Siberblog

One morning a few weeks ago I got an email from Kim at YAAP informing me of an emergency foster case that she learned about through a family member.  Howie was an approx. 2 year old Husky/Shepherd mix with soulful brown eyes that was in dire need of help that very day.  Would there be any way I could take him?

Kim knows I’m a sucker for the tough cases, and Howie was no different!  He had been neglected, was quite skinny, and had some behavioral issues.  Not to mention the fact that we were completely full at the shelter.  The owner had threatened to shoot Howie if we didn’t take him.

With seven Siberian Huskies of my own and a new baby on the way, I wondered if I could handle another dog.  I couldn’t let this boy down, though.  I made arrangements to pick him up from YAAP that evening.  At first, all seemed well.  He loaded up into the truck and away we went.  When we got home it was a different story, though.    He was so traumatized, it took me three hours to coax him out of his crate, all the while being growled and snapped at.  Finally, he decided to come out and slowly warmed up to me.  I knew we had our work cut out for us!

The next week was spent rehabbing Howie on his food aggression, and how he related to other dogs.  That is where it is nice to have a pack of seven dogs to assist me!  It took a while to start to undo everything he had been through.  He bounced back fast though, and within two days he lost the glazed look in his eyes and I began to see a sparkle come back.  We spoiled him with fun, good food, frozen turkey necks to chew on, and long walks in the country.

I dreaded taking Howie in for his heartworm test.  Knowing what kind of home he came from, I knew the chances of him getting monthly preventative was slim.  I still prayed for a chance that he would be negative.  The cost and time involved in treatment of heartworms is more that YAAP can afford, upwards to $400-500 a dog.  Unless someone offers to sponsor the dog, the unfortunate outcome is to put the dog down.

My heart sank when Tanya from Gloysteins came into the exam room and shook her head. Immediately, tears sprang to my eyes.  It seemed so senseless to me!  All it takes is one little pill a month to prevent heartworms, and because of his neglect, Howie was now sentenced to die.  We went on one last walk together before I took him back to the vet.  It was so hard to leave him, knowing what his fate would be.  All I could do to console myself was thinking about the fact that we had at least given him one awesome last week of his life, and that he had known love again.

It is still tough to look at these photos of him.  Even though I didn’t know him for long; when you put all your heart and soul into rehabbing a dog, they always leave a piece of themselves with you.

I ask you to please help spread the word about heartworm prevention.  If you aren’t already giving a monthly pill to your dog; please, PLEASE ask your vet about it and get started immediately!  It is such a simple thing to do, and it will save you so much heartache in the future.

Copyright©2009 Jennifer Werth

Summer is the perfect time to work on socializing your dog or puppy.  What with all of the outdoor festivals and get-together’s there is always an opportunity to get the pooch out and about.  Socialization is basically getting your pet out to see, hear, and experience as many things as possible.  Think about it, if you lived inside a house or were confined to your yard until you had to go to the vet or to be boarded, you would be a little nervous about new things too!

The idea behind socialization is basically akin to immersion therapy done with humans.  The more a dog or puppy is exposed to a situation, new sound, or different types of people; the better they’ll handle that same situation the next time they encounter it.  Make sure and start this socialization as soon as possible.  With puppies, as soon as they are done with their puppy shots, go ahead and start taking them with you on outings.  The younger pups are exposed to new things, the more accepting they are of those same things later in life.  If you’ve adopted an older puppy or dog, it can be trickier, but still do-able.

The number one thing you need to remember in socializing a dog of any age is to stay strong for your dog by example.  It may be very difficult for some of you, but if the dog or puppy does react to the stimuli with fear, you CAN NOT console or reassure them.  This is the absolute wrong thing to do.  By reassuring the dog or puppy when they are in a fearful state of mind, you are in effect rewarding the fearful behavior.  This has the opposite effect you want it to.  While you think the dog needs comforting, it actually serves to tell the dog they have every right to be afraid of what scared them.  You can see how this is counter-productive to what you’re trying to accomplish.  Simply stand strong with your dog, and let them work through what they are feeling.  Even if they fight you the first time or so, they will begin to notice that whatever is scaring them doesn’t bother you, and they will  take their behavior cues from how you react.

If you do experience a set back, don’t give up.  There are very few dogs that can’t overcome their fears when they have their owners helping them to work through it.  Too often, the socialization therapy is stopped because the human can’t handle it.  Not the other way around.

Just because kitty doesn’t always get out, don’t neglect their socialization as well.  Most of what a cat encounters as far as stimuli is indoors, so you’ll have to bring the experiences to them.  Make sure your cat or kitten is exposed to many different sounds and kinds of people.  This will help prevent the “scaredy cat” syndrome that so many cats experience when a new person or sound enters their domain.  It is important to remember, that just like dogs, you shouldn’t baby your cat or not do something because it scares them.  At the same time, don’t force the experience either.  That is why it is so important to get started as soon as you bring your furry friend home.

