Horsefeathers! Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 I saw this on our local news. This woman was sobbing about how her beloved Siberian Husky was electrocuted by a downed power line during storms resulting from Dennis. My question... why was he left outside during these storms? We knew for nearly a week that a hurricane and resulting strong storms were coming to our area, so why would anyone leave their dog tied outside and then sob on the news when it gets killed? Tragic, I agree, but the owner is a bonehead. In the televised newscast, it's obvious by her tone that she blames the power company for not getting to the line in time to save the dog. Idiot owner should have had the dog safely inside somewhere, IMO. [url=http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=3576830&nav=5kZQbztN]Dog dies[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canis erectus Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 [quote name='StarGaze']Do you think he was out to potty, maybe? I hope she didn't leave him out. That's so sad.[/quote] I somehow doubt it. It seems like more huskies live out their lives as yard dogs rather than as family members. Sorry, but only a fool just lets their dogs out in a severe hurricane without taking them out on-leash, she would've cooked too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsefeathers! Posted July 12, 2005 Author Share Posted July 12, 2005 This was a permanent outside dog. That's what made me so angry when I saw her wailing on tv about how she was so attached to him, and basically blaming the power company for her own negligence. On a similar note, a neighbor of ours yesterday left their Pit-ish looking dog tied up outside in the storm all day. That dog howled and cried bloody murder all day long. I went out in the storm and knocked on the people's door and asked if they were aware (duh) that their dog had no shelter. I thought maybe his dog house had blown away. They shrugged it off, "he'll be a'ight." I went home and called the cops (since it was Sunday... you have to call the cops on weekends to get in touch with animal control) and reported it, but with so much else going on like washed out roads and down power lines, a dog standing in the rain wasn't a priority, so no one came out. I thought of just taking the dog out of the yard, but he was padlocked to the tree with the chain padlocked around his neck. How frustrating! People are so stupid! That poor dog cried all day long in the wind and rain. If he were so "valuable" as to need to be padlocked into place, why would they just leave him exposed to the bad weather? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lokipups Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 Good god HF, I'd like to drive down and bitchslap that woman :x ! Really, did that storm come up so fast that NOBODY could bring that poor Sibe inside? And why do I get the feeling that that dog spent lots of time outside, wonderful for a Siberian in a Georgia summer, where I'm sure it's hotter than a whores dream right about now. It hits over eighty five and my whole crew stays inside in the AC, never mind a storm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 people are stupid in general... on a positive note, I have a friend who lives down there. her and her husband built a concrete "safe room" in the lowest section of their house. the pets are crated and put in the safe room if it looks like the hurricane is going to hit. they only go in there if its right on them, but the pets are safe always. I asked her why she didnt go in there until the last minute? her answer? "I want to make sure whats going to happen....I dont want to leave them in there if I dont have to.." 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
behle Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 [quote name='courtnek']people are stupid in general... on a positive note, I have a friend who lives down there. her and her husband built a concrete "safe room" in the lowest section of their house. the pets are crated and put in the safe room if it looks like the hurricane is going to hit. they only go in there if its right on them, but the pets are safe always. I asked her why she didnt go in there until the last minute? her answer? "I want to make sure whats going to happen....I dont want to leave them in there if I dont have to.." 8)[/quote] Quite a contrast from the woman in this story! Good for your friend. She sounds awesome! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackieMaya Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 [quote name='Horsefeathers!']This was a permanent outside dog. That's what made me so angry when I saw her wailing on tv about how she was so attached to him, and basically blaming the power company for her own negligence.[/quote] That poor dog. [quote name='Horsefeathers!']