Salmonella Recalls of Commerical Dog Food

"I'm confused. You post that dogs do not get sick from raw meat but then you post about a recall for salmonella. Which is it?" 

Very good question, anon! The recall in question is the recent Diamond brand recall including Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul.

Salmonella recalls are mainly for the safety of humans. It is possible for dogs to get sick from salmonella but it seems very rare. I can't find a single statistic about how many dogs get sick from it. Many seemingly healthy dogs have it in their system, perhaps even naturally.

When commercial dog food is recalled due to salmonella it's because when people handle contaminated food they can get sick.

 

For example, there was an outbreak in 2006-2007 from dry dog food in which 70 cases of human salmonella infection were identified across 19 states.

Multistate Outbreak of Human Salmonella Infections Caused by Contaminated Dry Dog Food --- United States, 2006--2007

Note: "S. Schwarzengrund" is the specific strain of salmonella.
www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5719a4.htm

There you have it. That is why they ("they" being the FDA) recall dry dog food for salmonella. Because it makes people sick. I don't recommend feeding anything that has been recalled. Your dog might be ok, or they might get very sick and possibly die. A recall is a recall. I respect the recall and personally wouldn't feed any product recalled due to salmonella. It is a good idea to keep food bags and cans for a few months just in case there is a recall (for many things, not just salmonella). When a recall is issued the specific product information, expiration date, and other identifying numbers are released. If you don't have the bag or can you're not going to know if you're feeding recalled food.

Basically everything I have found about salmonella and dogs is that many seemingly healthy dogs have salmonella- sometimes more than 30% of dogs in the study. I can't find good comparison studies of raw vs kibble, but you can probably assume the dogs are fed kibble unless otherwise noted.

Whether you feed commercial food or raw you should always wash your hands well for about 20-30 seconds with warm water and soap after feeding your dog, or after scooping the yard. If you feed raw you should also clean any surfaces the meat was on or near, and if necessary also clean your dog's face, paws, or other areas that touched meat. I also don't allow dogs to give me kisses or lick me for several hours after they eat whether commercial or raw fed. You should also wash your hands after giving treats or chews as these too may have salmonella or other bacteria.

Bacteria & Parasites

Bacteria and parasites. The words make me cringe. People, at least here in the United States, are typically raised with the idea that "cleanliness is next to Godliness." There is fear of germs. Germs are out to get us. There is frequent media attention on the latest diseases. Television shows depict rare parasites or bacterial infections contracted from eating undercooked meat that cause a symphony of health problems and place people in mortal danger. Before switching my dog to a raw diet I looked into this a bit. Isn't salmonella a concern? And what about worms? Won't raw meat make my dog sick? It certainly seems to make a lot of people sick. What's the difference?

The first information I came across was that dogs have stomachs that are highly acidic. This acidity destroys harmful bacteria such as salmonella. Makes sense. I was believing this information when I first started feeding raw and continued believing it for many months. I never looked into it because I saw the same information from many sources- though none were scientific. I randomly decided to look into the science of it. What can I say, I like to learn. I wanted to find the proof. I was in for a surprise. Various sources cite the normal pH of the gastric juices in our human stomachs to be from 1 to 3. Some say 1.5-3.5, or 1-2, or 2-3. Turns out dogs are just about the same! Well, when they're eating at least. During meals is the only time the pH in their stomach drops, from about 1 to 1.5. When not eating the pH varies from 3 to more than 6.

From "The Canine Gastrointestinal Tract: Stomach," page 3 (emphasis added):

Secretions

Gastric secretions are produced in response to food intake. The parietal cells that secrete HCl are receptive to both neural (acetylcholine) and hormonal (histamine) signals; histamine is released in response to stimulation from the locally secreted hormone gastrin.

Gastrin itself is released from the G cells in the gastric antrum and duodenum, and release is stimulated by both the presence of protein in the stomach and amino acids in the small intestine. Also, stomach distension and stimulation by the vagus nerve (e.g., in sham feeding) stimulate gastrin release.

During meals, gastric pH is about 1 to 1.5. Unlike in humans, the secretion of gastric acid is intermittent in cats and dogs, and during low-fasting acid secretion between meals, gastric pH can rise as high as 3 to 6.5. Therefore, blood in vomit may appear either as hematemesis (digested, “ground coffee” appearance) or as fresh blood.

(Note: when dogs are used to being fed at exact times their bodies begin to predict feeding time. They begin producing gastric juices regardless of the presence of food. [Think of Pavlov's dog salivating when the bell is rung]. If the food doesn't come, they will often vomit yellowish bile. Vary your feeding times so this doesn't happen. If it does happen, do NOT immediately feed the dog as you do not want to reinforce the reaction.)

With that information I now needed to find out why dogs didn't get sick from raw meat. My own dog was fine. Thousands and thousands of dogs, let alone wild canids, don't get salmonella poisoning or other problems from bacteria. Why? I dug deeper and discovered the answer to be due to their short GI tract. Food is eaten, digested, and passed through their system before bacteria like salmonella has a chance to affect them. Dogs have a very short intestinal tract, as all carnivores do. From "Comparison Between the Digestive Tracts of a Carnivore, a Herbivore and Man," (emphasis added):

The length of the gastrointestinal tract of a carnivore. The gut of any animal is usually measured after death when its muscles are relaxed. This gives a quite wrong impression. While that of the animal we have been discussing measures over thirty feet when the dead dog is dissected, this is not its normal length when the animal is alive. It has been found by passing a rubber tube through a living dog, which has a similar gut length when dissected, that the front end appears at its anus when little more that ten feet has entered the mouth. From measurements such as these it is generally reckoned that the total length of a carnivore's gut is probably about five to six times the length of the animal's body. 

The human GI tract is over 30 feet. I'm sure there is more behind it than simple length of the GI tract such as the bacterias already in the GI tract, but this is the main reason I currently believe as to why dogs don't get salmonella poisoning or other bacteria-related issues. Many healthy dogs and cats naturally have salmonella in their GI Tract, including those that are kibble fed.

Bacteria like salmonella is a real concern for us humans. While your dogs and cats can handle it, you probably can't. Always be careful and safe when handling raw meat. Wash your hands and all surfaces the meat was on or near. Wash your hands after scooping the yard or litter box. If your pet gets any icky goo on its face, legs, or paws, wash your pet. Personally I use a little Dawn dishsoap. Typically my pets don't get messy at all. The dogs get paws-on meals sometimes like large pieces of meat or beef ribs. They are always carried straight to the tub after eating messy meals.

Kaytu got a thorough cleaning after eating these ribs- as did the floor.

On to parasites! First, any meat you see in a reputable grocery store (in the United States; I cannot vouch for other places, though Canada and the UK I *think* fall under this rule as well) is fine to give to your pets straight away. You don't need to worry about worms or other parasites. In some countries you should avoid pork due to trichinosis, a type of roundworm. "It is common in developing countries where meat fed to pigs is raw or undercooked, but many cases also come from developed countries in Europe and North America, where raw or undercooked pork and wild game may be consumed as delicacies." (from Wikipedia, source cited: Epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and control of trichinellosis.) Pork here in the States at grocery stores is absolutely fine to feed. You might want to steer clear of meat at foreign markets though. It's up to you and if you trust the source or not.

While grocery store meat is fine to feed right away, meat from other sources may not be ok to feed immediately. Any wild game such as rabbit, deer, pheasant, moose, elk, bear, etc. should be frozen solid for at least a week prior to feeding. According to the Mayo clinic, meat should be frozen for at least 12 hours to kill tapeworms, and fish for 24 hours. Remember the clock does not begin to start running until the meat is frozen solid. I like to freeze for at least 1 to 2 weeks to be on the safe side. If you aren't comfortable feeding wild game that's perfectly ok! You don't need to. I like it because it's almost always free and because it's what wolves eat. I would feed mainly deer if I could find a source for it.

Another specific concern is with wild-caught salmonids in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. "Salmonids" includes salmon of course (see pic) but also trout, whitefish, grayling, and char. These specific fish in this specific location from southern Alaska to mid California may have the parasite responsible for salmon poisoning. Freezing the fish solid will again kill the parasite. One week of freezing is surely enough, but 2 weeks is what I would personally do.

Types of salmon.
worldfishingnetwork.com

There are some kinds of bacteria that will make your pets sick, and some parasites that are not killed by freezing. This is extremely uncommon. Personally I have never heard of a raw fed pet getting an illness from the meat, but that's not to say it doesn't happen. Keep in mind that pets can get sick from kibble and canned food, from flea and tick preventative, from vaccines, and many other sources as well. If you have any doubt about a piece of meat then don't feed it. If your pet catches wild things on their own like rabbit, squirrels, mice, or birds, you should have your pet dewormed regularly.

Urban Mushing with Kaytu

There is a big park near where we live. I take Kaytu there once a week for a bike ride, weather permitting. This evening was perfect. Overcast skies, nice and cool. We do a 5 mile loop and it takes us about 45 minutes start to finish which includes a couple stops for water. This loop is 2 miles.

Homemade "Scooter Noodle"

When I ordered my double scooter line from Alpine Outfitters I almost got a "scooter noodle" too. The scooter noodle slides over the line above the front tire of the bike or scooter to prevent damage to the line when it goes slack, as well as helping prevent "tangling and accidents". When the line is tight it stays above the tire but any slack can cause the line to rub on the tire or get caught.

Image from Alpine Outfitters

Image from Alpine Outfitters

I decided to wait since it was $20 and I wasn't sure if it would be necessary. Honestly I haven't had much issue with the line on the tire but whenever it does scrape I cringe. In my head I can see the fibers in the line getting shredded. I'm sure it would take a lot of wear and tear to cause serious damage but it worries me. I also have visions of the line getting caught and tangled causing myself to flip over the handlebars as the line gets wrapped up and jams the tire before I know what's happening. I do love Alpine Outfitters very much and I highly recommend their products but I couldn't justify spending $20 on their scooter noodle when I knew I could make my own for much, much cheaper.

I have some scrap PVC pipe from making agility weave poles and jumps. I took a piece about a foot long (30 cm). My husband found a big drill bit and put a hole in one end of the pipe, just through one side not all the way through both. I then cut a piece of rope about 8 inches long (20 cm). It's better to cut the rope too long than too short; when you think you have the right length add a few inches so you have room to adjust it if you need to, and also enough to tie a good knot. The hole you drill needs to be big enough that the rope can fit through it. You need to put a piece of rope through it to attach the PVC to the clip at the start of the line in order to keep it from sliding down.

The PVC I used is 3/4". It is too small to fit over the clips at either end of the line. The the middle of the line there is a knot of sorts where the two pieces of the line were fed through each other. I took that apart to slide the PVC onto the line. EDIT: It's much easier to remove the clip at the end of the line than to pull the two segments apart. The line loops over the clip, it's very easy to take off so you can slide the PVC on!

The "knot" in the middle where the 2 pieces of the line are joined.
EDIT: DO NOT TAKE THIS APART

The better way of putting the PVC on the line:

The metal clip is easily removed. Simply loosen the loop around it and take the clip out.

Feed the line up through the PVC.

Reattach the clip by putting the loop through the base of the clip..

..Put the loop over the clip..

..And pull it tight.

Then tie the PVC rope around the base of the clip. See my Urban Mushing: How To video for a video demo of how to take the clip off, put the PVC on, and reattach the clip.

PVC is very cheap, as is rope. PVC is about $0.20/foot and rope is very cheap too- you could even use an old shoelace. My homemade scooter noodle cost no more than $0.50 and it works great! The one from Alpine Outfitters appears to have a strap piece that goes from the far end of the noodle up to the handlebars, holding the noodle out straight to prevent the noodle itself from rubbing on the tire. All that would be needed is a hole in the other end and a few more feet of rope.

Quick tips:
-Use nail polish remover to get rid of any print on the PVC.
-Burn the ends of the rope if needed so they don't fray.

Look at all those scuffs! Maybe I needed this more than I thought.

Nervous Nali

Recently my husband has come up with a new nickname for Denali, "Nervous Nali," which fits her. When my husband and I went to choose which puppy would become our Denali, we went to visit the breeder when the puppies were six weeks old. We were presented with 6 puppies in a pen. We wanted a female and of the 6, there were 4 females, but one had already been claimed leaving us with 3 puppies to choose from. One was black and white, and two were all white. I preferred the black and white from looks alone because I love mask markings and the striking contrast created by color. But I know better than to choose a puppy based on looks. After only moments we could tell that puppy was very confident and had a lot of energy. She was the first to everything. Very spunky. While I love that personality, our apartment lifestyle was not suited to it. Of the two white puppies, one was very shy and slow to gain the courage she needed to explore something new. The other was also initially hesitant but quickly found the courage to investigate- albeit carefully. She was very curious about new things, so while hesitant and careful, she had the desire to learn about it and when she became comfortable her fear disappeared. She became our Denali. I once said that "I picked Denali because she was mellow, curious, and responsive without being pushy or aggressive." I stand by that.


Two weeks later we returned to the breeder to pick her up and bring her home. Denali was more confident than the last time, not even flinching as we approached whereas before she had initially backed away. I thought she might have issues with strangers that would need to be worked out, but no problem, I'd just get her socializing asap. I didn't expect to be facing months of training that continues even to this day. Whenever she saw someone she didn't know on a walk, she would panic. She would try to back out of her collar. It's common for puppies to be uncertain and scared on their first walks the first few weeks they are home. Their whole world has changed, and they didn't have a big world to begin with. They still have so much to learn. New smells, new objects, new scenery, new everything. Puppies often stop walking for a minute to sit or stand and just look around. So I didn't force Denali. I encouraged her to progress at her own pace. I didn't want her to always be afraid, and with the seeds of both curiosity and fear having been planted I knew I had to nurture one well in order to manage the other. Her fear could have easily started to strangle her curiosity.

We lived right next to a park so as she gained confidence in walking around our complex I began to take her there to expose her to things in a positive way. Some things were much scarier than others to her but she had general fear of things she didn't know. People running, pushing strollers, kids screaming, bikes rolling by, she was scared of it all. The trick? Simple. Treats!

"Treats? NOTHING MATTERS BUT TREATS."

We would begin walking along the path. Whenever someone was approaching, from in front of us or behind, I would step off the path and start pumping little bits of treats into her. She would take the treats eagerly, though I could see the whites of her eyes as she strained to keep an eye on who and what was passing. We did this for weeks. I didn't take her out of the house without a baggy full of tiny treats. Gradually there was progress. No longer was she straining to keep an eye. She would sit patiently, calmly. No longer did I have to pump a continual stream of treats to her, I could wait a second or two or even longer between each one. As the weeks went on we began to keep walking as someone approached, instead of stepping off the path. I would bend over to give her treats as we walked, keeping her attention on me. As she got more and more confidence, the puppy panicking and trying to back out of her collar and escape had disappeared. She wasn't glancing back and forth, checking behind her, tail and body low, and ears back, panting from stress. She was happy! She walked confidently at my side, allowing people to pass us without producing a heartbreaking show of fear. To this day she does great on walks, and does not panic when anyone is coming from in front of us or behind us. The treats were gradually faded out. I still often carry treats with me on walks to reward loose-leash walking or to keep her attention should I need to, or for whatever obstacle we come across that may benefit from treats. But generally we just keep walking, and she is happy.


Occasionally we will come across an object that startles her. I take whatever time is needed to get her comfortable and confident. My best example is a statue at a park by my parents' house. I was on a walk with my family the first time she encountered it when she was somewhere about 6 months old. It's a big statue, maybe 15 feet tall. It's at least 30 feet off the sidewalk but Denali did not like it. She startled and planted her feet in fear. I sent my family to continue on their walk and I spent a good 15 minutes getting her to approach the statue, smell it, and eventually walk right by it. It takes time, patience, and dedication. If I'd coddled her or told her "it's ok" and just avoided the statue, she always would have had a problem with it. It's not ok. I don't tell her everything is ok when in her mind, it's not. Petting her or reassuring her is telling her "yes, good, it's good to be afraid of that statue, what you are doing is the right response." I first lured her using treats, step by step, spiraling inward toward the statue. A straight line was not going to be as good because it would be too clear that we were approaching quickly. Spiraling takes more time. More time for her to gain confidence, to arouse her curiosity, to calm her down. When I was close enough to touch the statue I reached out to it. I knocked on it to have her hear the sound, I patted it for more sound and presented my hand to her to smell. I knelt in the wet evening grass to encourage her to come explore it. She approached at her own pace. No reason to pull or force her, that's scary for her and unhelpful. She will get there on her own, in time, I knew it. And she did. We stayed until she would walk around the statue, until she'd touched her nose to it, even put her paws on it. Patience. 15 minutes is a very, very long time to spend spiraling into a park statue and walking around it. But it worked. She was never scared of it again. It was just another object, like a tree or a mailbox or a lamp post.

The greatest hurdle in overcoming her fears has been with people. In her entire life she has only approached strangers enthusiastically twice. The first was a random lady at the playground we had never met before. Denali went prancing and wiggling up to her as if she was a lost friend. The other time was when she met my good friend and she did the same thing, ears back and tail wagging, so happy to meet him. Typically she does not approach a stranger at first. She is always curious. On those walks as a puppy she would be terrified, but as soon as the person had gone by she would perk up and try to follow them. I almost always allowed this curiosity. The best things I've done are to again not force her, and to have people give her treats. She will take treats from anyone but she has to know you and trust you before she will allow you to pet her. When taking treats the first few times (or when approaching new objects she is unsure of) she adopts her "nervous Nali" stance. She plants her back feet and leans in as far as she can to investigate. She will gladly smell people from head to toe, as long as they do not move suddenly or attempt to pet her. If they do, she scoots backward quickly, and after that it takes her longer to gain that trust back.

Investigating a stuffed dog. Her ears are upright and alert, expressing her curiosity. Her back feet
are planted far back as she leans in, showing hesitation, fear, and/or mistrust. Her shoulders are tight
and tense, ready to push off and spring her backward if she is startled. Her tail is low but not tucked,
showing she is not too scared to be interested.

As she becomes more confident and trusting, her posture relaxes. It depends on the person, object, or situation as to how long it will take her to relax. Sometimes she gets used to a new person in 2 minutes and she will allow them to pet her. Sometimes it takes weeks or even months. With objects I allow as much time as it takes, when I can. If I don't have the time to work her through it I will try to at least get her attention to me and calm her down enough that she doesn't scoot away in fear. I want her leaving happily, not in fear.

Relaxed stance for comparison.

Our precious Nervous Nali is not nearly as scared of nearly as many things as she used to be. She is no longer panicking, stressed, or terrified as she used to be so often. It's an ongoing process as she frequently meets new people who can give her treats, and we do still rarely we come across some object that makes her lose confidence that we must overcome. I don't think she will ever be the dog that confidently walks right up to people for a scratch on the head but I'm ok with that. I don't need her to be that dog, and she doesn't need to be that dog in order to have a happy and fulfilling life.

Pawprints

When Denali was a little puppy I decided to get her pawprint tattooed, along with the cats' prints. It was a really fun project! I'm sure there are better or easier things to use than food coloring, but it's what I had so it's what I used. Today I finally got around to doing Kaytu's pawprint to add to the 3 already on my shoulderblade.

First I gathered my materials. Clippers for the paw, and I put red food coloring in a bowl and use a pastry brush. This will stain the brush if using dye like food coloring, and some bowls may hold the color as well. This is a ceramic bowl and every little scratch is now stained red though the rest of the surface is fine. Paper towels are also on standby to catch any drips as well as to press to the paw immediately after completing the prints. It's a good idea to do this outside or on top of cardboard or something you don't mind getting the food coloring on. I do it outside on the patio, and I have a small bowl of water so if I do drip then I can get a paper towel wet to immediately clean up and hopefully avoid staining the concrete. I wear old clothes that I don't mind getting splatters of food coloring on. A piece of paper is also needed to do the prints on, I use plain copy paper.

