Found a breeder close by...they feed raw~!

[schtuffy]

I am ecstatic!!

My first experience with a breeder left much to be desired...it wasn't a negative experience per se, but I felt like Louis was just a business transaction to her. She never really followed up or responded to emails after we got him. So I said I would never do that again...

Anyways, so I've been browsing breeders and shelters for huskies and sammies...and I came across a couple within reasonable driving distance. However, I just put the websites on the back burner...I mean after all, it's so hard to judge a breeder by a website sometimes ya know? Well today Victor linked me one of the husky sites I checked out earlier in the week and mentioned that they feed raw. How did I miss that!!!??? I mean, what's better than a breeder feeding working/northern breeds what they were meant to eat?

I turned in my 2 weeks notice today and I will have a couple weeks of down time before I start my new job. I'm definitely going to go check out this breeder! So! super! excited!!!

[chowder]

When I first got married, my husbands family had Sammies and one of them 'adopted' me and came to live with us. She was our first dog together and people used to ask me if she was a white chow (little did I know way back then how that would play out!!)

I LOVE Sammies.....but huskies too. I'm so glad you've found a breeder that might work out for you. Gotta love all the northern breeds!!

[monkeys23]

So have they got a website? I'm curious now! You best take pictures...

I hope you are prepared to take up running! I think those of us who love sled dogs probably classify as a sick and twisted bunch, but I so would not have it any other way!

[naturalfeddogs]

I'm so happy for you! Its hard to find breeders who feed raw. I hope it works out for you!

[schtuffy]

So have they got a website? I'm curious now! You best take pictures...

I hope you are prepared to take up running! I think those of us who love sled dogs probably classify as a sick and twisted bunch, but I so would not have it any other way!

Victor runs at least 7-10 miles a day and I try to do 4-5, so we figure he could take the husky and I can take the puny Louis on our runs. Plus there's always dog parks and such...definitely something we've been mentally preparing for.

Here's the site:
Celtic Acres Farm

We just want to visit first...see the dogs, see the environment...see if their huskies are right for us etc. (oh yes...and allergies ). I'll let you guys know how it turns out! Getting an actual dog is still far away (at least that's what I'm telling myself )

[monkeys23]

Eh, looking at them... I would pass on by. I see a LOT of red flags there. No health testing (only thing DNA reg does for you is make you able to prove parentage), they don't work their working breed , they bred their "wooly" (not acceptable under breed standard!!!!! Not okay for the betterment of the breed!!!) and tout the most popular (b&W, r&w) and an "unusual" (the piebald, its really not that unsual and there is a specific distance race line that is heavy piebald, but these dogs aren't related to them ). To me all these are big red flags.

Please for the sake of Northern breeds, be a lot of more picky (even if it means a kibble fed kennel) about support an actual reputable breeder. Please! :(

Have you looking into reputable rescues at all? So many Northern breeds get hosed every day.... and its better to get your dog of meh background from a reputable rescue than it is a less than stellar breeder. A nice young bitch would be able to starting too.

Frankly unless I started working at a good mushing kennel I would never get a Northern breed from a breeder. Too many crappy quality dogs bred only because they are pretty. And yeah I live with two of them that I got through rescue. Poor Scout is an extreme example of why to be picky, those poor Camp Husky dogs are so screwed up. You can't fix genetics unfortunately.

And I know this is a hot button with ya'll , but IMO dog parks do MUCH more harm than good. Bikejoring or something would be a better outlet, but 7-10 miles of running (once its 12-18 months old.... be very careful not to overwork a puppy even if it is obnoxious) would be great too. Flirt pole and spring pole are AWESOME outlets for that prey drive and nonstop energy too. :)

[magicre]

i thought you were more interested in a samoyed.....

[schtuffy]

Eh, looking at them... I would pass on by. I see a LOT of red flags there. No health testing (only thing DNA reg does for you is make you able to prove parentage), they don't work their working breed , they bred their "wooly" (not acceptable under breed standard!!!!! Not okay for the betterment of the breed!!!) and tout the most popular (b&W, r&w) and an "unusual" (the piebald, its really not that unsual and there is a specific distance race line that is heavy piebald, but these dogs aren't related to them ). To me all these are big red flags.

Please for the sake of Northern breeds, be a lot of more picky (even if it means a kibble fed kennel) about support an actual reputable breeder. Please! :(

Have you looking into reputable rescues at all? So many Northern breeds get hosed every day.... and its better to get your dog of meh background from a reputable rescue than it is a less than stellar breeder. A nice young bitch would be able to starting too.

Frankly unless I started working at a good mushing kennel I would never get a Northern breed from a breeder. Too many crappy quality dogs bred only because they are pretty. And yeah I live with two of them that I got through rescue. Poor Scout is an extreme example of why to be picky, those poor Camp Husky dogs are so screwed up. You can't fix genetics unfortunately.

And I know this is a hot button with ya'll , but IMO dog parks do MUCH more harm than good. Bikejoring or something would be a better outlet, but 7-10 miles of running (once its 12-18 months old.... be very careful not to overwork a puppy even if it is obnoxious) would be great too. Flirt pole and spring pole are AWESOME outlets for that prey drive and nonstop energy too. :)

Sorry, I meant to respond to this yesterday but I saw your post on a bus ride back from NYC and I got home really late

So I wanted to thank you for the info! I do look at the rescue sites often...there was this girl in the shelter I wanted to visit a couple weeks back, but she already found a home Other than her, I haven't seen one that would be a good fit yet, but I will continue to check. I'm just worried with all the hoops some adoption agencies make you jump through, like the home visits and such. I feel like the fact that we live in a townhouse with no yard would go against us. But honestly I'm not especially keen on doing the whole puppy thing over again. Louis was already 12 weeks when we got him...this time if we got a dog from a breeder it would most likely come home at 8 weeks...that's 4 extra weeks of puppy torture!

So the reason I was looking at breeders was because of health. I know to ask for OFA, SHOR info etc. If a breeder that we go to does not offer it, I will not get a puppy. But the problem with adopting...is that will be out of my control, right?

And I hear what you are saying about the dog parks and I don't disagree. For the most part out dog will be our jogging companion. If all this doesn't work out, I could always wait until we can afford to move to a place with our own yard. I will still visit the breeder though, because I do want to find out how our allergies are with huskies. If I can play with a bunch of raw fed ones, that should hopefully give us an accurate idea of our allergy level.

[schtuffy]

i thought you were more interested in a samoyed.....

Still thinking and researching We want to meet and play with as many dogs as we can...I don't want to rush this decision, so this will be at least 6 months away...I hope :P

[xellil]

It's not necessarily true you won't know the background - when I got Rebel he came with AKC papers and I could research his original breeder. I also got information on his early life and later life before I got him.

Now, it wasn't good news - the breeder had been banned from the AKC for falsifying paperwork. It seems she was either a backyard breeder or has since gone out of business. So his bona fides are definitely suspect! But he doesn't have any genetic issues except his blue coat, and has been healthy since I got him.

Not all dogs are strays picked up off the street. Alot have been well loved - Rebel had a happy and well-socialized life with his original owner until she died when he was about four. It was what happened afterward that screwed him up, but because he had such good beginnings he is almost back to normal except for some minor neuroses that are manageable.