I have a three yr old and a 51/2 month old.  The problem i'm having is that the three yr old has run beside a bike and pulled the scooter for a little while  and now she does not seem to enjoy the scooter, she will stand and look at me as if to say get that away from me so i thought by trying the pup with a mini scooter and my son to see if he enjoys the idea.  I have no problem with him he get very excited as i get the scooter out the garage. I would like them to run together but at present i dont see this happening.  Any ideas on what to do i would be very gratful.  also does the confidence come with time as i will admit these are my first sibes but i am a grate beleiver in having a dog that you can work to the job it is suppose to do.  Ok my B.C. does only do obedience and i have no sheep otherwise he would be doing his job, but with sibes i couldnt have any sheep so i will carry on as i am but hopefully with a little help on the pulling matter i could live a happy life with my dogs doing the job that they were bred for.

Your dog is far to young to take part in that kind of work. You will destroy her hips before the bones have even hardened. You need to wait until she is nearer 2 years old.

Regards, John

Taken from Siberian Husky Club UK

You should be training your puppy all along. Training starts from the moment the puppy comes out of Mom. Get him used to people and new things. Encourage him to explore. At two months to four months, get an adjustable puppy harness and get him used to putting harnesses on and taking it off. Pull on the loop and let him feel the tug of your finger. Get him used to you touching his paws and his mouth. Put him on a leash and praise him when he leads out (no real corrections here!) Get him used to car or dog box rides. At four months hook up a rope tied to a light drag. (Light as in a small tree branch or a log. Just something to provide a little drag -- if he is pulling, its too heavy!) Bring him to races and training runs. Praise him for leading out.

At eight months, put him in a slow team for less than 1/2 mile. This is just a part of his training, he'll be silly and goof up, but that short time in harness will make a (hopefully) positive impression. Let me re-emphasize: this should be a small and SLOW team and you should give almost no corrections, (except maybe line biting). Do not make the mistake of running him in a big or fast team where he might get dragged. Dragging a pup is the worst thing you can possibly do. Do a lot of stopping a praising here. Make this a positive experience and then don't run him again until he is over a year. His real team training will begin at a year (or so), but do not expect full performance until 2 years old

Hi Guest,

well done for wanting to work your sibes, as that's what they're bred for. Sorry John, but Sibes are a bit different from Labs! Most people start training their Sibes around the 6 or 7 month stage and they start racing at rallies at a year old. Breed average hip score is about 7 I think, and I've never met a Sibe with severe HD, or HD at all as far as I'm aware. Many are still running in rallies at the age of 12 or 13!

Guest, would strongly suggest joining either of the two breed clubs, or both, getting to a few rallies and getting to talk to a few people who may be able to help you. There is a 'teach-in' this Saturday at Delamere in Cheshire if you are near there, that would be a great place to start. Details on the SHCGB site. Otherwise, please join and PM me and I can put you in touch with people in your area.

Best wishes.

Where about in the country are you?

While most of us start out dabbling on our own, the best thing is to meet up with your local mushers and train with them.  The dogs get to watch others run and soon cotton on.

If you join the SHCGB you will be sent a membership list which will give you an idea of who is in your area.

Rally season is upon us, so attending a rally will help you establish some good contacts.

There is a "teach in" in CHeshire this weekend.  See www.snopeak.com for more info on rally dates.

Regards

Liz & Pack