Welcome!

Welcome everyone! 

After all of your comments on Gunnars page last night it would be quite hard to deny starting something up, that is not from "Gunnars" perspective and allows me to go into a little more detail on things. I am very thankful that many of you expressed concerns about whether or not I would have time for this, and while I do have a lot going on, the boys go to daycare two days a week now at Gibsons which has freed up my time a bit. With Scout deciding to wake up early some days, I have a bit of time early on around oh lets say 3 or 4 am where I will be able to write. You'll find probably one blog a week maybe more if I have time, and some will vary in length.

So as I sit here enjoying my quiet time at Barnes and Noble and we start down this road of blogging, I want to remind everyone that not only was I not an English major, but that I am certified dog trainer and I have not gone to school for training dogs. Other than my own personal dogs, I started "training" when we got Gunnar after long hours of researching with books, the internet and speaking with many trainers. Gunnar came into my life because a very good friend is in need of a service dog, and I am fortunate enough to have a job where my focus on his training can be incorporated into my work with Valiant Veterans. I must admit when I read "I really have always dreamed of a husky" my eyes bugged out of my head a bit. I have heard all the horror stories, seen all the photos and watched all the YouTube videos, but I have also read enough to know that with the right love, patience and training they will provide unconditional love and loyalty with a deeper bond than most breeds, something that many of our returning veterans are in need of. The information that I share here is based on my experience with these boys, the dogs that I have owned and the loads of information that I have read and learned from other trainers.

After reading countless books, spending a mind numbing amount of hours on the internet and in conversation with other husky owners and trainers, the decision was made and we set off to find Gunnar, which happened in just hours. We fell in love with him and quickly made the call to Rosekroh Siberian Huskies/Alaskan Malamutes and began bombarding Deb with all kinds of questions about his parents and the process of Gunnar coming home began!
I must admit, when he got here, I thought all you husky owners were crazy. How on earth could you ever describe these dogs as crazy, hyper, maniacs that did nothing but sing to you and beg for your food. That wasn't Gunnar! You all must be nuts! However, as you will read throughout these posts, I have quickly learned that while yes, Gunnar has been incredibly trained, he was also born to be a service dog. Little Scouty Scout on the other hand, that boy would be everything that you all describe and more if you let him.

The most important thing for those of you with dogs, no matter the breed is CONSISTENCY!! It is key. If you don't want them on the couch, don't ever let them on the couch, not even once. What you say goes and thats it, however, much like raising a child, you can't just say "no" or "leave it" and expect the puppy or dog to naturally figure out what you want it to do, instead you have to teach it what you would rather it do. (I don't have kids, so why am I relating this to raising children? I spent 6 years in childcare primarily with toddlers! No you must really think I am a gluten for punishment!) Scout would have most certainly destroyed my house by now if I had not taken the time with him. Contrary to Gunnar, that boys mouth was all over everything the moment he walked in the door. From fingers, carpets, door jams, couches, footstools, headboards, bathtubs, toilets and anything else you can possibly think of, that tiny mouth was on it and while he was told "leave it" and removed from the item all together and given a chew toy instead.

A teething puppy needs to chew and most dogs like to chew, many will chew on whatever they can get their mouths on unless you teach them what they can and can't have. So the next time you see your puppy or your dog headed towards something you don't want them eating quickly re-direct them to something that they can have. Its important to remember that when you have a puppy, your eyes need to be on them at all times, it only takes a second for them to get into something that could potentially harm them. Catching them before they get to an object and replacing it with a toy is a lot more ideal and can save you quite a bit in furniture replacement :-)

Looking forward to sharing lots more soon and answering some of the many questions that you have!