My Siberian Husky

Siberian Huskies love to run, but the unfortunate truth for most of us is that we aren’t able to hitch ours up to a sled for most of the year…or even ever, in many cases. So the next best thing is to look at wheeled alternatives.

Today we’re just focusing on dog scooters, there are a number of other options available of course, such as rigs and adapted bicycles. We’ve taken what we believe to be the top-five most popular makes of bicycle scooter (here in the UK at least), and will be giving you the pros-and-cons of each.

Pawtrekker

To most people Pawtrekker are ‘the original’ dog scooter, or at least, it’s the brand they are most familiar with. Pawtrekker are a company established specifically to provide dog-powered scooters.

The Pros:

• Choice of smaller and larger wheel options
• Full-Suspension option
• Comparatively low-cost
• Many second-hand sales
• Acquiring spares and replacements is easy
• Many models include integrated brush-bow so no additional antenna required

The Cons:

• Most models are comparatively heavy
• All relatively low-spec components (no upgrade option)
• Smaller-wheeled variants suited to smoother terrain only

Pawtrekker Website

Dax Scooter

Dax Scooter produce the most popular foldable dog-scooter currently in the UK. Their major selling-point, as you may have guessed, is that they are foldable and are much easier to transport.

The Pros:

• Foldable – simply remove the wheels, fold the frame and bars inward
• Large and grippy footplate – benefit to those with poor balance, it’s basically a skateboard-deck mounted to the frame
• Options of both spring-antenna or brush-bow to keep lines out of the wheel
• Hugely customisable with many in-house options and upgrades
• Easily-adjustable height (handlebar/stem)
• Recent models include mounts for water-bottle and mud-guards

The Cons:

• Smaller wheel format suited to smoother terrains
• Heavier than many alternatives – although not unexpected given the folding ability
• Users have quoted the foot-plate height as a possible flaw; it being less suited should you do a lot of manual scooting to aid your dog(s)

Dax Scooter Website

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Kickbike

Often quoted as the racers-choice. Kickbike offer a huge range of adult scooters for all types of terrain and riding style. Only their Cross-MAX range is dedicated to mushing and dog-scooters, but what they do offer contains technology developed within more advanced scooter-sports.

The Pros:

• Lightweight – varies depending on configuration, but all are around the 10kg mark
• Frame Technology – largely regarded as one of the best frames available
• Components conform to many popular mountain-biking standards, making spares and upgrades easy to come-by
• Three well-balanced equipment levels available in the standard Cross-MAX series to suit most requirements
• Fat MAX and Cross 29er models available for rougher terrain use or faster racing setups correspondingly

The Cons:

• Cost – they are on the more expensive end of the market
• Component quality – on the lower-spec models, some equipment may not be recommended for competing and higher-speed training
• Requires purchase of additional antenna attachment
• Narrow foot-plate

Kickbike Website

Kostka

Closest rival to Kickbike in terms of quality, setup and overall offering. They also are not dog/mushing specific and have developed their products within more advanced scooter-sports.

The Pros:

• Wide foot-plate
• Component quality – although on lower-spec models Kotka also suffer the same questionable components as Kickbike, on the higher-spec versions, it could be argued that they exceed Kickbike in their like-for-like offerings
• Visual aesthetic – anodised wheel hubs and interesting powder-coat options make for a a striking look
• Custom antenna attachment slot and line-attachment-point for a cleaner setup

The Cons:

• Cost – matches Kickbike for cost in some areas, and in others exceeds it
• Frame quality – although comparable to the Kickbike, several users have noted minor issues, although few and far between
• Currently few UK stockists, although this is improving gradually

Kostka Website

Gravity Scooters

We view Gravity Scooters as the big-hitters of the scooter world. They started off developing scooters to compete on extreme downhill mountain bike courses, and they haven’t strayed far from their roots.

The Pros:

• Phenomenal build quality
• Huge foot-plate
• Very sturdy feel and geometry to aid skill and confidence
• Value for money (within reason)
• Suitable for stronger / additional dogs

The Cons:

• Weight – with stronger build comes added weight
• Agility – being heavier and sightly longer than it’s main competitors, it can feel a bit saggy in the corners
• Some components are questionable, although largely acceptable

Gravity Scooters Website

Conclusions

Well, it really depends on your requirements. But if we were asked to choose out of a few common scenarios this is what we’d go with:

I am an experienced musher looking for an advantage

For Rough Terrain: Kostka Mushing Racer Pro
For Increased Pace: Kickbike Cross 29er

I am experienced but looking for something more versatile

Kickbike Fat MAX

I want to run a larger numbers of dogs

Kickbike Fat MAX or Gravity M10

I need a scooter that is easy to transport

Dax Scooter

I am looking for an upgrade from my beginner scooter

Kickbike Cross MAX 20HD or Kostka Mushing Pro

I am a complete beginner and don’t know where to start

Kickbike Cross MAX 20D or Gravity M10 Basic

Still undecided?

