Well thats the end of it this time for us. Just had Keith Shea here and he said there was nothing there. Im guessing with his reputation he isnt going to be wrong about it. We will have to try next season.

Please spend the time in between working with one or more of all the hugely overworked husky rescues out there.

If you don't feel you have the time to do this, then you probably have no time to bring on a litter of pups.

Whilst you are learning about the abysmal overbreeding of pet huskies in this Country at the moment, you might like to reconsider why you are blindly putting your pet dog to your pet bitch and hoping this is an ideal mating.

Harsh I know, but this breed is in meltdown at the moment, last week it was featured on national tv as the problem is so huge

Last week the vet also on national telly told people that huskies with blue eyes have eye problems. We know this isnt true, Mick Brent wrote in himself to get that statement retracted. I have worked with the rescues and ive also fostered on more than one occasion.
I really dont think this is the thread to be preaching right now, im feeling pretty gutted as it is so please can we leave the preaching to a later date.

Sorry there were no pups, been there 4 times with one bitch so know how disappointing it can be.

Did Keith indicate it may be a bit early to scan,I leave it till 38 days so I know if there is a pregnancy with alive pups before starting the puppy food and daily worming on day 42.

No he just said nothing there. We are 30 days from first breeding and I thought we were 28 days from last breeding but my partner said that whilst I was out on the friday he got to her again after breaking open the crate door whilst he was upstairs (he decides now to tell me) so that could mean she could infact only be 24 days although from what ive read he would probably still have seen something ?? :/

I know it's disappointing but as it was unplanned maybe it just wasn't meant to be, now you can go back to your original plans for timing. Good luck next time.

Do you think its more than likely that Keith is right even if shes only 24 days maybe? I dont want to hang onto any hope if shes not but I dont want to go back to normal if theres a possibility she can be.

wouldn't RULE OUT A PREGNANCY UNTIL YOU CHECK AGAIN AT AFTER DAY 35.

Ive heard if Keith Shea says no though he is usually right ? I know theres always a chance but dont want to cling onto hope and be dissapointed

Wow Sarah, that was very harsh.

Sorry for you Northernlight.

Sorry to hear this, I know it wasn't ideal but I know you had worked around the issues of an earlier pregnancy and gotten prepared and ready. Next time though, and you have more time now at least!

Thankyou girls. I suppose every cloud has its silver lining. We now know she isnt so we can spend more time over here at our holiday home at least. Its not the outcome I wanted, we worked hard on the whelping box and ive bought everything I needed in the whelping kit ect... but at least we have it all now.

Really Aimibobs? The breed is in utter utter crises

And I think you are well worth listening to Sarah, I have noticed a massive increase in Husky ownership and it is not where you would expect it to be but in towns and cities in walk the dog around the block households, you just know they are going to end up being re-homed or in a rescue.

More people need to be on the board giving the true picture and this soppy outlook to breeding needs reigning in.

It's not a game and it's not for fun, these puppies grow into adults and need a knowledgeable breeder who is not breeding to clutter the dog world with yet more unwanted dogs.

Northernlights

I don't know the ins and outs of why you are breeding everything may be fine and hopefully it is for the right reasons and hopefully after all breed related health tests you will be able to offer any future pups....... if you go ahead, a lifetime of support for the new owners from training to behaviour issues, to the carefully chosen life long specialist homes you have chosen prior to mating.

As there are no pups it is the right time to get heads out of the clouds and full of cute puppies and think of the bigger and more important picture.

If you are enhancing the breed and bringing good stock in with those life long homes or into a breeding programme - great! Good on you. :-)

If your not - for goodness sake stop! And listen to someone like Sarah who is dealing with a breed being abused just like the SBT has.

Although we all understand the disappointment that Northernlight has suffered I also understand where Sarah is coming from the breed has in the last 15 years of so been so over bred the rescue homes are full of them some good but most poor examples of the breed those who are showing or racing their beautiful breed must be in despair and to rehome successfully is perhaps more difficult with a husky than almost any other breed.

Well said Sarah. There s absolutely no reason for anyone with pet dogs to be breeding this breed when it is in such a crisis situation.

I had a couple come to pick up their puppy today who lost their boy recently at 15, they told me they see loads of huskies near them and hardly ever encounter another of our breed which are far more suited to the average pet home, but not ideal for everyone, and that is where the good breeders vetting comes in.

Sadly there are many of those breeding huskies, purely breeding to supply a fashion demand, who will convince the new owner they are easy pets, can be let off lead etc.  These range from out and out commercially motivated breeders to misguided pet owners.

When did I say I didn't agree with Sarah?
I said it was harsh. Which it was and Sarah even admitted it. Perhaps if you wrote it little more sensitively I wouldn't have felt the need to comment.

When did I say I didn't agree with Sarah?

Did someone say you did, think everyone involved with dogs realises the situation and given that the mating was a done deed I think people were very controlled and helpful, suppose that now we know the bitch is not pregnant we are going to do our best to dissuade from further attempts at breeding this bitch and it can be difficult to call a spade a shovel.

I had a couple come to pick up their puppy today who lost their boy recently at 15, they told me they see loads of huskies near them and hardly ever encounter another of our breed which are far more suited to the average pet home, but not ideal for everyone, and that is where the good breeders vetting comes in.

I can vouch for that! We are in a very 'husky-dense' area. I can name at least 6 off the top of my head, but I've never once seen a norwegian elkhound in the flesh!

From your post, it seems that your breed would totally suit the owners who want a husky (For the looks) and their personality would be more suitable too.

Only three of the huskies I know of lead a good life. Two are gorgeous and live over the road from me. Absolutely stunning dogs, a bitch and a (neutered) male. Their owners put everything they have into making their lives really interesting, whether that is getting up at silly o'clock and taking them for a ride on their scooter (They have a sled-type scooter with an attachment so that the huskies can pull them!!) or taking them to the beach on their long lines so they can have some safe on-lead freedom.

The other is an older Huskie who surprisingly has fantastic re-call. We have met him on our walks a few times and his needs are met in much the same way as the two over the road. All of the others I have met cannot greet people politely, pull like steam trains and generally have a crazed look about them.. like the dancing bears that you often see in old documentaries :(

hardly ever encounter another of our breed which are far more suited to the average pet home, but not ideal for everyone, and that is where the good breeders vetting comes in.

I've NEVER seen any of your breed kept as a pet at home in Sweden, they are pure working dogs only (even the ones shown), used for the annual elk hunting and other hunting.  I bet a lot of people in Sweden would say it's a breed never to keep as a pet, but surely a lot of it has to do with what characteristics you are breeding for. I.e. it seems to me some breeds that never used to be pets suddenly are. I know with the Malinois that the first UK breeders very deliberately worked to change the temperament to make them more suitable to be able to live as family pets.

> Its not the outcome I wanted

Was this not an accidental pregnancy with a young bitch under 2?  Under the circumstances I think it's probably for the best.

> I bet a lot of people in Sweden would say it's a breed never to keep as a pet, but surely a lot of it has to do with what characteristics you are breeding for.

As we regularly import offspring of, or use Norwegian hunting dogs in our breeding, and even have had UK owners hunting with their dogs of US breeding which were further removed from their origins, yet still hunting well.

I think with my breed what is important is they have a definite off switch.  After all the hunting season is short, the rest of the year the dogs are primarily all round and family dogs, quite happy to chill, and go for an hours walk.

I was surprised that so many of the breeds owners were older, and not particularly athletic.  Beyond puppyhood they are not a high energy breed, they have lots of stamina, and can keep going all day, but are quite content to be less active, wherein lies the problem as a lot of owners allow them to get fat.

The reason very few are kept for showing alone is the requirement for working awards before they can win show title and vice versa, which means they are almost entirely in they hands of hunters and only shown enough to get the required show grades to get hunting titles.  Sometimes one member of the family interested In showing, often another breed will show the families Elkhounds.

>

23 month I hardly feel shes 'too' young. If she was a 6 month old pup I could understand your reasoning. It was just a season earlier than planned.

Anyway ive spoken with Keith and he says that if she took from the last mating he would not have seen anything today so we are waiting another week or 2 as I still feel with all her symptoms, her vulva still swollen and the discharge that I was probably a little early in getting her scanned.

Thankyou to the people that have actually supported me, I appreciate it x