About Feeding, Housing, and General Care Of Your Siberian

About Feeding, Housing, and General Care Of Your Siberian

The young puppy, like any infant, finds his security and happiness in "his people", in food, comfortable surroundings, adequate rest (lots!), and routine. In fact, the same applies to the adult Siberian, except that he doesn't require as much sleep! Make your puppy a part of the family; cuddle him, and introduce him to the world gradually when opportunity arises. Take him with you on brief outings (on lead always, and only after he has received all his shots), and let him know that his world is going to be a happy place.

He will eat three times a day at first - early morning, early afternoon and evening - and should have all he will eat within 30 minutes or so, unless he chronically overindulges, in which case diarrhea results. Needs and appetite may vary, and a puppy turning down an occasional meal is no cause for alarm. He will probably cut himself back to two meal per day by age 4-5 months, and one feeding per day is adequate from 7-9 months onward, depending on size and growth rate, and unless you are trying to put weight on him. Studies have shown that a pup of his age is quite able, and big enough to eat and utilize his day's growth requirement in one meal. Again, there are individual variations, and your veterinarian will be able to guide you should you believe you require specialized advice. Your puppy has been raised on the best food we can buy, plus raw ground beef. We recommend IAMS Puppy and, after one year, IAMS Mini-Chunk.

Siberians also love "soups" made from leftover bones and scraps simmered on the stove, cooked vegetables (carrots and corn are indigestible, but otherwise harmless to a healthy dog), kidney, liver and fish (all cooked, of course). Canned meat products (Mighty Dog or canned mackerel) are especially tempting, as is chicken; any of these mixed with his food in warm water, make dinner a special treat. We do not recommend canned cat foods for dogs. Foods sometimes indigestible or harmful are milk and raw egg white; highly seasoned foods are also not recommended.

Occasionally, supplements are helpful. We recommend vitamins - good ones from your vet, like Pet Tabs - and bone meal tablets are also OK 2-3 daily. However, unless there is veterinary indication, heavy supplementation is more likely to lead to a nutritional crisis or disease than to an improved dog! From our experience, raw beef is recommended as long as it does not exceed 20% of the diet. Avoid adding anything too delicious very often to a well-balanced diet unless you are prepared to continue, since Siberians can become quite the connoisseur!

After eating, or after a nap, it's time for your puppy to be taken outside, or onto the papers, or wherever it is that he is eventually supposed to learn to go to relieve himself. In a young puppy, a full stomach quickly signals (in about 5-10 min) the bowel to empty. If he doesn't make it to his spot, it's your fault, not his; you have been warned, and he can't help himself. NEVER punish him, hit him or rib his nose in it if he makes a mistake; remember we humans wore diapers, he doesn't! He will also be thirsty within an hour or so after eating; fresh water should be available to him at all times. He may have loose stools for a brief time after you get him home due to change in0 diet and environment, but he should quickly adjust. If loose stools persist at any time, see your veterinarian and take a fresh stool sample with you!

Siberians are very clean, even fastidious, and they "housetrain" easily, although you should not expect full control on your puppy's part until he is several months old. When younger, although he knows that he shouldn't go in the house, and he doesn't want to have an "accident" in the house, he simply can't help himself because he will not gain physiological control of his bladder or sphincter until he is about three (3) months of age; serious efforts at housetraining should not begin before he has gained this physiological control. You should know this, and accept that his accidents are your fault for not learning and observing his schedule for bodily eliminations. In housetraining there is no need to be rough; a quick "NO" and a trip outside the instant he makes a mistake are the best corrections; and I further recommend that you gently carry him outside to the place where you want him to go, and this way he will learn from you where it is appropriate for him to relieve himself. Do not rub his nose in his "accidents", or become angry, and NEVER strike him. In any training, especially of young pups, quickness in correcting, patience, and persistence are essential. The quickness is important because within a few seconds after an act a puppy forgets his error, and will learn to fear ONLY your unpredictability if you correct him and he is unable to "connect" his error with the "NO" and the wrongful act itself. Especially with the Siberian who wants to please, praise is equally important the minute he does the right thing. Finally, do not allow a puppy free access to the entire house except under close supervision!

If you have children, watch carefully and introduce them to the puppy carefully and under careful supervision, monitoring that the puppy does not become exhausted. Caution small children as often as necessary against fast movements, stepping on, hitting (never allow this!), grabbing, or chasing the puppy. Children are totally unaware of the adjustments and stresses the puppy is going through in his new home, but you aren't. If pushed to the limit and frightened, every puppy of any breed in the world has the justifiable instinct to protect himself, his food, and his possessions. By all means provide your puppy with chew toys, making sure that they are too large to be swallowed and sensibly designed, and other things that are "his", and teach him that you have the privilege of taking them away (take the toy, give it back, praise, and repeat this a few times). I always give a puppy a "chew sock" which is simply one of my old, but laundered socks, stuffed with clean and sterile rags; in time he will chew through the sock and begin to pull out the rags, and all that you then need to do is to simply insert the chewed toy into another sock, and he has a new chew sock. But teach the children to show him the same respect they would want someone to have for their own toys.

