My dad is going to get a free Husky and Shepherd puppy. He will be getting it once it's old enough to leave its mother. He has work from 8 am to 8 pm. We are taking him or her to a doggy day care.
I need to know if he will still like us and know us. I also need to know if it is a a good choice. We live in a 1 floor house with a huge backyard.
By Jasmine Miller from Reseda, CA
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Sorry I think it is a very bad idea to get a dog. You will be gone for 12-14 hrs a day. The puppy will not bond to you, but to the day care people. And it should not be kept outside in a fenced yard by itself either. It is not fair to the dog who deserve a more loving home.
I don't know about shepherds, and I can't say what experience you will have with the shepard/husky mix, but we used to raise huskies and can speak for the husky side, should it dominate. In addition to what drmeidl said, huskies in general require an enormous amount of attention and need a LOT of exercise too every day.
If you want a Husky, you need to be willing to provide your pet with the high level of activity he requires to keep him happy and healthy. These activities can include regular jogging, playing, swimming, or best of all, sledding. One Husky can keep several members of the family in top condition. If you're not willing or able to give your dog a lot of attention, consider a breed with lower activity-level needs.
If you are getting it for a guard dog, consider too that not only do they enjoy the company of the entire family, particularly children, they like strangers, too. In fact, if you're looking for a watchdog, get a Chihuahua. Huskies seldom bark at trespassers.
1. Shepards are very smart. They need a job. If you don't give them one, they will make up their own. being a puppy , chewing qualifies as a job.
2. My limited experience with huskies is that they like to run - as in away. They are bred to work with dogs more than with humans.
3. Any doggy daycare worth it's fees should not take in a puppy before it has had all it's shots. This will take several months. A pup with an immature immune system being exposed to many different dogs could easily become ill. Very $$$ physically, emotionally and financially. It would definitely be a good idea to have the pup inoculated for kennel cough, even if it is not required by your facility. It's a nasty contagious respiratory infection that can interfere with your puppy's growth.
Get the shot instead of the nasal dose - the nasal mist can make them sneeze unhappily for hours later (it's a live vaccine, not a kill like the shot). I think there is a minimum age for a pup to be able to tolerate it. Same goes for rabies (several shots and boosters after that) and distemper. Parvo is another one that's a must get, especially if there is going to be frequent and crowded exposure to other dogs.
Puppies also often have round worm that they pick up from the breed bitch - your little guy will need to be tested (anyway) and probably treated. Ivermectin works very well. I prefer the shot to the oral powder. My younger rott had a terrible time with worms - I wound up cooking for her for 6 months (her disposition was lovely) as the worms were repeatedly treated. She might have kept reinfecting during walks. She developed a case of whip worm in addition to the round worms, which caused rapid weight loss and internal bleeding, at which point I insisted on the ivermectin shot. What a difference! I decided right then and there if I ever dealt with that problem again, I was going straight for the shot.
4. Week 8-12 is the bonding period for a puppy - not a good time to separate it from you. Responsible breeders won't place a pup with you if you aren't going to be there almost continuously during that time.
Incidentally, my current dog, a purebred German Shepard, I adopted as a 5 year old adult 2 years ago, has just finally learned how to play in the past 3-4 months. I'm not kidding about this - I don't think she had much of a chance prior. I am her third handler - twice she was cycled through an SPCA shelter that required you to return her if you couldn't keep her. I found her on petfinder.com and drove about 2 hours away to see her. Twice.
5. Week 9-12 is the fear stage for puppies. Hard at this point to get them to bond because they are literally afraid of and upset by strangeness in their environment. Did it with a rottweiler - took her in at age 12 weeks - she was a good dog, but it was tough on her, especially since she came into her bark late, not until 6 months old. My second dog, also a rottie, I took in at 8 weeks and kept her by my side continually. Big difference between the two - the younger one had a much sweeter, compliant manner about her.
6. A shepard/husky mix could potentially grow to be a 70+ lb dog. Have youpicked out a puppy school yet for basic obedience training? This will help with bonding and teaching manners. Many of the big chains (Petco, Petsmart) now have in store classes at very reasonable rates.
7. If your father is going to be away 12+ hours a day - why is he getting a dog? I'm not being sarcastic, but sounds like his work schedule would be better suited to having a cat or fish. When a dog's human walks out the door, the dog doesn't understand or comprehend that their person will return - all they see is their pack leader leaving = abandonment. I get the bit about doggie daycare, but again - for a baby especially - why?
8. Two excellent references on raising puppies, both by the brothers of New Skete, a monastery in NY. Their specialty is breeding German Shepards! One is "How to be your Dog's Best Friend", and the other is "Raising Your Puppy" or something close to that. Good luck!
I agree. I don't think a dog is a good idea, or even a cat. No pet deserves to be left alone that much of the time.
I agree with all those posts stating that he should get a fish or turtle or a plant. A dog requires and needs lots and lots of time and TLC. Problems will occur from being left alone so much and why pay the expense of doggy daycare? Please reconsider for everyone's sake.
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