If you cannot make up your mind and want to know what we’d do in your situation, leave us a comment on this post, or drop us a message on our Facebook Page.

If you’re not sure that scootering is the right thing for you, checkout Bikejor and Dog Rigs as possible alternatives.

Other Considerations

There are many other manufactures that we have not included here simply because they are either hard to come-by in the UK, or because we don’t feel like we’re able to give a properly impartial review on their offerings. We would recommend always purchasing scooters from an authorised dealer, or buying second-hand under advise of a seasoned musher. If you are unable to do either, always research the brand of scooter you are looking to buy, and ensure that they are a well established and provide a thoroughly tested product. There are many home-made ‘dog scooters’ that appear for sale in various classified ads and auction websites. These are largely unsafe and should be avoided for both safety of yourself and your dogs.

Please remember that dog-mushing in any format is not without it’s risks and we would always advise seeking advice from local or national groups, many of which can be found online including a number of well-addressed Facebook Groups.

You can remind yourself of what conditions are considered safe for your dogs to run in on our article; Running Conditions.

View on YouTube

“Dogsledding lives at the intersection of skill and chaos…”

PULL is a short documentary film that delves into reflections on journeying the cold Northern Canadian landscape by dog sled.

See behind the scenes images and article here:
allthingsgoh.com/2015/02/pull-behind-the-scenes/

SOURCE: Vimeo

When looking at bringing a dog in to your household, many people consider look at all the positives a dog can bring in to your life. After all of the usual health and fitness benefits, people often consider the added security benefits a dog can bring.

In truth, anyone that knows the breed will tell you that huskies are one of the most people-friendly dogs around – and are very unlikely to provide anything like the level of security from the traditionally security-associated breeds – German Shepherds being the obvious go-to.

Personal Security

In our experience, Siberian Huskies are much likely to react in a defensive manor toward an individual should they consider their human/owner to be at risk. However, we can only say this for some and not all of our dogs. This will vary depending on the dogs level of confidence, and their bond with the individual. As distinctly pack animals, their protective instincts come when they deem their life-balance to be under threat.

Home Security

According to numerous online security surveys, the one thing that the majority of burglars will avoid is the presence of a dog – particularly a noisy one.

Huskies are notoriously disinterested in territory compared to most dogs, particularly with people. So provided a burglar was confident enough – and maybe gain favour in the form of a few meaty treats and a belly rub, unfortunately huskies aren’t likely to do much to save your personal belongings.

As for making a lot of noise – this is another trait that is down to each dog as an individual.

The Counter-Risk

Whilst a dog may be likely to deter people from your home, they could also potentially be the intended target of a theft – so we would never advise leaving your dogs in an easy-to-snatch situation. Most household goods are replaceable, your dogs are not.

To Conclude

If security is a major requirement from your next dog, a Siberian Husky really isn’t for you. Unfortunately they are all too different in this area to give a qualitative answer. The only thing they all really have in common is a big-presence, regardless of their actual size. This alone can count for a lot, but even the biggest and meanest looking have been known to cower behind their owners in difficult circumstances.

This is a hotly debated topic amongst pet stores and owners alike. The first thing we would say is that a collar tag really should be considered the first port of call should your pet find themselves missing. All important information should be contained within their chip – as a result only animal professionals and local authorities will be able to access any private information regarding yourself or your pet.

On their tag, you should provide the information required for anyone to get in touch with you should they find themselves with your pet. We would recommend:

YOUR LAST NAME
House No, Post Code
Emergency Phone 1
Emergency Phone 2
INFORMATION ABOUT PET (e.g. DOG IS CHIPPED or I REQUIRE MEDICATION)

A practical example would be;

SMITH
28, AB1 2CD
(01632) 960 473
07700 900 185
DOG IS CHIPPED

You may notice that this doesn’t include any details about the dogs name – this is important as it prevents any potential thieves from forming an instant bond with your pet by use of their name.

You may wish to consider using phone numbers for yourself and a family member that may be available when you may not be – for instance, when at work.

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It doesn’t matter what you heard from that bloke down the pub, Siberian Huskies are not wolves – and quite frankly, we’re sick of hearing it. Next time someone makes a ‘wolf’ comment, satirically or otherwise, here are 5 key differences you can use to point out why your husky is not a wolf.

1. Curly Tail

A wolf will never carry its tail above its back in a curve or a sickle. This is a dog-only trait and an immediate indicator that any canine is from domesticated stock.

