My new winter hobby (well maybe next year)

Oh my lord they are some beautiful dog you guys of got there...I sooo would like dog now I've changed my job...well I now walk dogs for a living which is lovely when they behave.. Is it true about Huskies..they are very hard to train..?

Not that hard within the first week or 2 of Lupo being home he knew all the basic commands... don't know whether that is just persistance from me or from him being intelligent. Huskies and Malamutes are intelligent and rank one of the most intelligent of dog breeds. They are however stubborn and this is where the difficulty lies with their training... they need a reason to obey a command and you just wanting them to do it doesn't suffice... if they feel that their decison is better than yours they will not do as they are told.

They are nautral born runners and needs constant training to the come command followed by food rewards constantly. I wouldn't say that they are hard to train, you just need to be willing to put a lot of time into their training and be very strict in your training methods, and be willing to follow through with a command, if you say sit, you must get the dog to sit.

These dogs are not very responsive to shouting either and shouting at the dog will get him questioning if you are coping with being a leader and will most likely challenge you for it.

Hope that answers your question

Yeah thanks I take a Husky and a part Huskyxwolf out on my walks..the Husky I need to keep on the lead...no recall as the owner hasn't trained him but the Huskyxwolf as been trained by reward on his return..it's such a same when people have these when they don't have the time to spend with them... the Husky owner as gone and got another pup too and they're out ALL day

Is there anymore events like the one you went to in the south east..?? would luv to see these dogs in action...plus it'd be a good chance for me to see what i'd be letting myself in for if I ever got one

Originally Posted by zobo

Yeah thanks I take a Husky and a part Huskyxwolf out on my walks..the Husky I need to keep on the lead...no recall as the owner hasn't trained him but the Huskyxwolf as been trained by reward on his return..it's such a same when people have these when they don't have the time to spend with them... the Husky owner as gone and got another pup too and they're out ALL day

Is there anymore events like the one you went to in the south east..?? would luv to see these dogs in action...plus it'd be a good chance for me to see what i'd be letting myself in for if I ever got one

I don't mean to stick my nose in here, but with the huskyX that you walk, it is very unlikely that it is crossed with a wolf for the following reasons, 1 being that a wolfx is illegal in the UK without a license and it needs to be kept muzzled and on a leash at the least, if not caged in some way. I would question where this dog originated from. it is most likely to be crossed with an Alsatian or some kind or Nordic breed... Husky03 what is your view on this? Not only this but sled dogs have a very high prey drive and not recommended for keeping with small pets. A husky Wolf's prey drive will be even higher, i would just keep your eye on him and if he is off the lead then i would advise keeping him in an area that is fenced off, find a large park or something so he can't run far.

My other advice too is to get signed up on the icebay forum, it is mainly aimed at malamutes which is what i have, but a lot of owners own huskies too. Do a lot of research around the breed and make sure they are really what you want to get into, they are hard work, i am lucky in the fact i am more stubborn than my dog at times but he would drive anyone less stubborn than me up the wall.

If you want to go to some events look on the snopeak website (all links i'll list in a minute), they have all the major events listed there. however all the events are in winter as during the summer these dogs just can't cope running in the heat, so wear your woolies etc.

I would also buy a couple of books about huskies or malamutes once you have decided which breed would suit you. bear in mind malamutes are bigger and stronger than huskies but i think they require a little less exercise (and that is still a lot hehehe).

Ok so i have preached on a lot here, but we are new to the world of sled dogs and i want to share my experience and knowledge i have gained, baring in mind i have been researching the breed for a long time before making the final decision. Another piece of advice is to research the breeders, call them up and ask them questions even better would be to arrange a visit and ask to see the parents of the pups, look at living conditions and general condition of the bitch and her pups. Keep an eye open for puppy farms or unethical breeders. Ask to see the pedigree certificates to see if the dog is a genuine malamute / husky, if you are looking at competing with your dog when it is older, some classes of the working dogs require pedigrees.

If you have any more questions just pm me, i'll be happy to let you know or find out from someone who does know.

Links:

snopeak for events
icebay malamute forum
dog training i think this one would have been good for you if you are walking the dogs anyway
Malamute Book
B.A.R.F This book is really good as an introduction to feeding your husky / malamute, we feed Lupo on raw chicken wings, turkey wings and raw chicken carcasses as well as raw fruit and veg once a week. But worth a look if you wanted to get started.

HTH

Thanks for the advise..
I know what you mean about the Huskyxwolf...that's what the owner says he is, but I've seen a real Huskyxwolf while I was in Canada in a wolf sanctuary and they're were alot bigger...so I think your right

Good luck with your future events more pic's espesh of Lupo

No problem, as i said if you want any more advice or you have a question, just pm me i'll be happy to help. i have a flickr page where i dump all my Lupo Photo's but i'm sure i will add some on here from time to time especially as he grows, he's only 15 kgs at the moment so a fair way to go yet lol

P.S if you've not already read this book I recommend its called Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat