Trust - A Deadly Disease Discussions

How do you stop the Northern Breeds when running in Harness?

With brakes and the Woah! command to let them know what is going on.
A sibe in harness is a dog in working mode. A sibe off-lead is a sibe in hunting mode - totally different mindset.

Mick

mick, beautiful pictures, your sibes are gorgeous and they certainly live a full life!! well done to both you and your wife for giving them such a fantasic home and doing such good work for rescue sibes. You have more experience than a lot of people and i'd say you were suitably qualified to say whether the majority of sibes can be offlead.

Persephona, excellent post, i couldnt agree more. one day they'll listen eh? lol

added to rep both of you

i say stop....they say maybe!! ;-) ;-) ;-)

lmao brilliant!!

Spoken like a true sibe owner!

Totally agree with Mick. Very different mindset and training approach

Take care.

Seoniad.

Gnasher you are dangerous!

Mick I agree Working mode and hunting mode are two completely differant things!

My first dog has been trained off lead, actually before I new any better he was off the lead all the time and I used to think god those people dont know what they are talking about! UNTIL he killed 2 cats and 4 bunnies and I ended up in court, the people tried to have him PTS. I did some research into the breed and realised that having them on a lead is for their safety! Not because Im an evil lazy dog owner he cant be bothered to train their dog.

The amount of Sibes I know who have been trained off lead and then at 12 months have ended up in welfare because they killed a cat, rabbit, sheet, attacked cows etc etc is uncountable!

People with years of experience in this breed recommend keeping them on leads, who are you Gnasher (and you dont even own a sibe!) to go around and rubbish that very good advice?!!?!!

Also I find the statement that my dogs are confined to a life in harness astonishing! What a very silly statment to make, this is what they are bred for this is what they love! go and watch some rallies maybe it will change your opinion

Ok,

Thanks mick you are being very patient with me! thanks!
Your dogs are stunning!


but what i now dont understand is that people are saying when they run they run its instinct, not when they run off hunting!!!!!

So what are they doing when they leg it? Running (cos the like to run) or hunting?


I really admire all you guys that go to great lengths to find enclosed areas to run your dogs off lead.

ohohoh.

Ok another question

Other working breeds can be trained somewhat against their natural instincts, & to listen to their owner against their natural instincts.

What makes a Husky/ Mal so different/deaf to their owners commands? I wonder if it because of the harness work maybe? that its never had to totally rely on voice commands , so as a breed the ones that our really responsive to voice commands & will listen, havent been bred on from? Does a dog that responds quickly to voice commands create a problem in the harness? (speculation)

Hi MishFlynn

If you want a good lead dog you need one that will respond quickly to voice commands or you end up going the wrong way You need a good bond with your dogs especially your leaders and its all built on trust, the dogs need to know that you are 100% going to go the right way, if you are 98% they will end up going their way!

I think what makes Sibes (cant comment on Mals) so differant is that they were bred to work hard! During the summer they hunted for themselves which makes them very independantly minded. They are actually very easy to train and a very very clever breed, just a bit too clever sometimes and they know exactly when they can push boundaries. Off the lead enviroments can create a situation, they know they should come back to you but their natural ability to run and hunt takes over and they know you cant get them!

but lots of other breeds were bred to work really hard & Independantly & they will still listen. What has happened /how has the breed developed to make Mals & Huskies so different to other breeds? especially as they are bred to work with a handler. So confused.

Im sticking with the collies!!!!

Hi Mishflynn

I have always understood that in a sense the breed has not developed. It remains true to it's ancient ancestory. The siberian husky is a working sled dog and a highly driven predator, though now the modern sibe is not let loose in the summer months to hunt independantly.

I firmly believe that all siberians can and should be trained as any other breed. I too stuggle with the concept that some people deem them 'untrainable'.

The decisions I make with my guys are always with a keen awareness of their heritage and that it is my reponsibility to keep them safe. Protect them from themselves so to speak.

I love Border Collies. I have spent hours watching them work while training my guys to keeping four paws on the ground while the flock is being worked. Alert and observation mode is fine, switching into hunting mode is not! I would really love to own a border one day, till then I will just have to make do with the fix I get from the farmers gang and my friends dogs. Jacub's (husky x mal) favourite lady friend is Skye, a fab wee border who runs rings round him

Take good care.

Seoniad.

Thanks, obvisley they are now Bred for Looks (show lines, eg Micks are Really typey) & i guess the best competition dogs are bred from rather than the crapper/slower ones or the naughty ones.

i wonder if they will ever start to listen?

So were they in the good ole days expected to find their own dinner?

in the summer months ,when not used for work yes

i try to explain it to people that they are very cat like,
love people,but dont need them, (being prob the most relevant point here)
independent,
intelligent,
clean,
hunters,
body aware,
can be aloof,
even down to the way they play ;-)
do you get what im trying to say? i always get tongue tied

Good breeders will always breed for dual pupose. Form follows function. Top show champions that are also outstanding workers. Micks guys fall into this category.

Sibes do listen and learn really quickly My guys do everything that is asked of them. They have responded with enthusiasm to everything I have taught them

Yes the siberian husky had no choice, hunt or die. Year after year, generation after generation. From ancient times to modern day the mindset remains the same, hardwired. To dilute or attempt to reduce this drive would be an insult to the breed and a sad day for The Siberian Husky

Take good care.

Seoniad.

So for those who run them in harness, how many times have you had your lead dog take off after a cat/rabbit/dear etc instead of listening to your commands?

as mick has said, working and hunting modes are seperate, but it does happen occasionally, im still working on this with kira.

I dont know if this is true of all working sibes but im finding the 'on by' (leave it and carry on) the hardest command to master, obviously this is because her prey drive is so high, i dont think it helps that she has caught and killed a rabbit before, my efficient little hunter lol (she wasnt impressed when i made her leave it in the field, she wanted to take it home lol)

im sure one day soon i'll come off the scooter because shes seen something i havent and shot off at 90 degrees lmao, i will let you know when i do lol

Thanks everyone!!!! i am happy with my understanding now!
Keep em happy!!!!!!

Heather : both Hal and Tai are mixes of Sibe and Mal !! Double trouble, because breeders of both breeds will tell you that you cannot let them off the lead.

And I most certainly DO know EXACTLY what is in Tai's mix. He is a registered Utonagan, I know who bred him and where he came from. I really hate it when people make inaccurate statements about other people's dogs.

As for Hal - I know what his mix was, I know most of his lines now on both the dam and sire's sides.