I know some people do pave the front of the garden over and fence it off, then the dogs can go in that bit and only go in the grass bit when they are supervised, but they are very sneaky and innocent looking and are quite capable of digging behind your back

Welcome KevZan and Utes are brilliant! I have one, Loki, but no other dog - just two parrots, one who torments her by asking her if she wants to go walkies or play with her ball!! Loki loves people and gets on well enough with other dogs - loves to play with dogs down the on the shore when she is off the lead.

You are on the right forum to talk to people who know all about Utes - I don't know what I would do without them.

Hope you get one - they are lovely and their temperaments are the best.

Take care.

Hal could dig a 2 foot hole in the same number of minutes !

A famous occasion was when we were having a BBQ in the garden. He was lying down on the grass behind my chair peacefully snoring away ... or so I thought ! My friend got up to go to the loo, and then suddenly disappeared ! She had fallen down this massive crater that His Knibbs had dug !!

Luckily she was very understanding about it !

Hi kevZan & welcome .. I have 2 Utes, Alaskan Malamute, Lab & a Czech wolfdog all get along great, Oh & looking to get another 1 or 2 more Yep, June them walls are moving .. As for the hole digging I can't say I have had any problems, mine lot just see it as to much trouble, but they do love the odd sock, knickers, bra If you not sure on which breed is best for you I'm sure breeders of both breeds would welcome a vist for you to spend some time with there dogs.. If you are ever over my way your more then welcome to pop in meet the mad lot & have a cuppa

You're gonna have to move, that house won't take anymore surely.............

I would send Merlin down there, if we lived nearer my 2 would be only too pleased to help

hey there, i don't 'technically' have a ute, he's a northern inuit x GSD but i can say as much as we love him, he's excitable, highly energetic, BIG, bouncy, vocal, but my word he can be a star, he doesn't dig, he just likes to charge up and down the garden, he is fairly easy to train if a little stubborn at times, and he does love cuddles and our kids, even if he has the ability to occasionally knock them on their bottoms i do not think they are anything like a german shepherd..i've been around shepherds for years and currently have a working/showline cross bitch puppy, and she is a bright spark, unlike my big oaf who would rather play ball than learn the finesse of working trials training..he lacks a decent concentration span. He is prone to chewing, usually things he finds on the kitchen worktop, he's a monster for it, but its usually just cardboard or food thats been left out. I think if you want a ute you need to assess your GSD's energy level and ability to cope with rough housing as ute's do like rough and tumble play, we are lucky in that our GSD is calm enough for our JRT but also energetic enough for Arrow, she's perfect really, but i cannot stress how much hard work a ute can be. I've fostered three in the last year and all of then were high energy, stubborn and prone to seperation anxiety..i loved them all to bits but arrow has everything for me and the extra shepherd in him calms him down quite considerably, if you wouldn't be able to manage a husky i wouldn't get a ute. they are on par with each other...ouch!

Wolfstorm,
that's a good point about the ute being on par with a husky (sibe) especially with regard to prey drive (from my limited experience). I'm not saying either of my two have quite the drive/speed or execution of the sibe but they are definately prey driven & capable of disappearing after deer etc. We're working hard with this at the moment. Great personalities but hard work.

Juneau loves to help in the garden... I'm missing two rose bushes, two holly's and a weeping frazier fur (actual name no pun intended) thanks to Juneau. He also digs in the mulch around the larger trees and two places in the grass. He loves to bury bones! We also had to re-seed the yard with grass where he paces. Our back yard slopes, so if he's out in the rain playing, lots of mud and puddles. Makes for one very dirty dog and ruined lawn. Very costly I may add... but we love him.

Exactly right who ever made the comment... reguardless of age, they have playfull puppy mentalities. Juneau is a big goof... his nickname is Stupid... not because he is but because of his silliness! He is actually really smart.