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By badwater
By Vicki
By Leaky
By kim
We live in the valley, too. Everything we have read has told us not to shave long haired breeds in the summer, so we haven't. She has a doggie door and comes in whenever she wants and always has fresh water available. Vally fever is a threat here to pets and humans, but it can be successfully treated with antifungal medication. I am sorry to hear about the dog above who got ill.
By Kim
Our veterinarian told us when we bought Lucy that this mix is extremely intelligent and he was right. They can just about learn anything very quickly. I'd almost bet you could teach one to drive a car!
By KCKID
Both breeds of dogs are bred to deal with colder types of climates, so warmer areas are ideally not the best setting for either or a mix of both. Huskies have up to 5 layers of fur and Shepherds can have up to 4! Imagine having 4 winter coats on during the hot months!
Also plenty of land is a a good thing, both dogs need tons of exercise and love to run long distances. I live in town, but there is a 5 acre dog park with lake access about 4 blocks away. Kayla just loves it there! She gets to play fetch, swim, plus have tons of social interaction with other dogs! Thats a GREAT thing!
As for separation anxiety, it's usually not common in huskies or shepherds. Really, they are usually just bored. Get your dog a Kong and just stuff that thing full of peanut butter, milkbones, cream cheese, whatever your pup really likes. I usually put a couple different treats in Kayla's Kong and she just LOVES it! This will keep your pup occupied for a while. If you are unsure what a Kong is, go to a pet supply store and just ask, they will know! Shepherds are especially smart dogs and need to be mentally stimulated as much as possible. Give your pup plenty of toys to play with, hide treats around the house for your pup to search for... give him/her something to do, give it time, and I bet you'll find that your dog doesn't really have separation anxiety, just needs something to keep the mind working.
Being a mix dog, almost any colors can happen, but I'll give you the basics of the breed colors. Shepherds are usually black, brown, reddish, and creme, only recently has white become an acceptable purebred color for shepherds. Only because there is an all white breed of shepherd was it not accepted before, thinking the dog could be a cross of the 2 shepherds. Huskies can be almost any color as well, generally white and grey, but they can also be red, black, brown... all of one color or a mix. Usually both dogs have a crownish type marking along the head and eyes and also have a lighter color on the belly/chest area. But like I said, being a mix, any coloring is possible. Also, Huskies tend to have a soft fur, whereas Shepherds usually have a more coarse hair. There are other ways to help determine the mix of your dog, like the husky curved tail and lighter eyes (not always blue, especially with a mix dog, this may not be prominent), shepherds have HUGE ears and low butts. Also Personality; Huskies main concerns generally tend to be RUNNING and a shepherd tends to be very loyal. Both breed are talkers and like to almost hold a conversation with you, its almost creepy.
As for the the pup that doesn't like to eat. First, obviously, take the dog to the vet and make sure it isn't an underlying health issue (beginning stages of worms, parvo is common in puppies.. easily treatable if caught early). But also keep in mind that Huskies are bred as sled dogs. Imagine how much food 10 dogs would eat in a week. That would be extremely heavy on a sled! Huskies were bred to not eat a lot. I had a purebred Siberian Husky in the past and she ate on her own once every 2-3 days. Huskies tend to have a slower metabolism so they keep this food longer. If you don't think thats what it is, id try switching foods until you find something your pup really likes. Don;t do it a lot as switching up food frequently can cause stomach issues. It could just be your pup doesn't like the food it has. If you think thats still not it, feed your dog extra treats that it does like. It is okay to feed your dog human food in small amounts, as long as you don't do it while you are eating. Make it seem as if the food you are giving the dog is for the dog, and not a shared food, or the dog will beg when you try to eat. Also, if you check your local grocery store in the meat section, sometimes they have extras they sell for cheap for dogs.
Don't be afraid to give your dog special treats! But make your pup work for them, do tricks, they're not free! CAUTION! CAUTION! CAUTION! There are a few foods you never-ever want to feed your dog. NEVER feed your dog peppers, onions or garlic! There is something in these foods that causes blood disease in dogs. NEVER feed your dog sugars or chocolates. Their digestive system is not made to handle food like that, and will cause the dog to become violently ill and a possibility of death. Also, keep the dairy intake very low. Its not necessarily bad for the dog, but over a long time of not having dairy, dogs, like people, become lactose intolerant and they will get the puppy squirts from it. Thats not pretty! A lot of dogs LOVE fruit. Kayla just loves melon and grapes! any fruit is okay for the dog. Peanut butter is a very common favorites amongst dogs. Keep in mind, these are just snacks and treats, don't use people food as your main diet for a dog.
