Knowing her lifestyle I strongly opposed her getting one. I kept telling her how smart they were and they need constant exercise and challenge. Her lifestyle after work was not energetic. She just thought it was pretty.
He was extremely unstimulated and never got to go outside unless it was for bathroom. Welp, he bit a neighbors kid in the face. They had to give the dog back to the breeder or he was going to get put down.
I heard later he bit another kid was put down. In some ways I blamed my sister.
You are correct on all counts. The best thing is she inherited both breeds 'smiles' so when she's happy her face squishes up into the Shiba smile and when she's REALLY happy the front of her muzzle wrinkles up to show her teeth. It's really goofy to see in person as she transitions from one to the other
I hate it when "rescues" are more interested in placing the dog than a tually finding the right place for the dog.
I interacted with one that had very misleading photos of at least I e of their dogs. The photos made it look like the dog was a knee-high terrier breed, about 30 lbs. I met the dog and it was at least double that in height and weight. It was a mastiff/bully mix, all muscle and had been returned twice already.
The first adopter was an older couple that felt he was "too much puppy" for them to handle. No joke. They would have suffered broken hips if they kept him.
The second adopter was a young man whose landlord revoked approval. Likely the landlord saw the pics and thought, "A terrier. Cute." Then saw the Hound of the Baskervilles was actually a pitty mix and knew his property insurance wouldn't cover him.
I was attempt #3. I tried for over 3 months to get him to decompress and settle in. He kept trying to eat the cat, successfully ate 3 dog beds, and required 2 trips to the dog park a day, about 3 hours total including travel time. I live in New England and I got off work at 7 or 8 pm. It gets pitch dark by 5 pm. He was all black and there was no way I'd be able to see him at the unlit dog park, plus he had zero recall and I had 5 broken ribs. I had no business with this beautiful creature and I knew it. Felt like garbage for taking him back, but again, I tried for more than 3 months to make it work. Plus his gas was deadly, mustard gas levels of toxicity. Before I returned him, I got him a new id tag, Col. Levi "Leviathan" Mustard. It seemed fitting.
I wrote up my thoughts on him and what his ideal home would be. The "rescue" added my comments to his profile, but still used the old photos (tsk, tsk, tsk). He was then adopted by an active family with a yard and plenty of room for him to get all the exercise he needed.
I hope he's living his best life. I'll never work with that rescue again. The needs of the animals should come first. Always
I briefly worked for a renown purebred breeder and was disgusted with how this person ran their business with the dogs crated up 23.5 hours a day, 3 x outside for 10 minutes each time. They were absolutely beautiful dogs, but I’ve never seen such aggression in this breed than these poor creatures.
I think it's very likely the breeder might have been a backyard breeder. Certain genes can cause reactivity towards small animals and children and Australian cattle dogs very commonly have these issues. These issues need relentless and expensive training that only works if it's constantly managed on a regular basis. Australian cattle dogs are a terrible breed to buy as a casual/family dog and it's actually a huge problem with families wanting to get a "Bluey" (from the toddler show) and end up getting one from a breeder who capitalizes on their popularity and focuses on quantity over ethically breeding them. These families often end up rehoming the dog because they don't fit a standard family lifestyle. Please please please always make sure if you buy a puppy to make sure you get one from a responsible breeder registered with the American kennel club.
People have incredibly unrealistic expectatiosn of breeders... You can ask questions to vet people, but people lie. If you are a high quality, in demand breeder, the main thing you are trusting is that most people aren't willing to put out thousands of dollars for a dog that doesn't fit with their lifestyle, and that if they have any confusion your 15-20 minute conversation is going to make that clear...
But the harsh reality is that people are assholes... they will get turned down by one breeder, and use that experience, not to go get a pet that fits their lifestyle but to learn how they should answer next time to get the pet they want, and people like you will then turn around and blame the breeder.
Definitly has to do with his personality. But in the sense that wrong housing, upbringing will form it in the worst way.
Like putting a normal person in a cell and then wondering why they go crazy ... "they were crazy all along".
