rigs/1 has been to rallies the 2nd too are just coming of ages. They prices of pet insurance if you declare you go to rallies is ridiculous I received quotes and they were around 80-90 pounds per month (approx 130-140 dollars per month) been honest I just put 15-20 pounds per month into a savings account, touch wood I have never had to use it bar dipping into it to buy a rig for my sibes lol and when it gets too 750 mark my partner gets treated lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted October 27, 2012 Report Share Posted October 27, 2012 Welcome to the pack just be warned and let your kids know that when he gets home he's going to need a lot ov space as he will probably be really scared being around so many new people when we got blaze he decided to hide under the kitchen table we left him there till he felt ready to come out and explore n say hello Sent from my ST18i using Forum Runner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranormal Wolf Posted October 27, 2012 Report Share Posted October 27, 2012 Hi there and welcome to the forum. Glad to hear you've been reading up on huskies before your new puppy arrives. You've come to the right place for all things husky related. Tons of info, tips, tricks, advice, and personal experiences spread through the threads. Feel free to ask questions and post new threads as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mydiamond Posted October 27, 2012 Report Share Posted October 27, 2012 hi and welcome thanks for doing your research beforehand don't forget to post pictures for us to see Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Povodny Posted October 27, 2012 Report Share Posted October 27, 2012 Sounds like you're going to manage really well having six children you'll have loads of experience in dealing with wilful three year olds which essentially is what huskies are lol I just treat mine like a small person who constantly needs reminding what the rules are :/ The only thing I'd suggest, make sure all your children realise, for example, sneaking titbits from the table to feed the big earred dopey eyed puppy at their feet, may be cute now but could be a nightmare later. They need to do what you do and not just when you're around else you'll end up with a very confused puppy who could end up being a naughty one lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saskas-mum Posted October 27, 2012 Report Share Posted October 27, 2012 Sounds like you're going to manage really well having six children you'll have loads of experience in dealing with wilful three year olds which essentially is what huskies are lol I just treat mine like a small person who constantly needs reminding what the rules are :/ The only thing I'd suggest, make sure all your children realise, for example, sneaking titbits from the table to feed the big earred dopey eyed puppy at their feet, may be cute now but could be a nightmare later. They need to do what you do and not just when you're around else you'll end up with a very confused puppy who could end up being a naughty one lol I totally agree with this, we had to train the kids too as we had many a runny bum from Saska Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuvMyKai Posted October 27, 2012 Report Share Posted October 27, 2012 Hi & Welcome, cant way to see pics of the pup! x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueWolf Posted October 29, 2012 Report Share Posted October 29, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted October 29, 2012 Report Share Posted October 29, 2012 Thanks everybody, I'll definitely post some pictures as soon as he comes home, and also announce the final name we picked! I was about to ask a question about pet insurance but then I realized that nobody who replied even lives in the USA I'll look through some of the forum threads, I'm sure this topic has come up plenty of times... Hello, and welcome! I have pet insurance through VPI. It is pretty reasonable and I am reimbursed very quickly. I got the wellness plan with Yukon and it only takes about 2-3 weeks to get reimbursed. It has saved me about $400. I did the math, and the wellness plan does make sense if you get a puppy and use it for the initial shots and neuter, but other than that you loose money on them. I plan on cancelling the wellness plan after the initial visits/neuter. I just got the basic plan for Nikko, with a $500 deductible. It is just peace of mind in case anything major happens. It works out to be about 12/month on each of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha Posted October 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2012 Thanks for the warm welcome! Four days left until he (who is still nameless) comes home I'm still comparing insurances, but had similar thoughts that it probably makes most sense for when he's younger and needs more protection, and I'm definitely all for peace of mind! The last thing I'm trying to figure out is what kind of collar/harness to get. I was leaning towards harness even for when he's a puppy, but I'm reading a lot how that leads to more pulling, so maybe a collar is better for the beginning? When we picked him out we saw his dad wiggle his way out of his collar and bolt down the street. Luckily he quickly turned around and came back, but it confirmed pretty much everything I had read so far about our escape artist runners We also signed up for Puppy classes at PetSmart, thought it might be useful for the kids to hear that stuff from somebody other than me I just hope it doesn't turn into too much of a PetSmart sales pitch to get people to buy whatever toys/treats/collars/leashes etc. they use during training. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted October 29, 2012 Report Share Posted October 29, 2012 Thanks for the warm welcome! Four days left until he (who is still nameless) comes home I'm still comparing insurances, but had similar thoughts that it probably makes most sense for when he's younger and needs more protection, and I'm definitely all for peace of mind! The last thing I'm trying to figure out is what kind of collar/harness to get. I was leaning towards harness even for when he's a puppy, but I'm reading a lot how that leads to more pulling, so maybe a collar is better for the beginning? When we picked him out we saw his dad wiggle his way out of his collar and bolt down the street. Luckily he quickly turned around and came back, but it confirmed pretty much everything I had read so far about our escape artist runners We also signed up for Puppy classes at PetSmart, thought it might be useful for the kids to hear that stuff from somebody other than me I just hope it doesn't turn into too much of a PetSmart sales pitch to get people to buy whatever toys/treats/collars/leashes etc. they use during training. Personally, I have used nothing but collars for everyday walking and I have not had any issues with them slipping out of them, however I use the training “pinch” collar to walk them. If I just attach the leash to his collar he will pull a lot. I know there a lot of people don’t like those collars, but I find it to be a very useful tool, and it has not hurt them. I took Nikko to all of the PetSmart training classes, and I loved them! They were not pushy with sales, but I am sure it depends on the trainer, some may be aggressive to try and up-sell, but ours definitely was not. I took Yukon to a different local trainer and was not that happy with the results, so we are going back to PetSmart next month for him. The only thing our trainer did suggest was the training collar, and of course when the class is over they will ask you if you want to continue on, which I personally would recommend. The intermediate class really built on what you learn in the puppy class! I’d say skip the advance class though, unless you plan on doing agility courses, or having them work as a therapy dog. All the advance class is for is prepping for the CGC test. Good Luck!! Can't wait to see all the pics!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha Posted October 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2012 One more question, I think I want to go with this harness: http://www.amazon.com/Premier-Harness-Large-Black-Silver/dp/B0009ZBKG4/ But I'm not sure if Small is too small and I should go Medium instead? I'm guessing he would outgrow a Small pretty quickly, I just want to make sure that I can tighten the Medium size enough while he's still young. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tilly Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 Hi and welcome, it looks like u r clued up. My hubby brought me a husky pup a week ago and I did no research. I've learnt the hard way, but glad I got her. Can't wait to see pics of your boy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha Posted November 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 Haha Tilly, that's a good way, too, as long as you have the patience to learn on the fly We brought our puppy home on Friday and what I've learned so far that all the reading in the world could not prepare me for what reality is like. Especially on the potty schedule he is way off compared to what I've read, he doesn't poop nearly as much as I expected him to. I hope that's a good thing I finally took some pictures, just need to upload them to my computer and post them here, stay tuned! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 I agree! I did TONS of reading before I got my puppy, and nothing I read prepared me for the real world…it was definitely a reality check LOL. It was tough but we got through it, and I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. Oh, and your lucky with the poo! Both my pups were little poo machines! Especially Yukon, he would poop like 8 times a day. Now it is down to 4 times or so per day, and Nikko only poops twice a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha Posted November 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2012 Jason, I wish that was the case. I'm actually about to post an entire new forum post which will probably be called something like "The tale of the puppy that won't poop"... feel free to chime in! On a completely different note, as a first-time dog owner I have begun to notice that everybody seems to like to talk about (their) dogs While that might sound obvious it is different from talking about your (human) babies, people who don't have kids usually don't want to hear too many stories about them But dog stories are good for everyone at any age and stage in their life Actually, I found a good way to summarize my current sentiment, this might even become my permanent signature for a while: If you thought having a baby prepared you for having a puppy, you were wrong. If you thought having a puppy prepared you for having a baby, you were also wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted November 9, 2012 Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.