The first keys to canine health and wellness are quality food and supplements. Don't fall for hype. There are lots of extremely expensive dog foods out there that a spend much more on advertising than they do on quality products and most of all on testing their products.

NuVet Plus and NuJoint Plus Supplements

Supporting Yakutian Laikas and Siberian Huskies with essential nutritional balance

What Your Puppy Will Go Home With

• Your puppy will arrive with about a one-week supply of NuVet Plus, the supplement we use daily to support healthy development.

• This ensures no lapse in supplementation during your puppy’s transition home.

• You’ll also receive full instructions for ordering more, or for requesting approval of an alternate supplement if you prefer another product.

Why Supplementation Is Important

Zinc deficiency is a well-documented issue in sledding-type breeds such as Siberian Huskies and Yakutian Laikas. These breeds have a known tendency to absorb zinc poorly, and may also require increased levels of certain other vitamins to stay healthy.

Zinc deficiency can lead to serious health issues if left unmanaged, including:

• Skin lesions, poor coat quality, or excessive itching

• Eye inflammation, cloudy eyes, or zinc-responsive conjunctivitis

• Neurological symptoms, including seizure-like episodes or disorientation

• Poor digestion or failure to thrive in young dogs

Because of these risks, a daily supplement containing bioavailable zinc and supportive vitamins is required as part of your puppy's health guarantee.

What We Use and Why

We personally use and recommend:

• NuVet Plus – 1 wafer daily for both Yakutian Laikas and Siberian Huskies

• NuJoint Plus – 1 wafer daily (Yakutian Laikas only)

We’ve chosen NuVet products because they are:

• Palatable and easy to give daily

• Consistently high quality

• Specifically beneficial for zinc absorption and immune health

We also love their grooming products, especially for dogs with sensitive coats or during heavy shedding.

Ordering info: www.nuvet.com/40831
This link ensures you’re ordering the exact formula we use.

✳️ Prefer Another Supplement? That’s Absolutely Okay

We understand that some owners may prefer to use a different brand of supplement — and that’s perfectly acceptable.

To clarify: NuVet is our preferred choice, but not a requirement.
What is required is that your dog remains on a daily zinc-inclusive supplement suitable for northern breeds, as part of the health guarantee.

If you plan to use another product, we simply ask that you:

• Send us the name and ingredient list

• Let us confirm that it supports zinc absorption and avoids common conflicts (like calcium blocking zinc)

This helps us ensure your puppy continues to thrive and is protected against the health conditions listed above.

Feel free to contact us any time at siberpower@zoho.com to discuss options. We're happy to make recommendations based on your preferences and your dog's needs.

Top Recommended Dog Foods

These are the foods we have seen consistently excellent results with for both Yakutian Laikas and Siberian Huskies. They're balanced, digestible, and priced reasonably for quality nutrition.

Our Preferred Foods:

• Eukanuba Medium Breed Adult

• Royal Canin German Shepherd Adult

• Royal Canin Medium Breed Adult

• Merrick Chicken & Brown Rice
  (Be sure to choose non–grain-free formulas)

Also Highly Recommended:

• Diamond Naturals Chicken & Rice
  Available at Tractor Supply, Chewy, and local feed stores

• Kirkland Chicken, Rice & Vegetable
  Costco brand, made by Diamond; similar formulation to Diamond Naturals

These are All Life Stages formulas.
We generally do not feed puppy-specific food.
Exceptions: Eukanuba, Royal Canin, and Purina Pro Plan or Purina One — in these cases, either puppy or all-life-stage versions are fine.

Feeding & Transition Info for Your Puppy

We start our puppies on:

• Royal Canin German Shepherd Puppy

• Eukanuba Medium Breed All Life Stages

These formulas have proven to work especially well for the breeds we raise.

When your puppy goes home, they will come with:

• A starter bag of Royal Canin German Shepherd Puppy

• Feeding instructions and support for transitioning

We recommend keeping your puppy on one of these foods for a smooth adjustment and continued healthy growth.

What to Look For in a Dog Food

If you're exploring other options, we’re happy to help evaluate! Look for these qualities:

• AAFCO-approved for All Life Stages

• First ingredient should be a named meat or meat meal

• Avoid grain-free diets

• Avoid trendy boutique brands with limited history

• Check for manufacturer recalls or poor reviews

• Contact us before using store brands, as some are manufactured by reputable companies—but others may not meet our standards

We're always happy to offer guidance:
📧 siberpower@zoho.com

Foods We Don’t Recommend

Based on years of experience with these bloodlines and feedback from owners, we have found that the following brands/formulas often do not support the growth, digestion, or coat quality we expect:

• Pedigree

• Dog Chow

• Old Roy, Old Yeller

• Kibbles & Bits

• Any Purina other than Pro Plan or Purina One

These foods tend to contain lower-quality ingredients, less digestible fillers, or may rely on corn-heavy formulations.

If you're ever uncertain about a food, please feel free to ask us. We’re happy to help ensure your puppy thrives.

We are currently feeding True High Energy by Nutrena and very happy with it due to it being harder for us to get enough Kirkland or Nutranuggets from Costco with them limiting purchasing to two bags at a time.   We are very happy with it, we also still highly recommend the Kirkland or Nutranuggets. 

All of our dogs, from puppies to adults are fed Diamond Naturals Chicken and Rice or the Costco equivalent which is the Kirland Chicken and Rice.  This is an all life stages food and is what we have found over the years that our dogs do best on.  We have tried many many more expensive foods and have found this to best fit our dogs needs and it is moderate in price, not cheap and not over-inflated.

Through years of working with these bloodlines and receiving feedback from other puppy owners we have learned much about what does and does not work well for our puppies. We do not suggest Grain Free dog foods, both our Yakutian Laikas and Siberian Huskies have done best with a Chicken and Rice type dog food complimented with proper supplements. We do not encourage using large breed formulas.

We also really like Kuranda beds for our dogs.  Our current Kuranda beds were all purchased in 2013 and are still useful to this day.   

https://kuranda.com/?partner=17935

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Why Early Joint Protection Matters

This is something every new puppy owner should see.
When you take home your 8–10 week old puppy, it’s easy to mistake their bouncy energy for physical readiness—but under all that fluff, their bodies are still extremely immature.

Take a close look at this X-ray of a young puppy. It shows just how underdeveloped their skeletal structure is at this age:

• Their bones don’t even touch yet—there are wide gaps between ends that haven’t ossified.

• Their joints are made up of soft tissue only: muscle, ligaments, tendons, and skin.

• There's no true socket or tight bone-to-bone fit.

That cute wobble, the big floppy paws, and the clumsy movement are not just adorable—they're signs of fragility.

Protecting Your Puppy’s Growth

Every time your puppy jumps off the bed or scrambles across tile, there is impact between those soft, forming structures. While small amounts of natural play are healthy, too much high-impact activity can cause long-term damage, especially to joints like elbows, hips, and knees.

Please avoid:

• Jumping on/off furniture

• Running on slippery floors

• Long walks or hikes

• Rough play with larger dogs

• Stair climbing in excess

You only get one chance to grow a healthy frame. A sound body comes from both good breeding and smart upbringing.

Let Them Grow First—Play Later

You’ll have years to enjoy running, hiking, and high-impact activities together—but in these early months, slower is better. Controlled movement and age-appropriate exercise help prevent joint injuries and support long-term soundness.

This X-ray was taken of a puppy who had stopped using one front leg properly. Fortunately, it turned out to be a mild soft-tissue injury and he’s expected to fully recover. But it’s a powerful reminder of just how delicate puppies truly are.