2. Eye Colour

Many huskies have at least one blue or partially blue eye. Wolves never have blue eyes (with a few exceptions at birth). Adult wolves eyes will range in colour from red, amber, yellow, brown or green.

3. Temperament

Whilst the list of temperament differences between dogs and wolves is endless, there’s a few really key differences that are easy to asses. Whilst captive wolves have shown limited-affection to their handlers, they are rarely willing to do so with strangers. Dogs (and huskies in particular) tend to enjoy the company of any human, stranger or otherwise.

4. Claws

The claws or nails of wolves are usually black in colour, whereas huskies and other dogs tend to be visibly milky-white with a pink core. Dogs can have black-claws – but rarely are they a complete set.

5. Size

On the larger end of the breed-spectrum a Siberian Husky would confirm to the following:

Height: 60cm | Weight: 27kg

Whereas your average gray wolf (and by no-means the largest):

Height: 83cm | Weight: 50kg

That’s a staggering difference – their height alone puts them in to Grate Dane territory.

Want more reading on the matter?

Click here to view our article on What is a Siberian Husky?

The default answer to ‘Do Siberian Huskies make good pets?’ is…no. But with such a generic question, you are liable to a generic answer.

It’s not wether they make good pets, but can they be good pets? To which the answer is of course, yes…absolutely.

If you are considering bringing a husky in to your life, you might first want to do-away with the typical understanding of what makes a ‘good pet’ – as almost all huskies will fail in some of these criteria. Here we’ve compiled a short-list of the key differences you can expect to see from a Siberian Husky, over a traditional pet-breed.

Continue reading Do Siberian Huskies make good pets?

As the internet is full of people having brief rants about their last experience at their local park or walk, we’ve put together our Top 10 rules for playing nicely with others in shared spaces.

This is very worthy information for any new dog owner, but is a helpful reminder to experienced owners alike – we are all guilty of forgetting a few of the rules from time-to-time.

1. Pick-up After Your Dog

We shouldn’t have to say this one, but it seems we still must. It doesn’t matter where it is, or what you’re doing – you shouldn’t have a dog if you aren’t prepared to clean-up after them.

2. Choose Off-lead Moments Wisely

Obviously, Siberian Huskies are not good off-lead – so here we are really talking to other breed owners. If it’s a glorious sunny day and the local park is packed to the rafters with people enjoying picnics, having family bike-rides and enjoying everything the park has to offer – it may not be a good time to let your dog off-lead. They might come to this park every day and have fantastic recall, but these additional distractions can be enough to unhinge even the expertly trained. It won’t take too many ice-cream thefts before you’ve earned yourselves the names Yogi and Boo-Boo respectively.

3. Not Every Dog Wants To Say Hello

This is easily the most common gripe we see – usually the fault of dog-less individuals, or those who are fortunate enough to posses fantastically well-mannered dogs. You must never forcefully instigate a meeting with a dog you do not know. Should you want either yourself or your pet to greet another dog, we would recommend keeping a sizeable distance and alert the owner know your presence, then proceed to politely ask if yourself or your pet may say hello. If an owner says no in any way, do not persist – this is for your own safety. The park is not a petting zoo.

4. Not Every Owner Wants To Say Hello

Just because you share a love of dogs, does not mean that you will share the same love of people. Many dog owners visit the park purely for the health and benefit of their dogs – not as a social opportunity for themselves. A friendly passing ‘hello’ is usually enough to gauge if a person may wish to chat, if they do nothing, or interact but carry on walking – it maybe best to leave them be. If you didn’t both poses dogs, your actions could easily be considered inappropriate should you persist.

5. Train Your Children

In most instances, we see better trained dogs than we do children. Dogs can find children very intimidating – as they have no knowledge of dog behaviour and are often overly-direct. If your child wishes to stroke or say hello to a particular dog, it would be best to ignore the animal completely whilst discussing if they are allowed to do so with the owner. Take any instructions from an owner very seriously – your child might be great with your sisters collie, but every dog has it’s very unique behaviours around children.

6. Don’t Give Dog Treats

Or at least, not without checking with the owner first. The older-generation are certainly the most guilty of this from our experience – but they are not alone either. Whilst you may think carrying around a pocket full of dog biscuits seems like a lovely gesture, many dogs are under strict diets to help manage an array of medical issues or simply as a preventative measure. There is also an influx of poisoned treats found in dog parks at the moment – so do not be offended if a dog owner simply says; NO! Do not be persistent, it is actually very rude – even if the thought is kind.

7. Dogs On Leads

In many parks, there seems to be a bit of common folklore that says; if a dog is on a lead, a dog is dangerous. Of course, being husky-owners, we know this is absolute rubbish. A dog may be on a lead because it is sick, it might be a flight-risk, it is nervous and easily scarpers, plus 101 other genuine reasons other than it being dangerous. If you come to pass a dog on a lead however, always keep your dog under control and do not allow it to approach unless the other owner initiates it. Whilst the dog may not have any social issues, the owner may not want it interacting with your dog either – so be polite, be in control.