With materials gathered I then clip the fur on the paw. This is important because fur covering the paw pads will distort the image and it won't produce a clear shape of the pad. My cats tolerated this well as I routinely clip their claws so they are used to having their paws handled.

Kaytu's clipped paw.

If the paw is dirty it may need to be washed and then dried. Dry it well.

Now the fun part! I have the dog sit on my left side and I put a piece of copier paper directly in front of the dog. I use a shoe or the clippers or whatever I have to hold the paper down. Then I brush the coloring onto their right paw. I hold the paw gently but firmly at the wrist. I then lean the dog forward so she stands up and I put the paw on the paper. To get a good solid print I pick up their front left paw, forcing all their weight onto the right paw. I do several prints until the color is becoming faint.

Zebulon, bottom left print.

Denali, bottom right print.

Everest, the middle print.

Kaytu, the middle print.

Notice the big blobs on Denali's? I did her print first and made the mistake of dipping her paw in the food coloring. Brushing it on worked much better!

After doing the prints I immediately put a wad of paper towels around their paw and take them straight to the tub, or the sink for the cats. I rinse the paw until the water runs clear, then use an old towel to dry it well.

Kaytu's stained paw.

I took the papers to a local tattoo artist and he did amazing work. I got the tattoo in September 2010. The top paw is Everest, Denali in the middle, and Zebulon on bottom. Denali was 3 months old when I did her print. I did Kaytu's prints today so it will be added hopefully within the next couple months, and I plan on putting it below Zeb's pawprint but I might do it next to Denali's. I also originally planned to have the tattoo be black but I grew attached to the red.

Mirror image, this is my right shoulder blade.

The Thing About Huskies Is

I've had many friends ask me what living with a Siberian is like and if what they've heard of the breed is true. This is my experience having two of them and comparing the experience to what I "know" of the breed. Always remember that each individual dog will vary. The breed itself has certain characteristics but each dog has its own personality. Nature (genetics) and nurture (how the dog is raised) both play a role in how your dog behaves, no matter what breed.

1. They should not be let offleash - with exception. Generally the first thing you hear about huskies goes something like this: Never let them off leash, and never leave them unsupervised outside, because they will escape and run away. They are born and bred to run and it can be difficult to build motivation to get them to come back to you because the world is very exciting. Freedom, running full speed away from you, and exploring new things are all extremely fun for a Siberian, or really for most any dog. For that reason it is not advised to let them off leash unless in a fenced area. An escaped Siberian is likely to get hit by a car or run so far that it is hopelessly lost. Huskies running the Iditarod or other races run over 100 miles in ONE day. Think very hard about the risks before you ever unclip the leash.

So that's the general rule: never let the dog off leash. However, I've had Denali off leash as much as possible her entire life for just that reason. I read so much about why not to let them off leash that I decided to just make recall and following me a focal point of training. Since I was starting with an 8 week old puppy that I could easily outrun if needed, I worked hard on recall and took full advantage of her natural instinct to follow me. She now has excellent recall and it's still something I give her a treat for every single time (unless I forget the treats, oops!). She did go through a phase from about 9-12 months old were she was testing the limits and if she really did have to come back when called. This is typically puppy teenager stuff. Be consistent and don't allow the dog to not listen to you. That phase is when the dog will learn "oh, she means it, I better do it" or "eh, nothing happens when I don't listen, so I'm going to ignore her."

Teaching recall, or the Come cue, can save your dog's life. I've had people tell me that you can't teach a Siberian to come when called because they are independent and stubborn. Words like "stubborn," "independent," "willful," or even "stupid" are words that describe a dog that is none of the above, but rather just hasn't had the right motivation or been taught with the right technique to do what you ask. Positive reinforcement is the way to go. Don't believe in the dominance or alpha training. Your dog does not need to be afraid of you to listen to you. There are a lot of games and ways to enforce a good recall. Recall is one of the cues that you should always, ALWAYS, give a treat for (or toy if your dog prefers).

