What it’s been like having a dog

September 27, 2018

So, it’s been almost three months that Joe and I have had our pup, Cairo, a purebred Siberian Husky and boy, has it been a wild ride already! 🙂 Cairo is just 4 months old and sometimes we literally feel like we have a child. If you don’t know anything about huskies, they are high energy dogs, they need lots of stimulation, they are highly intelligent, they are gentle, protective and a handful all at the same time! With Cairo being high energy and me having a chill, laid back personality, some wonder, “how does that work?” I’m still trying to figure it out LOL. I knew for a while that I wanted a husky just because I love the way they look, I’m very picky about fur length and overall look when it comes to dogs, and from living with my very own Steve Irwin, my hubby knows all there is to know about Northern breed type dogs because those are his favorite, they inevitably became my favorite. We had been talking about getting a dog for a while and thought this year, now that we’ve gotten acclimated in our home, was the perfect time. Here’s what it’s been like and what we’ve learned in the short time that we have had Cairo:

Patience is now #goals

You know how you prayed for something in the past and truly believed in your heart that God helped you overcome that thing and you’re now good? Nope! Back when I used to work with children in foster care years ago I would often pray for patience. Although God has indeed worked on me and through me in that area, I know I’m still a work in progress but I thought I was an overcomer and had moved on to another area. God showed me it is still a struggle area for me and I am reminded of that daily with Cairo. Like I don’t know why I thought he would learn my language and all my commands within the first week of us having him – true story, I did. But that didn’t happen. Like I thought, sure you teach a dog to sit, come, stay, etc. but not that it was an ongoing daily task. I thought because dogs are intelligent that Cairo would get every command or trick after at least the first two times! Well, I learned hard and quickly that training your dog is an ongoing thing. Sure overtime they may learn things quicker, but you have to be patient. Dogs are very intelligent, but just like humans it takes some time – some things less time than others, but patience is key and patience is now #goals.

Dogs are super loyal and it’s pretty amazing

Cairo doesn’t like any other dog checking me or Joe out before he checks them out. He walks around as if he’s our protector and it’s so funny. He sticks close to us when he’s around unfamiliar people or in unfamiliar places. He even sticks close to us at home; he will follow us around the house and lay at our feet or at the door if we are in another room with the door closed. He knows who his owners are and he’s so down for us 🙂

They don’t care about your neat home, your clean furniture or your decor

Dogs may be loyal to you, but not your personal belongings lol. When people told me I would have to puppy-proof my home I didn’t realize that meant my home decor would be affected. We have had to roll up and put away brand new rugs in an effort to keep them feeling and smelling brand new, take decorative and display items off tables and put them “away”, and add gates to doorways. Luckily this is only temporary until he’s no longer teething and using my rugs and our shoes for aching gum relief. The only upside to having to put things away is that it’s temporary lol. Also, Cairo is now shedding, I guess he’s blowing his coat, and there has been hair everywhere. Doesn’t phase him one bit, he’s doing dog things. I was frightened for a short time because I’m such a neat freak, but now it’s my life and I’m over sweeping everyday so it’s whatever. King Cairo wins lol. So when you come to my home, there’s a giant lent roller that you can use right before you leave 🙂

I’m “extra” and I don’t mind

I’ve been told by several people, including his daycare instructors, that I’m “extra” because of how we feed Cairo lol. If you follow his IG you know that he’s a raw fed, no kibble, dog. Joe has done so much research on raw feeding for animals, dogs especially, and found that this is the best diet for them. Most are accustomed to the dry processed food, which is fine if that’s your preference, but health wise it is not the best (just like processed food isn’t good for us humans). We have found through research that many, if not all, of these dogs’ ailments are linked to diets high in processed foods. We feed our dog what he would get if he were in the wild as the digestive tract of a dog, no matter the size or breed, is the same as that of a wolf (same with a cat and a lion). Dogs bodies can handle raw meat, bones, organs and some fruits and vegetables very well and there are so many benefits, including a healthy life, to a raw diet for pets. (I’ll actually do a separate blog post about this going further into detail and sharing exactly what he eats.) When I drop off Cairo at daycare (and yes, he goes to daycare lol it’s great socialization and keeps boredom at a low as huskies are high energy) I take his lunch which includes raw meat like ground chicken or turkey, beef, lamb or fish with some fruit on the side and I love the reactions of his daycare instructions, saying that he eats better than they do. Cairo loves his meat, fruit and veggies and it’s fun watching him get excited at meal times and enjoy his meals. I don’t mind being extra! lol

Oh! And they don’t care if you want to rest or chill

How could I forget this?! For the first two weeks of us having Cairo, crate training was a nightmare. He hated the crate and he made sure we knew every night. We barely got any sleep because of his barking and crying, wanting to be released. There were nights when we would get so frustrated with the barking that we would let him out and sleep on the sofa so that he could sleep on the floor. We would have to wake up every couple hours to let him outside. One good thing is that he rarely had accidents in the house, he was and still is very good about going out to do his business. The moment we would let him out, let him back in and start to fall asleep, he’d wake right back up wanting to play or go outside again. It was rough!! Now he’s much better and will sleep in the crate all night without having to go outside, but there is no sleeping in though lol. He wakes up every morning between the 4:45-5:30 am even on the weekends. However, one morning, I believe it was a Saturday, he slept until 7:00 and Joe and I were in heaven 🙂 But throughout the day, especially if it’s a weekend, we have to play with him when he wants to play and sleep or rest when he does the same.

Overall, it’s been a fun adventure! We knew (kinda) what were getting into with getting a husky from other husky owners sharing their experiences, from watching our favorite husky on Youtube and from research. We are so happy with our choice in breed and with Cairo overall. He’s such a joy, super fun and keeps us on our toes. I like to think that he’s a small preparation for parenthood for us 🙂

Follow my big boy and his adventures on IG!