I know it sounds like a lot of work, but believe me it is so worth it.  I socialize the heck out of all of my dogs when they are puppies, and as a result, I can take them into any new situation or meet any new person and know that they will handle it with ease.  It’s great to be able to bring your dog along on an excursion and know that you can relax and just enjoy their company!  Remember to always check with event coordinators to make sure dogs are welcome before you head out.

If you have any questions about socialization, or would like to know more, please email me at pawspress@gmail.com.  I’d love to help you and your best friend be more comfortable in any situation.

Copyright©2009 Jennifer Werth

Most of our feline friends very much prefer to stay indoors during the winter, content to watch the snow fall from their cozy perch by the window sill.  I can’t say I blame them!

Many dogs however, love to have a good romp outside when the weather is chilly.  There are tons of fun things to do when the mercury drops, but there are a few safety things to keep in mind as well.

First, make sure both of you can handle the cold.  Humans, of course, need a warm coat to insulate them from the chilly temperatures.  While most dogs were born naturally with a generous coat of fur; if your dog is small, or has a smooth, short coat; you may want to think about equipping fido with a canine coat.  They are widely available nowadays, and come in all sorts of fun colors and sizes.

Next, you’ll need to remember the dog’s feet.  As we mentioned in the last issue about preparing your pet for winter, you’ll need to keep a watch out for sharp ice that your dog could cut it’s feet on, and make sure you are using non-toxic ice salt.  If all else fails, there are many dog boots on the market that should make playing outside much safer for dogs not accustomed to being out a lot.

Now for the fun part!  Oh what fun it is to run around like crazy folk with our dogs following close behind us!  The most obvious game you can play outdoors is fetch, provided you have a bright colored toy that is big enough not to get lost in snow!

You can also train your dog to pull a cart or sled.  There are many places to get equipment for these sports, but my favorite is www.adanacsleds.com.  There are many books available that give you an idea on how to train your dog to do these things, although many large breeds have a natural instinct to pull.

Then there is always the quiet walk in the winter wonderland that nature has provided us.  If you haven’t noticed already, dogs love walks, and their exuberance is not dampened by the cold temperatures either!  Even though the air is cooler out, it is still extremely important to give your dog adequate exercise for his size and breed.  If you don’t, you’re asking for problems!  What better way to blow off cabin fever by a brisk walk for 20 minutes or so?  It not only is healthy for your pet, but it also gets you out and moving as well.  Work off some of those holiday goodies we all indulge in!

The sky’s the limit on activities available for those of us looking to get out of the house.  Be creative, and above all else, HAVE FUN!

Copyright©2009 Jennifer Werth

The last couple months at our house have been interesting to say the least.  We’ve had a bitter rivalry going on between my two oldest females, one of which had been the alpha female.  In our pack, as should be in every home, the humans are always the leaders and the dogs suss out their place from there.  The interesting thing of it is, the female that challenged the alpha female was the most timid pup I’ve ever raised, our dear Maya!

It all started when the girls went into heat, domestic dogs tend to cycle together when in a pack environment.  One day Sierra and Maya were playing joyously in the yard, the next they were trying to kill each other.  It happened quickly, and seemingly without any warning, although I look back now and see the signs in the seconds preceding the fight.  Some of you may be wondering if you’ve ever witnessed a dog fight.  Let me tell you, if you have to ask, you’ve never seen one!  It is brutal and unmistakable.  By the time we got them apart, they were both bleeding.

Now, I don’t recommend getting involved in a fight unless the dogs are drawing blood.  Dogs generally do not seriously injure each other, let alone fight to the death, unless they are unbalanced in some way or it is part of their breeding (some breeds of terriers, let’s say).  In this case, however, I could see it was getting serious.  Maya had seen her opportunity to challenge Sierra, and she took it.  Since Sierra was the current alpha dog, she wasn’t going down without a fight either.

Now the problem with separating dogs that have an issue, is that they never got to resolve it, and they tend to just fight whenever they get the chance again.  Thus began my two months of playing “musical dogs”.  Keeping them apart when I sensed things getting serious again, but trying like mad to reintegrate my pack.  All of my hard work finally paid off today.

I am proud to say that my girls were able to peacefully settle their dispute.  Who came out on top?  It appears Maya, the timid pup a year younger than Sierra.  She is appropriately submissive to my alpha male (our pack has both), but completely ignores Sierra now.  Often times, the alpha behaves in an aloof way.  Sierra is still adjusting, she’s definitely not groveling by any means, but I see her calming down soon.  With them, Sierra doesn’t fully submit, so the signs are extremely subtle.  It’s all in a look, or the ear set, or the positioning of their bodies in relation to each other.  The real tell-all is mealtime.  Sierra now gives Maya first choice after everyone has “worked” for their meal.

So… the peace has been restored to the Werth pack.  I can now enjoy my dogs all at once again, going for our daily pack migrations.  Let’s hope this doesn’t happen all over again their next heat cycle.  I’ll be playing “musical dogs” ’till the cows come home!

Copyright©2009 Jennifer Werth

The following is a story I wrote for the winter issue of “Paws Press”, the newsletter for our local shelter.

