Hi! My name is Jenny and I've been lurking around the boards for a while now and thought I'd finally join and say hello. I have a husky mix I rescued from the local pound two+ years ago. Her name is Phantom (she came with that name, we call her Phanny or Phanny Pack) and is the sweetest, softest, most loving dog ever. Unfortunately we are not her first (or second, or third...) home. In fact, the person who rescued her before us left her home alone on an apartment balcony and she jumped off! She was then returned to the pound and added heights to her on-going list of phobias. Phobia numero uno: being home alone. After getting her we've been through a lot of learning lessons with separation anxiety (which I didn't know existed), crate training (which I have to accept is not a prison), and desensitization training. Shew! Unfortunately, it appeared to reset with a move to a new house and we're going through the who shebang again.

Long story short, I'm excited to join this forum and start posting and stop lurking!

Welcome to the forum! That must be a pain dealing with SA. That's a killer for so many dogs! Phantom is very cute! Why do you think she is a mix? She looks all sibe from her picture (not show quality, but sibe none the less). That's crazy that the previous owner left her alone on the balcony! Poor girl! Hope she didn't get hurt from that!

I should copy a thing I saw at dog class. It had "what a person sees" and "what a dog sees" and showed a dog looking sad in a crate for the first and then a dog relaxed on its bed in its bedroom. A lot of dogs see crates as being their own little den and safety spot. Heck I leave the crate doors open and that's where I usually find my two sleeping!

Welcome! Phantom is adorable!

Welcome! Phantom is gorgeous!

Welcome
She is a cutie..

Thanks guys! Your dogs are all so beautiful!

SaraB: We got her from just the town pound and they said she was a Husky mix. She's a bit smaller than most huskies, only 40lbs, and has some tan coloring on her legs and tail. We did that BioPet cheek-swab DNA test (mostly for fun since we heard they really aren't reliable) and she came back about 80% Husky and 20% Chow. Although the she doesn't have the fluffiness or black tongue of the Chow and it wouldn't explain her smaller size, so who knows!
I grew up with dogs that could freely roam in the house when alone, which I think is why I had the hardest time accepting the crate. Although Phantom happily went in there upon her first introduction and regularly "escapes" into there when tuckered out from playing or just wanting to be left alone.
I felt so bad for her when we figured out her separation anxiety (thanks to a webcam) and found out her history at the dog park by people who worked at the pound. Turns out she had been surrendered by her original owner for regularly escaping the backyard and then adopted and returned a few times due to her separation anxiety. The last adoption was the balcony incident, and I suppose it was a low balcony (despite being a 2nd floor apartment!) because she didn't even see a vet for it. Very sad. I'm sure multiple adoptions and returns did nothing to help. But, by the time we got her home I was attached and she was NOT getting returned.

Welcome! She kind of reminds me of my pup.

Welcome Jenny & Phanny! She is a real beauty!

Welcome, thanks for rescuing and working on all of her fixable issues to give her a new forever home! thats cool you did the DNA because i was thinking she looks all siberian to me....

Yeah those cheek swab things aren't too reliable lol She looks all Husky to me. Cheyenne and Mishka both have tan/brown markings on their legs and tail.

Welcome!

arooroomom wrote:

Yeah those cheek swab things aren't too reliable lol She looks all Husky to me. Cheyenne and Mishka both have tan/brown markings on their legs and tail.

Yep. Koda does too She looks all sibe to me too, lol. 40 lbs is not that small for a female. Their standard is 45-55lbs, so she's just shy of it. Not that it matters, but just an FYI

Welcome to the forum! Thank you for rescuing her and committing to being her forever home! It sounds like you already have a good handle on her issues.

Who know what she's mixed with (if a mix). Her rabies vaccine certificate from her original owner called her a black and white retriever mix! Haha, oooook.

Oh goodness! That's a bit of a stretch! lol.

My Elara is pretty small, just under 20" at the shoulders and around 40lbs and she's 100% sibe!

She is so pretty!! I'm originally from Petersburg,WV we are taking our girl on her first road trip up there next weekend for Easter!