Why do people neglect their dogs?

We had a rescue malamute for a couple years when I was in high school, Max. He had been kept in a fenced-in, concrete dog pen until we got him. He was fine - just never allowed to run around and be a dog. My folks live in the country in southern Indiana and have plenty of property and woods for dogs to go explore and just be dogs (mmm! digging! skunks! sticks!).

That first winter we had was a good, hard, cold, snowy winter - and he LOVED it! He would run as fast as he could from my Dad's shop (about half a football field away from the house) and then pull up his front legs and just snowplow through the snow! He could just not injest enough snow and ice and cold into his malamute body! He loved eating icicles and playing "fetch" with snowballs and just generally wrasseling about in the snow - nutty dog! =)

April -


What's your thoughts on Akitas? Any experience w/them? My boyfriend would like to have one but until we get a fence put up - no doggies for me!!!

I know that all the northern breeds really shouldn't be allowed off lead unless in a fenced area. They just aren't like retrievers who have an instinct to return....sledding breeds are bred to run...and keep running. That's one reason many of them end up rescued. They won't stay home unless you make it so they can't leave home. They can also climb fencing like you would not believe possible and most don't do well with very small dogs or cats (a bit too much hunting instinct there). Malamutes do better with kids than Huskies usually. Oh and don't expect either breed to walk on lead well...again....instincts to pull are just so strong. We had a mix lab/husky...she did better on a haltie than a collar and loved to be under harness and haul anything around....dogs like jobs! :)

I'd research on Akita's well. From what I've heard (though have not owned one) they are a dog with a mind of it's own and need to know their place in their family "pack", though of course any happy dog does but a naturally dominant breed needs it even more so.


~~Jo~~

we had a 'pack' of akitas (3) living next to us a few years ago. great dogs... very very very energetic. she took them to the river every night to run for 90 minutes... rain, snow, shine... didn't matter.

they often tried to break down the fence to get out and would dig like CRAZY - they did not like to be contained (and she was a GREAT doggiemom)

but it may have just been those 3... i'm no expert.

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

I know that all the northern breeds really shouldn't be allowed off lead unless in a fenced area. They just aren't like retrievers who have an instinct to return....sledding breeds are bred to run...and keep running. That's one reason many of them end up rescued. They won't stay home unless you make it so they can't leave home. They can also climb fencing like you would not believe possible and most don't do well with very small dogs or cats (a bit too much hunting instinct there). Malamutes do better with kids than Huskies usually. Oh and don't expect either breed to walk on lead well...again....instincts to pull are just so strong. We had a mix lab/husky...she did better on a haltie than a collar and loved to be under harness and haul anything around....dogs like jobs! :)

I'd research on Akita's well. From what I've heard (though have not owned one) they are a dog with a mind of it's own and need to know their place in their family "pack", though of course any happy dog does but a naturally dominant breed needs it even more so.


~~Jo~~

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To be honest - they are not my dog of choice and right now I'm enjoying the fact that I don't have to take the cats or snake out to do their business:)

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Originally Posted by recycling goddess

we had a 'pack' of akitas (3) living next to us a few years ago. great dogs... very very very energetic. she took them to the river every night to run for 90 minutes... rain, snow, shine... didn't matter.

they often tried to break down the fence to get out and would dig like CRAZY - they did not like to be contained (and she was a GREAT doggiemom)

but it may have just been those 3... i'm no expert.

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Oh my - that just sounds like too much for me right now....maybe down the road....

I see neglected dogs a lot out here in the country; people tend to have the mentality that a dog can live its whole life chained to their porch with a tiny doghouse, (or worse, running free, endangering themselves and passing cars.) never being allowed into the house; not my idea of what a dog's life should be.
But people often ignore cosmetic ignoring; it is just as big of an issue.

Lori, I really think that when getting any dog or even a mixed breed, just learn what you can about that breed's needs, general temperment, etc. and as you are doing, be very honest about what you like or don't like in a dog, what you have time for and space for, etc. There's a lot of breeds I would love to own but wouldn't probably fit my life right now. Once you know what you want in a dog, there's probably a lot of breeds or mixed breeds that would fit in nicely with your family.

I met some folks a few years back that were having awful troubles with their aussie...ankle nipping, hyper, chewer, etc. They didn't want to give her up, they truly loved the dog but didn't understand the breed or do research (kinda bought it because they loved the look). Since they had a lovely fenced yard anyways, I figured they should probably invest in a small flock of ducks (wing clipped of course) and just turn them loose daily in the yard. Ducks are harder to "push" then sheep so it would keep the dog supremely happy, give the ducks a bit of exercise and likely solve a lot of their problems with her. They were an older couple and a high energy dog that aches to have a job to do was probably not the best choice for them in the first place.

Awfully sad but a huge percentage of these herding breeds end up in rescues as do a lot of northern sled breeds because they just act out when they haven't got a job to occupy their minds or put their high energy to proper use.

~~Jo~~

My dog is a herding dog (english shepherd) and she is definitely high energy! She keeps all the squirrels in the yard in check. Very intelligent dogs too.. not for apartment living that's for sure.