Who We Are

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Ask the Ao4 - VI - Leashes, Love, & the LabraDave

Ha roo, readers! As promised, it's me, Zim! Ready to field today's questions!

First up is a really great question from my very favorite Beagle babes - Jazz & Dixie! They read my post yesterday and went to the cool Colors of the Siberian Husky website. They commented, "One thing that caught our eye at the bottom of the page was this quote: 'Siberians have been bred for centuries to RUN and WILL RUN at the first opportunity. DO NOT trust a Siberian Husky OFF LEASH. NOT EVER!!' Is this true of you guys?" In a word, YOUBETCHA! We can NEVER be off lead - except in the safety of our own backyard (6-foot fence with a concrete strip underneath) or in the house, of course! You can see our fence in the picture of Stormy, to the right here. (That's the quiet, reflection part of the yard; picture taken a summer or two ago.) As you can see, sometimes we even wear our leashes out there, though Mom doesn't usually hold on to them. Usually the girls don't have to ... but me and Dave do. Something about not coming when we're called ... I'm not sure. Anyroo, unlike most canines, we Siberians have no homing instincts. Combine that with our ability to cover over 50 miles a day, and it makes for a real scary combination. Great question, girls!

Next up is a concern my Sibe pal Marley has! Marls wrote, "I actually have a question for Zimmie...going right along with your suggested question. I have a new neighbor-pup, a 4 month old Lab/Rottie/Retriever mix named Lexi. She comes over to play, and even though she's 1/2 my size, she tries to dominate me!! I really like her, but am I going about things the right way? Should I keep letting her win? I look forward to sniffing time every night when we go for big walkies together. What's a pup to do?Help this lovelorn guy out, please!!" Wowzers, Marls! Lexi sounds like such a babe! That's cool that you get to play together! First you need to remind yourself that you are one very handsome red and white Siber-boy! You don't have to prove anything to anypup! So she likes to dominate! So what? Let her think she's in charge! Who cares about that? Not me, that's for sure. Storm and Mom both say I don't have a dominant bone in my body. Because of this, I get along with everypuppy and have tons of friends! You sound like you really like Lexi and enjoy your walkies together - so hey, let her dominate! You don't have to prove anything! You're a Siberian! Stand tall, Marley! But let Lexi think she rules. Besides... a Lab/Rottie/Retriever? She may be half your size now ... but she may not be for long! Good luck, pal!

My last question du jour comes from my very sweet Lab friend Maddie! She wrote in, "Hiiii, it's me Maddie the Chocolate bunny! You know I DO have one question today! What color Lab Lab fur does Dave Dave have underneath that ever so sweet Black & White Sibe costume? Oh please do tell!??????" Ha roo roo rooo! We're all STILL laughing over that one, Maddie! I had to do some sneaking around to find the answer to this one! I saw Mom petting Dave and sort of going through that Sibe suit of his.


You know, she goes through our fur all the time, checking for bugs or lumps or stuff like that. Then I could have sworn I heard her say, "Hey, what's this?" under her breath. At first I thought maybe Dave had a tick even though we're on Frontline Plus. I mean, you never know! Then I crept behind her with the camera. WOWZERS! Check this out!

Sorry the image is a little fuzzy, but it just surprised the daylights out of me! Dave really is a Lab! A Black Lab, Maddie! No wonder he's able to camouflage the zipper so well - it's deeply embedded in black on black. Ha roo roo roo!

Keep those cards and letters coming!

Play bows,
Zim

22 comments:

  1. Zim,

    You guys sure have trained your parents well. Us sibes should never be off leash. The only time I'm off leash is in the safety of my house (with all the doors locked) and at the dog park. I'm pretty sure I could get over the fence at the dog park but why bother when there are dogs inside the park to play with.

    My Dad thinks that any type of dog off leash is bad idea. We don't know about cars and streets and looking both ways before crossing (although Lares the Doofus always looks both ways before crossing the street on our walks, what a goodie four paws). No matter how much you think you can trust us, you never know for sure. So put your trust in something that doesn't matter.

    Later,
    Althea

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  2. ooooh that zip in Dave's Sibe coat picture is rather freaky......I am now busy checking to see if I have a zip.....and if I find it....will it reveal that I am a Sibe!

