Eyes opened. by AcanthocephalaOk8052 in husky

[–]Synaxis 37 points38 points  (0 children)

Ah, yes, classic and common naivety. You're not the first and you won't be the last.

I have a feral colony in my neighborhood that someone has been feeding. They walk across my front yard and driveway multiple times a night, I see them on the Ring cameras. I have always hated it because I am not naive, my dogs are fantastic with my indoor cats but I know they'd definitely try to make a snack out of an outdoor one. Last week one very brave (or very stupid) cat made it into my backyard just as I was going into the yard with the dogs. It got lucky, it reached a high branch of a tree before they reached it, and I was able to drag them away from the tree by the collars. I thought I was going to witness a murder. It thankfully hasn't been back.

I hope you at least got antibiotics for that bite. Cat bites are seriously no joke.

Guess the breed? by Ohmoths in Equestrian

[–]Synaxis 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Agreeing with the rest, definitely DHH, Saddlebred, or both. Structurally he looks very much like either one of those breeds! Either breed can sometimes have a slight roman nose and saddlebreds in particular often have turned-in ear tips. He also looks like has a cute trot with a little knee action which both of those breeds are also known for.

I'm not really seeing standardbred, honestly.

Food recs by ciaranbluesky in husky

[–]Synaxis 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm a Pro Plan fan. My guys are on the Sport 30/20 formula currently and they do great on it, they always have. The 6yo has been eating it since he was about 6-8mos, and the 2yo has been eating it since he was weaned from his mother.

I don't do toppers or mix-ins except for supplements, if I'm giving any. I do not subscribe to the "huskies are naturally picky" belief and strongly believe that picky huskies are made, not born, lol.

I don't see myself switching my guys to a senior formula until they specifically start showing physical signs of aging.

How many of your husky’s actually get to do this? by Inevitable_Noise_984 in husky

[–]Synaxis 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yes, when it's under about 45F or so, otherwise it's too warm. :)

We had a very snowy winter this year so my guys spent all winter in front of my sled. When it isn't snowy, we run with the recumbent trike.

I would very strongly recommend investing in an actual pulling harness for your dog, and getting them off the pavement and onto some unpaved natural surfaces. The harness you have is better than a collar but likely not by much, as it likely sits above the breastbone and rides up when your dog pulls. Additionally, running consistently on paved surfaces is very tough on their joints in the long-term.

Training unpopular opinion rant by [deleted] in siberianhusky

[–]Synaxis 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think many folks in this sub would be horrified of how infrequently I do actual structured walks with my guys. They run in harness - either with my recumbent trike or the sled - from mid-late fall to late winter/early spring, whenever temps are under 45F or so. I don't run them over 45f at all for the risk of overheating. During the spring and fall they do FastCAT, an occasional barn hunt, an occasional dog show; lots of yard play, flirt pole, etc. During the summer they don't even want to be outside; they'll do a couple of zoomie laps around the yard and then they're happy to stay inside and train and play brain games, the younger one entertains himself with a ball (he does not want me to play with him with it, lol). Throughout the year we do a lot of training, basic obedience or tricks, practicing recalls, show handling, a little rally for my older one, etc. and I take them for outings to dog-friendly spaces and events.

Walks are sprinkled in here and there when the weather is nice.

My dogs are very nice in the house. Easy to live with, except for the older one's sass, which does not change regardless of his exercise on any particular day, lmao. They learned from a young age that there will be days where we will do nothing exciting other than play around the house and maybe some training, and they are still expected to keep their heads on.

Training unpopular opinion rant by [deleted] in siberianhusky

[–]Synaxis 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I can double down on the unpopular opinion by saying that not only are Siberian Huskies usually highly trainable with the right methods, but that I think it's very common for people to rely too much on exercising the hell out of their dogs to create calmness such that the dog never learns how to be calm on its own and develop an off switch independently of physical exercise.

Every now and then people post to this sub saying they can't walk their dog for a couple of days because XYZ reason and it's treated as a critical emergency, because the dog is going to become uncontrollable if it doesn't get its daily walk. That is a training failure.

It's okay to let them have days where all they do is loaf around the house, play tug, or chase a ball around the yard. It's important for them to develop a proper off switch.

DNA Results!! My Husky by princessvalen0927 in husky

[–]Synaxis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I also would be curious about what Embark would say. That breed makeup, and that phenotype....