It is also crucial that you do not call your dog if you don't think it's going to come. All that teaches is that "Come" doesn't mean a darn thing. It's optional at best. If your dog is in the middle of playing with another dog at the dog park, don't call it. If you aren't sure how distracted the dog is, say your dog's name first. If the dog looks toward you, they are paying attention and it's a good time to call them over for a treat. You should never punish a dog for coming to you. For example, if you notice the dog chewed on your shoe, don't call the dog to you and yell at it. Coming is always a good thing, nothing bad ever happens. This also includes if your dog does escape and you finally (hopefully) catch it. You don't want to scream at it and beat it. You want to give it a treat if you have one and calmly lead it home, where it then gets more treats and love and play. I know from experience how difficult it can be to keep your cool when your heart is pounding and your adrenaline is pumping and you were terrified that your dog was going to get hit by a car and die. But you must remain as calm as possible and not punish the dog when you catch it. Otherwise what did you teach your dog? You taught your dog that running is better, because when you catch up to it you're going to inflict pain. Think about what your dog may see as punishment. If you go to the dog park and the only time you call your dog to you is when you leave, what is the dog going to learn? It will learn that the fun is over- which can be seen as a punishment of sorts. The dog park is a great place to practice as you can play "catch and release." When you know your dog will come, or when it's heading to you anyway, say "come" and give it a treat when it gets to you. Then immediately let it go play again. You can even clip the leash on for a second then unclip it again. I don't think of Come as a command to have the dog come to me. I think of it as telling the dog I have a free treat.

I've had Denali since she was an 8 week old puppy and from the very beginning I worked hard on recall. She was offleash very often. Puppies love to follow you, so I'd have a zillion treats with me and be constantly rewarding her for chasing me and following me inside and outside. We also played "puppy pingpong" at the park, where my husband and I would call her back and forth between us. This is an excellent game that encourages the puppy to run very fast to you when called. We started at short distances when she was a puppy, maybe 6 feet or so as she was on leash so we could enforce the command if needed by reeling her in, but gradually we increased the distance and went to a 20 ft leash, and then she'd be completely offleash and we'd call her back and forth from about 50 yards away. I would start with her and my husband would walk away and I'd hold her by the collar, preventing her from following. He'd turn and call her and I'd let her run to him to get a treat. Remember that puppies have a fairly short attention span so don't play games like this for extended periods of time. 5 to 10 minutes at a time is plenty. You don't want the dog to get bored.

Kaytu on the other hand, we got her last October when she was a year and a half old and she didn't care about paying attention to people at all. I've had to work extremely hard to get her to even notice us when she's distracted. She has major "selective deafness" where I know she hears me, but is choosing to ignore me. I don't think she'll ever be trustworthy offleash in open areas. She comes when called at the house, and about 80-90% at the dog park, but if it's not an enclosed area then she needs to be on leash. Also she can't be unattended in the backyard. She can climb chainlink fence and I have no question about her ability to jump a 6 ft fence. Denali hangs out in a yard with a 4 ft fence no problem, doesn't try to get out, but Kaytu is a true escape artist. She's jumped through window screens to get out. Again, each dog is an individual and nature and nurture both have an important role in their escape tendencies, and your ability to get them back.

Spaying or neutering will often decrease the dog's desire to escape, but not always.

 
2. They are a working breed and need to work. This is very, very true. They need a constructive outlet for their energy (physical and mental energy) or they will create their own fun by destroying your everything, barking, and unruly uncontrollable behavior.

You could walk a husky 6 hours a day and it wouldn't be enough because they need to run. Running is important to them. Before Kaytu, Denali and I would go on bike rides several times a week (she doesn't pull much) and I also started her in agility when she was about 8 months old. We went to the beach once a week for a couple hours where she would run, dig, and play. When she was about 6 months old we started going to the dog park almost every day except on weekends and would stay for 1-2 hours. Now with Kaytu, I take Kaytu for her own bike ride for ~5 miles a couple times per week. I take her by herself because Denali can't keep up with her. Kaytu is insanely fast and pulls hard. It's a great workout for her. I bike with both dogs to and from the dog park almost every day which is 3 miles round trip, and we spend 1-2 hours at the park. No beach days anymore because it's not fenced in and Kaytu can't be offleash there. I still do agility with Denali and plan to start soon with Kaytu. The point is, if you have a Siberian husky, you must keep them busy. Siberians are known to be destructive when they get bored.