Sorry so very long, but hopefully I was able to answer a few questions! Thanx!
By di5c0rd1a
By
11/17/2011
We have a 13 week old German Shepherd Siberian Husky, Dasha. According to our trainer, she's a pup with an attitude! We have to take different approaches to training with her as she finds all of the usual training methods humorous and almost laughs at us as we try to correct her bad behavior.
She's learning to respect us, though, and knows many commands already! She loves to test people that watch her for us. She'll do things with them she never does with us! And if she gets away with it, even once - she'll do it over and over and over. She's too smart for her own good.
We take her on at least 3 walks a day, she already fetches her ball, and she loves going out to pet stores. She wants to jump into everyone's lap and say "Hi!." She's a lot of work, but we love her to death and are willing to put the time and effort into her to make her into a wonderful dog. We live in Colorado, so we're hoping she'll enjoy camping and hiking up 14,000 foot mountains with me and my husband!
By
10/06/2011
I had been traveled to another town by the underground, the train and the bus to buy Renji for 100$. His mother is the Shepherd from the military kennel, and his father is the blue eyed black-and-white Siberian Husky. Renji don't like to bark, likes to play with the ball, to jump over the barriers, to swim and likes snow. He's socialized with other dogs and all transport, he likes children and all people very much (so he can't protect me at all) and is very obedient, always walks off leash (where it's allowed) and never run away like purebred Huskies. Now he's 2.5 years old.
By
08/29/2011
@ mhmmmkatysrad. Your puppy resembles mine! Here's a picture of him with his German shepherd/husky mix Dad 'Samson'. His Dame was also a German shepherd/husky mix yet they looked so different. Say hi to 'Wolfie' :-) To back up what everyone else has said, he's mega intelligent and has already learned more than 6 tricks at age 11 weeks. He goes in moods, sighing if he doesn't get your undivided attention, and wakes me up in the morning by placing his head under mine, flipping me up and then lying on the pillows haha. Amazing dog
By
03/20/2011
I just had to mention that I saw on this that someone feeds their dog grapes and recommends it as a treat. Do NOT do this! Grapes/raisins are toxic to dogs and cause severe illness if enough is ingested, including renal failure. I have no idea why so many people think it's ok but it is not. See for yourself: http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/raisins.asp
By
12/31/2010
I have a 1 yr old male Husky/German shepherd mix. I know both parents of my boy Oscar. Dad was 110lbs German Shepherd. I want to breed him so I can have a son of his. Please let me know if you're interested. He is 85lbs @ 1yr. Big boy and smart and a lover! Please e-mail me @ dollfinn63 AT yahoo.com. I am in Orlando.
By
12/21/2010
This adorable guy is Dexter. We got him last Christmas after much pleading from my girlfriend. We found him on craigslist and he came from a great home, mother and father were a pure bred red-haired siberian husky and german shepherd respectively. Raising him during the first few months was an absolute nightmare. He chewed everything from chords to shoes. As adorable as he was, we ended up having to put him in his kennel almost every night when we went to sleep. He also had terrible separation anxiety, so bad in fact that we had to have him put on medication. After a few months and the purchase of a giant kennel (he grew so fast!) he calmed down from misbehaving. After a year old, he is only 66lbs and barely eats (it's the husky in him, not worms or anything) and my girlfriend and I are hoping he gets much larger. Just a few days ago we put away his kennel and we can trust him to stay out of it when we leave the house. He is the best thing that has ever happened to us and I wouldn't trade him for anything in the world.
By
07/22/2010
My boyfriend & i adopted a Husky/German Shepherd mix from a friend of a friend when he was about a year old. I was told from my friend that his old owners were very neglectful, left him outside all the time (in Florida) & just generally didn't care all that much about him. We didn't know if he had had any shots or if he'd even ever been to the vet, so as soon as we got him back home we took him in, only to unfortunately find out that he has heartworms. He is currently going through treatment which isn't easy for him or cheap for us, but he is part of the family now & we'd do anything for him. :)
We named him Murphy & he has become the most amazing pet either of us have ever had. Every day when we are getting ready for work or to go wherever, he starts talking and we can tell he has a little bit of separation anxiety, but we think that he'll get better with age. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that he isn't at all scared or skiddish; he is so affectionate and loves everyone! He always wants to snuggle & will press himself up against my boyfriend & I in the bed all the time.
Being only a year-ish old, he has learned so much & is so well behaved. He doesn't jump on people (just my boyfriend & I), he can sit, lay down, shake, he doesn't beg, etc. He likes to chew up old toilet paper rolls & clothes tags, but other than that he doesn't chew anything. Currently, he can't get any exercise or play time because of his heartworm treatment, but before he started on his treatment, we used to walk/run him at least 3 times a day & he was still always crazy hyper. We live in south Florida so its super hot in the summers, so one of murphy's favorite activities is playing in the pool. He loves to swim and looks so adorable doing it.
Murphy is hands down the best dog i've ever had. He is so affectionate and loving, and we can tell that he is very protective of both of us. Hes so sweet, so adorable, and so perfect; I'm so happy my boyfriend & I took a chance on a neglected puppy. We don't have any children (yet) but I think that he would be very good with kids since you could do anything to him & he would just lick you all over your face. I suggest to anyone who has the chance to own a Husky / German Shepherd mix to do so, because they will add so much happiness to your life. :)
By
05/22/2010
Read somewhere on here that someone feeds there puppy grapes. Don't! Grapes are bad for doggies.
By
03/28/2010
I have to ask, how to you get them to stop chewing everything? Brownie has been a terror since we got her in December. She eats through cords like crazy. We have tried everything. She just today ate through my daughter's cell phone cord AGAIN. We are afraid that she is going to hurt herself doing this.
Brownie is &frac; Siberian husky from her daddy and her mom is German Shepard & American Bulldog. Not only are we having problems with her eating everything from paper to bras to electrical cords to my 9 year old Pomeranian, but the house training is going very badly too. We can take her out for an hour and play with her, giver her treats when she is good outside and praise her like crazy for being good. As soon as we come inside she goes into the kitchen and potties or poos on the floor!
Please help. My husband is at the end of his patience and says either she gets trained or she goes & my 16 year old daughter will not like that.
By
03/10/2010
My buddy got me a connection to one of these beautiful dogs, and I've been in love ever since. My pup Izzie is about 5 months now. She was the runt of the litter but she already weighs about 40 lbs. I agree with everyone else - these dogs need plenty of space to run and play, but they are one of the most intelligent dogs ever. At 5 months, Izz already knows sit, stay, lay down, and shake. She is also potty trained, crate trained, and knows what is hers to chew on and what isnt. She is also incredible affectionate. I get a huge welcome every time I come home. :] I live in TN, so I'm a bit worried about the heat to come in the summer, but as of right now, she's perfectly happy.
By
01/23/2010
This is my little boy, Dakota. I rescued him when he was about 1 1/2. He's 3 now and pretty much the best dog ever, though I may be biased. He loves to cuddle and, even after his 3+ daily walks, he runs around the house like a crazy dog.
By
01/12/2010
I just wanted to post a pic of our beauty we rescued from our local humaine society. Her name is Jewel and she is a holy terror, but we love her to bits!
By
01/09/2010
This is our big boy Rex. He was abandoned in a cardboard box at two months of age so he came with some issues. With no mother to teach him his manners he thought he could do what ever he wanted like mouthing and counter surfing. It's been a challenging year but he's coming along. He has separation anxiety as well and I could write a book about all the stuff he's eaten. My yard looks like a golf course there's so many holes dug. He needs a ton of exercise. We run him an hour a day but that's still not enough.
He is very smart though and learns things quickly (when he wants to) and responds very well to hand commands. I would love to see him on an acreage where he would have room to run. I don't think he'd have as many issues if he could get rid of some of his energy. I know it's selfish to keep him in town but I can't part with him. He's big and he's bad but we love him.
By
11/06/2009
I wanted to post my beautiful doggy too! We just rescued him and we love him, he is a big soft cuddly baby. His name is Simba
What is the best environment for Siberian Husky and German Shepherd Dog Mixes? Here is advice from the ThriftyFun community.
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