    The Twilight Zone is calling me! woooooooooooooo (and other ghost like sound effects!)

    Very good question and answer session again Guys!

    love and licks from Marv xxxxxx The Zip Dog.........

    ps I am always off the lead in the woods and fields where I am walked because that is the tradition round here, and also I am a lab, well mostly lab, with great home loving instincts. Always on the lead though in the streets and roads as apparently I do not know The Highway Code (not sure what you guys call it over there?!)

    love and licks, Marv xxxxx

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  3. OK me and mom are laughing so hard about Dave's zipper...whoda thunk it!!!

    LOL - Lots of Licks, Ruby

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  4. I often wondered why you had your leashes on in some of your outside photo's. But I agree, Sibes and Mals alike sort of have our own ideas of listening and obeying when WE want!

    And Dave is NOT a Lab!!! I just refuse to believe that! He simply chooses to THINK a bit different than the average Sibe! And that's ok, cuz sometimes I don't think like the average Mal either. I guess that's why they say we are such "independent" breeds!

    Holly

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  5. Ha roo! Sibes. I have a question that's really bothering us. We often read Freda Delta Bunny's blog http://deltabunny.blogspot.com/ and she keeps using numbers in her sentences like this:"Tule is here with her humans and so all the 1,2 1,2 2 legs have been veggin' out in front of the magic box watchin' the first season of 'The Amazin' Race'."

    What the heck is she talking about? 1,2 1,2? We're too embarrassed to ask her, so we thought you might fill us in. Thanks.

    The FleasGang

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  6. Anonymous4:22 PM

    Oh yes, we Siberians must be on a leash at all time! Oh Zim... you all have such great answers (as usual).

    I must say t hat the zipper on Dave is great! I wonder if I have a zipper?

    Hugs,
    Sitka

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  7. Hmmm...I wonder if I have a zipper somewhere. We have one of those pesky 6 foot fences with the concrete strip too. What's up with that?? They just try too hard to keep us from seeing the world. I wouldn't forget how to get home. I'd take a map!
    ECHO

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  8. Wow, Dave revealed! I just can't believe that he's a siberlab. I wonder if Wilbur has a zipper. He fetches. Maybe he's a labracat.

    Steve

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  9. Zimmie - you are just the smartest dude ever. Thanks for the advice!

    My Mom, like almost every other sibe's human, is not allowed to walk off-lead, either. Neither of us can be trusted without the other. :o)

    LOL to Dave with his coat! I love it!

    Marls

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  10. Anonymous8:36 PM

    Ok AO4 Smart ones... I have come up with a question. Juraez, with D'Azul Siberians, posted a picture of his Snow nose (which is super cute). My question is, "Why do some Siberian's nose change in winter months, and other's dont." Furthermore, I live where it is hot, although I like to think that I have a snow nose year round (with the pink stripe down the center). So, can you all enlighten me and everyone else???
    Hugs,
    Sitka

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  11. Ahooooooooooo!

    We see Zipppers! Zip Zip Zipppppppppppppers. Oh how cleverly disguised and interstingly
    sneaky! You other 3 must be a little more cautious now that we have bared a bit of Zippiness, not to blow that cover all the way when you have playtimes and zoomies,
    and arr arrs........oh just look at that pic its sort of just a tease! We can only imagine......

    Hey I betcha he would even like to....shhhhhhhhhh, I am gonna say it. SWIM!

    CYA round the pool Lab-sibe Dave
    ;-)

    Heeeee and a BIG WOOF!
    Luv ya,
    Maddie

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  12. Harrrrr Zim
    Some of us at the house whear collars when we are out side and in our kennle runs. Me included Lisa the Mean uses it as a handle when i wont come for my cookie to go back in the kennle. Harrrrr mine is a black limited slip collar. Lisa loves them becouse they dont brake the hear or color the hear when it gets wet.
    Cap'n Maverick the Pirate

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  13. om dog I need to find MY zipper! I think underneath I am a great dane!!

