Jayne and Dane

OWNERS NAME  Jayne and Dane

LIVES  Barrow

FAMILY NAMES AND AGES Cole 17 years

DOGS   Northern Inuit:

Spirit Walker Quanah,aka, Sky 3,

Spirit Walker Sioux,aka, Roxy 5,

Tupilek Lightening Mushka, aka, Lightening 4 ,

Laurian Shilah Flames of Eternity, aka, Shilah 16 months,

Lucky loo, aka, Lucy Black  Lab X Springer 8 yrs.

DID YOU HAVE DOGS WHILST GROWING UP?

Yes. My step dad was like me and bring any pet home.  Hares, birds, cats and dogs.  We grew up down near the docks so we were always bringing something home. When were little my grandad bred Rough Collies.  So that was our first dogs when I was a baby.  Roger and Lady, they lived until they were really old. Jem, we got from a farm on Old Bank Lane. He was a Border Collie and lived until he was 15. 

Midge, a Border Collie, he died a little bit younger than Jem.  We had an English Bull Terrier, Nelson.  He was not socialable.  He could rip a dog apart given a chance. It was given to us and we were not sure if it was fighting dog first.  Eventually he was stolen and police would not give it us back.

We had a Doberman, he was huge we had him for a short while.  I think he was half great dane.  We never had little dogs. 

WHY DID YOU GET A DOG

I always had dogs and I really want dogs around me.  When I moved into my own place I had a dog, didn’t have a cooker but I had a dog. 

DID EVERYBODY IN THE FAMILY WANT A DOG?

Dane was really good. He had never had a dog growing up yet now he gets up and takes them out early morning.  We did not ask Cole.  He was used to having dogs so he was fine.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT SPECIFIC BREEDS THAT ARE TARGETED AS DANGEROUS?

I think the dangerous dogs act is used and abused by people that want it to fit the needs of what they are out to achieve, the dogs should be set on their own merit, and judged as an individual dog not the breed.  

IS HAVING A DOG HOW YOU IMAGINED IT TO BE?

Yes, dogs are “man’s best friend” but Northern Inuit dogs no. They are way different to any other dog.  I cannot imagine even being old without a dog.

HAVE YOU HAD DOGS BEFORE?

I had a Border Collie called Cry, got her from someone on Walney.  Had her for about five years.  I had to have her put to sleep when I was pregnant with Cole, she had a bad problem with children and I knew at the time finding a home would have been impossible, this was very hard for me to do, but I think given her problem the right thing. Shady, my other Border Collie, he was four, I rehomed him and he lived until he was 17 yrs!

Doe-dee, Border Collie, got her at 5 weeks off someone in Ormsgill.  She was named Doe-dee cos Cole had a dummy.  Later on there was a woman outside my house and she had a puppy and was saying she could not take the dog home as it would get beaten by her husband so I said I would take it.  Cassie, a Border Collie cross,  we had her until she was 13.  Doe-dee died when she 12.

After Cassie died, I was looking for another dog, I had spotted one at the kennels but when I went back to get it had gone.  Someone I work with was looking to re-home his dog.  He brought him to mine to look at him. Lightening came through the door like a headless chicken and I thought omg and then over the next few weeks we had him in dribs and drabs to get used to him.  We eventually took him on. He was really unsocialised.  

My brother stayed with us for while and brought his dog Lucy.  After he left we kept Lucy, she is a Black Labrador , Springer cross.  We moved house and was looking for a pup.  We spotted Shilah on facebook via the breeder.  We picked her, paid the deposit.  We then went to Newcastle to get her.  On a breeders facebook we spotted someone who was needing to re-home his dogs together.  He was moving to New Zealand.  He wanted a really good home.  He came up from Chester to do a home check, and chose us because we were concerned for the dogs health etc and not about the breeding and papers.  He drove up, bringing the dogs to meet us.  We went on a walk with all the dogs together.  They got on great.

WHAT ISSUES (IF ANY) HAVE YOU HAD WITH YOUR DOG/S?

Northern Inuits, They are very confidant dogs. They tend not to listen some of the time, they are known for their bad recall. They have no sense of personal space with humans or other dogs.  They have a problem with aggression; they don’t have it in them and are so overly friendly. This means they will bound over to other dogs without thinking if the dog is friendly or not.  They suffer badly from separation anxiety. Shilah would eat the house and howl every time we left her, she is getting better but we have slip ups now and again.

HOW DID YOU CORRECT THEM?

They are very good with recall, we work with treats so they come because they get a treat, they can switch off sometimes so with the over friendliness we tend to get hold of two of them while out on walk, so they all cannot be over friendly with other people’s dogs.  It can overwhelming to have 4 extra-large breeds run up to another dog and be intimidating.

DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER PETS?  

Two cats, Mabel and Marble, both 7.  The cats get on ok with the older dogs not so well with the new two ones, but we are getting there.

HOW DOES THE DOG SPEND HER/HIS DAY?

Our dogs are walked every week day morning for an hour or so, then home for a raw chicken/duck wings for breakfast. Every night for at least 2-3 hours. Weekend we tend to walk long walks

WHO GENERALLY WALKS THE DOG?

Morning walks are done by myself or dane, alone. Night walks are done by us both and or family members. Weekends myself and Dane.

WHAT IS THEIR FAVOURITE ACTIVITY?.

Hunting, love chasing rabbits or any small animal ( never catch it ). Playing with balls. Chewing anything they should not be chewing ! Digging up the garden.

WHERE DOES HE/SHE SLEEP

My dogs all have beds, but sleep where ever they can.

WHO IS THE DOG MOSTLY FRIENDLY WITH IN THE HOUSE?

Northern Inuits are over friendly with everyone, and everytime you walk in the room its like you have been gone for months. So the answer is everyone.

WHAT TIME DOES THEY SPEND IN THE HOME WITH FAMILY MEMBERS?

There is only a few hours a couple of days a week my dog are without human company as they suffer with separation anxiety, and don’t like being left.

Our dogs live indoors but have a large garden to play in but never really do as we are out with them and mostly when inside they sleep.

TELL ME A FUNNY INCIDENT INVOLVING YOUR DOG.

Walking back home from beach the way we came and over the hill to find the field we were in, was now full of large cows and a bull.  They were not happy with us being in their field. They took one look at us and the dogs and charged at us, myself, my brother and Dane all ran.  It was like a Benny Hill film. Very scary at the time running for your life but we laughed so much after it was over!

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A NEW DOG OWNER/OR PEOPLE THINKING OF HAVING A DOG?

Check out rescue centres first.  You find these are most loving dogs, everyone makes the mistake of thinking they all have problems, when most of the time the only problem they had was their last owner.  Then the breed you might be interested in, make sure the breed fits your life and what would you do if your life changed, would a dog still fit in your life?  Think that this dog could be with you for 10-15 years and can you see your life fitting in with a dog or a dog fitting in with your life?  Can you afford a dog?