First Dog Ownership - Siberian Huskies
Since I was a little kid I always wanted a dog. Did not help in my formative years that my mother is pretty afraid of dogs and from an early age drilled into me that dogs are a big responsibility. With my career I have a pretty heavy travel aspect, but am very fortunate to be able to have / share Kofi in my life.
They are a Responsibility
You are everything to your doggo. They really depend on you for their wellbeing and in return will love you unconditionally. I was always curious how a person like me could have a dog as a pet. Was not until after college that my best friend got a dog in 2011. We are pretty similar but he came home from the Atlanta Humane Society one day with a puppy aka Mr. Finley. My main concern was leaving the dog at home when I am not there or being a weekend parent to the doggo. Years would go on with me toying with the idea of getting a doggie until the perfect storm.
The Perfect Storm
A few years ago my sister was on the long road to recovery and my younger nephew after some diligence procured a Siberian Husky puppy from Oklahoma. My nephew did a lot of the hard puppy training work and Kofi is really well socialized with other doggos and people. Fast forward to today, my younger nephew is headed off to FSU to start his college journey. My sister was in the process of moving back to Atlanta from Jacksonville. Would just be easiest for her to move in with me since there is no concern about Kofi living here. Just like that, Kofi is now my doggie also!
Fundamentals out of the Way
Having a dog is a lot like having a kid from what I have heard. Luckily I am in my 30’s and my sister is in her 40’s so we just have more means. Kofi like a new family member has health insurance. A friend recommended Embrace for Koffers which has worked out very well. Like your PPO, we had to select a primary care vet in our case, East Roswell Veterinary. Dogs do need to exercise. Where we live, we live pretty close to a snazzy dog park where we can take Kofi to socialize with other doggies. The other missing piece us what to do about Kofi when we or a friend can’t watch him. We started using Rover to get a regular dog walker and have Kofi all set up at Puppy Haven for boarding. Just as a heads up when looking to board your dog, you need to get them to spend a day there for a temperament test before the boarder allows your dog to spend the night. After some time with Kofi, dogs will be a treat / hoot.
What I learned about Kofi / Doges
Dogs are resilient creatures which lots of affection about them. Though wise not to forget even the smallest dogs are decedents from wolves. Here are some bullets that made me go “orly”.
All dogs have a tendency to guard. Certain breads have more of this trait than others. We would joke that Kofi is the worst guard dog out there and would hound an intruder for treats. On two occasions, once with another male dog and one with a visitor when we were not home, Kofi was guarding the house and did not let the other dog / person in.
This is important to know about having a regular dog walker do the dog is comfortable letting him or her into the house when you are not around.
Siberian Huskies have strong perseverance. This can be annoying sometimes; they are bread to pull things in the harshest of climates and need to be determined to keep going. Where we live in North Fulton is not Siberia so translates to the perseverance to ask for a treat, etc. Will be determined!
Consider getting a Doggo
Doggos are awesome. Though for your first dog would recommend getting a rescue. A great resource for finding a rescue or what the process of adopting is Breed Advisor. Your dog will be eternally grateful for you and love you for the rest of their life. You know what you are getting with an older dog, a puppy could be a wild card. We got a great Husky with Kofi as a puppy and my nephew and sister certainly did a lot of work to raise him; I get an easy dog to enjoy!
