naildownx Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 I am about to be 30 and am married and have three children... My wife and I have decided to make an investment in a siberian husky for the following reasons: 1. My dream was to always own a wolf as a personal pet (kinda far fetched), and this is as close to a wolf natured animal that I know of... 2. We want a new addition to our family. 3. We want to have an intelligent animal that we can bond with. 4. We are half crazy and want to collect as much fur on everything we own and then some 5. They are beautiful 6. We love the way they talk and communicate. 7. This will help me stay dedicated to jogging (like I should be doing anyways) We live in sweet home alabama and our pup is not born yet...we are doing research, watching videos, we bought a siberian husky book from Barnes and Nobles. He should be born in a week or so, then we get to pick. So while we are patiently waiting, we are readying ourselves, our home, and our family for our new family member. Any advice on house training would be much appreciated...like a here is what you need to immediately when you first get home kinda thing. how to handle potty training, whining, anything that will help prepare us for what to expect would be great...we know and understand the first year will be the hardest from what I have already been told...Thanks and I am glad I have somewhere to talk to people that have owned them already! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnmw1208 Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 that's awesome that you're getting a sibe they're wonderful dogs! It's also great that you are researching the breed to be sure this is the dog for you. I must say that sibe pups are pretty difficult until about 3 months in my experience. The best advice I can give you is to definitely crate train your dog. We got Pongo the biggest cage we could get with a divider so we could make it small when he was a pup and extend the space as he got older. this way he wouldn't do his business while he was in his cage. Now when your pup is still getting used to the cage they will SCREAM to be let out. Just buy some great ear plugs and let them cry during the night because if you let them out when they are crying they will always cry to be let out. It took Pongo about a month to get completely used to be in the crate all night. Feeding them in their crate also makes them associate it with a good thing rather than a bad place to be. Now Pongo eats with his butt in his cage lol. They are stubborn dogs so when you are training don't let them run all over you. When we did puppy classes (which I highly recommend) Pongo would get frustrated because he didn't want to sit anymore and would whine but we had to get him to do it so his didn't "win". Definitely get some nylabones for your new pup, they're easy on the stomach and they love to chew them. With luck you might not have your puppy chew any furniture like we did Also make sure to touch your puppy's ears and feet and roll them over so they get used to being handled. This especially works well when it's time to clip those nails Also huskies tend to have sensitive tummies so make sure you get a high quality food for them. we went through many dog foods until we stopped at wellness large breed puppy food since this was the only food that agreed with Pongo. Don't waste money with puppy chow and such. As for potty training, try to take your pup out every hour. Take them out after a nap, after playing, after eating, after drinking. The more you take them out and praise them when they "go potty" the better. We also made "go potty" his trigger word so he knew what to do outside. Now if he's just standing there doing nothing, that's all I have to say and he'll go and come in. Never rub your pup's nose in their pee or yell at them for going in the house, this could scare them. What I did was say "no! outside", pick them out while they're in the process of going (they'll stop peeing) and put him directly outside to pee. When they do pee outside praise them profusely. I never had Pongo poo in the house. As for leash training, we put it on him in the house first to get him used to it. Another idea I've heard of people doing is tying the leash around your belt loop so you can watch your puppy while your doing dishes and such. I also limited where Pongo could go to one room to better keep watch on him. As he got older, I expanded the area. Now he has full roam of the house. These are just the things that we experienced with our husky puppy who is now 7 months old. He is such a smart, well-mannered dog and I couldn't be any happier with him I'm sure others will have more advice and different advice on what worked for them. This is definitely the place to be when you're unsure about your pup. they sure are great people and helped me a lot Good luck and have fun!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazz Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 Hi Jamie, Welcome to the Pack. Oh I feel your anticipation. I commend you for doing your research. Potty training is not as hard as you might think. I would recommend getting a crate for your new Husky. We used a crate with Zoya, got a large wire crate with a plastic pan bottom. It had a wire panel that we installed to reduce the size of the interior while she was small. If it's too large, they'll poop in the corner. Zoya would start to whine about two or three times during the night, and I'd get up and take her out. I'd praiser her and rewared her after she went potty ouside. During the hours we were awake, I'd take her out once an hour or so, and again praise her and reward her after she went potty. The number of accidents in the house did not require me to remove my shoes and socks to to the tally. Here are a couple of links: http://siberianhuskypuppy.net/Snowpaws_Puppy_Training_Tips.html http://siberianhuskypuppy.net/Puppy_Crate_Training.html Get some chew toys. Kongs are good, rope toys are also good. Avoid rawhides. They can be swallowed, and some have been chemically treated (China). Small treats for rewards and training, along with a collar and leash. Don't forget a brush. If you have not decided on a food for your pup yet, you may want to visit http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com and do some research. We started Zoya on Nutro Ultra Large Breed Puppy Food, which she did quite well on. However, she developed some dry itchy skin after a few month. So on the advice of her breeder, we switched her to Taste of the Wild, which is a grain-free all stages of life kibble. Zoya has done extremly well on this food. Look at the ingredients on whatever dog food you get. A couple of things to avoid: Corn, wheat, more than two forms of rice. A couple