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I have a 7 1/2 month old Alaskan Malamute (full grown weight should be about 85 lbs). They generally reach physical maturity at around 18 months. I've found conflicting research on the best time to make the switch to adult food. Generally, I've heard that large breed dogs need to stay on large breed puppy food until 12-18 months. However, many Alaskan Malamute sites throw around information that feeding puppy food for too long can increase the risk of hip dyspepsia in large breeds. They recommend switching at 8-10 months, if not earlier. I haven't been able to track these studies down so I can't asses for myself if the information seems legitimate. Has anyone heard of this research and know where I can find it?

P.S. My breeder feeds raw, so she isn't that much help on the topic.

I'm getting my malamute a pet passport. I had the rabies vaccine done 4 weeks ago. Today I was getting the blood test done, but my boy would not stay still. They weren't able to get the blood drawn. I'm going back this afternoon (hoping he will be a bit clamer), but they said they might need to sedate him. I'd really like to avoid that if possible. They were trying to draw from his neck. He's much better with people touching is paws/legs. Do they not take blood from legs anymore? Does anyone have any experience with drawing blood on dogs that wont stay still?

I have a 7 month old Alaskan Malamute. His breeder had him on Royal Canin Large Breed Puppy food. It soon became evident that he was allergic to that food (bad skin rash). I think it was either the maize or soy. I switched him onto Burns High Energy Lamb. The rash went away, but he was really, really thin and had runny poo a lot. I was having to mix his food with plain boiled rice just to keep him stable. I then switched him to Arden Grange Fish and Potato. He has done really well on it. He is now a healthy weight and his poo is consistently firm. The only problem is the Arden Grange is quite expensive (£47 for a 15 kg bag). The place where I buy his food just started carrying a new food called Milburns. From the ingredients, it looks like a similar, if not Superior food and it costs only £35 for a 15kg bag. Also, this food is a large breed puppy formula (the Arden Grange is an adult formula).

I've heard that it isn't good to switch puppies food too frequently because exposing them to too many things can create food allergies/intolerances, but would it be ok to switch between two similar ingredient foods?

Arden Grange Fish & Potato: Potato (min. 42%), White Fishmeal* (haddock) (min. 26%), Beet Pulp, Chicken Oil*, Linseed, Fish Oil*, Dried Brewers Yeast, Egg Powder, Minerals, Vitamins, Nucleotides, Prebiotic FOS, Prebiotic MOS, Cranberry Extract, Chondroitin Sulphate, Glucosamine Sulphate, MSM, Yucca Extract *Preserved with mixed tocopherols and rosemary extract.

Milburns Premium Large Breed Puppy Salmon & Potato: Fresh Salmon (min 24%), Potato (min 15%), Salmon Meal (min 11%), Potato Protein (min 11%), Barley, Oats, Poultry Fat, Peas, Beet Pulp, Salmon Digest, Salmon Oil, Minerals and Vitamins

I have a really great postman. I often run into him while I'm out walking the dog. He tells me if he has a package or something for me that wont fit through the mail slot and what time he will be by my house (so I can plan errands to be home at that time). A few times he has even dropped by a second time to deliver something. Anyway, it's approaching Christmas and I was wondering what the protocol/etiquette was here in the UK for holiday gift giving to people like your postman. (I'm from the USA where you can give your mailman gifts valued under $20, but not money). Would something like a bottle of wine be acceptable?

I have a 6 month old malamute puppy. I've been feeding him 3 times a day. I think it is about time to transition to twice a day. What is the best way to do this? I've heard to wait until the puppy "lets you know" by lacking interest in the third meal. This would NEVER happen with my boy. He loves his food and would eat until he burst if I let him.

I crate my 5 1/2 month old malamute puppy at night and when I leave him at home alone. I have a Vari500 crate (the plastic airline ones), but it is big and bulky. I'd like to get a second crate to use when travelling- one that isn't too heavy and folds flat. My boy isn't destructive or try to get out of his crate, but I still wouldn't trust a soft sided one. I've found a metal one that looks quite nice from the UK Dog Crate Company (http://www.ukdogcrate.co.uk/). Has anyone bought a crate from them?

Or can anyone recommend a decent, reasonably priced, lightweight, folding metal crate?

I'm currently enjoying picking loads of blackberries in the fields behind my house. I'd like to try my hand at making jam, but I hate super sweet jam. I normally buy St. Dalfour's jam that is sweetened with grape juice concentrate. Ideally, I would like to make a fruit juice sweetened jam, but I would be willing to add some sugar (preferably brown). I can't find any no sugar or low sugar pectin, but I'd like to try making homemade apple pectin- put those crab apples to good use. So anyway, is it possible to make a low sugar jam with homemade pectin?

I'm currently enjoying picking loads of blackberries in the fields behind my house. I'd like to try making jam, but I hate super sweet jam (I normally buy the stuff sweetened with apple juice). After doing some research I think I might try using Pomona's Universal Pectin as it sets without loads of sugar. However, I can't find it anywhere (even online). Does anyone know where to get Pomona's or any other low sugar or no sugar pectin IN THE UK?

Does anyone have any experience with pet-insurance.co.uk pet insurance? Their quote is considerably lower than comparable policies with other companies, but I want to make sure they are a decent company.

Does anyone know how huskies handle long flights on airplanes?

My husband and I are thinking about getting a Siberian Husky dog. We currently live in the UK, but it is very possible that we might move to the USA during the course of its lifetime (I understand they often live 12-15 years). I don't want to get a breed that would have a problem making the international flight if we had to move (for example, I know Boxers struggle with the temperature, altitude, and isolation).

Please, only answer if you have experience with huskies and/or air travel with similar breeds.