Pros and Cons...Northern Inuit

[Muddiwarx]

Why do you want one and what do you plan to do with it - may help work out pros and cons appropriate to you

[Lucky Star]

Hi Rose - NIs are beautiful dogs and I'm sure you would be very happy with one but I think you should seriously consider the cons before you make a decision about any dog.

I'll see if I can dig out some posts for you but I'm sure someone will come along who owns a NI. I have a Ute which are similar but have been developed differently.

[x_rose_x]

Originally Posted by Muddiwarx

Why do you want one and what do you plan to do with it - may help work out pros and cons appropriate to you

we want one as my mum has always wanted a dog like that (mals,sibes,sled dogs bascially) but NI seem to have better temperments and more suited to family life compared to most dogs like that(just what ive seen on the net) also as a friend/companion for Rose our border collie(11 months female hyper)

mainly just as a pet and companion for rose...but might do agility with it as we will be doing that with rose...basically not realy got anything planned to do with it but will probs do some sort of dog sport with it just to keep it metally stimulated and exercised properly etc.

[Lucky Star]

Rose have a search for posts by Myschievous - she has two wonderful NIs, Keena and Takoda, and has talked lots about them on here.

[x_rose_x]

ok will do thanks

[terrier69]

I would say the cons are:

1. Constant shedding - they moult twice a year but it seems constant.
2. Can suffer sepration anxiety - needs company, very pack orientated.
3. Very strong willed - Is not as bad at recall as huskies etc, but it takes time.
4. Gets on well with other dogs but tends to have a need to be dominant. Inca has to be first at anything. Can also be very boisterous so needs another breed who can cope with rough and tumble.

Pros are:
1. Not very vocal - mine tends to 'wookie talk' more than anything, she very rarely barks.
2. Very willing to please - once she has learnt something she will do it on command instantly.... and is also very intelligent. That is they do learn quick, but are very unquestioning. What I mean is Inca will do as she is told no matter what, but if I tell my terrier I need him to go into a certain room he will wonder why, what is he missing. That wouldn't occur to Inca, she just does what you say.
3. Very submissive to people - again very willing to please. Do not attempt to use as a guard dog as even burglars are their friends.
4. Can take whatever excercise you throw at it, mine is happy with 9 mile walk or just round the block. With Inca , even round the block sends her straight to sleep afterwards!

I am sure there are more pros and cons but thats what I can think of right now. Hope that helps

[janie]

[quote=x_rose_x;861881]we want one as my mum has always wanted a dog like that (mals,sibes,sled dogs bascially) but NI seem to have better temperments and more suited to family life compared to most dogs like that(just what ive seen on the net) quote]

This is one of the reasons we went for a NI...
She is beautiful... but does have some negative issues (but so do most dogs)

Pros.. she doesn`t bark... but at 7 months, i suppose there`s still time)
Very friendly
Doesn`t need a huge amount of exercise... she sleeps between walks.
Obedient (bright)
Great recall off lead

Cons
Seperation anxiety (big time)
Can be over boistrous (lots of small dogs in family)

this is an honest account as i`ve found so far... but she is still young, so i can`t comment beyond this.

She really is a great dog... our first big dog... but really hasn`t been a problem (only to the little dogs who keep getting wacked on the head ;o)

[zero]

Hi

These are the prominent traits of both my two, I wont list them as pros and cons as some of them can mean different things to different people, so you can decide for yourself.

Off lead = Recall is achievable and where the rule of thumb is to not let a husky or malamute off lead as they like to run and keep running this generally speaking isn't the case with NI.

In my experience my NI always want to keep me in eye sight, they are always looking back to see we are still there so the running off and running and not thinking about coming back until they are miles away isn't an issue with them...However! So long as you are in eye sight it can be a real challenge getting them back as quickly as you want them. It is achievable but it is a far more work in my opinion than it would be with many other breeds.

Exercise: When they are full grown they will love as much as you can give. They don't mind to miss the odd walk or two though and remain quite chilled around the house. Use your common sense on this one though, they are big dogs and the more rested they are through exercise the more relaxed and well behaved they are They (mine) are not interested in toys out side of the home so forget playing fetch with them, you have to think of other ways to entertain them...It's not just as easy as standing in the corner of a small Field and throwing a ball several dozen times.

Garden: They love to dig...not to escape just for the fun of it. So the more entertainment they receive the better or they will turn to digging more. Even so, they don't have to be bored to dig, digging can be done in play (mine have a particular game that involves digging and then using the hole as a homebase!) They also dig to make an area to lay down.

