Husky as a pet for an 11 yr old girl

fishfoodie

TangyZizzle wrote: »

Nice. Just as a side note. I spotted a lady out walking what I assumed was a husky today. I stopped her and asked if it was indeed one and she confirmed it. Good God those things grow to be big..

Here you go boss, just show them this thread & see if they don't start think about an Elkhound.

Love this photo

ISDW

TangyZizzle wrote: »

Nice. Just as a side note. I spotted a lady out walking what I assumed was a husky today. I stopped her and asked if it was indeed one and she confirmed it. Good God those things grow to be big..

Sorry, then it wasn't a husky. Siberian huskies are medium sized dogs, maybe she had a malamute, same colouring etc, just a lot bigger. A sibe should be around the same size as a labrador(ish)

TangyZizzle

SO! The demands have changed

I think Iv actually gotten them to go for something other than a husky. I gave them all the scary facts but still its obvious that they will take one if they get the chance. I suggested a beagle and the Mother and Daughter both seem to like them. Can I have some medium sized dogs such as the beagle recommended? Maybe even a little bigger. But not as big as a Lab because apparently they take too much exercising..

Julybreeze

I just read this thread form start to finish and my advice is get the child/child's mother a book on dog breeds.. you don't have to buy it, they have them in libraries. At least then all the facts will be layed out in front of them in black and white

Beagles need more exercise then labs, they're expert escape artists, and not an ideal beed for a young girl imo.

I know one of the primary uses for boards is to get advice but this is getting a bit out of hand but I suppose if people have the time to keep replying it's up to them however I think some independent research is needed too.

Fair play to you for looking out for her but it sounds like the advice that your passing on from here is falling on deaf ears.

Cherry Blossom

This thread is screaming 'Samoyed' at me :rolleyes:

http://homepage.eircom.net/~sammyclub/album.html

ppink

Op fair play to you for trying but if I were you I would not suggest a breed to these people until you have reasearched it. Beagles are very high energy hunting dogs and although i would love one myself there is no way I would get one unless I was able to satisfy its natural drive for tracking and like the poster above said I believe they are escape artists also. I have also heard they do not come back to easy either off lead.
dogs101 on you tube has some interesting facts on many different breeds including the beagle.

To properly decide a breed the family must decide if they are indoor or outdoor people ie do they exercise? if not this rules out a lot of dogs or they will be in for some heartache. Is the dog to be kept indoors or outdoors, do they have high walls, can they afford big vets bills etc.

you could try telling them that there are some bad breeders out there now that serious consideration has to be put into the dog and where it comes from and the type?

TangyZizzle

I'v told them there are bad breeders and not to go buying off sites which is what they were trying to do today. I said if they really really want a husky pup they should give their name to a pound and have them contact them as soon as one arrives so that they can get that one, the response to this was "but we want one now," do you see what Im dealing with?

I told the Mother I would come back with a list of phone numbers to established breeders tomorrow but have no intention in doing so. I was hoping to come home tonight do a little research and go there tomorrow with the ideal breed for them.. but at this point Im really just giving up. Its a Husky or a Beagle at this stage.

barbiegirl

What about a golden retriever? Lovely family dogs and having a cross i can tell you not too mad, especially compared to our much smaller jack russell cross. Size doesn't dictate w exercise requirements :-)

TangyZizzle

I mentioned them and got another BS excuse - too much hair.

barbiegirl

Short haired dogs shed too

TangyZizzle

I know that. I pointed it out too. Do you not see? It's any old reason to deny another breed and get the Husky. Its infuriating.

Cherry Blossom

I think maybe an immediate visit to a large rescue is in order, 11 year old girls being 11 year old girls will most likely want them all, which may help with expanding the criteria a bit, being so specific will mean they will have to wait, a rescue will have a pretty good idea of what would be a match for them and the suggestion of an actual specific dog that can be seen and petted in the flesh which is available now might go a long way to changing perceptions especially those of the child.

