He was. And he was very cute (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v95/mellzers/Shadowbaby8.jpg). :D My uncle just found him on the side of the road when he was a puppy; he'd been hit by a truck and presumably left to die, but my uncle nursed him back to health and I later adopted him. :) He was blind in the one eye and had a bad hip for the rest of his life, though.
I really don't like the concept of specifically "breeding" dogs at all unless it's for use and doesn't result in a "stagnation" in the gene pool that ends up with health problems for the dogs. Obviously, the Huskies have their own niches to fill, and they are really sweet and intelligent dogs, so I can see why they are bred, and by bringing in other dogs like they do with the Alaskan stock, they can really vary the gene pool. My neighbors are all into breeding their pugs, and I don't get why someone would pay $500 for a "purebred" pug that is going to probably have a lot of serious health problems (especially concerning their eyes and respiratory tract). That just seems stupid on the owners' parts and cruel to the dog, all because they're "cute."
I could also go on a very long-winded rant about Huskies, but I'll try to keep it short. ;) I know a lot of people adopt these dogs without realizing how much work they require. They're not the cutesy dogs like in movies. I mean, they are cute, but they also are talented escape artists (my dog learned how to turn a doorknob with his teeth!), jumpers (a six-foot fence couldn't keep him in the yard), diggers, easily bored, heavy shedders, and needy (especially for exercise, mental stimulation, and attention). There are dozens of Siberian Husky Rescue organizations in the US because people abandon the dogs once they realize how much work the dogs are. I wish people would research the breed before getting one on a whim. :(
no subject
I really don't like the concept of specifically "breeding" dogs at all unless it's for use and doesn't result in a "stagnation" in the gene pool that ends up with health problems for the dogs. Obviously, the Huskies have their own niches to fill, and they are really sweet and intelligent dogs, so I can see why they are bred, and by bringing in other dogs like they do with the Alaskan stock, they can really vary the gene pool. My neighbors are all into breeding their pugs, and I don't get why someone would pay $500 for a "purebred" pug that is going to probably have a lot of serious health problems (especially concerning their eyes and respiratory tract). That just seems stupid on the owners' parts and cruel to the dog, all because they're "cute."
I could also go on a very long-winded rant about Huskies, but I'll try to keep it short. ;) I know a lot of people adopt these dogs without realizing how much work they require. They're not the cutesy dogs like in movies. I mean, they are cute, but they also are talented escape artists (my dog learned how to turn a doorknob with his teeth!), jumpers (a six-foot fence couldn't keep him in the yard), diggers, easily bored, heavy shedders, and needy (especially for exercise, mental stimulation, and attention). There are dozens of Siberian Husky Rescue organizations in the US because people abandon the dogs once they realize how much work the dogs are. I wish people would research the breed before getting one on a whim. :(