Err..... well, sort of. Looks like snow in a section in the back yard. I’ve been brushing for a while now. Couldn’t get all of it in the pic. But thought I’d share my fun.
Posts: 2845 | Registered: Oct 2003
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Jay, we had a mostly Malamute for fourteen years. By the time all the undercoat came out, it was fall and it would start to grow back.
He was miserable in the heat, but always seemed to find some stinky mud to burrow in.
One time when we were visiting friends in Vermont, he rolled in some fresh, liquid cow manure, jumped into a pond, and went over to some unsuspecting picnickers and shook all over them. The pond water had not washed off the manure, but rather spread it around.
H broke every screen in our house trying to get either in, or out, whichever direction he wanted to go.
He was naughty, but he was the most beautiful dog I have ever seen, and the sweetest, and I miss him every day, though it has been four years since he left us.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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I've always wanted either a malamute or a husky.
What kind of pets do they make? Care? Health? In general maintenance? Temperment? Special instructions? Shedding? Things I'd want to know to expect before getting one?
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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KC’s mother is a registered Malamute and her father is a registered Siberian. So a full husky, just two types! Fun! I know what you’re saying Elizabeth. KC is getting up there, she’s 10 now. I’ll probably go into some kind of psychotic depression when she goes. Sigh…
I think she’s a wonderful pet. Very friendly great with people and kids and always wants to play with other dogs, even the viscous growing ones….. She sheds a lot, but if I brush her it’s not to bad. She’s able to get under the porch in the dirt to cool off. Oh, and she’s the best at killing skunks… 4 so far. Lovely baths there. She’s been very healthy. I used one of the flea things on her a couple of years and now she doesn’t seem to get fleas!! Sweet. Haven’t had to worry about that for a number of years. Also, she howls, learned how to bark some from the neighborhood dogs. But you can tell she’s faking it! Plus very smart. Knows not to jump up on me or lick my face, but likes to see what she can get away with. She’ll try to jump up on visitors or lick them. Once in a blue moon she’ll try to see if she can get away with it. It’s almost funny to see her testing.
I like the kiddy pool idea. I think she would like that since she seems to like the river so much. She’ll get into the water when I take her down there. I could fill that and never have to fill her water dish over the summer! Just kidding!!
Shave? I’ve wondered if that would work with her since she has so many layers of fur. Plus I wasn’t sure if it would come back right for the winter. Have you done that to a husky before?
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I had a collie, RIP. We never shaved him because supposedly he'd get a nasty sunburn if we did. He spent a lot of time in the shade on cool ground (90+ degree weather), but he would do absolutely anything to come in to the air conditioning!
Posts: 1877 | Registered: Apr 2005
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We never shaved Kazak. Once his undercoat came out, he was like any other dog in summer: miserable.
Lyrhawn, some words on the husky-Malamute tribe.
Though I loved this dog like one of my children(until i had children, at which point he really ticked me off for needing stuff-long story most new parents understand, and for which I had incredible guilt), I would not get another of this breed unless I lived in the woods and could let it roam.
We did let Kazak roam, and he was incredibly intelligent about the road. He was smart in all the wrong ways. He could get out of any enclosure, was perfectly trained on the leash, but always stayed out of range of capture when off leash, and was a hunter. Many a chicken met their maker at his paws.
Other than being incredibly naughty in those ways, he was the friendliest dog going, would come to the call for strangers(which I used to my advantage at parks. "Could you call my dog, please, and then hold on to his collar?"), and loved our kids from the bottom of his heart out. He was a magnificent animal.
Still, he was a handfull. Big time.
And yes, he howled. When there were coyotes around, he howled with them. It was eerily beautiful.
They are some of the smnartest animals on earth, and the hardest to train. Man, do I ever miss him!
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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I have not shaved a dog, but I know a lot of people with cold weather dogs who do, and tehy swear by it. You do have to be careful how close they shave tt because you want to leave SOME fur, to avoid the sunburn mentioned above.
quote: Oh, and she’s the best at killing skunks
Man, I hear you there, I had a Brittny/Springer Spaniel who loved to do that. She also once chased a small black bear out of our yard, although I got the feeling that teh bear was more confused than scared....
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Bears? Letting dogs roam?! Where do you people live?
BTW Beautiful husky, I enjoyed seeing your dog. I have a golden retriever, he's my first golden and I'll swear by this breed. Awesome companion dog!
Posts: 70 | Registered: Jun 2004
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I used to have a german shepard/husky, and he was the best dog in the world. He was sweet and gentle with kids, but big and scary looking enough to scare people away. He was good as a watchdog until you petted him, then he would stop barking and go away. He liked to howl a lot, too. He would "sing along" whenever my dad would practice the bagpipes. He was also a really smart dog. We tried to keep him in a pen, but he always found a way out. I also noticed that he was kind of the "King of the Neighborhood". When we went for walks, all the other dogs treated him like he was the boss. He died a few years ago in a heat wave. I really miss him, he was a great dog.
Posts: 55 | Registered: Sep 2004
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We always had my dog in a run or a pen (a golden retriver/English setter mix). He hated being indoors in the daytime (even in the hot humid summer), so he had plenty of water and shade outside, and when he came inside he'd sack out either in the basement or the bathtub.
Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999
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When I forst got my dog, I lived at a farm school. Then California(hell for him), then the woods of Western Mass., then a farm in Western Mass., and by the time we moved to rural suburbia, there was no way to keep him in. He was one of those dogs who would have gone through an electric fence, chossing to experience a bit of pain in order to get to freedom.