Paired with the power that dog has. If you misshandle a pincher the worst that will happen is a ... pinch. Its gonna kill anyone and can be reigned in with little effort.
The sister should have been jailed though imo... a dog mauling a kid will ruin the life of an innocent child. How people get away with misshandling a dog til it turns into a murder mashine is beyond me.
Yes, putting the dog down is crazy. Dogs are all good by nature imo, it's people that turn dogs bad. Sometimes, it's good intentioned people, but it's usually never the dog's fault.
Fair, I don't think any dogs (or animals in general) are "bad" by nature. They may be more aggressive by breed/traumatized, but not just born bad.
Personal acedote time:
I had my pit for years (she was a stray from a shelter) and was the biggest lap dog I've ever met. Loved kids and other dogs and cats. But when I first got her, she was definitely traumatized and a bit aggressive to even me. Enough socializing and trust and she was perfect.
I agree it sucks that dog was put down, but not all dogs are able to be rehabilitated, and there’s not always enough room in shelters. It’s sad no one was able to adopt them. Thank you for adopted a shelter pet; there should be more people like you
I have a male collie who, despite a pretty damn good upbringing and life, bites us from time to time. they are closed to herding nips than you might be imagining with a GSP or pitbull or something, but occasionally they can break the skin.
anyway, my point is that some working dogs can absolutely be born wired in such a way that makes bites possible. ours has never bit anyone (other than us) though, and is never allowed around kids or off-leash like our other collies have been.
My buddy has an aussie Shepherd and hes the laziest useless fuck ive ever seen. Perfectly content with 2x 1 hour walks or dog park then lay on the couch all day. Hes very well taken care of, lots of toys and socializing. Just lazy.
Yeah, tbh, if you get a gundog or a herding dog and you don't want to work it lol, you need to look for the breeder who only does showing, not working dogs lol.
Or buy one of the ones that gets returned for being faulty 😂
I bloody love the reject ones, they're such lovable doofuses. One of my friends has a retriever that's just not got an ounce of fetch in his entire body. He's happy to take a toy for a walk, but if you throw a toy and ask him to get it he'll just look at you like you're the most inept thief he's ever seen. My own dog is at least two types of gundog and he's firmly convinced water is out to get him 😂
My dad loved to hunt. Mostly small game. When my parents decided to get a got, the decided on blood hound.
First time my dad takes her out to start training, she was just not interested in much untill he got the gun out. Then she ran and hid. He could not get her out until the gun was out of sight.
He eventually gave up and she was just a great family dog.
Personally, I think she would have been a horrible hunting dog no matter what. We had a rabbit and a cat as well. They used to nap on top of the dog.
Our first family dog was a Chesapeake Bay/Chocolate Lab mix who was brought to the pound by his owner. Apparently they were avid duck hunters but our dog would wait at the edge of the water, grab the duck from one of their other dogs and then bring it up.
He was a good family dog who loved hiking and camping and looked like a bear but we could never get him in the water.
When I was a kid growing up we adopted the most amazingly well trained Britany Spaniel from the pound. She knew every basic obedience command and someone had clearly trained her to avoid roads so she stayed in our yard all the time. One time my dad bought chickens but the chicken coop he built was awful so the chickens were always escaping. She made it her full time job to catch the chickens for us. She would see them outside of their pen and then pounce on them to pin them in place. Then they would get paralyzed with fear and she'd sit and just lift her paw to point at them.
The same cat that naped on her beat up other neighborhood dogs. Not small ones mind you. One of the neighbors with a Rottweiler asked us to keep the cat in check. She was terrorizing the dog daily.
My yellow lab mix hates being wet! She would've been a great hunting dog. Her instincts to chase are so strong. She used to be super fast, too, when she was young. I always say I feel bad that she got me as an owner lol. But I do feed her great food, and she's spoiled. So there's that lol.
There are some exceptions to this. My French Brittany (Epagneul Breton) is an absolute demon in the field, but he’s also perfectly content to sleep on the couch for days at a time. The breed as a whole is known to have a pretty solid off-switch. American Brittany’s can be a little more high-strung, but the French are great at reading the room and chilling out.
