amymeme wrote:

Congratulations - that's a happy husky beside you!  And so beautiful  So it looks like he already had his Champion - where do you go from here?

Well, good question! Denali is essentially done in the conformation ring, he is not a dog I am going to special (which is show beyond the CH to get to GCH and higher). He'll continue working toward his Sled Dog and Working Dog titles and perhaps dive into some obedience/rally in the future. Who knows!

MiyasMomma wrote:

You have such beautiful huskies, Congrats with all of them. On a side note I want to personally thank you for taking the time on the forum to educate us on conformation, and to fully explain terms, illustrate what is correct conformation and more importantly explaining the breed standard. Not only are you bettering the breed, but you educate the rest of us in "layman" terms, on how important it is for all of us to better the breed.

Thank you and it's my pleasure to share my love of the breed and desire to keep the breed structurally and genetically healthy for future generations to enjoy as much as we get to!

I've seen your pictures of Denali elsewhere and still have to admit I love that dog!! You have some beautiful friends there!

Lani - since you have lots of experience with huskies and it looks like, outdoor kenneling, I have some questions re: winter and indoor/outdoor dog acclimation.

Ami's original purpose was to be totally outdoors, to deter the deer, bunnies, woodchucks, raccoons, chipmunks etc that eat the landscaping and vegetable garden. (I was not planning on a rabid raccoon, however  ). Now, though, we've found Ami really likes house time - he comes inside in the morning for breakfast- that's usually brief as he's rarin' to go for his morning walk. But now, he likes to come in for dinner time (Wayne likes to "treat" him at the dinner table - I now have to put an extra spoon and a cocktail fork at Wayne's place with a custard cup of bits of human food  ). After dinner and his evening walk, he sacks out under the kitchen table while we watch a movie until I put him out overnight - sometimes that can be as late as 2 AM.

I don't want him to become de-conditioned to cold - he does have a dog house that will be filled with straw for winter (actually, 2 dog houses - don't ask )  The basic question is, how much house time do I allow and still keep him in full winter coat and acclimated to cold (we can get as low as -20° though that is rare - usually overnight is in teens to single digits with rare occasions down to -10. Winds at times can be an issue though I have sited his dog house facing away from prevailing winds.)

If you want to answer - either here or PM is fine. I thank you for any insight you may have.

Generally our routine is someone is in the house daily at least once a week. Multi day stays after the 'traumatizing' events such as BATH DAY or vetting. Extended stays for the ladies when they are in season. At most the girls will be in the house for a month with observed yard time a couple hours a day. They do well retaining their coat and keeping their cold weather conditioning. For the most part they spend a lot of time in the yard and nights in the kennel runs. We build all of our own dog houses and use straw or cedar chips for nesting in the winter months. Feel free to PM if you have any other questions

They look great! can't wait to see them this year in harness.

Me too- I'm done with the heat! I am longing for cooler temps and the serenity of the the trails with my dogs

HuskyMom09 wrote:

Generally our routine is someone is in the house daily at least once a week.  Multi day stays after the 'traumatizing' events such as BATH DAY or vetting.  Extended stays for the ladies when they are in season.  At most the girls will be in the house for a month with observed yard time a couple hours a day.  They do well retaining their coat and keeping their cold weather conditioning.  For the most part they spend a lot of time in the yard and nights in the kennel runs.  We build all of our own dog houses and use straw or cedar chips for nesting in the winter months.  Feel free to PM if you have any other questions

Thanks for the reply, Lani - you really relieved my mind. Why I am so worried about a husky in cold, I have no idea, especially with Ami's thick, thick coat  

I am also glad to see that bath day is traumatizing for others, too (though for me or dog, I don't know which is worse)