oh mick your dogs are gorgeous!!! i love the agility one, just shows how versatile they are ;-) i love the three pups, they look so mischeivious and bless that little girl on her sled id love to of had a dog like that when i was little. i really really want one
That's my granddaughter Lily-Rose on her personal sled. She has grown up with the dogs since she was a tiny baby: The dogs love her - especially when she shares her ice cream: Mick
Both Sibe and Mal fix in one handy Kismet sized bundle I'm sure these will help with that broody feeling
if you dont mind me asking, do you all go to somewhere secure to let them off? say once a week etc... or do they walk on lead all the time, and do things like rig work? how hard is it to get into rig work? like where do you learn to do it
No just anyone who owns both breeds, I know size wise there can be a difference but i generally dont know x
from what ive been told, mals seem to be a bit more laid back than the sibe.. other than that i cant help although would be interesting to know.. i think i did a thread on here on the differences.. it will be in this section somewhere.
Size and purpose are the major differences between Sibes and Mals. Sibes were originally developed over thousands of years by the Chukchi people of north-east Siberia. The Chukchi were nomadic during the winter and would harness up teams of 20 or so huskies and the whole family would move from place to place following whatever game/fish was available to hunt. The Chukchi dogs were (and are) the smallest and fastest of all the (purebred) sled dog breeds. Their purpose could be summed up as pulling lightly laden sleds for vast distances at moderate speeds in arctic/sub-arctic conditions. Malamutes, on the other hand are at the opposite end of the sled dog spectrum. They are the largest and slowest of the sled dog breeds and were developed by the Mahlemuit people of Alaska as a heavy freighting dog - either individually or in small teams. This is exemplified in their heavy build and great size. In terms of looks (apart from size) Malamutes have a wider, lower ear set than Sibes, and a fluffier plume of tail which can curl more than a Sibe's should. These are two dogs belonging to a friend of mine. The Malamute is at the top of the Mal breed standard for height, while the Sibe is at the bottom, although they are both within standard. It does illustrate the main difference effectively though. Mick
that mal looks HUGE!! can i ask a question about welfare and fostering? would the rehoming let someone foster who had never owned a sibe before?
As long as the prospective fosterer showed that they understood the specifics of the breed (no off lead exercise in unenclosed areas etc etc) and they passed their home check (security/fences being the major issue) I don't see that it would be a problem. Mick
thanks for that. we have 6 foot fencing.. and i understand about the offlead exercise, and would find a secure area to let them off in.
ours get let off daily in a tennis court after their walk when its empty to play ball etc. They go to a dog park every couple of months, do bike & rig work weekly weather permitting too. Any other time is lead only walking. I have found our huskies take to the mushing after 2-3 runs.
how did you get into doing the rigs? like where do you go so YOU can get used to it, controlling it etc...
My first huskys breeder go us into running in harness, we trained with the bike to start too so they get used to the feel & learn commands, ours used to run next to an experienced dog but they do pick it up very quickly. we use a racecourse & byways to train on. For a beginner to get used to it i found it useful to train with 1 dog in front of the bike but you have to keep a close eye on the lines on front wheel.