Animal Talk Magazine Article May issue 2010

7 Things You Need To Know To Have a Husky as a Pet Dog
Siberian and Alaskan Huskies are particularly active breeds of dog and require very specific training,mental and physical stimulation. Certified dog trainer Louise Basson (who also owns Huskies)explains how to keep your Husky happy and out of trouble. Much of this article will also apply to other active breeds.

1. Personality of a Husky.
Huskies are bred to be working dogs with independence, drive and endurance. They must have the heart to be able to pull a weight over long distances in very cold and harsh weather conditions. As many other breeds they have come to reside here in South Africa. We need to equip our self’s with knowledge to physically and mentally stimulate this breed. A bored Husky will destroy a garden, escape a yard as well as howl and dig holes to compensate for being frustrated. They are very social dogs and need to interact with humans and other dogs. They do not do well with other small pets like cats as they have a very high prey drive.

2. Bonding with a Husky helps with training cues
The only real way to train your Husky is by bonding with her. This is best done through exercise. A tired Husky is a trainable Husky. They also do well in a routine. Being in a routine makes them feel safe and secure so that they know what to expect each day. This will include feeding time and sleeping arrangements. As well as behaviour training about 5 minutes every day. Short training sessions is worth a lot more then long boring sessions. Bonding can take as long as 6 months.

3. Teach Recall first.
The recall cue starts on the first day that you bring your Husky home. Being an independent breed they do not see the need to come to you when called. You need to be more interesting then what they are doing at that moment. Start of by using a very long lead attached to her. Let your Husky wonder off and after a few seconds call her back to you. When she reaches you give her, her favourite treat. Do this where there is little to no distraction and slowly move to a place with more distractions. Play hide and seek with your Husky in your yard and make a big fuss when she reaches you. If your Husky ever runs off call her and run in the opposite direction. This will seem more interesting to her as they love to chase. Never chase your Husky.

4. Teach him not to jump
Jumping up on people often is one of the biggest problems with this breed
Using your hand to stop a dog from jumping on you will not work. You need to be firm with an off cue followed by an action…
• Body blocking – by walking into your dog’s space giving a big step forward. This makes them back off as it’s a behavior used by dogs all the time.
• Turn your back –the moment you see your dog wanting to jump on you.

5. Walking to heel does not come natural to a Husky
Huskies are bred to pull; walking next to you is not something that comes natural to them. I do this through positive reinforcement.
I like to use a harness for walking, it’s just a little easier to handle and you can’t hurt your Husky this way. Your Husky has specific needs that need to be fulfilled. This includes smelling, digging, seeing and experiencing new things. So for 5 minutes let your Husky sniff, then let her walk next to you again. Let her run for 5 minutes and then walk for 5 minutes. Later on increase the time spend on walking and decrease the time spend on other behaviours. If your Husky does pull during the walking stage, STOP. Wait until your Husky is next to you again and start walking. This way both you and your Husky get out of the walk what you need. Improvement will be visible in the first week.

6. Teach him to wait-for his food!
I find with my own dogs that teaching them to sit and wait started by the food bowl. If they can wait for food, you can teach them to wait for anything else. This is needed so that your dog does not bolt when you open the front door. Ask your dog to sit, show the palm of your hand as a wait cue and reward with food or by letting your dog walk outside. Letting your dog stand up and walk is the reward itself.

7. Exercise is by far the most important conditioning for a Husky
Going for walks is not enough for this breed. They need to be able to run and have a “job”. They do best in temperatures 15’C and lower so this means very early mornings or late evenings is the best time to exercise your Husky.

Ways to exercise your Husky:
• Mushing/Sledding – This will include canicrossing, bike joring and carting.
• Biking – where you bike with your dog running next to you
• Jogging – Going for a run with your Husky at least 5km – 10km at a time
• Swimming – This is great exercise especially in summer as most Huskies love to swim
• Agility – Being such an athletic breed they do very well with agility training.

Visit www.dog-care-centre.com for more information

Training set up

You can either contact me through my web site www.dog-care-centre.com and fill in the contact form provided if you would like to have a training consultation via e-mail. This usually would be about R150.00 ZAR or two other options are a class set up where we are between 2 to 4 people with their Huskies coming for general behavior training which is an hour for 6 classes @ R75 each or I could come to you for individual training focusing on one or two unwanted behaviors or shaping wanted behaviors which would be R150 per hour excluding travel.