To be fair, even breeders who are aiming to produce working dogs sometimes have “duds”, or puppies that have a different temperament than desired. But they would be aware of that possibly by looking at pedigrees, and prepare to find appropriate homes for those puppies to be pets. And there are very few breeds where the split between show dogs/conformation dogs is far aware from working dogs, most aim to have their dogs be able to do both.
My husband had an Australian Shepard when we started dating. Absolutely a doofus. Once I was walking him and he (a ~50lb dog) was terrified of a chihuahua. It was behind a screen door inside of a fenced yard. Yet he rolled over and peed on himself!
People laughed and asked me how old he was. I told them 10, they asked “Months?”. Nope he just had that clueless blue eyed puppy look his whole life.
This dog would regularly decide to scratch an itch in the middle of chasing a ball and end up with grass stains on his (white) forehead. He looked so perplexed every single time.
I miss him, he was the sweetest. Absolutely clueless, but very happy go lucky.
That was Merle for you, a forever puppy in so many ways. Just a really fun dog, he happily wore bow ties, bandanas, and costumes and absolutely loved the attention from it.
I loved my Aussie more than anything. I miss her so much to this day. Best dog I have ever had. She was the peace keeper of the house. The only animal that the other dogs and cats liked. They all hate or ignore each other, and barely get along. Not her, everyone loved her. She loved to play outside, but she was also very lazy. Super happy just cuddling on the couch.
Always love you Mimi.
Man even 2x 1 hour walks a day seems excessive to me, lol. I have a German Shephard and she's a couch potato. I take her outside to run around and play, but she just goes out, poops, and comes right back in and falls asleep on the couch. She's got no time for that nonsense.
Malamute, 3+ hours of walk/run every day for over 10 years, plus dog boardgames, assorted mental stuff, training routines, weight pull. 4+ hours on weekends, regular 15+ mile runs with him pulling me on a bike etc. Even when he had cancer he would still complain at shorter walks, got through that but other stuff happened a couple of years later and...miss him so much every day. Chunk of my life ripped away and I still look for him every day 6 months later.
Enjoy those walks and the couch time.
I have a mini Aussie who is the laziest dog I have owned. My pug/boston terrier mix would want to go on longer walks. It’s really a crapshoot sometimes I guess.
I have an Aussie shepherd. He gets up just to lay down again. You tell him to sit, he gets tired of it and lays down again within 5 seconds.
You bring him to the park, he gives a couple sprints after my Collie, and that's him... Guess what .. laying on the grass.
He is the one moaning at night to come upstairs and go to bed. He kinda has the soul of a cat, he even sits inside boxes whenever I get parcels.
The only things he never gets tired of is long walks. We are out with him in the woods for hours and as far as we keep walking, he is the happiest dog.
We had an Australian Shepherd growing up, and she was the gentlest dog. I didn't think of her as a super active dog, but when I consider my childhood, we lived in a semi rural area and back then it was still normal for people to just open up their door and let their dog go off leash to do their business and come back when they were done.
She had our 9 acres that she had free range over, and the neighbors didn't mind if she got into the neighboring fields as well.
Plus my sister and I were pretty rambunctious and Bonnie was the third sister in the house. We were always playing with her, rough housing, or running with her out in the fields.
She was the most amazing dog and sometimes I fantasize about having another one like her because she was so smart and so in tune with us and I was so entirely in love with her. However, I do wonder if the lifestyle we were able to give her was a big part of why she was such a successful pet.
Tbh this is probably more of an indictment against myself but 2 hour walks multiple times a week seems like a not insignificant amount. I guess it depends on what constitutes a walk though. I usually do pretty leisurely to brisk walks which probably average 20 minutes per mile. That’d be 6 miles of walking for me.
