So earlier today I was sitting on my computer minding my own business and life was going on like it normally does. We had just vanquished the doughnuts that we got after going to Church and I was watching the Pokemon 2013 World Championships live stream in Vancouver. To say that I was bored would be an understatement since I wanted to be there in person, but it beat doing school so whatever. However just when I was getting really bored I caught something running by our slider door off the corner of my eye and guess what it was, that's right, a Siberian Husky. So immediately I put down my computer, rand up to the door, threw it open, jumped outside - without shoes on - and followed her to our front yard. After I caught up to her (she stopped in front of my dad who was outside doing yard work) we checked to see if she had an ID tag on, she did not. So then I asked my dad if we still had our old leash from our previous dog and he said we did; he instructed me to hold the dog while he went to go get the leash so she wouldn't run away. This was actually the first time I got to make contact (touch, pet, etc.) a husky believe it or not so it was pretty exciting. When my dad came back with the leash he put it on her collar and handed me the leash telling me to walk around the neighborhood to try and find the owner while he went back to his yard work, so not only did I get to pet a Husky for the first time, I got to walk one to! If I didn't have to keep up my "super emotionless annoyingly cool teenager" image I would've completely flipped out on the spot. Anyways I went through the woods into other people's backyards knocking on their doors and asking them if they owned this dog/do they know who does. It was beginning to look like no one knew who this dog was until I walked up to the last neighbor on our list of ones who I suspected to own dogs. While they claimed that they didn't own a Husky they did know that our other neighbors up the street had a Husky just like her, and sure enough halfway to their house they came and met us on the road. Afterwards we (my dad and I) went to their house to ask them where they got their husky and other stuff along those lines. They were happy to answer our questions and said that the breeder actually just had another litter and they would call him/her for us to find out more information. They also gave us their phone number and thanked us again for finding their dog (her name was Trixie and she was just over a year old, a ripe age for escaping the yard.)

So I'm going to call them on Tuesday since that's when they told me to give them a call. Hopefully if everything works out I'll be able to meet the breeder in person several weeks down the road. This was also sort of "the final nail in the coffin" for my mom. She was always hesitant about me getting a dog and until today I never really had her complete permission. However after she saw how friendly and "cute" Trixie was she is finally letting me go through with getting a dog.

So the moral of this story is to stalk your neighbors, lol. I honestly didn't even know there was a Husky living not too far from our house. (I also found out that our other neighbors have a GSD, bonus points!) If everything does work out then I'm going to need to come up with a series of questions for this said breeder and start purchasing puppy related items soon. Questions, comments, concerns, and opinions are all welcome. Although I'm jumping with anticipation right now and finding it hard to focus. I've found that my normally pessimistic self has turned rather optimistic for a change! xD

I was 5 when my dad received his 1st Husky (keep in mind that was 1978). We were the first people in Findlay to have a full breed Siberian Husky. It was very exciting and all of my friends wanted to see the wolf!

We had a lot of fun, but we didn't know squat about the animal, in fact at that time, not too many did. At least we couldn't find anyone who did. The Vet told us that they are the only animal that can change their metabolism. I didn't know what that meant, but it sounded really cool!

It was a different time back then, Chinook was in the house most of her life, but there were times we kept her in the backyard. She learned that she could jump our fence and roam as free as she wanted. After all of the frustration my dad went through, he decided that Husky's wasn't for him, he wanted a dog he can rely on staying with him.

For me it was completely the opposite. I had other breeds, in fact one of the smartest dogs I had was a border collie, she would walk me to school everyday and then walk home herself and when school was over, my dad would say, go get Jeff... Off she went and was waiting outside the school building. Don't know how or why she did that, but it was really cool. She was the only dog that I have had who would open the door to go outside when she needed to. (It was a sliding door, again different time, we never locked our doors).

I have had 3 Husky's over the years and I will tell you something... They are defiant, stubborn, and they have selective hearing and they want it their way... You need to be on your toes ALL of the time, you have to understand what they need. They will get board easily, they will need attention, and walking them is never enough. They need to run, you can never really have them off leash now a few people say they have trained theirs to... But I am not a risk taker, I wouldn't be able to recover very well if I let her off the leash and she runs in front of a car. They will run, let me repeat this... Off leash... Run... Even if they are trained, if they want to roam, remember when I said they have selective hearing... They will run.

