# Siberian Husky Diet



## slhanson21 (Jul 5, 2009)

Hello everyone! I am very new to this, so bear with me! I just have a couple questions about what I should be feeding my Huskies. I have two one male and one female. We plan on breeding in about 9 months and I am trying to learn as much as possible about them before I begin, I want to be a smart breeder so that no mistakes are made. My female will be a year old this month and my male is 3 months old. I am currently feeding my female Science Diet (suggested by my vet) and the male is on Purina One puppy (this is what the breeder had him on). I have been doing a lot of research and have noticed that maybe these arent the best foods. I was wondering what would be best for each... dry food or should I make thier food myself... i do not work so i have plenty of time to make the food if need be. Please advise it will be greatly appreciated!


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

If I were you, I'd go to some dog shows and talk to some other husky breeders. See if you can't ask one to be your mentor, experienced breeders have a wealth of knowledge that you can't just find on your own on the Internet. Find out what sorts of health testing you should be doing to prevent from passing on crippling genetic diseases onto future litters, and seriously think about showing your dogs, it's a very good way to see if they're of breeding quality. Also look into having them complete their Canine Good Citizen certification to be sure they have sound temperaments. These are necessary things in order to be a good breeder, and should NOT be skipped or overlooked. Choosing a good food is largely based on trial and error, but good show breeders want their dogs to be healthy and look their best, so I'm sure you can get lots of good info on what to feed your huskies by going to dog shows and asking around and talking to good breeders. Breeding is pretty serious and good breeders want the very best for their dogs and litters, so they try very hard to follow responsible breeding practices. Good luck!


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## Erick Aguilar (Jun 9, 2008)

As far as food, i would talk with breeders that are experienced on the breed, most vets don't know about feeding, vets are just vets, and that's it.

About breeding... what sort of tests have you run on your dogs? Have you traced your dogs lineage to search for genetic conditions such as Displasya or other major conditions?

If you do decide to breed, do, or will you count with the needed installation,and supplies to breed your dogs? Even if this is going to be done once, dogs deserve to be well bred.

What about temperament? Do your dogs have a good temperament? Socializing, tolerance for little kids,being surrounded by lots of people, in short, temperaments that makes a Husky be a Husky?

If you do breed, what do you plan to do with the pups, sell them for your own personal benefit or to improve the breed?
In any given case, what will you do with the puppies that don't get sold?

I would give this a very serious thought before taking the big leap, and as said above, TALK TO ALOT AND I MEAN, ALOT of Siberian Husky Breeders, if you have a very reputable Husky Breeder in your area, have them visit you and check on the dogs, they will know if your dogs are worth breeding, or neutering/spaying.


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## slhanson21 (Jul 5, 2009)

thanks for the info. Tests have been done on the lineage for Ricky, he has had eyes, hips, bone, and digestive done so far. Lucy, however, I only know about her parents. She is only considered a second generation Husky with the AKC due to the fact that the owners of the grandparents didnt have pedigrees or registration for the grandfather. I am scheduled to see a vet in about 2 weeks to have tests on her hips, eyes and digestive tract done. The breeder I recieved Ricky from has given me some pointers on huskies, however, I just wanted to have a second opinion on everything to be sure. My huskies are great with people and children as well as other animals. Both are very active but that is to be expected with the breed. My main concern right now is getting them the nutrition they need so that in the even i do breed they will be healthy!


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## Erick Aguilar (Jun 9, 2008)

Well, there is a food, which i consider to be just excellent, it's called Timber Wolf,it's also very expensive.

The brand is for dogs(specially northern breeds) which are intended to be doing work duties like a Husky, this is why TW has such a high protein.

Timber Wolf is like Raw, and BARF in the form of kibble, which is why it's so expensive, but for a bag that big, it will be the same if you give raw and barf yourself or if you buy a big bag of Timber Wolf.

If your dogs are going to be bred to give birth to Working Huskies (which would be an amazing oportunity for you to breed Sled Pulling Huskies) i would really consider into investing in Timber Wolf.

However, if you want to breed much calmer,household Huskies, you'll want to feed a medium, to low protein food which is what i do with my Husk.

The reason behind this (and it's what 5 husky breeders already told me) is basic... if you feed a very high protein food like TW to a dog meant to be in a house, how is it going to let all that protein out? since he won't be pulling any sleds soon, he will destroy the house.
If you feed the dog medium or low protein food, it is going to be a much calmer Husk.

Mushers feed alot of raw meat and fish to their dogs (basically anything that runs, flies or swims in raw form) because it's an excellent source for protein which their dogs need to pull sleds all day long.


I'm glad you have been taking time to make a study on your dogs to make sure the pups will come out perfectly!
Remember that Pedigree(not the same as lineage, you don't need pedigree to trace a dog's family) is not the most important thing in a dog, nor if it's AKC registered or not, the real deal is the quality of the pups!


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## Donna5503 (Mar 13, 2009)

Hi...and Welcome to the Forum...

I adopted my Husky when he was 6 months old....he is now 15 months old and a GREAT dog!

He is everything a dog can be....happy, healthy, energetic & loyal....full of love & playfulness. Beautiful shiny coat & bright blue eyes!

I feed him Blue Buffalo Dry Dog Food (it's sold in Petsmart & Petco) www.bluebuff.com 

I also cook for him.

Boiled/Grilled Chicken
Baked/Grilled Beef & sometimes Pork
Sweet Potatoes
Green Peas/String Beans/Carrots

I also give him Cheese (almost all kinds) ....and he likes Ice Cream (any kind but Chocolate)

Fish is also good for Huskies but my guy doesn't like it.

I feed him 1/2 Cup Dry Food w/ a scoop of Cottage Cheese in the morning & around 5:00pm I give him 1 Cup of Dry Food w/ 1 Cup Chicken/Beef or Pork along w/Veggies 

Plus his Milk-Bone treats during the day -- and sometimes ice-cream at night.


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## HORSEandHOUND (May 28, 2009)

a few things. One, if you really want to better the husky breed because you love them and are passionate about them, i highly recommend you SHOW them in competition so they can prove themselves before breeding. 

As to foods most arctic breeds do really well on fish based diets. you've gotten some high quality suggestions here, just thought i'd add my two pennies.


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## slhanson21 (Jul 5, 2009)

I would really love to get them into showing, however, I am not sure what route to take? I also am not aware of wether or not your can show CKC or if they have to be AKC? Also, my female is about a year old and I dont know how to go about training her for show at this point? She is very well behaved but still has the short attention span... my male is a pup and i would love to start doing some agility training... not sure how to go about doing all of this! any suggestions?


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## rosemaryninja (Sep 28, 2007)

Slhanson, I strongly suggest you get involved with your local breed club. They will be able to answer all your questions, and help you get started on breeding the right way. 

Capitol of Texas Siberian Husky Club
http://www.barkarian.com/ctshc/index.html

Siberian Husky Club of America
http://www.shca.org/

Texas Kennel Club links to training schools
http://www.texaskennelclub.net/dogclublinks.htm


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## skelaki (Nov 9, 2006)

slhanson21 said:


> I would really love to get them into showing, however, I am not sure what route to take? I also am not aware of wether or not your can show CKC or if they have to be AKC? Also, my female is about a year old and I dont know how to go about training her for show at this point? She is very well behaved but still has the short attention span... my male is a pup and i would love to start doing some agility training... not sure how to go about doing all of this! any suggestions?


When you say CKC are you talking about the *Canadian Kennel Club* or the Continental Kennel Club. The Canadian one is a legitimate registry, but if you're talking about the Continental Kennel Club, it's nothing more than bogus registry for BYBs and Puppymills. And if it is that one, your dog/s are highly unlikely to be good candidates for breeding.


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## slhanson21 (Jul 5, 2009)

It is the Continental Kennel Club. I was under the impression that this Kennel club was just as important as the AKC? At least that is what my breeder explained to me. Is there no possible way registering with the AKC at this point? My pups are purebred, there is no doubt in my mind about that, I just want everything to be done by the book.


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## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

I'm sorry, but you don't sound like you should be breeding these dogs right now. I strongly suggest meeting *AKC* breeders and learning about the breed that way. The CKC is not a legitimate registry.

As for food, I feed Merrick, but am working on looking for something better, though it isn't a bad food.


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## Erick Aguilar (Jun 9, 2008)

slhanson21 said:


> I would really love to get them into showing, however, I am not sure what route to take? I also am not aware of wether or not your can show CKC or if they have to be AKC? Also, my female is about a year old and I dont know how to go about training her for show at this point? She is very well behaved but still has the short attention span... my male is a pup and i would love to start doing some agility training... not sure how to go about doing all of this! any suggestions?


A year old??
Does this mean that probably your huskies have already mated? how did you manage heat cycles??

I think you are on the limit to breed... i wouldn't breed if i was you.


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## slhanson21 (Jul 5, 2009)

No my huskies have not mated. My female has only had one heat (2 months ago) and at that time we did not have our male. I dont understand why I keep getting negative comments b/c my female isnt AKC she is CKC and is a BEAUTIFUL stunning husky and I dont understand why she shouldnt be allowed to have puppies just because of which Kennel Club we have her under. Anybody care to give me some advice on this?


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## CorgiKarma (Feb 10, 2009)

slhanson21 said:


> No my huskies have not mated. My female has only had one heat (2 months ago) and at that time we did not have our male. I dont understand why I keep getting negative comments b/c my female isnt AKC she is CKC and is a BEAUTIFUL stunning husky and I dont understand why she shouldnt be allowed to have puppies just because of which Kennel Club we have her under. Anybody care to give me some advice on this?


Because CKC isn't a legitimate registry. If you're going to breed, they really need to be AKC registered. People are just being honest with you. Really, the only reason to breed is to improve upon the breed. If your dogs have not proven themselves, and aren't AKC registered, then you aren't improving upon anything.

Just because you have a pretty, well-behaved dog doesn't mean it needs to have puppies. That's how shelters get so full.


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## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

> I dont understand why I keep getting negative comments b/c my female isnt AKC she is CKC


Because CKC is not a legitimate organization.



> CKC-Continental Kennel Club (do not confuse with Canadian Kennel Club!)
> CKC will recognize a cross between any two purebred dogs, and will issue a registration certificate on their offspring. These crosses are not registered as purebred dogs but are registered as the offspring of purebred dogs. CKC accepts no responsibility for any inaccurate, false, or fraudulent information submitted on registration applications. They sponsor no shows or championships. They also give big fee breaks to large kennels registering lots of dogs (such as Puppy Mills). Will register dogs not registered with other recognized registries.


http://www.grimaldilabs.com/BogusRegistries.html



> and is a BEAUTIFUL stunning husky


Beautiful is not enough. I think my dog's beautiful, too. She sure is stunning when she's taking 24'' jumps at agility class with ease. Should I breed her too?



> dont understand why she shouldnt be allowed to have puppies just because of which Kennel Club we have her under.


Because all Kennel Clubs are not created equal. Simply put. Most people on this forum advocate the breeding of dogs only after they have passed OFA health tests (or something comparable), and have shown either in performance events, conformation, or perform some exceptional job. Besides, your huskies are only a year old. Surely, a good breeder knows that an appropriate time to breed dogs is after their 2nd birthday, since their hips, elbows, and organs cannot be registered with the OFA until they reach that age.

I strongly suggest you take the links Rosemaryninja has taken the time to find for you and begin research before you even _think_ of breeding your bitch.

BTW, Edited to add that it doesn't only have to be AKC. There are other reputable, but different, organizations out there. UKC is one of them, though it is more of a performance registry, or so they say.


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## slhanson21 (Jul 5, 2009)

thanks for all of the information. I am begining to feel like my breeder pulled one over on me... which i'm not too terribly hurt about i love my little ones, but was hoping to breed. I guess my next question would be even if I only have the PAL/ILP with the akc and ckc registry papers would it still be ok to breed if my pups prove themselves? I have my 3 month old husky starting agility training this month. Yes I am aware that you should not breed until the second birthday has passed. Like i said before that is why im here to get information before that time comes thanks


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## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

You're quite welcome. I think that the more you read about registries, dog show/sport/work, and the more you talk to reputable breeders, you'll soon be able to tell for yourself whether you are ready to begin a breeding program or not.

I probably wouldn't breed a PAL/ILP dog. Why not have these dogs as your "guinea pigs" of sorts, such that you can learn through them what being a breed fancier is all about? Next time around, you can look into purchasing from a show breeder.


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## Erick Aguilar (Jun 9, 2008)

I must agree with Miss Mutt,just as a personal point i would consider into neutering and spaying both your Huskies.

However if you are still interested in most thing required to breed huskies...
visit this page:
http://www.dreamcatcher.org.uk/
Dreamcatcher Huskies are operated by two dear friends of mine, who have showed me alot about Huskies! as you can see they are european,but that doesn't reduce the amount of information you can get from them.


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

In the end you'll have to use your best moral judgement. Obviously there are a lot of people, including the breeder you bought your husky from, that think it's okay to breed dogs without proving them in any way, though many others, including most of us here on this forum, believe that the only reason to breed is for the love of the breed and to better the breed, by producing, healthier, physically and temperamentally sound examples of the breed. You love your breed, wouldn't it make you sad if people started breeding huskies so that they no longer have that same charm and grace that huskies are known for?

I know you love your girl, but you can't be biased, it's important to prove that she is of breeding quality. If she isn't, that surely does not make her any less valuable as a beloved member of the family. My dog Basil is most likely a pure bred Papillon, but I adopted him, so I'll never be able to show him. I'd LOVE to get into showing someday, and maybe even breeding once I figure out which breed I like best, but with Basil, that isn't an option. However, I'm perfectly content with waiting, because he's enriched my boyfriend's and my life SO much.... It's just not all about showing/breeding, it's the companionship, too  And nothings stopping you from getting into all sorts of other fun dog activities, like Agility, sledding, etc.

Also, I'd look at your breed's parent club's Code of Ethics. I think I remember looking up the pembroke welsh corgi CoE, and it said something about owning the breed for a certain amount of time before gaining membership to the club, and also ethical breeding practices. It might be wise to hold off on breeding until you can gain membership to the club 

Also, I may be mistaken, but you said only your female was CKC, so maybe your male is AKC? If so, you could start showing with him, and get used to the whole show business thing before you start getting into more serious competitions and breeding.


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## Deborah J (Apr 9, 2013)

slhanson21 said:


> It is the Continental Kennel Club. I was under the impression that this Kennel club was just as important as the AKC? At least that is what my breeder explained to me. Is there no possible way registering with the AKC at this point? My pups are purebred, there is no doubt in my mind about that, I just want everything to be done by the book.


I am posting way late according to when these letters are dated but I really hope you changed your mind about breeding your dogs....I am a Siberian Husky Rescuer and I have two dogs I got thru very well educated breeders and I have two that I rescued from high kill pounds....CKC is a "registeration" when breeders have no papers on one or the other of the dogs they bred so they want to still sell for a top dollar so they give this registration paper and make it sound as legit as an AKC. Furthermore-your male and female are too young to be tested for hip dysplasia and for PRA (which is progressive retinol atrophy) a severe problem with sibes...the female is the carrier and is not blind, the males are the ones who go blind...this cannot be determined until at least one year of age.....One of my rescues has this and is now totally blind because of poor breeding and they bred a male who had not gone blind yet to a female that was a carrier.....you really have to have many months and years and a basic knowledge of your particular breed's genetic system in order to know what you are doing;;;;;;;that being said.....there are so many pure bred unwanted sibes out there that need and deserve homes and to bring more sibes into the world is irresponsible...if you truly love this breed-----cherish the two you have and don't look any further for anymore puppies , adults or senior sibes than your neighboring pound, kill shelter, humane society and rescues....those of us who truly love this breed -do not go out and get two to have puppies-we save and rescue what is already here!


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