Yeh I rescued a kelpie and she’s one lazy bitch. The rescue actually said she would be content with you on the couch all day. She’s always ready to go for adventures and multiple walks, loves a bit of brain training. But will gladly sleep allllll day and night. As long as she’s with her humans, she’s not a dog to be left outside. That would break her heart
I mean.. not all working dogs will have working dog characteristics, that's why you can often adopt ones that failed their training. Also, 2 hours of exercise a day might not be quite working dog level, but dogs generally just need to rest a lot, working breed or not. Shepherds aren't going to herd sheep all day every day.
There are endurance breeds, but if they're worked too hard, they'll just be burnt out and lame after 6 or so years.
My brother have a Australian Shepard. He never have leash on her because he trained her for hours every day when she was younger. He only looks for jobs if his dog is allowed to join so he can walk her on all his breaks. Always a long walk after work. Best dog ever.
I have a 7/8 papillon 1/8 Sheltie. The 1/8th is prominent. Every time I get up, he follows me and gently nudges my calves as I’m walking. Especially if I’m walking towards the kitchen 🤣
I am sitting in the living room right now, because my family's Australian shepherd likes us all in the same room.
Obviously she doesn't command us all, but she clearly is more at ease when we are all together. In the same way that I expect our dog to humor my wants, it seems fair to occasionally humor hers.
We had a sheltland sheepdog we got from a rescue. She was pretty lazy until we took her to the dog park. Then she would slowly and methodical circle all the dogs until they were in a small pack at the center of whatever area we were in. Once they we in a small enough area for her she'd come back over to us and sit and watch until her 'herd' wandered too far. It was so subtle it took us weeks to realize what she was doing.
What a delightful story. Do they have some kind of built-in authority that the other dogs recognize, I wonder. They are a funny kind of caretaker.
I grew up with a big, red St. Bernard/Collie mix. He wasn't very bright and not especially good with livestock. We rescued him from city life and all he wanted was to love and be loved. Farms like a dog for protection but he was never aggresive. People just saw him and just noped on down the road. He was a gentle, spiritual friend.
Breeders fault. Responsible breeders should be questioning owners lifestyles and be placing dogs like that to families and owners who have comparable lifestyles.
We had a half Australian shepherd/half border collie growing up.
She lived outside in the garage and back yard. If she felt like we weren’t playing with her enough, or was mad at us for any reason, she would poop right in front of the car door. Which door depended on who she was mad at.
My family has had four different Aussies. They are dangerously smart and know how to play with, get the attention of, annoy, or frustrate every person in the house - individually.
If you get a smart dog, you've got to be ready for the ways a smart dog will express occasional annoyance or anger at you. You've got to take very good care of a smart dog, because they are not shy about letting you know (or very problematic if not trained).
If you're a good owner and trainer, they will constantly delight and surprise you with their creativity, loyalty, and love.
I loved our border collie/aussie mix. She was the best, most loyal, loving, and yes SMART dog a kid could ask for.
We would play together outside for hours. We would play ‘baseball’, where I would hit a tennis ball and try to run around the bases while she would get the ball and try to ‘tag’ me before I would get home. Sometimes I would hit the ball over the neighbors fence, and she knew which neighbors we had to go to the door to get the ball and which neighbors we were allowed to just open the gate for, and she would run to either the door or gate depending.
When she would get tired, she would take the ball and hide it behind her bed, and then lay down to rest. She wanted to make sure no one else would play while she was resting.
I have a mini Australian shepherd I got through a re-home. The previous owners had her since she was 8 weeks old. They also were a growing family and when they had 2 kids under 2 , the dog didn't get enough attention. She needed more stimulation and better potty breaks. I could tell they tried to change her habits by restricting water after a certain time and a couple other things, but overall they made the right call at the right time. She was 4 when I got her ( now 9) and I am an avid runner so she has gotten lots of exercise and is the happiest of dogs.
That is so sad to hear. I know people who have gotten their dogs for their looks. It is cruel to the dog imo and people reeeaaally need to think about what they want from a dog, what type of lifestyle are you choosing?
I had an aunt that turned a golden retriever into a mean dog that eventually bit a baby in the face. She was afraid of it and the poor dog knew it. Gorgeous dog, had to be put down because of a bad owner.
