Does anyone here own a Siberian Husky or a German Shepherd?

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Chryso

Diamond Member
Nov 23, 2004
4,040
13
81
Originally posted by: triacontahedron
Originally posted by: Chryso
Originally posted by: triacontahedron
One more thing is that you should breed a dog at least once for it to be healthy ( no such problem with males obviously).

That is complete bull crap.
No matter what kind of dog you get you should have it spayed or neutered.

If you like the idea of cutting your pet balls out good luck with this. It is your personal choice. Next thing we should do maybe is to cut their legs so they don't run away or cut their throats so they don't bark ... oh, sorry, they already do this. There are situation when neutering is necessary but there is no point doing this to a family pet.


The animal doesn't know the difference.

Why you should spay or neuter your pet
Humane Society

I now also think that you should be spayed or neutered.
 

lupi

Lifer
Apr 8, 2001
32,539
260
126
Here's a few of my beast. He actually likes water and while we still lived by Seattle we'd head out to the Sound on occasion and toss some sticks out for him to get it. Having to run against the water increased his tired out rate which was good for the humans :)


Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3
Pic 4
 

triacontahedron

Junior Member
Feb 23, 2007
14
0
0
Originally posted by: Chryso

I now also think that you should be spayed or neutered.

lol, I hope some day you understand what is wrong with your statement.

PS: sorry for posting offtopic.
 

PurdueRy

Lifer
Nov 12, 2004
13,837
4
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Originally posted by: robphelan
we have a german shep my wife rescued from the pound... she is an absolutely beautiful dog. very loyal and protective. I want another one, but the wife wants a lapdog.

i like her size better than a husky..

got any pictures?
 

Fern

Elite Member
Sep 30, 2003
26,907
173
106
I prefer German Shepards, great dogs. I don't care for the pure bred stuff though, they tend to get hip problems late in life.

I just go to the shelter and get a puppy that looks like a shepard but is a bit of mix. Got one right now, a female, best dog I've ever had. Very smart, very loyal, will defend wife & kids etc.

I think its part coyote (we have them around here), it's always hunting rabbits, birds etc and eats them.

Fern
 

Oceandevi

Diamond Member
Jan 20, 2006
3,085
1
0
Originally posted by: triacontahedron
Originally posted by: Chryso
Originally posted by: triacontahedron
One more thing is that you should breed a dog at least once for it to be healthy ( no such problem with males obviously).

That is complete bull crap.
No matter what kind of dog you get you should have it spayed or neutered.

If you like the idea of cutting your pet balls out good luck with this. It is your personal choice. Next thing we should do maybe is to cut their legs so they don't run away or cut their throats so they don't bark ... oh, sorry, they already do this. There are situation when neutering is necessary but there is no point doing this to a family pet.

Female dogs do not have balls.

Of course it is a choice to spay/neuter, its the best damn choice!

Your next statement is meh.

A family pet has no need to be intact. All the female dogs or cats my family ever owned were less sociable after having a litter. It is not a fun thing for them. Yes they can breed but it is for the species survival ...NOT your fvcking entertainment! It is painful and dangerous for the animal and unless you have some purpose to it and have enough money for ANY vet bills, you should just get them fixed.

It is a lot less hassle to get them fixed. There are already millions of people breeding dogs and cats. They don't need you to help.
 

KMurphy

Golden Member
May 16, 2000
1,014
0
0
We have a husky/sheppard mix that we saved from the pound. A decent looking family was giving her away at a Walmart parking lot; said they had to move where the dog couldn't go. Anyway, this dog is very obedient, likes to dig, chase catch and eat small prey (birds, moles, rabbits and squirrels mostly). She loves humans, but hates other dogs. She cold-trails my youngest son wherever he goes.

We also have a border collie that even protects the kids from their own mom. Also a female and very loyal (not so obedient).
 

masterxfob

Diamond Member
May 20, 2001
7,366
3
81
i wanted to get an indoor pet for my house, and thought about the siberian husky. after reading about them on that site, i thought it would be a bad idea.
 

PurdueRy

Lifer
Nov 12, 2004
13,837
4
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Originally posted by: masterxfob
i wanted to get an indoor pet for my house, and thought about the siberian husky. after reading about them on that site, i thought it would be a bad idea.

yea some of those negatives are the ones I keep hearing over and over. I guess the answer is either get a GS or get an older Husky that shows his traits so you know what you are getting.
 

CanOWorms

Lifer
Jul 3, 2001
12,404
2
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I had a Siberian Huskey & German Shepherd mix. He was awesome... lived to 16 until he was put to sleep last month.
 

secretanchitman

Diamond Member
Apr 11, 2001
9,352
21
91
we've owned our male german shepherd for almost 8 years now (his birthday is in june). he is trained to know exactly how you act, what cars you drive (not kidding) and who all your friends are. our dog literally knows if another person(s) is in the car with me.

they are hard to train (at least ours was) when they are puppies, but they are so cute and lovable. definitely get one.
 

PurdueRy

Lifer
Nov 12, 2004
13,837
4
0
Originally posted by: secretanchitman
we've owned our male german shepherd for almost 8 years now (his birthday is in june). he is trained to know exactly how you act, what cars you drive (not kidding) and who all your friends are. our dog literally knows if another person(s) is in the car with me.

they are hard to train (at least ours was) when they are puppies, but they are so cute and lovable. definitely get one.