We just had some people from Freecycle take down the 500 dollar chain link fence we bought when we moved in. It held him for one minute. We kept reinforcing it, but he finally just pulled the links with his teeth and made a hole.
Like I said, he was smart, but in devilish ways.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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Yeah, KC hates being indoors now. She’ll want to come in for a little bit, but would rather be outside at night now. Oh well. Guess more evening walks.
Posts: 2845 | Registered: Oct 2003
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I second the kiddie pool suggestion. My dogs love the kiddie pool. They will both lay in it on hot days. They also love it if you throw things in the pool. We throw baby carrots and they are incredibly amusing to watching trying to get the carrots up.
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I'm anxiously awaiting our fence, because we gave the kennel to a friend, when we decided we'd fence the back instead, and my pups absolutely love being outdoors.
It's driving me crazy because until we get it fenced I must be out there with them, to keep them from wandering off and in case some neighbor dogs wander over.
They love water - they both like to jump and splash in their water bowl, which is annoying because it means I have to refill it for them. I swear they do it on purpose now - "Let's play in the water and make her go turn on the hose again!"
I also swear that Belle (for those that don't know my daughter named her new puppy Belle, against my wishes, but hey, she wanted her to have a "princess name") is younger than Shadow. Even though they're littermates, Shadow acts like the older sister. Belle is immature and flighty. Shadow almost acts as if Belle gets on her nerves with her antics. They are very fun to watch.
Since this is a dog thread - does anyone have any suggestions on the registered name for Shadow?
Belle is going to be registered as Bamawards Liberty Belle but I don't know what to register Shadow as. Yes, I did think of Shadow Puppets or Ender's Shadow, but my husband would never stand for it. Liberty Belle came from my oldest daugther, her suggestion once Abigail named her puppy Belle was to name the other one Liberty and call her Libby. Daniel however, insisted on his right to name his puppy and named her Shadow. So I told Natalie we would put Liberty Belle in the registered name instead.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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My in-laws have similar issues with their big Samoyed. He is enough of a housedog that he ends up spending a lot of the time indoors, where there is a swamp cooler. In addition, they often give him a ridiculous looking haircut that leaves him looking like a 100+ pound toy poodle. He looks terriby undignified, but much more comfortable.
I knew a family in Guatemala, near the Pacific coast, that bought a collie. Collies were never meant to live with that kind of heat and humidity. He was the most miserable creature I ever saw. He would sit all day on the screened-in porch, under a chair, panting his little heart out, and shedding like there was no tomorrow. Poor guy.
Posts: 1652 | Registered: Aug 2003
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I have a collie/german shepherd dog... whe we lived in the country he would lie in the creek on hot days, but he prefered to come inside and lie over the vents and let the cool air-conditioned air blow on him.
Now we have no air-conditkoning and poor Toby has been miserable. So my daughter and I grabbed some scissors and cut his hair short. He looks silly but he is so much happier, he frisks about like a puppy.
Posts: 239 | Registered: May 2004
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I have a husky and she is miserable in this weather, she is always panting and I dont know what to do. I do live on a lake so she can swim but she only goes in up to her chest and wades. Even after she gets out she still pants! I brush her almost daily get piles of hair.
Posts: 473 | Registered: Sep 2001
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Layers upon layers of endless fur that seem to get into the strangest places. I’ll be out somewhere and find a husky hair on something of mine. Seems to be like desert sand, gets into everything……. The vet has said that KC was just right. Now some of KC’s kids that my parents have. Wow! One of them is a huge porker. Might have a pic of them at home. Fun!
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Really? Wow….. I think I could get enough to stuff a king sized bed. I’ve heard of people using it for tying fishing flies too. I should sell it on ebay!!!
Posts: 2845 | Registered: Oct 2003
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Your yard looks like you ran over the dog with a lawn mower
And beware of clothing or other articles made from dog-hair yarn, when they get wet they smell like wet dog (obviously).
Posts: 957 | Registered: Aug 2002
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You can tell if a dog is overweight or underweight by putting your fingers on his ribcage. If you can feel the ribs but not SEE the ribs, he's the right weight. If you can make out all the ribs, the dog needs to put on a few pounds. If you can't feel the ribs, then the dog needs to lose a few. With an active husky, it's most likely fur. I highly doubt that KC is overweight.
I forgot I have another dog story. I was hiking the other weekend and descending the trail when I came across the largest animal I've seen while hiking.
A Saint Bernard. He was HUGE. I've never come face to face with one until then. A great big dog with shaggy fur and a big ol' friendly face.
Problem was this poor guy was 2 miles up with a signicant amount of elevation gain in 85 degree heat with 75% humidity. He was MISERABLE. His humans were trying to get him to keep slogging up the trail when he was already quite obviously knackered.
I nearly laughed out loud when he plunked himself down on the trail and absolutely refused to move. I wanted to cheer him along!
Not long after, the group passed me again as they were descending. They found a nice water pool in the nearby stream and the saint bernard happily sat right in it.
Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999
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"And beware of clothing or other articles made from dog-hair yarn, when they get wet they smell like wet dog (obviously)."
Actually, it doesn't. Clean wet dogs smell nice. I remember asking her about this, and she said it does not smell bad.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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Mack, hugest dog I ever saw was an Irish wolfhound. They are like ponies, for crying out loud.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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Liz, I know about Irish Wolfhounds. Lead (very lurking hatracker) fostered one and is now fostering another. She's also awaiting her own IW puppy in coming year.
One day, I want an IW. Yup. I love big dogs.
Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999
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I really miss him, he was a great dog.
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