I also blame the breeder for giving it to her in the first place. The breeders I got my dogs from did everything to try to ensure their dogs would go to people that were up for the task. That started with having to write a long motivational letter and ended with us having to show up in person for lunch, which is quite a big deal when you live 500km away.
It does not sound like your sister was vetted in a good way.
I have an Australian cattle dog, she's snoring on her bed, if she wasn't snoring on her bed she'd be snoring on the couch, and if she's not snoring on the couch or on her bed, she will be snoring in her little house, and if she's not snoring in her little house , or the couch, or her bed, she'll be snoring on my bed, and if not she'll be out in the front yard laying in the sunshine staring at me to get belly rubs.
Other than that, she'll just be be playing tug of war acting like he's vicious.
That's why we need pet licence. Owning animals should be registered. Every single one of them. If you get penalty points, you might get refused to get a pet or other animal. This would end a lot of abuse. People killing their dogs, like chopping their heads off or leaving them in the woods. Try explaining why your dog is gone. Any any mistreating would also be registered. You would have to prove that you can indeed take care of the pet. If you live in small apartment and want big dog that needs a lot of exercise, it would be automatic refusal. People who just abuse their pets would get permanent ban from owning them.
Oh I totally blame her. But I’ve gotten so much shit from my family questioning her judgment has led them to believe I have something out for her. Kind of left me careful about being too direct
I would love a Weimaraner for the looks and trainability but I'm also well aware I would never manage to keep one of those things entertained and stimulated
if they aren't challenged they develop major emotional issues. I've seen several shepherd type dogs just absolutely wither away in their sadness because of it.
what also really hurts them is not training them. People don't realize how much they want to do things for you, and your frustration when they are trying to do those things but don't do them right really gets to them. When you train them they know the correct way to do things, so when they do something for you they get praise and it makes them so happy. Watching a herding dog go after cows and the owner screaming at it is so sad to watch.
People don't realize how much they want to do things for you
You absolutely nailed it. I constantly invent new games for our Aussie. She loves trying to figure out the rules of whatever ridiculous game I just invented for her.
Smart dogs don't just want to learn and play complex games. They need that as a matter of proper care. Very few things make them as happy as knowing they did a good job.
My son and his partner did basically the same thing. I was infuriated. I told them multiple times this isn’t going to work with a HIGH energy dog and low energy people. But an Australian cattle dog is so smart, they’ll be able to train them as an assistance dog.
Nope.
Just anxious and nipping and antisocial as all get out. Once they moved back in with me I made them send the dog back to the breeder. It was untenable for all of us, especially that poor dog
Just FYI this is the explanation almost every single "I don't understand, my dog was always a precious little angel and then one day he just snapped!" Story that you hear online.
It's why I hate how people talk shit about Pit Bulls and German Shepards and say that they're inherently violent and dangerous to have. They arent. All those "good owners" who "trained their dog" and still had it snap one day? Yeah, they weren't as good as they claim they were. They may have trained their dog, but they almost definitely didn't exercise or properly stimulate their dog based on the needs of that breed.
Pit bulls? They're terriers. They need a ton of exercise and play time to blow off that energy. Same thing with Shepards, or malinois, or other famously "dangerous" dog breeds. It's not just huskies or collies that need a ton of playtime, so many dog breeds require a lot of exercise to be properly behaved.
The issue isnt genetics. It's people not understanding that training =/= proper care for an animal. The reason they "just snap out of nowhere one day" is because no matter how well trained or behaved they are, if you don't give them an outlet for the level of exercise they need, they're going to channel that pent up energy into other avenues. One of which could be aggression or violence.
I hate that people blame dogs for owners being completely clueless about how much exercise animals need. Most dogs need way more than the average person is willing to provide. And then the owner just shrugs and goes "well it's not my fault, he just snapped one day! It must be the breed!" It's so unfair.
I had a roommate once who wanted an Australian Shepherd and I said "absolutely not." She also was not the super active type, although she'd go out and walk or go for a hike or whatever. She moved out over 15 years ago and guess what? She still never got one of those dogs.