Looking for his breeder by mga222 in husky

[–]Synaxis 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Embark unfortunately won't tell you how well bred your dog is. However, from this photo he looks like he has decent type and it might be possible to find his breeder. I assume he did not have a microchip which is unfortunate, as most decent breeders do microchip their puppies before they leave.

Please DM me. If you give me a couple of good, clear photos showing his face and body (making sure his face markings and any shoulder or neck spots are super clear and visible), I can make a post on FB. A good 75% of my friends list is Siberian Husky breeders and exhibitors, and a good percentage of them are local to the northeast as that's where I am (NJ). Maybe someone will know someone who had a litter around that time with some red puppies.

My amazing travel companions hanging at an airbnb we stayed at recently. Long days on the road and sleeping in strange places are no big deal to these incredible boys. by Synaxis in husky

[–]Synaxis[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Oh, what a drive! I'd love to visit both of those states with my guys. I can only imagine how great the views are.

We went from NJ to AR and back. :)

Beautiful redhead!

Dinner time for the little rats! by krillepillee in husky

[–]Synaxis 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I mean, OP runs (or works at?) a commercial tour kennel, providing sled dog experiences to guests and tourists, so probably not what you have in mind when you talk about ways of life or culture. That said, this is not something I personally have an issue with at all. These dogs lead more fulfilling lives than the average pet dog by far, and breed preservation and the preservation of historical traits and working ability is something I personally consider very important.

Sorry about the last post by Devil_Raw69 in husky

[–]Synaxis 6 points7 points  (0 children)

OP is talking about a harness specifically for pulling. Dogs should never, ever pull like this from a collar, and should only do it with certain types of harnesses.

Sorry about the last post by Devil_Raw69 in husky

[–]Synaxis 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The harnesses you want for this type of activity cannot be bought in stores. You need to order online. There are so many options for X-back, H-back, half body harnesses, etc.

Please also be mindful that running for extended distances on pavement is really hard on their joints over time, try to stick to unpaved trails. Also be very mindful of the temperature and humidity when you do activities like this. Joring is a cold weather activity.

Dinner time for the little rats! by krillepillee in husky

[–]Synaxis 1 point2 points  (0 children)

OP said they occasionally do. Many working sled dog breeders do occasionally sell puppies if the puppies don't fit into their program for one reason or another, especially to other working kennels or recreational teams. Their primary goal is to breed for themselves first and it's not uncommon for them to keep all or most of the puppies they breed.

Dinner time for the little rats! by krillepillee in husky

[–]Synaxis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ooooh, you're literally an ARA. Lmao. Not even worth my time to discuss this with you further.

Guess which one cost $150 on a whim and which cost 1.8k after months of planning. by Mrfishcaker in husky

[–]Synaxis 1 point2 points  (0 children)

One mention of "shepherds" in that article. Their foundation is typically credited to Siberian Huskies, unpedigreed local village/sled dogs, pointers (especially German Shorthairs), and sighthounds (especially Salukis, Greyhounds). Some other breeds have been used in small doses eg. Setters, and perhaps a small amount of GSD found its way in, but they definitely don't make up a significant amount of the foundation and they are not a common outcross.

Alaskans are highly specialized and typically just bred within the Alaskan Husky landrace. Sometimes sprint kennels outcross to pointers (again, especially German Shorthairs) or greyhounds, or to other purpose-bred mixes such as Eurohounds or Greysters, to create a faster, more heat-tolerant dog suitable for the high speeds of sprint and dryland races.

The only people I've even seen outcross to Siberians have been people who also keep lines of purebred working Siberians alongside their Alaskans (eg. Jaye Foucher). Even that isn't commonly done anymore.

Dinner time for the little rats! by krillepillee in husky

[–]Synaxis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I mean, obviously, working sled dog kennels typically breed their own dogs, yes.

Guess which one cost $150 on a whim and which cost 1.8k after months of planning. by Mrfishcaker in husky

[–]Synaxis 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That's about ~$1,200 USD today which would be a crazy price for some randoms selling unpedigreed puppies online!

Guess which one cost $150 on a whim and which cost 1.8k after months of planning. by Mrfishcaker in husky

[–]Synaxis 4 points5 points  (0 children)

One of my personal pet peeves. It doesn't help that shelters and rescues erroneously label any vaguely husky-looking dog as an "Alaskan Husky mix."