Adopt A Husky News May/June 2006

without your help! We had a picture perfect day which brought out many people and dogs from near and far. Here is the breakdown of the money we received through everyone’s generous donations:

Minnesota had $9,112 in donations, $1,487.50 for the silent auction, $203 for games, Bil-Jac, lollipop tree and donation jar, $148 for nails, microchipping and misc. food donations and $138 in sales which brings the grand total to $11,088.50. IL/WI had $19,784.50 in donations, $2,905.50 for the silent auction, $76 for games, $200 for grooming, $85 for nails, $30 for microchipping, $277.75 for vendor sales (photos and US Bones) and $1,196.50 in sales which brings the grand total to $24,555.25. So in summary, we collected more than $35,000 between our hikes, so that we can continue to rescue and pay for the medical needs of our many deserving fosters.

Please don’t forget to fill out the online survey that is located on our homepage to let us know your ideas for next year. We hope that everyone enjoyed themselves (including many of the dogs that went home very tired – another great benefit of the day) and look forward to seeing you at next year’s hike.

- Noel, IL/WI Hike Coordinator

Invisible Fence – Why Not To Use It!!! First, what is an invisible fence? An invisible fence is an electrical wire that is installed just below the ground surface around the owner’s yard. The electrical wire is then connected to a power box that is usually installed in the owner’s garage. The system comes with a collar (operates on batteries) that the pet must wear. When the pet gets too close to the electrical wire he is shocked by the collar. Think of it this way . . . your dog is a nice curious six month old who sees a dog or person walking past and wants to go greet (which is a natural dog behavior). They go to greet and when they get close . . . ZAP. And yes, it does hurt them, if it didn’t, the invisible fence wouldn’t work. Even the beep becomes classically conditioned and feels the same as the shock itself. What does the dog learn? A powerful negative association between a painful sensation and the presence of humans, dogs, joggers, etc., and so is born the lunging, barking dog at all environmental stimuli, screaming the equivalent of “go away go away go away . . . because you cause me pain!” This can result in a dog being aggressive towards or fearful of people and dogs. Also, invisible fences do not keep out strays, people or wild animals. They are free to enter your yard at any time and hurt the invisibly fenced dog who cannot escape. Let’s face it . . . there are cruel people in this world that enjoy harming animals. These same people steal dogs from yards to torture and to use as bait in dog fighting rings. Invisible fences are electric devices. Electric devices can malfunction. Talk to any vet clinic and learn about dogs coming in with burns on their necks from the prongs on the collars – even to the extent of burn holes. An unknowing owner sets the collar strength to the max, and the dog continues to be zapped over and over because the collar malfunctions. It would take weeks of treatments to heal the horrendous wounds. Relying on a means of containment that requires electricity is USELESS IN A POWER OUTAGE. No power, dog escapes . . . and if the power comes back on while he is outside the area, he can’t come back without being zapped! The dog is punished for trying to return home. Not all invisible fences have the same shock levels/electric volts. Everyone knows what electricity does to a human’s heart . . . just imagine what it can do to a dog’s heart. Sophie’s owners learned the hard way. She lost her life because of the continuous electric volts that went through her body	Hiking at the IL/WI Husky Hike 2006
	MARK YOUR CALENDAR
	IL EVENTS June 3, PETCO, Oswego, IL June 11, Mounds Dog Fest, Madison, WI June 25, Fox Valley Animal Welfare Anniversary, Aurora, IL MN EVENTS June 3, Canine Carnival, Forest Lake, MN
	HAPPY TAILS
	Recent fosters that have found their forever homes. Murphy (IL) Feb. 2006 Dallas (IL) April 5 Pandora (IL) April 16 Noel (IL) April 25 Coulee (MN) April 25 Johnny (IL) April 27 Skagway (IL) April 27 Nantucket (MO) April 28 Chena (WI) April 30 Crosby (WI) April 30 Healy (IL) May 7 Chanel (WI) May 22 Lena (OH) May 29