I believe with huskies a general rule is you need at least a 6ft fence preferably higher, that either goes into the ground 2ft or has concrete foundations (to stop them digging out to escape) We lived successfully with a 4ft fence for a yr and nether dog ever tried to jump it or dig under it, wherever we are they want to be they don't want to be anywhere else so escaping is pointless to them. (although there will always be exceptions to the rule of course) The only time they would try to escape is to get back with us if we are leaving them, then nothing stands in their way. The 4ft fence was ok because we never left them in the yard when we left, had we have done they would have easily scaled it.

Car travel: It's quite common for them to be quite car sick in the early months. One of mine suffered really bad until she was 9 months old and is now fine, the other has never been car sick.

Separation Anxiety: One of mine hates to be left. Leaving her with other people has no good affect as they become invisible to her as soon as we leave. It was hard in the early days as leaving her for even a minuet would get her in a real state. You have to get some in particular used to it very very slowly. Keena is over 2 1/2 now and still starts to howl after the first half hour and then again each 20 or so mins there after. My other NI is fine being left with people so long as they are entertaining. Although he does get swept up in Keena's worry sometimes and can't help but make a fuss at being left sometimes which is understandable when he is watching the other one get so upset. I have left a recorder on when I go out and he will start to howl purely because she has been howling a long time and it sets him off. Neither have ever caused any destruction in the home when left alone. Keena is to busy looking out the window and worrying and Takoda is too busy watching her pace around.

Barking: They have zero guarding instinct, they never bark in the garden, only in play. Keena will mix in some barking with her howling when we leave her and aside from when we leave them alone the odd time our neighbours say they would never guess we had two large dogs because of their lack of barking. They don't even bark to 'answer back' when other dogs in the neighbourhood bark. They are more than capable of it but they just seem to communicate differently. They are very vocal though, I get lots of roars from Takoda for instance...lol...Lots of woo woo's, howls, noisy yawns all sorts from them both!

One man / woman dog?...There is no other people in the world for Keena than us plain and simple. She likes people just fine and is very confident don't get me wrong but she is quite nonchalant of them she'll play if they are up for a game but she doesn't want to really be petted by them or have them in her personal space and she certainly doesn't want to be left with them! My boy loves to greet people and would send everyone flying to the ground, paws on shoulders and lots of kisses given the chance! He loves people but again wants to be with us.

General relationship to owners: They want to be involved in everything you do, (Perhaps one reason for the separation anxiety) even if it is just to watch you while you are busy. They can be a bit like a shadow at home and generally like to be in the same room with you at most times. They are very intune to my mood and are quite sensitive dogs.

Other dogs: Keena adores other dogs. Takoda is a bit more wary. Keena is great on and off lead with them and is zero aggressive and loves to play. Takoda has an on lead fear aggression but has never been aggressive off lead and also plays but Keena is the expert in this area. Other dogs interact ok with them in return but they do seem quite spooked by them and initially really submissive to them even when I only have one of them with me, until they get to know them.

Boisterous: Yes they are! They play ROUGH! I wouldn't have one in a household where one dog likes to be quiet and sedentary. NI are full of cheek and mischief. They are constant clowns and will do anything to start a game, this is especially true of Keena. If she wants to play she'll try anything. She'll take your socks off your feet, pull at your jeans, sit on your head, make eye contact and keep it no matter where you look...lol...all sorts. There main form of play is wrestling and mock hunting one another.

Training: It can be hard getting their attention purely because they would rather be clowning around. They are easily distracted, but they are very smart. With no distractions they can amaze you at how quickly they can learn and what they can do. The real challenge is getting them to do these things in public! They are so inquisitive and into their surroundings and they are not very food orientated when they are out and about. Unless it is extremely of value to her Keena will even take a treat and then drop it back to the floor because she doesn't want to waste time eating when she could be having fun! Nor are they interested in toys when out. At least mine arnt. You have to think differently in training them and keep their attention.

Are you put off now?

[x_rose_x]

Thanks beckyc, janie and myschievous that was really helpful and has given me a good idea about what they are like... nope it hasnt put me off lol...
rose is the same in training too focused on other dogs and people and just wants off to play(herd the other dogs) but when most of the people leave she is great and does eveything she should only food shes really intrested in is liver... shes the same as your NI's in some of the other areas aswell as was our last GSD just wanted to play and be with me ALL the time regardless of who else was in the house.

can you focus their digging to one bit of the garden?
we have an old vegtable patch at the bottom so do you think it would be easy to teach it to dig there or mainly in that area?

i wouldnt really list anything as a pro or con it was my mum that asked me to post it as that... because you can work through most 'cons' or 'problems'