If you suspect illness at any time, carefully take the puppy's temperature with a Vaseline-coated rectal Fahrenheit thermometer; normal range is 101.5 plus/minus 1 degree. Many illnesses are not accompanied by fever, so if you are in doubt see your veterinarian.

When you have had your puppy for a month or so, take a small amount of fresh stool to your vet for a parasite check, and worm him as necessary, following your vet's advice. This can also be done as you complete his puppy shots. Puppies inevitably need at least monthly treatments with piperazine (see About Worms) until they are about a year old, after which time, have the stool checked every several months.

At six months, he should have a rabies shot; at this time we also give him another distemper-hepatitis-leptospirosis-parainfluenza (DHLP) shot, and this later shot is repeated annually; the rabies shot is required every fourth year or so. At the time the annual shots are given, your vet should examine the dog for any signs of disease or ill health. Solicit his recommendations on nutrition and coat condition, etc. - his eye is well-trained. This examination is part of what you are paying for, so make the most of it.

Siberians do not require extreme protection from weather, but the consideration of a dry, draftless place to curl up is basic; although they do not object to snow and ice, a Siberian soaked to the skin by rain is a miserable Siberian, and is more prone to skin problems and disease, so always make certain the he has a dry place. Of course he needs a place to exercise, and will require lots of exercise, and a SECURE 6 foot fenced yard is the only way in most cases, double and triple-checked for those really little "escape hatches" and potential "dig-out" spots. Cinder blocks make good "hole fillers" since they are too heavy for him to easily move, and can be sunk partially into the ground. A fenced run inside the already securely fenced yard can be easily constructed, and the perimeter lined on the inside with "field fence" buried partially into the ground and secured to the side fencing material to prevent his digging out. This can be done to the outside greater fenced yard as well. A three sided, 3 foot x 3 foot doghouse with its closed end to the prevailing wind makes for an excellent doghouse, and since the Siberian will eventually want to sit, stand or lie up on something, if the doghouse is constructed with a flat, but very slightly sloping roof to allow the moisture to run off, it makes for an excellent "lookout", which can be easily cleaned and disinfected as needed.

Lead training should be done gently and firmly, with a nylon collar (not a chain, and NEVER use a pronged device on your Siberian). At first, let the puppy get used to being restricted by something around his neck. Never drag him, and get him to follow you by playfully calling to him, and by rewarding him with praise and a treat when he comes to you. Proceed only when he is at ease. BE PATIENT! Cajole, call, squat on the ground, whatever is necessary to lead him on. Once he knows what is expected, small and gentle short tugs every few seconds, only if he balks, will encourage him to follow. Praise whenever he follows the tug on the lead!

Training for the show ring begins early, but gently, and without pressure. Exposure to different situations, crowds, handling by strangers (after they have been screened and told to be gentle and friendly) - all are important in building the confidence a show dog needs. There are classes available for you and your dog. You will probably need as much "training" as will your show puppy! There are also local matches which provide excellent experience - remember, the judges are practicing too, so no need to be nervous! If you are training a bitch, be especially slow to correct and gentle with her as she approaches her seasons, particularly the first one.

Obedience training may not be the Siberian's long suit, as he is quickly bored and has an agile, active mind; but it makes an interesting challenge, and there are many successfully trained, happily-working Siberians to prove the rule. If you do attend obedience classes with your Siberian, and if you plan to show the dog, ask to be excused from teaching the "sit" exercise! I do strongly recommend that a show dog be obedience trained only after he has finished his show carrier. Also, take care in your choice of trainer and be on the lookout for those who want to apply force (as opposed to patience and persistence) to the Siberian. He is not like many of the breeds popular for obedience training, a fact which some trainers do not recognize.

In general, whether you attend classes or just communicate with your dog at home, remember that patience, praise, and persistence are the only ways to train him. He will not respond (or respond by losing his spirit and character) if subjected to force or temper. He is intelligent, sensitive, and quickly bored. Still, he wants to please you, and will continue to as long as you treat him with affection and respect. Do not give a command without insisting on his following through, and be consistent in your corrections. Above all, use praise. The more you put into your Siberian, the more he will reward you with a rich personality, many tender and amusing moments, and his unique, sparkling beauty. Show him (and the world) that you value him highly by protecting him from the many dangers of "running loose". Ignore the myth of the "born free" dog in this age and keep him fenced, leashed, or kenneled always. You'll both be better off, and with a little effort on your part his world will be very complete.

Fredric R. Cornell, M.I.S.
ARTYK Siberians