[susieq]

Awe......I always loved kitties. I can't have any because my husband is a wonderful person with one flaw....he is a died in the wool cat hater. As a child we had lots of cats. My favorite is calico....always females, it's a genetic thing.

BobD, have you ever owned a Siberian Huskey? If you have then you already know about the breed, if not, let me enlighten you. They are gorgeous, just drop dead gorgeous, but I wouldn't have one if you gave it to me...not even if you paid me to take it...... They were bred to mindlessly run and pull...endlessly run and pull. Very high energy, no fence will hold one and everyone I have ever known who owned one, learned never to let it outside off lead or they spent all their free time chasing them all over the neighborhood. Malamutes don't have blue eyes but they are a much better choice as a companion. Very nice temperment, laid back and easy going. Larger than a Siberian too.

If you don't have tons of time and energy to invest in a Siberian Huskey, I really recomend you research that choice before acting on it. The Siberian rescue groups are a good place to start.......

[BobD]

My parents had a husky when I was growing up...I know what goes into them. My wife is set on one though...it's a far cry from my St. Bernard and Newfoundland...both are relaxed to the point of being comatose!

I'll see if I can steer her to the malumute, though...that sounds more like my kind of dog <GRIN>

Bob

[Mitchell]

My neighbors are the same - LOTS of "their" cats are just being fed and otherwise left to roam the neighborhood. There was usually a new litter monthly! Calls to animal control did not bring any real action, so I have taken it upon myself to thin the pride and have "liberated" 8 so far. The local adoption center will keep the ones that are relocateable, but alas a few were not in good health.

One other problem that frequent litters bring is predators. It's not uncommon to see hawks, foxes, and raccons in the woods behind their house.

LUCKILY, I believe they (the neighbors) have taken the "hint" and have started reducing the number of cats themselves. There are fewer cats running from my yard (which is my biggest complaint) when I let my dog out in the evening.

[susieq]

Yes, kitties that are allowed to roam, cause problems for the neighbors...
We have our share of carless neighbors too and we live in town. Some days when we step out our back door, all you can smell is cat urine from them marking the area and it's enough to make you sick. Then they mate/fight at 3am under our bedroom window. Our dog goes nuts when he sees them too and we have to haul him in from our fenced back yard when he starts barking because I don't want to annoy our neighbors....wish everyone felt like that.

[Irish]

Mitch ... Your act of taking them to your local shelter or animal control center, I believe, is so much more kind then allowing them to die of starvation, injury or disease. We too have dropped a few of our neighbors cats off at the local shelter when it just got so far out of hand that we were afraid of our own catching either the illness or parasites that were being harbored by those unwanted and untended animals.

At our worst we had 13 ... all spayed or neutered! Our oldest dame, Fuzzy, arrived in the same condition that B-aby did - very, very pregnant. That was during a 20" snow storm, circa 1990. We had dug tunnels from the house to the driveway to get to the cars. Then we let our three neutered toms out for their necessary afternoon business meeting. A short while later we heard the tell tale scratching at the door and when we opened it in came three toms and two little pregnant queens ... we were just a touched surprised to say the least.

Fuzzy and her sister, Calico, dropped their litters a couple weeks later. Unfortunately we got Calico to the vets in a timely manner but missed getting Fuzzy there before she had caught again.

We estimate that Miss Fuzzy Butt is about 20 to 21 years old. We have had her at least 18 years, maybe more. For the cost of having her fixed (about $150 today) that's a lot of healthy years of love in return for our investment!

Although I have invoked a few curses here on the forum (Ashby's Halloween trick seems to come to mind here) those are nothing compared to what I believe to be an appropriate punishment for people who throw pregnant little queen cats out of a car during a 20" snow storm because 'they' didn't want to be bothered with taking her to the vets or with kittens!!!!!!

BobD .. In my not so humble opinion ... your local pound, animal control or humane shelter is the ONLY place to go when looking for a new pet!!!!!! I expect that you already know that many pure bred registered dogs are surrendered every year and just waiting there for you to take them home.

Susan

[BobD]

We've adopted ALL of our animals from the local animal shelter. Stephanie tells me that when the time is right, we'll find her husky at a local shelter.

Bear (our newfie) we adopted when he was 7 years old. he's 9 now, and losing his eyesight. Gwyn, our St. Bernard, is also 9 (we adopted a dog close to her age so she would have a companion) and is going deaf. So when we let them out, Bear follows quickly behind Gwyn (following her with his nose) and when it's time to come in, I hollar for bear, and he follows my voice. Gywn doesn't always hear me, but when she sees Bear heading towards me she's right behind them!