Out of curiousity...got any picture of your dog?
 

mobobuff

Lifer
Apr 5, 2004
11,100
1
81
Grew up with a Husky in the family, she was a great dog, very energetic and playful. If I remember correctly, she was actually half malamute, half wolf.
 

kedlav

Senior member
Aug 2, 2006
632
0
0
Originally posted by: PurdueRy
I am thinking about getting one of these two dogs sometime after I graduate. From what I have read in books and on the internet, the husky requires fewer baths(4 times year is all that is required I guess they don't smell) but the shepherd is easier to train and more loyal.

I was curious if I could get some input from people here who have actually owned one of these dogs. I would appreciate any input into your experiences on both. I don't know what setting I would be living in so while that will eventually factor into my choice, it doesn't right now.

Thanks!

I had a German Shep. as a kid. They need tons of attention, and I mean tons of it. Mine was always excellent with kids, but if he didn't like someone, he just plain didn't like them, no amount of time/familiarity was going to change that. Very crazy dog though, but that may have been something to do with the previous owner (HS adoption... very abused dog, but still wonderful!)
 

0roo0roo

No Lifer
Sep 21, 2002
64,862
84
91
Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
Originally posted by: triacontahedron
Before deciding on breed you might want to consider gender. The questions you asked depend more on sex then type of dog. Generally female dogs are lower maintenance then male ones. On average they smell less, run away less (male dogs are always looking for a thing to hump especially if there is a female dog in heat in the neighborhood) and less aggressive (get into less fights). The downside of a female dog is that you will have problems 2 times a year: you have to keep you pet on leash and fight other dogs, there is also bleeding but they usually clean after themselves. One more thing is that you should breed a dog at least once for it to be healthy ( no such problem with males obviously).

uh no especially the last part. The male female thing doesn't really matter personality wise. If you neuter a male dog they will be no more likely to run off then a spayed female dog. Some dogs just like to run off more then others male or female. A female dog will not bleed twice a year if she is spayed and it would be stupid not to have her spayed and letting one breed once doesn't make them healthier. Thats just dumb.


from what i remember, neutering/spaying basically freezes they sexual maturation at the time you do it more or less, so the earlier you do it, the less troublesome your dog will be. horniness and all that. do it as early as your vet suggests and your dog will probably be easier to deal with.

can't you bury a plastic fence in the ground around the perimeter to prevent escape?? or drive long metal stakes or something into the ground, i dunno, guess its a lotta work..

just get some books on raising a puppy, their stages of development are only months long..like socialization and stuff, don't miss it, you can't make it up later. bigger dogs make dicipline training more important.
 

thedarkwolf

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 1999
9,000
109
106
Originally posted by: kedlav
Originally posted by: PurdueRy
I am thinking about getting one of these two dogs sometime after I graduate. From what I have read in books and on the internet, the husky requires fewer baths(4 times year is all that is required I guess they don't smell) but the shepherd is easier to train and more loyal.

I was curious if I could get some input from people here who have actually owned one of these dogs. I would appreciate any input into your experiences on both. I don't know what setting I would be living in so while that will eventually factor into my choice, it doesn't right now.

Thanks!

I had a German Shep. as a kid. They need tons of attention, and I mean tons of it. Mine was always excellent with kids, but if he didn't like someone, he just plain didn't like them, no amount of time/familiarity was going to change that. Very crazy dog though, but that may have been something to do with the previous owner (HS adoption... very abused dog, but still wonderful!)

My female is the sameway. My uncle came over to the house nearly everday from the time she was 8 weeks old till I brought her to my own house at the age of 7 and she hated him for no reason. Everytime he would get anywhere near her she would bark and growl. Just something about him she didn't like. Surprised he never got bit.

Nobody has brought it up yet but shepherds talk alot. I don't mean the bark though some do that too :), but they grumble, moan, and whine. Not all of them do it but most of the ones I've been around do. Its either really cute or really annoying.
 

thedarkwolf

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 1999
9,000
109
106
Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
Originally posted by: triacontahedron
Before deciding on breed you might want to consider gender. The questions you asked depend more on sex then type of dog. Generally female dogs are lower maintenance then male ones. On average they smell less, run away less (male dogs are always looking for a thing to hump especially if there is a female dog in heat in the neighborhood) and less aggressive (get into less fights). The downside of a female dog is that you will have problems 2 times a year: you have to keep you pet on leash and fight other dogs, there is also bleeding but they usually clean after themselves. One more thing is that you should breed a dog at least once for it to be healthy ( no such problem with males obviously).

uh no especially the last part. The male female thing doesn't really matter personality wise. If you neuter a male dog they will be no more likely to run off then a spayed female dog. Some dogs just like to run off more then others male or female. A female dog will not bleed twice a year if she is spayed and it would be stupid not to have her spayed and letting one breed once doesn't make them healthier. Thats just dumb.


from what i remember, neutering/spaying basically freezes they sexual maturation at the time you do it more or less, so the earlier you do it, the less troublesome your dog will be. horniness and all that. do it as early as your vet suggests and your dog will probably be easier to deal with.

can't you bury a plastic fence in the ground around the perimeter to prevent escape?? or drive long metal stakes or something into the ground, i dunno, guess its a lotta work..

just get some books on raising a puppy, their stages of development are only months long..like socialization and stuff, don't miss it, you can't make it up later. bigger dogs make dicipline training more important.

I lined my fence with cinderblocks and drove about 50 2ft pieces of rebar through the fence as stakes and if my mutt wanted out he would still find a spot to go under. Buying the invisible fence/shock collar is the only thing that has worked.