ive been reading up about sled dog racing and whilst looking for information on diets i found a comment that i havent seen anywhere else and i am really curious as to whether it is true or not. the guy who wrote it was saying that when he bought his husky he asked the breeder about diet. the breeder then told him how a husky needs to be fed the same food all the time and any changes will upset the the stomach. i know from experience that it took a lot of trial and error to find a food that wouldnt upset my huskys tummy but the breeders explanation is what puzzled me apparently the breeder told this guy that huskies were bred to have a stomach that it is easy to upset. the reason for this he says was so that when the dogs were pulling a sled they didnt have to stop and disrupt the team whilst a dog had a poo it would just do it on the run!!!! i have never heard this before so i have to know if its true or just a breeder trying to be clever sorry if this has grossed anybody out
Don't know if it is true or not but if Guide Dogs can be trained to toilet only in their own garden and never when out working I would have thought that a sled dog could probably be taught the same thing. Can't say I would want to be downwind of one "going" on the run if it was a windy day
never heard of that before- took a while for me to find something that suited my lots tums too-pooing on the run?-in every sense if the word!!!! UUURRRGGGHHH
i know. if its true would they fit a "wind"screen to the sled or what it doesnt make sense to me but then ive only had dogs for the last three years so thats why im asking you guys and gals, im a newbie!!!!
I have never heard of that saying about pooing & the same diet, when i run my dogs in harness & they wanted as poo they would pull to the side & go , but suka if remember would poo whilst trotting along in harness.!!!!! never heard of a dog thats been bred to have a tummy thats easy to upset either.
Sibes are known for delicate tummies but bred to eat only one diet... don't think so. Alot of sibe owners feed raw so their diet changes regularly, it's a matter of balance. There are some that do feed high quality kibble and stick to it, it's horses for courses as each dog is different. As for dogs relieving themselves on the run in harness.... yes this does happen with some teams, again it depends on the dogs and the training. It is not a nice topic but if you put it into context of driving a large team and having to stop each time a dog needs to go you would be at it all the time. I had a friend complaining of having to clean his lines this year as it got a bit messy. I think I've said enough.
As dogs poo on the run then you'd have thought somebody could build a sled for dogs to push not pull ! It's bad enough when you swallow a fly !
Bless! This is a rather delicate subject. Think of it like this. Running stimulates the muscles and often makes things move, if you get my drift. Good runners will often not bother to come to a full stop when running but as with people it depends on the dog. Even Paula Radcliffe got caught short so what chance does a dog have. As to breeding for delicate stomachs I think that is an old wives tale. If dogs were that prone to upset stomachs they would not be good runners for the long distances they were needed to run. The reality is that the sibes have a more basic digestion than a lot of other domestic dogs. So they thrive on foods that are more natural and seem to get upset on the processed foods. Nothing too shocking. So keep them away from foods with too many additives and raw minced chicken is a great source of protein for them. They dont eat as much for their size as wouldnt it be the devil to carry tons of food for each trip! A good tip I was taught was to give a tablespoon of live yogurt in the food of any sibe that seemed to be excessively over sensitive. They do settle down as they get older. Try not to keep changing the diet too often or without a period of change so they gradually get used to the new food and only change one item at a time so you can see what is upsetting the dog. This includes treats. Too many bonios and mine could pebble dash the walls! Gravy bones or shapes seem fine but the coloured hide chews also cause problems. But again it varies for each dog. Good luck.
