dog mom

Whenever someone asks me to describe myself the words "dog mom" seem to slip out of my mouth while I'm thinking of words to describe me. I'm the crazy person with two dogs that I think of as my own babies. 

I actually have a vacation dream of taking the dogs over to Europe with me, Iceland, Norway, or a place like that. Just the four of us exploring and the dogs lovin' life, but I'm sure it won't happen. So I'll settle for camping in the US!

I have two dogs, Luna (Siberian Husky) and Liesel (German Shepherd). Luna was our first babe, I bought her for Dylan for Christmas way back in 2013, before I even moved in. Those two were, and still are, inseparable. Before you go out and buy a husky because they're gorgeous please do your research, it is so important to know your breed before you buy. This is something I feel so strongly about, I cannot stand to see people buy puppies because they're "soo cute" and when they don't know how to handle them they get rid of them when they're older. 

Huskies are ass holes. There's no way around it. It's like having a three year old 24/7. They're incredibly smart, don't get me wrong, but they're sneaky and conniving and have more attitude than you could imagine. They crave attention and will do anything (good or bad) to get it. They also have a short attention span and the drive to run and run and run. You have to be strong willed and ready to spend a lot of time with them because if you don't they'll run you. They're also super high maintenance when it comes to grooming. They're also very jealous, Luna loves Dylan, and she'll pick him over me any day. When I moved in she started acting out a lot out of jealousy and I'm pretty sure she still secretly doesn't like me. But we did the research so we knew what we signed up for... I mean I didn't know she would not like me but I guess I knew it could happen.

I wouldn't call myself an expert husky parent (would any parent really call themselves an expert?), we all make mistakes, but I have put together some tips for anyone thinking of becoming a husky parent:

• Don't let them get away with anything, they pick up on things, and if you let them get away with it once they will do it again and next time it'll probably be much worse. 
• The best way to punish them when they're naughty is to leave them alone, put them in a kennel in a room by themselves, as I mentioned before they crave attention, so this will teach them that they can't be doing whatever it is they're doing.
• Constantly keep them on their toes, if they get bored they will either act out or leave. Huskies are born to run and that habit is impossible to break, so keep them entertained. They have a pretty bad case of ADD so have a lot for them to do.
• They're smart but they act dumb, they're extremely sneaky, so get to know your dog in depth because one minute they'll be minding their own business in the yard, waiting for you to turn around, and when you do they'll bolt. Same with being in the house, they'll wait for you to leave the room then eat the rug.

Hope I haven't freaked you out, they are really great dogs but you have to know your breed. Luna is the sneakiest dog, she will drive you crazy and you will think you made a mistake buying her more than you care to admit, but in the end she does love you, in her own special [bitchy] way. She's Dylan's dog... not mine and trust me she makes sure that I know it. 

Onto Liesel, my favorite child (kidding, sorta). Ever had a German Shepherd? No? GET ONE. Liesel is hands down the BEST dog I have ever owned in my entire life, and I've had a lot of dogs. She potty trained like a dream, she picked up on all commands, she's loyal (so loyal she won't leave when Luna does, and I love that), and she's protective. If that isn't reason enough to buy one I don't know what is. Liesel loves Dylan, Luna, and me. She would do anything for any of us and that's not over exaggerating. She gets so frustrated when you're talking to her and she can't figure out what you want. 

If you've ever heard German Shepherds are mean dogs, then come meet mine. She's the sweetest thing. She's protective, yes, and I think if the time presented itself she would defend. BUT she's never been violent in her life (except maybe to chipmunks and squirrels). She knows the difference between threat and friend.

A few German Shepherd tips (if you even need them):

• Play with them a lot, wrestle them, tackle them, pull on their tails, ears, feet, etc. this teaches them (and all dogs) that when kids do it it's not a threat.
• Start training them right away, they're so smart, teach them as much as you can as early as you can. You'll be thankful for it in the long run. 
• Don't yell at them for barking/growling. They only do it when they think something is threatening, if nothing is threatening just tell them it's okay and give them a pet. If they think it's bad to bark or growl they won't do it when they might need to.

One more tip for all dogs, don't judge them by how their owner raised them. If they're neglected or beat they'll probably be violent no matter what breed. 

So if you're thinking about getting a dog, please don't shop on looks. Research your breed. Get the one that fits you. If you don't have patience or time, don't get a husky. You have to know if you can handle them or not. If you don't want a super nice loyal dog who loves the crap out of you then I suggest that you stay away from the German Shepherds. Haha I'm kidding, there's a lot of loyal dogs out there that will love the crap out of you, Shepherds are just my favorite.