Annie Oakley

Help! Can someone please provide details of how to get to venue please! I think I'm supposed to be there as Steve emailed me details on how to pay but I've received no further contact as to whether I'm now registered!!!!!!!!!! I don't want to miss this one so any and all help would be most appreciated!

It is in a husky's nature to be the leader if you are not. If you don't take on the role immediately it can be hard to enforce in the future. That said, my older girl (now 6) did not get the right training as a pup but I have enrolled her in an obedience school and she is thriving on it. She used to challenge me as the boss but now she respects the boundaries and all through positive training techniques. She also loves the mental stimulation the training is giving her, huskies need mental and physical exercise. My experience with huskies shows that if you are not constant with your role as a leader, and start letting them get away with things regularly then they will not outgrow challenging you for the role of leader. Challenging may not be them attacking you or anything but a husky has a mind of its own and will do what it wants if it thinks it can get away with it (you call it stubborn, I call it strong willed ) Like mentioned in your other thread you really need to assess if this is the breed for you because it is frightening how many huskies go through rescue because people had no idea what that cute ball of fluff represented, or the damage they can cause if left to their own devices.

Had no idea about that...thought she simply didn't like it because she wasn't used to it! Explains why she could tolerate it on but not in use. I have been shown how to correct Skye with a check chain for pulling, not sure if this is suitable for Ebony though as she might do herself harm with all the pulling to begin with...might start with small sessions at home rather than on a walk. The point of Ebony being fitted with a head halter was at her training (which is not with ADT) she was getting quite boisterous during theory time and I was told it would give me more control over her when she is supposed to be calm, as well as preventing the pulling when walking.

Erny - it is a toy that is readily available at home, my problem with having one just for training is she is only really toy motivated when the younger dog wants to play so having one just for her mightn't work either! Will find one and try though. Erny and HR - she seems to have settled well, not overly distracted by the other dogs like younger dogs seem to be. I will try some different treats too, she has always responded well to new or different treats. Its not like her training is suffering for not having a failsafe motivator, she is doing very well (in my eyes anyway!). OT again - she was excellent last Thursday night, made me look good! I said to one of the instructors I was cheating with an older dog because she already knows the basics and isn't as easily distracted as the young ones! After one class her drops at home are 100% better than what they were beforehand, and I'm impressed seeing as before this year she didn't even know drop!

Comment here by an amatuer - simply a dog owner and not a trainer (me!)... I was advised to get a Black Dog head halter for Ebony as she is darn strong and still learning who the boss is. I got taught to introduce it to her slowly and we got to the point where she would wear it whilst on our evening walk, but without the lead attached to it yet. This weekend just gone I tried the lead on the halter and she went mental after being completely (I thought) used to it when the lead wasn't attached to it. Now one of the under chin straps is just about torn through and I fear it is useless. Should I get another one and try again or try a different technique?

Can I hijack for a moment if thats ok? As Erny and HR know I joined ADT a few weeks ago with Skye and wanted to ask this...Skye is not really food motivated, never has been so last week I took a toy for her "reward". She still wasn't really interested in that either and it was a toy she always brings to me at home. She seems to prefer big pats and verbal praise more than anything. Even so she still seems to be like "ok, enough already with the fuss, lets get back to work"!!! Is patting and fussing a good enough motivator if it works for her?

Thanks Mel, a good idea I will check it out today! haven, yes now the dressing is off she can get it wet, I was thinking about swimming for her and I think you mentioned somewhere you take Nova? Can you PM me the address and I'll check with the vet if we should try it...

She is still limping, we went to the vet again this morning and he is not too concerned with her paw now as he can squeeze and manipulate it without her fussing, but when he tries to lift her right front leg she tenses and fights him. He also noticed she is losing muscle density in that shoulder because she is favouring her left foot still. When standing or sitting you can actually see she is not putting weight on that foot. He has given her more anti inflammatories and said to watch it for another week and see what happens before sugesting more xrays. She is a no-go for the Santa sled dog gig though Back on topic of feeding...I have noticed that even when they don't eat for a few nights they eventually will eat, so it seems you guys are right. Last night I put sardines in with the last of the mince and less kibble than normal and Ebony ate most of it at once, so obviously she was hungry.

Have ordered the BARF books from Dr Billinghurst and will buy a blender asap...here's to my dogs eating healthy! Thanks for your help guys, much appreciated!

I tried the rabbit mince with kibble on the weekend and they both gobbled it up, mind you they had only picked at their food for the last couple of days. Now they turn their noses up at it! In the past they have been keen on fishy products so might try some sardines and veges with a small amount of kibble. Would it harm them if they only got bowl meals every second day? I don't mind feeding them every night but it pains me to turf the food and it bugs me that we have the best fed mynah (sp?) birds in Melbourne! So if I give them 10 minutes and they don't eat, do I offer the food again later and see if they want it then or do I just not bother again until the following dinnertime? ETA - Am going to buy the BARF book by Dr Billinghurst I think...