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  14. A zipper would be handy, we could just zip off the fur coat and wash it without having to get in the tub!
    Licks,
    Nugget

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  15. Hi Zim,
    Now we get it! No Sibes off the lead! Wow that is a very high fence you got there in the yard. We like that pic of Dave in the reflection corner of the garden. It looks a bit like a zen garden.
    Have you managed to get a look at your zipper yet? I like Nugget's idea of zipping off our coats to wash them instead of us. We are frantically looking for each other's zippers now.
    Licks
    Jazz and Dixie

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  16. tee hee hee! i must haf sum husky blood in me cuz wenever i am off my leash i like to run all over the place and not come back! my peepol call and call and i say "just a minute, peepol!" but of corse they dont lissen to me.

    i luv your ask the Ao4 questions and answers! they are so educashunal!

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  17. Maybe we're part husky because Mom never lets us off leash either! (She's a big whimp!)

    Sherman, Penny & Lola

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  18. Hey Althea! Something tells me my parents wouldn't even trust me off-lead at a dog park. They're funny like that.
    We like your "put your trust in something that doesn't matter" saying. Why chance it!?!

    Marvin: Who'd a thought I'd get a picture of that zipper!?!?

    Hi Ruby: Ha roo roo roo! Pretty good, huh? :)

    Ha roo Holly: Yeah... something about me going under the lilac bushes looking for bunny nuggets and not coming when I'm called... I don't know. I don't really pay attention to that.
    And don't worry - Dave knows we're just joking!

    Fleas Gang: Hmm... we'll have to get on that!

    Sitka: If you HAD a zipper ... what would you be underneath?

    Hey Echo: You have a map? How cool! Maybe I could get the car keys, pick you up, and we could drive somewhere together!
    Yeah... 6' fence and a concrete mow strip - it's like they don't TRUST us or something!

    Steve: A "Labracat"? Ha roo roo roo! That's a good one! Yeah.. you better check Wilber over REAL good! Ha roo roo roo.

    Ha roo, Marley! Glad the advice sounds good to you! Let me know how things go, OK?
    Yeah, my mom can NEVER be off-lead! She might run into a quilt shop or something!

    Sitka: Wow, great question! We'll put that on our list and answer it shortly!!!

    Maddie: Ha roo roo roo! Good one, huh? Ha roo roo roo! Hmm... I'll bet Dave WOULD swim!

    Cap'n Mav: Harr! We all wear limited slip collars, too! Mine is blue. Black sounds really cool - especially for a pirate! Harr!

    Joe: You should check! You cold be a big dog trapped inside a terrier!

    Nugget: Please don't use the b-a-t-h word here; the bipeds might read it!
    When you unzip Dave's zipper, there's a Lab underneath. :)

    Jazz & Dixie: We're glad you asked the question, because it's always good to remind people that us Sibes are a bit "different" about coming back. We'd get somewhere then not know how to get home!
    Oh! That's Stormy in the garden! It's very peaceful in there normally. Not now, as some of the Fountain Grasses died and Mom uses some interesting words ... but hopefully the nursery guys will bring us new ones.

    Ivy: Maybe you ARE part husky! Or maybe just what you're doing is more important than what the bipeds want you to do!

    Sherman, Penny & Lola: My mom likes the way your mom thinks. Why chance it?

    Play bows, everypup!
    Zim

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  19. Hey Zim

    I'm always on a leash too. I tend to put my head down and off I go. My mum even worries when I'm home because she could not cope if I ever escaped. There's bad snakes and ticks in Australia too. Mum won't let us even run inside our property which is securely fenced unless she is there to supervise us.

    Love from Hammer

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  20. Hey Zim

    I forgot about the question you asked me and it's got me stumped. I don't know how you can get an ocean in Kansas. Do you have a swimming pool. Maybe your mum and dad could buy a fresco and put it by your pool and you could pretend you were by the ocean ???

    Love from Hammer

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  21. Hammer: We have a "safety first" motto here. Snakes and ticks are BAD! It's good that you keep your mom on a leash right by your side, so you can protect her! You've got a great mom to take all those precautions with you guys!
    Hmm... we don't have a pool, but maybe it's easier to get one of those than an ocean? I don't know what a "fresco" is, but I'll check into that. Mom and Dad eat with some guy named Al Fresco all the time. Maybe he knows. Ha roo roo roo!
    Thanks for the great advice! You're a real smart pup!
    Play bows,
    Zim

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  22. Anonymous7:57 PM

    Zim...
    Humm... if I had a ZIPPER... I would be a tigger because I BOUNCE alot!!!!
    hugs,
    Sitka

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