They are playing AGILITY with their dogs! So . . . what the heck is agility first of all??? Dog agility is a sport in which a dog moves through an obstacle course with the guidance of his handler. Dogs run off leash, so the handler's only controls are voice and body language, requiring exceptional training of the animal. In agility competitions (called trials), accuracy, speed and safety are important. In its simplest form, an agility course consists of a set of standard obstacles, laid out by an agility judge in a design of his or her own choosing (some more sadistically than others), with numbers indicating the order in which the dog must complete the obstacles. The size, length and obstacles are dictated by the different competition venues one may compete in. So what are these different venues? There is the classic which most of you are familiar with, AKC (American Kennel Club). What may surprise you is that the AKC did not invent agility. In 1978 at the Crufts Dog Show in England, filler was needed between the breed judging and the groups. Some very creative individuals named John Varley and Peter Meanwell invented the dog sport of agility. In 1986, the United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA) was founded. In 1993, Sharon Nelson founded her own agility corporation, the North American Dog Agility Council (NADAC), using a slightly new set of rules and concepts. The AKC did not adopt agility classes until 1994. The first AKC show in the USA to include agility is held in August at the St. Croix Valley Kennel Club Show in Lake Elmo, Minnesota. The United Kennel Club (UKC) created its own set of rules and concepts around the same time as AKC. Since then there have been a variety of different organizations that have popped up, including the two new latest venues, Canine Performance Events (CPE) and Dogs on Course in North America (DOCNA). There are so many agility trials and agility trainers in northern Illinois/southern Wisconsin, it is pretty hard to swing a stick without hitting one. So, does one of your Siberians have the need for speed? Does he or she jump everything in sight? Have you taken a basic obedience course with them to teach them things like sit, down, stay and come? Then consider agility training. It is a wonderful outlet for a Siberian’s energy level and it keeps their brains engaged (always a challenge to think up new things to keep these guys entertained!) Whether you just do it to have fun with your Siberian or you ultimately get into competition, agility strengthens the bond you have with your dog. The relationship building that agility training involves is incredible because you really need to learn to work with your dog, rather than just ordering them around. IMPORTANT NOTE: formal agility training with a qualified instructor on safe equipment is very important. I want to emphasize that agility equipment can be dangerous for the dog if the equipment is sub-standard, or if the obstacles are performed incorrectly. It is not a sport that can be self-taught – you must get proper training on equipment usage for the safety of the dog. If you need information on local trainers, please email me or check The Clean Run Clubs Page (www.cleanrun.com). That being said, your Siberian caution radar should probably be going off about agility (did she say OFF LEASH earlier?). It is drilled into our heads that Siberians should never, ever be off leash. This is correct under 99.99999+% of circumstances. There are always exceptions, rare ones. Keep in mind; the Siberians that do run agility have had years and years of training. In addition, many Siberian owners that run agility choose to train and compete only indoors where we know their dogs will be safe or at trial sites that we know are completely fenced in. Even with the best of training, things can happen, so more cautions are typically taken with Siberians in agility compared to say other breeds that are more commonly known to run agility (aussies, border collies, shelties). Even though Siberians are considered an “off breed” for agility, (meaning not your typical agility breed) they can and DO excel at it with proper training. There are several rescued and non-rescued Siberians competing with their AAHI volunteer owners and doing well at it. Recently, I was at a local trial and there were six Siberians competing at the trial and all six were competing at the highest level of competition available. There are a significant number of Siberians out there that have achieved the highest level of awards in competition, so don’t let anyone tell you Siberians cannot do agility. If you find a trainer that tells you that, find another trainer. That trainer is just not good enough to help you train your Siberian! If you are interested in learning more about agility there are many websites available, especially the Clean Run site mentioned above. Please also feel free to ask me any questions you have about competing, finding a good trainer, a safe site to train, where upcoming trials are so you can come watch or advice on training. I would love to see more Siberians out there running – they have a blast doing it and so do the people! - Jenn S. and agility Siberian, AGII Kodiak’s Furricane, RN, AX, AXJ, OAC, OJC, OGC, TN-O, WV-N, CL-1, CL2-R, CL2-F (aka Kodi and his agility alphabet soup of agility titles/accomplishments), IL AAHI Volunteer
Foster Spotlight: Willo and Mango, WI Fosters Looking for "Furever" Families
Willo came to us from southern Illinois. She had arrived in a shelter heartworm positive and was successfully treated. She was then adopted, but the family just didn't know enough about Siberians and couldn't understand why Willo kept running "away." Of course, they made no attempt to keep her contained in a fenced yard or on a leash or tie-out. So Willo came to Adopt A Husky. She is a loving gal, adores humans of any age, and hasn't yet met a dog she didn't like. We simply cannot understand why she's not been adopted, because everyone feels she is absolutely the SWEETEST dog we've ever had in rescue -- that even goes for Bill, who doesn't really voice an opinion about the many fosters we've had at Camp Leonard.	Meet Willo!
Is she 100% Siberian Husky? We don't know, and Willo isn't telling. Folks have said no, because her ears don't stand up straight, but I'm here to tell you that is not an indication. One of my dear friends owns a Siberian Husky that she bred, owns both mom and dad, and HER ears look just like Willo's! If you are considering an addition to your canine pack, PLEASE think about Willo! You will be rewarded with many years of unconditional love. - Lois, WI Volunteer
Mango This wonderful boy was adopted through AAHI at the age of 16 months, the perfect Siberian Husky, handsome, sweet, and happy. A few weeks ago, four years later, Mango was summarily dumped back in our laps, another victim of a family that traded him in because they became parents and just "don't have time for him any more." He came back to us about 25 lb. overweight, obviously provided too much food and too little exercise. He's on a strict diet now and is getting the activity he needs! Mango is very depressed, having lost the only home he really could remember. He is low to medium energy (although once he loses the excess weight he will probably be more active), well-mannered, and does absolutely great with other dogs. - Lois, WI Volunteer	Meet Mango!

Click here to learn more about Willo and Mango. Interested in adopting a Siberian, please read our adoption process and fill out our online adoption application.