... but he was padlocked to the tree with the chain padlocked around his neck. [/quote] Good grief! Why do people like that even have a dog? Do they treat their human children like that? I'd like to padlock them to a tree in a storm and see how they like it. GRRRRRRRR! :madgo: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seijun Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 I know it may seem "cruel" to leave the dog outside 24/7, but believe it or not, SOME dogs [i]prefer[/i] to be outdoors. Siberian huskies especially. Some can be indoors, some can even be great indoors, but some are NOT good indoors. It is not at all uncommon for a husky to live outside 24/7 and [i]like[/i] it. Now, if the dog was tied outside to a tree or large metal pole, then I would be upset about it. BUT, if the dog was outside in a seemingly safe enclosure of some sort with shelter, food, water, etc., and there was a good reason for the dog being outdoors (i.e-would kill indoor cat, would eat furniture, just hates being inside in general), then this is called a freak accident. Lightning strikes cannot be predicted, and lightening can still hit when weather outside does not even look that threatening. ~Seij Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lokipups Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 [quote name='Seijun']I know it may seem "cruel" to leave the dog outside 24/7, but believe it or not, SOME dogs [i]prefer[/i] to be outdoors. Siberian huskies especially. ~Seij[/quote] That is a myth and I'm surprised you bought into it. Siberians are one of the most pack oriented breeds in existence, and any Sibe I've brought into the rescue that was an "outdoor only" dog quickly adapted to living inside with the pack. Any time I hear "oh, but he prefers to be outside all the time" really means "he chases the cat, has made toothpicks out of the dining room set and sheds everywhere". That is the lazy, uncommited way out, and it pisses me off when I hear it, because all of those things can be avoided with some training and research about the breed. Leaving your dogs outside when the weather is bad is negligent, period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seijun Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 How do you train a husky though if it is an adult and was never house trained ever? Is it possible to teach an adult to be good indoors if it was never taught that before? What do you do with a husky that insists on chasing cats? If memory serves me correctly, once a dog learns to chase animals and enjoy it, it is nearly impossible to train the dog out of it completely. All of my dogs are kept outside 24/7 except one. None of them has suffered from it, and they all love me just as much as the dog that comes indoors. They have shelter, and are fed, watered, and excercised daily. If I bring the outdoor dogs inside, they become nervous, and beg to be let out. They clearly show signs of stress, with tails tucked in and rapid panting. Again, they love me every bit as much as the indoor dog. I'm not saying every dog can or should be left outdoors, I'm only saying that it is not harmful for some. Thank you though for the post. I had been told by many Sibe people that some sibes can never be indoor dogs. ~Seij Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowie-the-Pooh Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 [quote name='Seijun']I know it may seem "cruel" to leave the dog outside 24/7, but believe it or not, SOME dogs [i]prefer[/i] to be outdoors. Siberian huskies especially. Some can be indoors, some can even be great indoors, but some are NOT good indoors. It is not at all uncommon for a husky to live outside 24/7 and [i]like[/i] it. Now, if the dog was tied outside to a tree or large metal pole, then I would be upset about it. BUT, if the dog was outside in a seemingly safe enclosure of some sort with shelter, food, water, etc., and there was a good reason for the dog being outdoors (i.e-would kill indoor cat, would eat furniture, just hates being inside in general), then this is called a freak accident. Lightning strikes cannot be predicted, and lightening can still hit when weather outside does not even look that threatening. ~Seij[/quote] Seijun I see where your coming from.. but this dog was [i]padlocked[/i] to a tree with a padlock around his neck. If he tried to escape the weather to find appropriate shelter, he couldn't. That's what makes it cruel. Couldn't they have brought him in during the storm at least? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seijun Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 Sorry, I did not know he was tied to a tree. (Mentioned earlier though that it would be different if he was in a well-built, well-furnished outdoor enclosure). I have never been through a hurricane though. Was the hurricane actually on top of them when the dog was struck, or was it "before the storm" conditions? I understand about not leaving a dog out during hurricane force weather, but if things weren't bad yet, there would be no reason to bring the dog in. Tied to a tree though, yeesh... That's like inviting your dog to get hit even during just "regular" storms. ~Seij Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lokipups Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 [quote name='Seijun']How do you train a husky though if it is an adult and was never house trained ever? Is it possible to teach an adult to be good indoors if it was never taught that before? What do you do with a husky that insists on chasing cats? If memory serves me correctly, once a dog learns to chase animals and enjoy it, it is nearly impossible to train the dog out of it completely. [/quote] Over the years I've had to retrain dozens of them, difficult? Yes. Impossible? No. The first thing we do is to get them the excercise they usually desperately need (I break out the harness and strap on my