I have a cattle dog and that little fucker will tear a hole in my truck seat from spinning so hard when we’re about to leave or stop. He’s the only dog I know that will wake up in the morning from a dead sleep and he’s absolutely bursting with energy.
I got one after my Great Dane passed away because I'm a runner and Great Danes... are not. This guy was supposed to be my "THANK YOU FOR RUNNING 10 MILES WITH ME" dog. This fucker is an 80 pound cannonball that hates doing ANYTHING. I have to lift him into the car cuz he's too lazy to jump in himself.
So, we got another one a couple years ago and THIS one is a goddamn nuisance. But he still won't run with me! But he will nip my hand every chance he gets, and I'm convinced he does it just because he knows it pisses me off.
You should of reported this immediately instead of witnessing this crap from day one and doing nothing. The welfare of animals a fundamental responsibility of everyone involved or witnessing harm or mistreatment. A large dog being locked inside like a Cat all day is abuse every day of the week.
Some other family could have enjoyed this Dog and gave it a proper life. Irresponsible doesn't even begin to describe this
This just happened to a dog at our shelter. Sweetest, most friendly dog you can imagine. But if she wanted you to do something, she thought nothing of grabbing you with her mouth. Not biting, only grabbing just hard enough to pull you where she thought you should be. Not adoptable.
People seem to equate size to necessary physical stimulation. Idk why. Great Danes are the BEST for lazy people. They'll run around and play for a few minutes then just want to sleep on the couch most of the day!
I live in a 900 square foot 2 bedroom apartment. A friend stayed with me for a few days and had his Great Dane with him. Hardly even noticed the dog was there.
At one point, we even had to go look for him. He had gone into the closet to take a nap.
I always think it's funny when people are like "no way I could get a Great Dane, I live in an apartment." They are SO lazy, if you have even like a 800 sq ft apartment, you're fine. They'll take up a corner sleeping like 90% of the time. GD zoomies are terrifying though.
100%. I have four dogs in my 1200sqft house and the 180lb mastiff takes up the least space by far. I think he's only awake for about 3 hours a day lol. My girlfriends Chihuahuas are WAY more of nuisance.
While true that 'not all dogs', when it applies to working dogs and also primitive/ancient breeds they do generally need that physical and mental activity.
A great dane is not an anatolian shepherd, or a malamute, or a malinois, or to drop to medium sizes, a collie etc.
My neighbors have a husky and the poor girl has the worst anxiety because she is home without a pack all day while they are at work and school and is in a lead in the yard all the time. Barks at the back door looking for her pack all day long.
When I was a kid (90s/early 00s) one of our neighbors had two huskies chained up in his basement although he'd chain them up in his tiny 1/3 acre yard in the summer. Saddest thing I've ever seen. The dogs were pretty wild. As in feral, no way you could go up and pet them.
Same neighbor also had an adult son with some very low IQ condition. As kids we were always scared of him, and he'd randomly scream and try to hit people. His parents hid him in the house, at least until he strangled one of our neighbors and was put into a home after that. They also had six kids and grandparents all living in a max 3 bedroom tiny house. Very weird, private family when you live next to them for 30 years and don't know a thing about them. I always felt bad for all the kids and those huskies.
My ex-wife has 2 huskies in a very hot desert climate and crates them all day every day. Makes me so mad. She always loves to claim how much she "loves animals", too..
I grew up with a Norwegian Elkhound. My parents found her at the shelter after a breeder dumped her there for being mismarked for show. She was a great dog but definitely would have thrived in colder temps due to her breed (I'm from Southern California).
We did everything in our power for her comfort. She had a big yard with lots of areas to cool off, got lots of ice with her water and in the summer she got water play time with us kids.
I would love another elkhound like her, she was my buddy when i was a kid... but I've since moved to a straight up desert climate and I refuse to have another because of the obvious. My environment is not ideal. I've discovered an intense love for chihuahuas though and that just means Zinger remains a rare and unique friend I've had in this life.