TangyZizzle

Oh yeah. That had escaped my mind. I was chatting with the Mother about pounds and rescues but as soon as the little WENCH caught wind of it she screamed and moaned about how "The dogs trust site is craaaaap, I dont want one of those crap dogs!,"

And the Mother was only short of saying "Well the pound can come to my house and tell me Im not fit to have a Husky but Ill get one anyways,"

The Mother and Daughter are two very strong willed.... blondes.

fishfoodie

TangyZizzle wrote: »

I know that. I pointed it out too. Do you not see? It's any old reason to deny another breed and get the Husky. Its infuriating.

Jaysus if they think a GR has too much hair they really aren't prepared for a husky in summertime.

Do you know anyone who is going on holiday who needs their dog looked after for a week ?

Because it sounds like you're dealing with someone who's never had their prized album collection or favourite childhood toy eaten & then shat all over the garden !

A little non-committal lesson courtesy of someone else's puppy might be in order !

Is there anyone on here who needs their husky kept for a week ?

barbiegirl

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

I think maybe an immediate visit to a large rescue is in order, 11 year old girls being 11 year old girls will most likely want them all, which may help with expanding the criteria a bit, being so specific will mean they will have to wait, a rescue will have a pretty good idea of what would be a match for them and the suggestion of an actual specific dog that can be seen and petted in the flesh which is available now might go a long way to changing perceptions especially those of the child.

Excellent suggestion

ppink

fishfoodie wrote: »

Jaysus if they think a GR has too much hair they really aren't prepared for a husky in summertime.

Do you know anyone who is going on holiday who needs their dog looked after for a week ?

Because it sounds like you're dealing with someone who's never had their prized album collection or favourite childhood toy eaten & then shat all over the garden !

A little non-committal lesson courtesy of someone else's puppy might be in order !

Is there anyone on here who needs their husky kept for a week ?

Ah....would you leave your best bud with these guys for a week?? there is no way I would from what I am reading on this thread thats for sure!

Not sure about their reasons for not getting a GR.......do they not think Husky's have hair?

kildare.17hmr

TangyZizzle wrote: »

I mentioned them and got another BS excuse - too much hair.

Huskys loose serious amounts of hair!!

id love to give them my pointer for a day r 2, he is a hunting dog with heaps of energy and i walk him for 1.5 -2.5 hours every evening through the fields where he does not stop sprinting the whole time, if i missed a day(like i did when i was sick) he would have the garden wrecked with holes everywhere, if he got into the house he would break everything by runnng around smashing into things.. perfect if he gets the exersize everyday whch he does so its not a problem, i no a guy with a husky about a yr and a half old, i asked him last night after readin this and he has to do twice as much walking as me!

danois

To be honest if you have told her everything you have read in this thread and she still wants to get the husky there isnt really much you can do to put her off.

Some people are just plain stupid (me included cause i just got a beautiful little husky lab cross and I can tell ya after reading this thread I am fecking petrified)

I think unfortunately for the pup they get he or she will just end up in the pound in a few months time. I think as sad as it is for the dog the family just want a fashion item not a pet and even if he is the best dog ever once he is no longer small cute and fashionable he will no longer be wanted. I think no matter what breed they get the same thing will happen he will grow big and loud and hairy and no longer be wanted.:(:mad:

koneko

TangyZizzle wrote: »

I mentioned them and got another BS excuse - too much hair.

If hair is a concern for her, let me know. I will send you some pictures of my Huskies mid shed that you can use as ammo. If she cares about neatness and dog hair around the house this will put her off Huskies for life.
They shed like nobodies business. The hair comes out in massive chunks and goes *everywhere*.

Anyone not used to it tends to ask if there's something wrong, but it's normal. If you don't keep up the de-shedding/brushing they look like half sheared sheep. My garden is covered in hair right now.

If they get a Husky, it'll end up either completely neglected or in a pound

koneko

2 of mine are mid-shed right now, they'll be getting a full brushing tonight but with the hair I just pulled out last night in a few minutes, I could literally knit a jumper.