rollerblades, works for everybody :lol: ). Once they're good and tired, crate training starts, along with basic obedience, and it can be done at any age. Siberians raised with cats are usually not a problem, but finding one in a rescue that tolerates them is tough. I have one myself, but she's a rarity. Can you retrain one to leave a housecat alone? Yes, but you need a trainer well versed in the use of an e-collar and the crittering method. The pic below is Anna, a Husky that had never seen the inside of a house, and an abuse case to boot. After 5 foster homes she came to me. The first several weeks with her were trying to say the least, she would find the very center of the backyard and curl up into a ball for hours on end. If she came into the house, she would pace back and forth like a caged animal and she was terrified of men (my poor husband jumped through hoops with trying to get her inside :roll: ). After three weeks of umbilical training, along with some basic obedience to bolster her confidence, she is now a happy indoor dog who likes nothing better than to curl up on the couch with me. [img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/Lokipup/Dog%20pics/000_0259.jpg[/img] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canis erectus Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 China had never been indoors for the first 5 or 6 years if her life. She is a mix breed, but she's every bit as hard-headed and husky-like as any pure bred. She adjusted fine given that she spent the first part of her life as partially feral, though she still has her quirks. I think what happens alot of times is that people will get a husky breed thinking it a 'cool' or macho dog, and being unprepared for the clash of wills that is owning a husky, the dog ends up outdoors permanently. The result often being a poorly socialized, rampaging, backyard godzilla. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogPaddle Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 I have assisted in the retraining of a Malamute and a GSD that were both outdoor only dogs. The Malmute was 4 when he was brought in. The GSD was 9. The GSD took to it like you would not believe - he very quickly adopted a chair and slept on his own little divan thing at the foot of the bed, certainly he had to be monitored when not crated but it only took 6 months to reliably and completely housetrain him. The malamute was, like your dogs, nervous inside to start, and they took it very slow, transitioning her to indoors. Interestingly after about a week and a half, although she was still nervous inside she would sit right at the patio door (open) to be closer to her people. After two weeks she would pace and whine by the open door, working herself up to go in, because that is where she wanted to be. She was a bit harder to house train but is doing fine now. It might be different with really good outdoor facilities, lots of stimulation and other canine company (presumably this is the case with your dogs) but a lone dog outside in any situation is a sad and lonely dog. Just because they are unfamiliar with the indoors doesn't mean that they don't want a pack and Sibes are, as was stated, very pack oriented. Even if you had an "outside only dog" what sort of retard do you have to be to leave it tied, by its neck, outside in the sort of weather that takes roofs off houses?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seijun Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 [quote]It might be different with really good outdoor facilities, lots of stimulation and other canine company (presumably this is the case with your dogs) [/quote] The two pointers outside share the same kennel. They have toys and shelter that can withstand rain, sleet, snow, etc. and both hot and cold temps (although we will bring them inside to sleep if the weather gets bellow freezing). They are let out to run twice a day, and we often let the indoor pointer (a pup) out to play with them for hours in the kennel. The husky mix is kept to herself because there is not enough room in the other kennel for her, she and the older pointer don't really get along that well, and the younger pointer is afraid of her. Her kennel is also safe from the weather, she has toys, and she is walked twice a day, about an hour to an hour and a half each. If the day is not too hot or wet, we put her out on the cable in the backyard (supervised) so she can stalk squires and play with the indoor pointer when she is let out to run. It is very difficult to find playmates for the husky mix though. She is very territorial and will rarely accept any new dogs except puppies. She will only tolerate a puppy for so long though and we have yet to meet an adult dog that likes her and vice versa. *cringes* sorry for going off topic… ~Seij Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogPaddle Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 :oops: Sorry for the off topic as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_Irena Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 poor dog to die in that way over a stuped owner :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittygirl109 Posted July 15, 2005 Share Posted July 15, 2005 People just get stupider and stupider. How sad. :cry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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