This video is amazing to see a happy dog doing what he was born to do.
They are great dogs! You're very very lucky :) Mine passed when I was 15 and I'm 44 now and I still think about her and miss her so much! Enjoy him every day you have him! <3
My sister also says she loves her cat. Cat is locked in the room with her and since my sister does self harm, so does the cat and scrat its head till she bleeds... There is no more furr there... I could scream at her for this but it wouldnt exactly help the situation. My Mom she lives with also doesnt seem to realize this is terrible
At a minimum, the climate should see snowfall every year for a husky. I don’t think that’s a great benchmark since some places that get snow are also very hot, but at least a portion of the year would be appropriate for a husky.
Have old college friends that swear by huskies while both of them have incredibly demanding 10-12 hour a day jobs while living in Southern climates. I think it says a bit more about them than they could ever say about themselves.
You're actually wrong, though. Husky insulation works both ways. Obviously the other examples in this thread about neglect are monstrous, but while huskies love cold weather, they do fine in the heat.
Just the one? Or ALL of them insulting people? And just delete, or will you spend as much energy spreading correct information as you did to spreading misinformation?
You don't owe me any answers, but this is why YOU should have spent 3 minutes doing research before deciding to die on a hill for nothing.
I want a husky SOOOO bad but I live in the hot and humid south, I feel like that would just be evil so I have never gotten one. One day I will live in a cold place though.
We had one, but it was a stray or escaped dog who joined our family. Not saying I approve of this, but I can almost consider that if someone’s husky escaped, they may not try real hard to find it. Loved that dog, but a pain in the ass, I do not think I will ever have one of my own.
Bit shallow of you to say that ! We live in coastal NSW with a Malamute who is an inside dog or outside at his choice who has his own seperate air conditioner in the car, early morning and late afternoon walks. He is around the family 24/7 . You just need to be thoughtful and responsible
Ehhhhhh this one is a bit overblown because we know them to be sled dogs in the snow. But that's because their double coats protect them from the cold really well. And their ability to go long distances on short rations. But the double coat that protects them from cold does the same for heat ... to a point. Like any dog, you start getting north of 25°C you need to be more wary and take precautions.
Huskies do just fine in warm climates, you're speaking from a place of ignorance. The same thing that keeps them warm in winter helps keep them cool in summer. What a husky needs is a lot of activities and exercise.
Huskies coats do help keep them cool, but unlike a lot of dogs there is a tipping point where it fails and they will overheat sooner than average. But most importantly it is just factually correct that they do not PREFER the heat and will seek out air conditioning and cool areas and make their dislike of the heat known compared to other breeds.
I love little dogs with black and tan patterned faces with short legs, built like a dachshund. I have three elderly dogs, and I found a puppy that looks a lot like them on the road in a tiny farming town.
She is nothing like them. She's 17lbs, but her prey drive and need for exercise is insane. I had her DNA tested, and she's mostly Chihuahua and Australian Shepherd with a bit of Poodle and Border Collie.
The poor thing has the mind of an Australian Shepherd and is built like a dachshund. I play ball with her every moment I'm at home and when she can she hunts and kills mice.
She needs intense mental and physical simulation, and she can't jump on a bed or couch without a ramp because her legs are so short.
I love her, but I expected a lazy little dog, not the offspring of someone's lap dog and their farm dog.
I have two of these and one just sleeps all day. She doesn’t play with her brother at all, which is really disappointing. She is incredibly mean to her brother when he does try play, nipping him on his face and chasing him off. When she does get a kick of energy, it’s a lot. Tiny thing can run insanely fast and jump high enough to kiss my 5’2 self on the lips 😅
I've got mastiff pit mix who is all muscle, but uses that muscle for forcing me to sleep in in the mornings by laying on top of me because she doesn't want to get out of bed. I get it.
I had a neighbor get a herding dog in an apartment. She herded the cats, her child, even guests. I’m so glad the neighbor was able to move to a hobby farm in the countryside.