I am continually amazed how resilient animals are.  Always willing to give us a second, third, or more chances to redeem ourselves when we’ve fallen short in their eyes.  This is especially apparent to those of us who foster.

My husband and I have had the privilege to foster several dogs for YAAP, and each time I am struck with how healing the “power of the pack” is to each dog.  We have seven dogs of our own, and often the very act of integrating into a pack environment is enough to build the confidence of the foster dog, and helping them to “find their place in the world”.  Since we have Siberian Huskies, we jokingly call this phenomenon “Husky see, Husky do”.

We also had the blessing of adopting a dog in 2006 from Adopt-A-Pet.  Yukon was our first experience with adopting a dog and it forever changed us.  He was found wandering in the country by a good-hearted person.  When the woman opened her car door in attempts to catch him, he jumped right in.  Thus starting his journey through YAAP to us.

I noticed his picture posted at Wal-Mart, and lost my heart right then and there.  I was able to get in to meet him that afternoon, and immediately called my husband to beg him to come as well.  He was trying his best to stay strong and deny that he wanted another dog too!

It was the very next evening that we were able to go back to the shelter.  As we walked down the aisle, I could tell my husband was still trying to keep a stiff upper lip.  One look into the kennel though, and my he turned to me and said, “He’s coming home with us!”  Looking back at us was a 6 month old black and white Siberian Husky with bright blue eyes.  We took him out for a walk, but we knew what the verdict was.  We proudly handed over our adoption fee, filled out our paperwork, and called our vet to make an appointment for him to get neutered.

When we got him home, it was obvious that he had been through a lot already in his short life.  He had facial scars from what looked to be a dog attack when he was just a puppy.  One of his ears had almost been torn off!  He also showed signs of abuse and neglect, but was an otherwise happy boy.  The real kicker came when I picked him up from our vet after being neutered.  She met me in the waiting room with something in her hand.  As I took Yukon’s leash from her, she opened her hand to reveal remnants of shotgun shot.  While she was doing the neuter, she had found that he had been shot in the rear end and she did her best to remove all that she could find.  He had been shot!  We were heartbroken that our new boy had gone through so much, but so very thankful we were given the chance to be his forever home.  He’ll never have to worry about where his next meal comes from, or whether the hand that feeds him will be gentle or harsh.

At the time, we only had one other dog and they hit it off immediately.  For the next few years, Everest and Yukon were two peas in a pod.  Then we got into dog showing and sledding and our family kept on growing!

A wonderful gift we can give to any creature is love.  Whether it comes in the form of a warm meal, a kind word and a pat on the head, or a foster home where they can heal their broken minds and bodies.  The ultimate gift though, is the gift of a forever home.  Please consider adoption, you won’t regret it!

Copyright©2009 Jennifer Werth

My coon kids: Daisy (L) and Bandit (R)

Got word that my Coonies did well on their release in September. Here they are snuggled in a tree. Even after maturing, I could still tell them apart! LOL! The lady that took care of them in their wilding habitat tells me they stuck around for a week or so then she didn’t see them anymore.

They also would not eat the food she put out for them after their release, so that means that we did our job in acclimating them to their environment. They were released in a place that has tons of natural food for them to forage for. It was bittersweet, I do admit that I miss them!

WARNING: If you can’t handle the sight of raw meat, skip over this post!

Well, the temperature has been dipping below 32 degrees, and at our house that means it’s time to supplement our dog’s diet. My husband is an avid hunter; and between him, his dad, and friends, we make out pretty good in the deer department. We butcher our own meat, and grind the good stuff and make it into jerky. Of course, my hubby gets the best cuts for steak! The rest we cut into little pieces and cook for the dogs. We always cook our deer meat to kill any bacteria or parasites lurking in the meat. Then I mix it with a little kibble, pour over some gravy, and they think they’ve died and gone to Husky Heaven! LOL!

Copyright©2008 Jennifer Werth

Cutting up the meat before cooking.

Yummm! Yukon (also known as the puppy whisperer) insists on being fed on the picnic table

North, Maya and Summit playing the new game!

It’s an Aoi Kita Kaze sandwich!!

A new game has broken out at our house and here are the rules…

Those that came from the same kennel shall nap so close together as to be touching at ALL times!

Copyright©2008 Jennifer Werth

My younger sister (by heart, not by blood. Though I wish it were by blood!), recently added a German Shepherd Dog puppy to her brood to make a total of three dogs. She is extremely excited, but a bit overwhelmed at the same time. Talking on the phone with her yesterday, she asked me how I did it with 7.

I had to think about it for a bit, but realized the secret to our success is organization, and schedule, schedule, schedule! Sure, there is a lot of keeping the peace, making sure everyone gets enough to eat, and so on. But I have found if I keep everyone on somewhat of a schedule and keep them to it, it automatically helps keep the peace. They know what to expect, and what is expected of them. This helps tremendously, and keeps the pack humming along smoothly.

Copyright©2008 Jennifer Werth