No canned food given, one cup of bikkies with about same of meat...do i cook vege's or what?

I would like some help from you guys re the feeding habits of my dogs, I have read some of the current posts on nutruition and believe you guys can genuinely help me! I have two huskies, one is 5 the other nearly 1. They currently get a raw bone each in the morning then dinner is usually a cup of Purina Pro Plan with some rabbit, chicken, beef or roo mince. I have tried just giving them bikkies but they won't touch them by themselves at all. My problem is they are picky eaters and slow eaters. I put the bowls out after sunset because they tend to let the birds eat their food otherwise. Sometimes they will eat nearly all of it within 10 minutes, other times they sniff it and walk away. I will leave the bowls out but once the sun rises the birds eat it. Once I get up if any is left then I turf it. I have tried Advance bikkies but the younger one seems to prefer small sized pieces to the larger ones for adult dogs, but she tends not to eat any of her bikkies while the other one will eat them without fuss. Neither of them will eat Eukanuba nor Hills. BF tells me off for trying different things...he says they are dogs and should just get dog food and too bad they'll eat it if they get hungry enough - not true. Older one starved herself when she was younger because she hated the food my ex gave her. Is there something I'm doing wrong? Should I persist with the bikkies? Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I should try instead? I'm open to all suggestions! Help!

Speak to your vet, you'll be surprised how many of them will assist financially with repayment plans and things if you really want to go ahead with the more costly procedures. IMHO a good vet is almost like part of the family because they care as much for your furkid as you do. Good luck with everything and hugs to you and Bess.

This great info! I just got a paddle pool for the dogs and was wondering what to put in it so I didn't have to empty it every day...well now I know. Will be checking out the 101 thread too. Thanks guys! PS - I recently tried white vinegar to clean piddle stains off carpet and was so amazed and thrilled with the results!

Is it normal to be excited about attending training??!! Mine and Skye's first class is on Thursday night and I can't wait! I really think this is going to do wonders for her. Don't get me wrong, I am not expecting superdog after one lesson but I really believe she is going to do well with professional guidance. BTW we went out on Sunday with the husky club and she was soooo good. No aggression issues at all and towards the end she was even letting strange dogs eat her treats.

I have been advised to do more than one lesson a week with Skye to increase her socialisation and my next closest would be Heidelberg. I'll have to check it out!

Sending hugs to you and your family...he'll always be with you.

I'll go to Doncaster East as I can walk there! Haven thanks heaps for the PM, and if you think Skye is a spunky lady wait till you meet Ebony...she seems to get more comments than Skye nowadays!

Thanks guys I have made my decision based on PM's and some more research. I have gone with ADT so everyone wish me luck!

Not necessarily after negatives, if anyone does have one they can always PM me. Edited to remove reference to other dog clubs.

Am I allowed to ask for opinions on a specific training school on here before I enrol my dog in a training course with them?

I always seem to be bringing home treats and toys! My girls have one each of everything, so double what I've listed here: inside fluffy cushion that everyone comments on, weather proof kennel with flat roof and little sliding window for ventilation (BF calls them palaces not kennels), many toys both inside and out, two leads each - 1 short and 1 long for the beach, brushes, and a pantry full of dog treats. Not to mention both have a harness that doubles as a car seat belt and a dog cover for the back seat of the car. I see something that I think I MIGHT need one day and so it gets bought! Those big pet barns are just made for suckers like me! BF says dogs are more spoilt than him, damn straight they are!

I buy a 15kg bad of Advance Energy for my two huskies (that weigh 20-25kg each) at close to $100 a bag...lasts 2-3 weeks I think, I keep meaning to monitor how long it lasts but always forget! I also give them chicken with their biscuits of a night time so that is around $18 a week. Treats are from a pet supply store near my house and varies between $20 - $30 a week as they are all made on site, fresh, fat free and preservative free. My uncle works in a butcher shop near me too so I buy two marrow bones and get them quartered plus a bag of offcuts which costs me $5.50 a week all up. I try to give them a fresh bone every morning as I head off to work. Then there are all the extras they get simply coz I love them which I intentionally "forget" how much they cost me! I've noticed how it all adds up especially when you get a second dog, but I wouldn't change it for anything.

Please make sure thread is in big bold writing coz I'm so there!

Guys this info is great, and everyone's input has made me decide I will definitely check it out next time! Ebony is only 10 months old and so if I only let her do a couple of runs we should be ok. She is well socialised and would love to be around other dogs even if she doesn't "get" the whole lure coursing thing! She is in good shape and I have been told by other husky owners who do sledding that she is one quick kid so it should be fun for her.