Alaskan Huskies and other Northern Breeds

Little did I know when I got my first Husky that I would discover my life passion. I want to share with you how unique the Alaskan Husky breed of dog is. Most of us know huskies and some even know the difference between a Siberian husky and an Alaskan malamute, but what I learned from my first dog was that I didn’t have either one of those. I had an Alaskan Husky. I now have two Alaskan Huskies and one Siberian Husky.

Through my research I found that Alaskan Huskies are the main breed of dog used for international races like the Iditarod and Yukon quest. Both races were won by musher Lance Mackey the past 3 consecutive years with his team of 16 Alaskan Huskies. During each race, these dogs mushed over a stretch of 1800km of snow and wilderness with temperatures dropping below minus 40’C. To be able to finish (let alone win) this type of race you need hearty dogs bred for speed and endurance. The characteristics of the Alaskan Husky - although not a registered breed – make them popular in Alaska. Mushing means dog powered or dog sledding. The musher is the dog sled driver. Alaskan Huskies may have some Siberian, Malamute, Pointer or what ever breed is necessary to get the job done. Here in South Africa we find Alaskan Huskies too.

What sets the Alaskan Husky apart from other Northern breeds? Speed for one. Alaskans take specific care in breeding a dog that gives them top speed as well as endurance to maintain that speed over a long distance without falling ill or losing drive. These dogs have an intense energy (sometimes this is called “drive”). This energy makes them capable of the mental and physical stimulation needed for long hours on the trail. It’s the drive that mushers look for when choosing a dog for the team.

They also adapt well to change. They are working dogs with a passion for mushing, but they also do well as a house dog as long as they live with a very active family. They are not bred for their specific looks like Siberian Huskies. They come in all shapes and sizes, sometimes looking exactly as we imagine a husky looking, but other times the coat is shorter, in an array of colors, and floppy ears.

Alaskan Huskies are intelligent and independent dogs. As a Dog Behaviour Consultant, many people ask me how to train the recall to their husky. I always start by telling clients that training a reliable recall can take six months to a year. I tell them to start the day they bring their husky home. To always keep their husky on a leash, keep them active, and use food to help motivate them. Make every interaction a pleasant experience. The most common mistake in training the recall is letting their dog off leash to run before they have bonded with you.

In 2008, after visting Alaskan friends Kirsten Frisch (Professional Dog Trainer, and Lynn Orbison (Sprint Musher, Daisy Acres Kennle and Rescue) I decided to open a training centre called Dog Care Centre.

Dog Care Centre provides dog daycare, boarding kennels, and husky specific behaviour training. I also run a husky sledding club called All Breeds Sledding and am actively involved in Husky Rescue S.A.

Everyone is welcome at All Breeds Sledding Club. We come together on weekends during the early morning before the temperature rises over 15’C (so that the dogs do not over heat). We help newbie’s learn to be mushers and help train their dogs. We start dogs around 8 months and older. We also encourage veterans at the sport to join us. Alaskan Huskies can reach ages of 16 years so we encourage everyone to start early and enjoy the process for the life of their dog.

All Breeds Sledding Club does dry land mushing (mushing without snow). There are categories like Canicross - where the dog is attached to a human runner. Bikejoring - where 1 or 2 two dogs pull a bike. Scootering – a wheeled cart is pulled by 2 or more dogs. Safety always comes first. We make use of international mushing cues like Gee (right), Haw (left), and on-by (to pass something). We also provide our mushers with imported Man Mat gear designed specifically for sledding and used by Veteran Iditarod Champion Jeff King.

All huskies are bred to live in cold temperatures. They need extra help to stay cool during our summer months. Shaving them is not recommended because they have sensitive skin under that fur and can become easily irritated by fleas and ticks. The thick double-coated fur protects from harness and collar rubs. Huskies do not need many baths, but huskies like to roll in smelly stuff, the smellier the better. Sea water and mud can easily be rinsed off without using shampoo. The protective skin oil is washed away by shampoo and takes several days to regenerate. Too many baths can create excess oil production leaving the dog with a smelly odour. Save the baths for the extreme stinky days.

As part of Husky Rescue S.A. I help re home huskies and husky mixes. Each dog is vetted, sterilized, microchipped, dewormed and vaccinated. Last year, Husky Rescue fostered and re-homed over 200 abandoned and neglected dogs. All potential adopters will sign a contract, pay an adoption fee, and have a home check. We do this for every husky in our rescue.

Having a husky as a pet dog is not like having any other dog. When they get bored they get destructive, sing for hours, dig for days, and find a way to escape. A husky is a commitment for life and they take a lot of time. Once you have entered the world of the Husky you will be forever intrigued by this wonderful Northern breed dog.