One other note, I would never ever recommend anyone has a Husky as a single dog. And when you have more than 1, they can be really really noisy. I don't mind, but I live in the middle of nowhere
They'd regularly have "discussions" with each other, a la http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKZg8hXAS0k or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERsXADxdGKI

bryaner

TangyZizzle wrote: »

Oh yeah. That had escaped my mind. I was chatting with the Mother about pounds and rescues but as soon as the little WENCH caught wind of it she screamed and moaned about how "The dogs trust site is craaaaap, I dont want one of those crap dogs!,"

And the Mother was only short of saying "Well the pound can come to my house and tell me Im not fit to have a Husky but Ill get one anyways,"

The Mother and Daughter are two very strong willed.... blondes.

Well they obviously don't care about animals if they want a Husky so they look good, never mind not listening to what your telling them about how much exercise they need every day.

Shame on them I just hope it goes to a good family when they have to send it to a shelter..

Chris_Heilong

I remember when I first got my Malamute and was walking him, a guy asked me did I want a free female husky, only 3 months old but the owners didnt want it anymore because it went to the toilet everywhere and would not stop crying, I refused because I had 2 dogs already but they obviously didnt have a clue about dogs.

barbiegirl

koneko wrote: »

2 of mine are mid-shed right now, they'll be getting a full brushing tonight but with the hair I just pulled out last night in a few minutes, I could literally knit a jumper.


One other note, I would never ever recommend anyone has a Husky as a single dog. And when you have more than 1, they can be really really noisy. I don't mind, but I live in the middle of nowhere
They'd regularly have "discussions" with each other, a la http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKZg8hXAS0k or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERsXADxdGKI

I just played the first one of these and my two went bananas trying to find the intruders ;-)

boomerang

I was just out walking my aunt's two dogs and saw a ten or eleven year old girl being dragged across the road by her dog, who wanted to come over and say hi to my two. Luckily there wasn't a car coming.

It was a Bichon by the way. :eek:

tk123

barbiegirl wrote: »

I just played the first one of these and my two went bananas trying to find the intruders ;-)

My guy wagged his tail lol :pac:

Anyhoos OP what do they want today?

TangyZizzle

I sent an email containing links to the three nearest pounds to them to the better half with instructions on how to explain to them exactly what they would do there. The Mother's bf is there today and I had HOPED.. that he would take our side and steer here away from the Husky. Instead he brushed the pound idea away and said "That's not what we want,"

Last I heard, they were contacting people in Cork and Newry who were sulling Husky pups online.

What can I say? Myself and the better half tried. It's now up to the Mother to see the errors of her ways.

All i can say is best of luck to them. Its going to be a hard job.

tk123

Tell them to look out at that rain lol - they'll be out walking in it soon! :pac:

Nead21

There is a couple with 2 huskies living near me, and i see them walking the dogs twice EVERY day...in lashing rain, freezing snow, galeforce winds etc.

I hope that they are not too fond of their shoes and that the little one also has money saved up for vet fees! :rolleyes:

tk123

Nead21 wrote: »

There is a couple with 2 huskies living near me, and i see them walking the dogs twice EVERY day...in lashing rain, freezing snow, galeforce winds etc.

I hope that they are not too fond of their shoes and that the little one also has money saved up for vet fees! :rolleyes:

So do I - he loves nothing better than getting wet and mucky and I've built up a fine collection of rain coats/fleeces/waterproof bottoms/boots/sandwich bags for over my socks to keep my feet dry/hats/scarves/gloves..and a good hairdryer for both of us!

Just to add I posted that as the OP has given me the opinion that they're not going to be the best owner. A lot of people are clueless at first - myself included but are willing to seek and take advice on board - these guys don't give me that impression but hopefully they'll prove us wrong. Just in case anyone comes across this thread and thinks we're all a bunch of w@nkers not wanting to share our advice and experiences and shoot people down! :pac: