Friday, September 4, 2015

pics of katijya...but not good ones! she moves too fast!!!

katijya is keeping us busy but my goodness, she's such a good puppy!



the day that we got her, one of her ears was floppy but it straightened out the very next day. she loves sticks.


she has several chew toys, several balls, a stuffed garfield, a stuffed bumblebee and a shoe.


i am sorry for the bad quality of the pics and the poses but she is a very beautiful girl.


and big. and strong. but she has had no bonding issues and loves us. she's also very interested in the cats but they absolutely hate her. for now. they'll soon realize that she will love and protect them, too. but cats are....well, cats.

she's already learned her daily routine and alerts us when she needs to go outside to do her business. after she does her business, she gets a solid 20 minutes of running, playing ball, digging and chewing on sticks. we wear her out and then walk her a few times around the house and then bring her back into the house. we do this 4-5 times a day and she is really learning.

if you are interested in an excellent site about huskies - go to Shiba Shake. we have been learning much from this site and have noticed how well she learns the various commands. she comes when we call her to "come", she knows her name, she has started biting more gently (we "yip" when she bites and it seems to have taught her in less than a week not to bite hard), she sits, she walks with us without jumping too much (in less than a week of training!), and she goes right to sleep after her time outdoors.

i feel like i want to name her "Framboise Manor-ijya" - that's how well-suited she is for us and the manor.

if any of you have tips or tricks, feel free to leave us a comment. she is our first family dog and a better one couldn't be asked for. but i know that many of you have been raising dogs on your homesteads for years. we appreciate any advice that you may have in your personal experience.

16 comments:

  1. She is lovely! Happy dog rearing!

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  2. It sounds like you are well on your way to having a great dog, Kymber. The only advice that comes to mind is consistency. You have already figured out how well she does with routine and correction for unacceptable behavior. Be consistent, it will pay off in the long run.

    Fern

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  3. Hey Gurlie--- I LOVE HER!!!!!. she is so darn pretty. I can't wait to see her when she gets that nice winter coat, I know she will be very spoiled and have lots of fun running around the manor. Our Boxer LIberty Bell and Jack the Cat hate each other too....then I found them snoodling together in the kennel yesterday when they thought I wasn't looking....

    Hugs and love to you and Jam. Hope you are both well..

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  4. During playtime hold one hand up in the air and say "watch my hand" when she looks at it smack her playfully on the snout. Eventually she will figure out that game and when you hold your hand up she will focus on it waiting to bite it. That's when you hit her playfully on the snout with the other hand :)

    You can get weeks of enjoyment off that game.

    After that you can tie a cat to her tail. This teaches her to play with the cats and annoys the cat too, which is always fun. It also let's both animals know that nothing beats opposable thumbs.

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  5. Actually watch me is a very important command, as is come. A reliable watch me and come can save you if your dog is running where you don't want them to.
    Using their brains is as important as body.
    We trained ours puppy push ups. Sit, then down, then sit then down.
    Teach right, then left paw after a reliable shake command

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  6. The dog looks really happy with you two. Between having a new buddy and the best burglar alarm ever life will be good at the Manor!

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  7. Wow, she is beautiful! And I love those eyes! What a great addition you have! Congrats!!! Hugs and love!

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  8. Pretty pup! Looks like the best time to take pics is when she's sleeping! hahaha Have fun!

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  9. She is stunning!

    Be prepared for when she blows coat, you'll think she's going bald, the hair is non-stop and they have weird clumps of fur all over. Invest in a dog rake, a furminator or both.

    Also be aware that the prey drive might not kick in until they are around 2 years old, mine were raised with cats and a shih-tzu, so to them they are pack members, but stray cats, birds, rodents they will go after given the chance. I never let mine off leash unless they're in the house, it's for their own protection because if they give chase to something, they will bolt and they can move fast. I'm sure you read about it on the site you referenced above, I saw it under the good & bad section.

    Huskies are not good watch dogs, everyone is a friend to them. They are very good at being in tune to your moods, they will try and make you feel better if they sense you're down.

    Huskies are awesome even with the bad qualities, for me, the bad doesn't out weigh the good. I love the breed and will never own another.

    I am so happy for you guys, she really is a cutie.

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  10. What a beauty she is. Those eyes. Wow is she big already! she is going to be the size of a Shetland Pony! you could saddle her.

    Only advise is try and socialise her with other dogs if possible as soon as she has all of her jabs. And the come command is the most powerful of all. If the rest she never gets COME is the one that might save her life and yours. oh and both of you use exactly the same words for each command. none of this sit down. Sit and down are 2 different commands. ooh look at me that is 3 things. I will shut up now.

    I cant she is so pretty. I want one now. ;)

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    1. And 'Off". If you are using 'down' to tell her to lie down, use 'off' when she jumps up on you, or furniture, or something you don't want her on.

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  11. She's not only a cutie but she's photogenic! Her personality really shines through. You all are doing a super job with her. What a great pup.

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  12. The real question is who is training who?? You train her or her train you??? I think she is training you to be her humans. bahahahaha

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  13. She is pretty! Sounds like you're all getting on famously.

    Make sure to let her know that when she goes potty outside it is the most exciting thing in the world. In addition to making the potty training easier, it will help kick in the eager to please attitude you'll want for future training. And what could be easier than telling her how fabulous she is just for peeing outside?

    Keep additional training short and fun. 15 minutes at a time, then take a break. Always end on a positive note. If she's having trouble grasping something, switch to something she's good at and reward her for it. Don't attempt 'stay' until she's good at several other things.

    Commands like stay are difficult and non negotiable (imo). When I teach stay, it's a long process of sit, stay, wait 3 seconds, put her back where she was. When she stays for 3 seconds, release her, reward her, do it again. Gradually increase the time before release. Once she masters that, take a step back after commanding her to stay. Put her back where she was... repeat... It's very easy for both you and your dog to get frustrated.

    And finally, balls are not toys, they are training aids. Fetch is fun and an easy game to learn, but when you're done, put the ball away. Later, when you're ready to teach her to heal, get that ball out and carry it in the hand on the side you want her to heal on. She'll be excited to see her ball, and should follow it easily.

    Ok, one more- if you don't want her on your lap or begging for food at the table, ignore her. Fill her dish, sit down with your meal, and then completely ignore her while you eat (unless you have to tell her 'off' for jumping up on the table). If you don't talk to her, smile at her, play with her or feed her table scraps, within a couple of weeks she will know that table time is boring and she might as well go and lie down.

    Good luck and keep us posted!

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  14. That dog is going to be big. All the better, for living out in the woods. She has remarkably blue eyes. I've only had one dog that had blue eyes and she was a husky mix. Reminds me of her.

    I knew you two would stick with it and things would start to settle down. I think your pictures are just fine and I'm looking forward to seeing a lot more of them.

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  15. Sweet Kymber and Jambaloney,

    Your pictures are nice girlie.......
    Katijya is a gorgeous puppy, I love her eyes!!! It sounds to me like your doing just fine training your puppy. I would give her plenty of chew toy's to chew on while in the teething stages. This helps keep her away from chewing your furniture or even shoes.

    Enjoy your new baby, and don't be afraid to let her know when she's done wrong, or right!

    Love you both, give Katijya a good scratch behind her ears for me.

    Your Friend,
    Sandy

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