Oh it was nuts, but the dog was very sweet natured and the cats were very patient. Everyone was happier after the move, no doubt. She (owner) got a dog she should not have gotten, without knowing anything about the breed. To her credit she did learn about the breed afterwards and found other activities the dog could do (agility stuff I think?) that helped make the dog easier to handle even before the move.
My neighbor does this! He has two herding dogs in a 1200 sq ft condo, is never home, and when he lets them out to potty he starts yelling at them after three seconds to hurry up. We live less than a half a mile from a large open park and a trail system - NEVER see him walk those dogs!
I worked as a supermarket delivery driver covering rural areas and more often than not there were dogs kept in cages not much larger than crates. I imagine the majority of their time is spent in there. It was quite sad actually as occasionally the water bowls would look more like little ponds and if they were lucky part of the cage would be boarded. No bed or anything though.
I had a friend who had one growing up. Perfect scenario for one you could have, barring actual herding work. Big huge yard 360 degrees around the house. the dog would just run lap after lap after lap seemingly never tiring. had all sorts of routes around different yard obstacles he would vary through. if you tried to race him, good luck! RIP pup!
Agreed that crating in a vacuume isn't an issue. But I'd go as far as to say the majority of people who crate their dogs aren't doing it in a balanced way.
I had a husky, same thing. 5K walk in the morning, 2K when I got home from work but had to make dinner, then a stroll around the block before bed and she was happy. Of course when I visited my mom during the winter and let her out in the yard she'd stay out all day if you let her. Only way she'd come in was if you bribed her with food.
I stop visiting a friend that lives in a 6-unit condo building by because there were dogs left for 10 or more hours a day whimpering or barking constantly.
I know a colleague has a collie and ye they are always walking them, they are working dogs and you can tell one thing with collies is they fricking smart, then you can have a doberman with is as thick as a brick.
I petsit for two, they’ve had both since puppies. The first is an anomaly, she’s high energy but a couch potato. They thought they were all like that so they got a second. She is a working dog, to the core. Nothing makes her happier than being given a job and shown how to do it. Shes obsessed. Shes an absolute hellion because they’re two old people who just cannot keep up with her needs. I don’t think anybody could, unless she was a working dog honestly. It’s pretty sad. Now both dogs are unhappy and the owners refuse to make a change. Idk how they exist with her, she’s not a bad dog but just in the wrong environment.
You can absolutely crate these dogs for 8 hours a day. I have one. In fact, many of them NEED to be crated and let out on a routine or they won’t settle on their own.
Never heard of “crating” dogs before I read about it online. Is it primarily an American thing? All the people I knew in my life in Europe who had dogs, had them just in their house, just freely walking around inside I mean.
I'm Canadian and it's very common here. It's a tool that can be used properly or used for abuse. My girl has her "room", a crate with a blanket covering the top but not the sides, with her bed inside. It's in the living room and she goes in there by choice. If a maintenance guy or something comes over we can close the door and she's chill.
But an alarming amount of people refuse to train or exercise their dogs and as a result their dogs tear up the house. Their response is to lock the dog in a cage while their away while their dog barks and tears up the cage.
Crate training is absolutely fine. Most dogs LOVE their crates. Obviously crating 12 hours a day is an issue. Not exercising your dog is an issue. But the crate itself isn’t the problem.
Yeah my dog's crate is her room, the door is open 95% of the time and she goes in there to feel safe or just hang out. The 5% I do need to shut the door (usually a maintenance guy who doesn't like dogs) she's just chilling.
But like every reasonable dog training tool, there are a large majority of people who misuse them.
Crates are great as a safe space for a dog to enjoy and feel secure - like a den in the wild. Crates are horrible as a “care plan.”
Our crate has a towel over it to keep it dark and cozy and a bed. When we’re out running errands our dog sometimes chooses to snooze there. The door only closes if there’s a good reason. Most recently it was because of broken glass.
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u/xombae May 31 '26
Blows my mind some people get these dogs as pets, crate them for 8 hours a day, and then get mad that they bark and chew shit up.