8. Give Room & Communicate

If you come to pass another owner on a tight or narrow path, the individual with the ‘most to control’ should take precedence. If they have three jumpy Dalmatians, and you a single German Shepherd – allow the Dalmatian owner to dictate what happens next, if they continue to walk – find yourself a space to pull-over. If they pull-over, wait for them to gain control of their dogs, and then pass confidently and quickly keeping your dog in check at all times – ignore the other dogs, their owner should have them in control.

9. Help Your Fellow Dog-Lover

Lost a lead, or lost a dog? If you see someone in distress or generally looking a bit lost – they would probably appreciate a helping hand. They might not be regulars at your park, and could need a assistance luring their dog back to them. It doesn’t matter what the problem is, just help others now – and others shall be there when you are in need.

10. The Yellow Ribbon Project

The Yellow Dog Project is a UK initiative setup to help identify dogs that need a bit of extra space or caution in their day-to-day lives. Their website says:

The Yellow Dog Project was created to bring awareness to dogs who need space while training, recovering from surgery, or being rehabilitated.

If you see a dog with a YELLOW ribbon, bandanna or similar on the leash or on the dog, this is a dog which needs some space.

Please, do not approach this dog or its people with your dog. They are indicating that their dog cannot be close to other dogs. How close is too close? Only the dog or his people know, so maintain distance and give them time to move out of your way.

It’s been a difficult few days for Grazia Magazine. In their latest UK edition, Grazia printed an article which appeared to promote the breeding pets to increase your income. The article writer at hand appeared to suggest that it enabled them to afford ‘better’ furniture than that found in Ikea.

Well, regardless on your thoughts of flat-pack furniture, it’s certainly no reason whatsoever to endanger the likes of potentially thousands of animals.

Fortunately, the internet has a way of delivering karma in record speed, and as such has continued to berate the magazines’ Facebook page ever since the article first surfaced.

Grazia has responded directly to this outcry with the following statement, although we hope they are willing to do a bit more to highlight the current rescue crisis, and the horrendous results of irresponsible breeding:

Last week Grazia published an article looking at how more people are making money through a variety of different income streams. One of the stories included in the piece featured a pedigree cat and dog breeder.

We have taken all the feedback and comments for this article on board and we apologise for causing any offence.

In response to some of the comments we have received, we’d also like to make it clear that Grazia in no way promotes or condones irresponsible breeding or unfair treatment to any animal.

We want to thank everyone who took the time and trouble to write to us.

Here’s just a taster of what the dog-loving population has done in response to such an irresponsible article…

If you wish to see more, or to let Grazia know your thoughts of the article, you can do so on their Facebook page.

You can read a full review of what occurred here – and here a link to a photograph of the original printed article.

This is one of the most common questions we receive, and it’s not a topic with a single answer.

Owners of all dog breeds will notice from time-to-time that their canine companion will graze upon grass and other vegetation. This behaviour is very normal for the most part, however it is important to know why your husky is doing it.

The seasonal grazer

Many grasses contain high amounts basic nutritional elements during their optimum seasons. We find for us that it tends to be late-spring through early-summer, although the time of the year will vary depending on location and the specific grass variety. During these seasons grasses are often sweet in taste, further luring it’s appeal to your fluffy cohort.

Whilst we haven’t found any specific information to suggest that allowing your dogs to consume this type of grass is bad for their health, we’d always recommend consumption in moderation. Grass can be an irritant to a dogs stomach, which we’ll describe in more detail in the next section.

The eat-n-puke

Many reports we hear are of dogs consuming grass, only to regurgitate it some moments later. Dogs are often observed to consume grass as a means of forcing contents from their stomachs.

Dogs are unable to force themselves to vomit without help, which is why they use grass – an intestinal irritant – to help them along with the process. In most cases it is considered safer for a dog to purge itself of whatever is causing it’s discomfort prior to digestion – in many cases this may just be an excessive build-up of bile or stomach-acid that needs to be expelled.

Whilst in most circumstances a dogs consumption of grass to aid vomiting is perfectly natural and healthy, if done regularly it may be an indicator of a medical condition or stomach blockage and professional advice should be sought immediately.

Other considerations

It’s always important to consider wether what your dog is doing is normal behaviour for them. As an example; if your dog has suddenly started to obsessively eat your lawn after years of disinterest, it may be a reaction to a chemical imbalance within them – as always, any continuing behaviour which is decidedly out of character should be immediately assessed by a vet to rule out an underlying medical condition.