In my opinion, they are the best thing in the world to me, but you have to devote your attention and time to them.

Defective dogs most often come from two kinds of breeders: the clueless or the careless. The first group is blissfully ignorant of the potential for congenital problems and the importance of socialization; the second group knows full well and could not care less.

Things that I would ask the breeder... What are the congenital defects in this breed? The breeder who says "none" or "I don't know" is to be avoided. What steps have you taken to decrease defects in your dogs? You want to hear words like "screened" and "tested" and "certified." -- Flow into these questions: Did they have a hip X Ray? Look for OFA Certs (I don't know in Canada) Did they have their eyes examined? Can they show 4 generations of pedigree? What is the age of the mother? Who is the father? Reputable breeders often don't have the father on hand. That's because the best match for any particular dog may be owned by another breeder, and the female was sent away for breeding.

What guarantees do you provide? You want to see a contract explaining the breeder's responsibilities should the puppy develop a congenital ailment. In most cases, such contracts state either replacement with a new puppy or refunding of your purchase price. The contract also states your responsibilities, such as neutering your pet. You may also be required to return the dog to the breeder if you can no longer keep him. Such language is the sign of a concerned and responsible breeder.

Things only if they matter to you are... Are they registered?

Just keep in mind, it looks as if your 15, make sure you talk with your parents about the responsibilities of this particular breed.

Also look here: http://www.akc.org/future_dog_owner/about_buying_a_dog.cfm

That will assist you in buying a dog as well.

Ha ha, I knew it wouldn't be long before your puppy came along!  

How cute!

That's awesome. I'm so excited for you! I think getting a pup now will work out good for you. You'll have it trained and ready to go by the time your in college. All things happen for a reason.

@jbrown1028: Nice back story! It was very informative. Also you are right, I am only 15, however I already told my parents to talk to me if they have any questions or concerns. So far I've been able to answer all of their questions off the top of my head (I've been doing research for about a year now so basic facts and tips have almost become second nature. Although memorizing and executing are two completely different things for sure.) If this does work out and I do meet the breeder I will definitely ask those questions so thank you for giving me some ideas on that!

@Huskyluv: Well nothing is set in stone yet but I'll be crossing my fingers for sure.

@mbarnard0429: You're hurting that "super cool" image I'm trying to go for lol. xD

@TwisterII: Thanks, I just hope that I'm not "counting my eggs before they hatch" as it were...

jbrown1028 wrote:

Can they show 4 generations of pedigree?

Things only if they matter to you are... Are they registered?

Aren't these related? But I think it DOES matter for them to be registered for everyone, one cannot 'assume' their husky is purebred so I would avoid people who say the mom is AKC and dad isn't or 'lost' the papers. If they don't have papers, there's a high likelihood they don't do health testing either. Also be on the lookout for breeders that give out breeding rights with no questions asked.

HAHA, Yeah I was being kind of rushed when I was towards the end my ranting. Yes re-reading it they are related...

@AMB Let me say one thing that I have noticed, just by reading your posts, your grammar skills are better then I have seen from most adults. If I can scale the comfort level from your education, then I know you will do the research properly.

**EDIT: I just noticed, you have like 250 posts... Holy crap, you have been here for a while. So what made you join a husky forum if you never been around one? Not criticizing just curious...

Anyways, it looks like you have read a few posts on the tribulations of Huskies so I believe you will do quite well.

Ahaha that's the funny thing, I actually joined last April just 4 months ago but there is an age restriction on this forum due to some age inappropriate language happening from time to time. So I had to pm an Admin to get special permission to join. However the username I wanted was already in use by a member who joined in 2009 with no posts/activity of any kind. So the admin kind of just changed the password to the account and gave me rights to it. I also join because I wanted to do more research before actually getting a husky and ask specific question to get high quality answers (not just the normal "high energy dogz, walk liek walk like a zillion times a day!!!" answers you might get on Yahoo) and so here I am. Although believe me when I say that if there wasn't so many people asking for help like me then I would have well over 280 posts! xD

I like to think my grammar is okay, although it could certainly be better. I'm in 11th grade currently so I'm not beaming with experience yet either. I do have a question though; should I ask to see a 4 Generation pedigree, or ask if the dog is registered since it's the same thing?

AMB wrote:

I do have a question though; should I ask to see a 4 Generation pedigree, or ask if the dog is registered since it's the same thing?

I wouldn't worry much about a 4 generation pedigree, I would just ask for their official AKC registration number as well as their OFA and CERF numbers.

For both the puppy and the parents correct? I'll probably need to take a clipboard, a pen, and several sheets of paper with me just to remember all of this. xD

AMB wrote:

For both the puppy and the parents correct? I'll probably need to take a clipboard, a pen, and several sheets of paper with me just to remember all of this. xD

If they have an email, I find emailing them a series of questions is easier for me so I don't forget to leave something out. And a puppy won't have OFA and CERF numbers yet because you can't test for hips/eyes until they're older, and the puppy may not have an AKC number until you send the papers in. Another thing I would check is to see how old the parents are, they should have had their first litter no younger than 2 years old.

Oh, right don't know how that slipped my mind. xD

Yes I will certainly ask for the age of the parents as well as the age they were when they had their first litter. I'll also ask for the breeder's name, number, and email when I call our neighbors tomorrow. Thanks for the help!

Find out what they do with their dogs (show/work) and why they decided to breed.

Right, those are good questions, I'm going to want to avoid breeders who do it for money or because there dog is "cute." Thanks!

Avoid the ones that say temperament is their only goal too. A lot of backyard breeders use that to market their substandard, non-health tested puppies along with a lot of misinformed, but well meaning pet owners that decide to breed. They love their dog so much and feel like they are doing the world a favor by allowing that dog to have puppies. A good breeder does it for the betterment of the breed (according to the standard or for working purposes). Also avoid anyone that does not have a spay/neuter contract for puppies sold as pets. I would also disagree with the statement that reputable breeders don't have the stud dog onsite, some do some don't, its a non-issue unless there is a concern about the sire, and you want to meet or see him. The presence of the stud dog shouldn't factor into the decision, don't let it worry you if he is or isn't there. I know several great breeders in the PA/NY/NJ/CT/MA area if you want some recommendations.

That's another benefit of a reputable breeder. If the sire is not on site, he should be registered with the health organizations and his status publicly available for checking out. We didnt get to meet Link's sire but he's a well known show dog and sire, his records easily available, and people in the community know him and his breeder.

With reputable breeders that maximize your chances of getting a quality, healthy, structurally sound puppy, the cards are face up. You know where you stand, by design. Little is left to wonder.

@wpskier222: Oh okay thanks for the tip. I'll also probably want to at least see a picture of the dad, although I wont make a big fuss about it if he isn't there. Finally I'd love some more recommendations so I can contact multiple breeders at once (I've contacted two in the past, one said they might have puppies sometime in the Fall but never really remained in contact. The other has 5 weeks old puppies and I'm not ready to bring a dog home in 3 weeks just yet...)

@seattlesibe: Good to know, thanks!

Okay, I'll put together a list for you. What part of CT are you in?

I'm from Northeastern Connecticut, so I'm close to towns like Tolland, Storrs, and Mansfield. I'm also only about 15 minutes from the MA border (I live in the Eastford/Ashford area if you want to look me up on Google maps.)

Okay. What do you think your time frame is for bringing home a dog?

Sometime between Late September and Late November preferably. If it was any sooner than late September then I'm not sure if I would have enough money saved up. Any time later than November and it would be breaking into the Christmas season which is always an exciting mess for my family.

Okay, so essentially a litter due sometime this month. :)I'll try and find some other options for you as well, but you're only an hour from my breeder, nandosibes.com (she's in Uxbridge, MA). FYI, she's really bad at email so don't be put off if you get really short terse replies to your emails.

Oh okay, is that where you got Dizzy from? If she's going to have another litter sometime soon then I'll definitely contact her. xD

Thank you once again!