Bob

[AlArchie]

We've had two Siberians and loved both of them. They ARE born to run, though, and are definite outdoor dogs. Ours HATED being inside, even in sub zero temps (and I mean WAY sub zero). When we first got them I asked the vet if we should bring them in when it got to like -20 degrees, and he said "If it makes YOU feel better!"

I used to ski-journ behind them, and they would run for hours in harness. Great fun for both them and me.

The breed is also as good natured a dog as you will find and they get along with and tolerate kids really well. Not something you'll want for a watch dog.......well, actually they will lay there and NOT bark when someone shows up. In fact in all the years we had them I NEVER heard either one bark. They do need a lot of love and attention and EXERCISE! So if you want one be prepared to run him on a regular basis.

If I had the room and was physically able to keep up anymore, I'd gladly have another one. Shang and Juno were the best! But for now, Gizmo will do just fine! In fact I'm thinking of building a mini-sledge for the dog sled races next winter, just as a gag. A shih-tsu hooked up to a dog sled should be an attention grabber, huh?

Al

[susieq]

I have no doubt that Siberians are good natured and for people who have the energy and will to keep up with them....and give them what they need, they are great dogs. All breeds have different temperments, requirements and limitations.

I used to raise and show English Bulldogs and also Bullmastiffs.
I have seen many people make huge mistake in their choice of dog as a companion simply because they based their choice on how the breed looked or it's reputation.... for instance, Border Collies...they are the smartest breed. So, many people choose them for that reason. Boy is that ever a mistake. BC's are bred to herd and guard. High energy does not begin to describe them. The instinct to do what they were bred to do is overwhelming. They are not couch potatoes. They NEED to have a job to do and if you don't give them one, they will FIND one on their own. And you probably won't like it.

Folks go to a movie like Disney's 101 Dalmations and suddenly everyone wants a Dalmation.....not a dog for beginners. Tough as nails, stubborn and need a very firm hand and lots of training. Thousands of people went out and bought one after seeing the movie and a large percentage of those dogs wound up in breed rescue, dumped by dis enchanted owners who couldn't handle them.

I could go on and on, but you get my point. People need to research the breed they want before they buy. A dog is a part of your family and you should be willing to make a commitment for the lifetime of the dog. Pick one that fits your life style. Take 5 or 6 months to research, go to shows, talk to breeders. It is a small amount of time and effort to invest in an animal that will be part of your family for probably ten years or longer....

Also, the public drives the pet market. If people shopped smarter, puppy mills and other unethical, problem breeders would go out of business. Pet stores would quit selling dogs. I am always amazed at how uneducated and gullible the dog buying public is. And finally, as Susan Irish implored, please spay or neuter your pet.

If your animal isn't show quality, don't breed it. Breeding is always more work than you thought it would be. It also requires a huge investment in vet bills before you can get to the point of selling puppies....and then, Murphy's law says that when your pups are old enough to sell and you put them in the paper, there will be half a dozen other litters of your breed competing with you for buyers .

I would also add that if you love your dog, breeding her puts her at risk for a lot of problems, some are life threatening.... Just spay her and love her. If you own a Registered male and think that folks are going to beat a path to your door to use him as a stud dog.....not going to happen. People breed their females to CHAMPION dogs.....dogs that have been shown in AKC sponsered shows and who have earned the title AKC Champion. That requires you buy a male pup from a top notch show kennel, ($$$$) then spend a bunch more $$$ on travel and entry fees and you might never get him finished.

The ordinary person has no idea of what all is involved here. They get ideas that they will make money breeding or studing out their dog. There is no money in breeding dogs....period. Every person you see showing a dog, is either a professional handler (being paid a small fortune by the dogs owner, win or lose) or an owner handler who has a regular day job and this is an expensive hobby for them. Most of the time they don't break even on what they spend for this hobby. That isn't why they are doing it.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

I didn't know you had a shih tzu Al....they are terrific little dogs..! We lost ours last month. Only 7 years old. Miss her a lot!!

[squbrigg]

Just so you get your Siberian "fix" BobD, I'll share a couple of pic of Kira with you! She's my baby, seven years old and the best companion I've ever had, save the Mrs.! She loves the snow, and the colder the better but she's a house dog. Spends half the day nestled up on the bed next to me while I rest after carving. She loves to walk and I know she probably doesn't get enough, cause I can't go far or fast, but she doesn't seem to mind.

No puppies Bob, she was fixed at six months. The other sweetie is my Granddaughter Octavia...... those two are the "Best" of friends, as you can tell!!! Siberians are the best with kids, Octavia has played with her from the time she was crawling and could do anything with her and Kira would never raise a whimper. Every time Octavia come to the house, Kira "howls" for joy and runs to meet her at the door!!! Literally. She can be mischievous when bored, but in a good way. Enjoy.

Bob