of things to look for: Meat (two to three sources, near the top of the ingredients list), vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots, and fruit like blueberries. Here are some more links: http://www.rescueeverydog.org/husky_breed.html http://www.siberianrescue.com/general.htm http://www.siberianhuskyhealthfoundation.org/ If you have not already discovered from your research, Huskies are wonderful animals. However, they require a lot of exercise. Just be aware, that puppies under 12 months should not be exercised too much more than 5 minutes per month of age at any given session. This is to avoid devleopment problems with joints. Huskies also have a high prey drive, and small animals, including other pets, may become victim if not properly monitored. Also, Huskies are notorious escape artists, compentent diggers, able to jump a five foot fence, and capable of climbing a chain link fence. They make lousy watch dogs, because they love people. One rule that we live by in our pack, is to never, never, never, let Zoya off lead unless she is in a controlled and confined area. The prey drive can kick in at any time, and once it does, instinct takes over and a Husky may just decide to take off. It only takes an instant and they are gone. It's a good idea to train your new puppy with simple tasks like sit, shake hands, stay, and drop it, or leave it. Don't make a training session too long, as Huskies become bored. They are extremely intelligent, and actually learn very quickly, so it may not take but a few short sessions. Some of the things like sit and shake hands (we call it "gimme da paw") are obvious. Leave it, is used to tell your dog to leave something alone or drop it. Mix up the training with play time. Oh, and forget about fetch. Zoya would chase the ball once, maybe twice, then she was done with that. Our last Husky was the same way. Ignore the bad behavior and redirect, reward the good behaviour and praise. Socialize your new pup with other dogs (once the shots are up to date) and with people. Play an active role in your pups life and a friend you will have for years. Make sure to post some pics when you bring your pup home. Will you be getting a male or a female? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 Hello - and welcome to the pack Doing the research early on is the best thing oh no sorry - joining HERE is the best thing lol - researching is second lol You've had some great advice already - added to rep guys I crate trained my boys and they love their "safe place" I would recommend ear plugs for night time when your new pup howls / cries all night Ok just a thought - why has no one mentioned getting a camera!!!!! That is THE most important item Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunc Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 welcome on board Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shedalot Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 Jamie, welcome to the site. You will make an excellent husky owner. The best advice I can give you is to print Mazz's post above. If I was a future husky owner doing research on the breed, and came across a post like that, that's the first thing I would do. To Dave: VERY nicely done! Hats off to you. Jamie: 2 words- Digital camera Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val (Zebedee) Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 Hiya, Jamie, welcome to the mad world of huskies! Great you are doing your homework now, there shouldn't be much left to shock you when your furbaby arrives!! Lynn & Dave have both given excellent advice, at least you have a foundation to build on now, but I agree with the camera "thing", they change SO much in the first 6 -12 months, it's unbelievable!! Good luck with your new pack member when he / she arrives, & don't forget to take pics when you go & visit after he / she is born, we wanna see too!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 welcome to the pack cnt w8 2 c sum pics ov ur furbaby when u go see/pick him/her? up cnt rly add any more advice 2 what every1s already given u (great advice guys ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arooroomom Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 Crate train immediately! They work wonders. All my Sibes LOVE their crates. And take a ton of pics! (because we want to see your fur baby too!!) We didn't take too many pics of Cheyenne when she was growing up and we really should have... We just got so preoccupied with her shenanigans we forgot that she would only be a little bitty baby once! Some nice websites here guys. Also I would also recommend to start implementing N.I.L.I.F. (nothing in life is free, google it you'll get a ton of hits) as soon as you can. It's a great weapon to combat Husky stubbornness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siberian_wolf Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 Hello Welcome to the pack I dont think we need to guess how excited you must be to be getting a sibe Well done doing your reasearch on the breed I cant think of anything more to add to the advise you have already got Bets of luck, keep us updated how everything goes when you pick your pup and one thing to remember is we LOVE PHOTOS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karly_larkin Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 hello and welcome to the site Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbb23 Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 Hey ya, Welcome to the pack!! Hope you enjoy the site and make lots of friends chatting about this lovely Breed Great advice given already Reps added Really look forward to seeing you around the forum and best of luck in finding your furbaby x x x x x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naildownx Posted January 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2010 The pups that was born to the mom I was getting my pup from all delivered dead yesterday I hate it for the mom and the breeders.... I am going to call them today to try and get on the list for some more pups that are due this month.... Such a shame when that happens, and so sad. Rosey was the mom of the litter... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted January 8, 2010 Report Share Posted January 8, 2010 oh that's so sad - really sorry to hear that. Good luck in finding a pup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emo kid Posted January 8, 2010 Report Share Posted January 8, 2010 hi welcome to the site Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted January 8, 2010 Report Share Posted January 8, 2010 sorry 2 hear that hope u find ur pup soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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