3. They shed.

In colder climates they may not shed as much, but they do shed. They also blow their coat twice a year. That means every last strand of fluffy, cottony softness comes out. It takes about 2 months or so. 2 months of clumps of hair falling out. A total 4 months of the year per dog. At least 1/3 of the time.

If you brush every day, your fur pile will look like this.

Your dryer lint sheet will look like this.

A very important bit of information is that you must NEVER SHAVE YOUR HUSKY except as required for medical reasons. Their body is designed to regulate their body temperature with all that fur on them. If you shave them, they are actually more at risk of a heat stroke. The fur is insulation against both cold and heat, but more so with cold so you do need to be careful in heat. Don't take them outside in the middle of a hot day. If they need to be left outside, have plenty of water available or even a kiddie pool with a couple inches of water in it for the dog to lay in.


4. Separation anxiety (or maybe it's just boredom).

Huskies commonly have separation anxiety. When you leave, they freak out. They whine, the howl, they bark, they find a shirt or sock of yours and cuddle with it. They may be so frantic that they injure themselves trying to escape from a crate. They may rip the trim off from around a door keeping them in a certain room. They may leave claw marks in your walls or doors trying to get out. Most huskies do better in a crate when you leave. I strongly suggest you have a crate to keep the dog safe and keep your stuff safe while you can't be supervising. Crates also are a safe place where the dog feels secure meaning that whining and howling should be a minimum.

Don't confuse anxiety with boredom. Going to the bank, be gone for 15 minutes, come back and your sofa is shredded. Take a shower, not paying attention for 10 minutes, dog eats 4 socks and has a potentially life-threatening condition. These are more likely born of boredom more than anxiety, though anxiety may play a role as well if the dog is panicking when you leave. Crate when you can't be watching! As I said, they are easily bored and will make their own fun by ruining your everything. If your dog has severe separation anxiety you will likely need a trainer to help you desensitize the dog and offer tips about how to keep the dog calm and busy while you are gone. Chews like bully sticks are a good option. Toys that dispense treats are good too.


5. Noise.

Huskies are noise makers. They rooo and wooo and oowwraahooaaaooo! They bark, they howl, they "talk," they growl, they groan, they oof, and they woof. Some make much more noise than others. Neighbors probably won't appreciate a dog howling and whining and barking all day. Youtube is full of huskies talking and howling. It's cute when it lasts a minute. It's cute when that youtube-famous husky Mishka says "I love you" or "bye bye". It's not cute when can't get them to shut up and they whine or howl nonstop. Most huskies I've encountered, including my own two, are generally very quiet. When they start getting excited they whine and "talk". When they play they are growly and bark a lot- don't confuse that with aggression, it's usually not. Look at the body language. If they are loose and floppy and giving play bows then it's fine. If they are stiff and head high with chest out, that might be aggression about to explode and it's time to step in and distract your dog for a minute to bring their excitement level down a notch.


6. They are natural diggers.

I taught Denali to dig in sand and dirt, but not to dig in the grass. Kaytu doesn't dig except to try to escape. I don't leave the dogs outside unattended (except in the dog run which I don't care if it gets dug in) so they don't have a chance to rip up the yard. I encourage them to dig in the dirt at the dog park or the sand at the beach. Digging is a very natural behavior for all dogs but huskies are prone to it as they are programmed to dig down into snow to make a bed. They may also dig because they are hot. Digging down a couple inches exposes cool dirt to lay on. If your dog is digging off just the top layer of ground then this is likely the reason for digging. Another common reason for digging is because of critters like voles or moles. Until you get rid of the critters, the digging will continue. If your dog is a real true digger, it can be a great idea to provide a designated digging area. Make a square of 2x4 boards and fill it with sand or dirt. Encourage the dog to dig there by burying toys and large treats. Having a designated area will stop the dog from digging in other areas.