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Old 03-27-2015, 03:04 PM
 
Location: Sacramento, CA
9 posts, read 14,536 times
Reputation: 10

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Hello Everyone!

First of all, I apologize if this post seems all over the place, there is so much to say and ask that I didn't know where to start!

My fiancé and I are looking to relocate to Spokane shortly after our wedding in May of this year. We currently live in Sacramento, California and we are desperate to move to the beautiful state of Washington.

We are both professionals starting our 30's out and seeking a slower paced life than what we've had to endure here the last 5 years in the state's capitol. We are homeowners, looking to sell our newer home with a tiny back yard and replace it with some acreage and an older home.

What made us choose the Spokane area? We racked our brains for ideas on places that we wanted to move, and then we started searching. We want to stay on the West Coast so that we could still be relatively near our family. We want to live close to recreational areas so that we could kayak, hike, camp, adventure or whatever. We want property so that we could raise some chickens, have a garden, get two Malamute dogs, hopefully a barn and some other farm animals, and most importantly to not have neighbors in too close of a vicinity to our home. California is such an expensive state to live in and the droughts are getting worse every year.

We are not in a position to move until we secure employment up there. One problem that we have run into during our search, is that although we either meet or exceed their requirements, we can't secure an interview because of our current out-of-state status. I am looking to network to meet people both on a professional level or as a friendship level, so we know some people when we finally relocate and so maybe we could get directed towards companies that are hiring.

About me: I have a BA in Criminal Justice and currently work in the legal profession. I also started my own photography business last year and am looking to make this my primary focus in the future.
About him: he has two Engineering degrees in Aeronautical and Mechanical design. He is also a U.S. Army veteran. We both have a large skillset and are very hardworking and dedicated to this move. If you can think of anything, please let me know!

I am seeking your help. Any advice is encouraged!
What are some great locations to live out of town with some property?
What parts of town do we need to avoid? What parts of town do we need to check out and experience the culture?
What do you love about Spokane and the surrounding areas?
Alternatively, what do you dislike about Spokane or the surrounding areas?
What is your favorite restaurant?
What is your favorite recreational activity in town?
Any other things you just want to let us know!? Jot them down!

*One thing that we have heard before is that there is a lot of property crime and a drug problem in town. Unfortunately, this is true for ANYWHERE in America. And we have dealt with our fair share here in California, especially in Sacramento.

Thank you in advance for all of your help and words of wisdom! I look forward to hearing from you!
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Old 03-29-2015, 10:44 AM
 
Location: Lake Country
1,961 posts, read 2,236,425 times
Reputation: 1830
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Koalas View Post
Hello Everyone!

First of all, I apologize if this post seems all over the place, there is so much to say and ask that I didn't know where to start!

My fiancé and I are looking to relocate to Spokane shortly after our wedding in May of this year. We currently live in Sacramento, California and we are desperate to move to the beautiful state of Washington.

We are both professionals starting our 30's out and seeking a slower paced life than what we've had to endure here the last 5 years in the state's capitol. We are homeowners, looking to sell our newer home with a tiny back yard and replace it with some acreage and an older home.

What made us choose the Spokane area? We racked our brains for ideas on places that we wanted to move, and then we started searching. We want to stay on the West Coast so that we could still be relatively near our family. We want to live close to recreational areas so that we could kayak, hike, camp, adventure or whatever. We want property so that we could raise some chickens, have a garden, get two Malamute dogs, hopefully a barn and some other farm animals, and most importantly to not have neighbors in too close of a vicinity to our home. California is such an expensive state to live in and the droughts are getting worse every year.

We are not in a position to move until we secure employment up there. One problem that we have run into during our search, is that although we either meet or exceed their requirements, we can't secure an interview because of our current out-of-state status. I am looking to network to meet people both on a professional level or as a friendship level, so we know some people when we finally relocate and so maybe we could get directed towards companies that are hiring.

About me: I have a BA in Criminal Justice and currently work in the legal profession. I also started my own photography business last year and am looking to make this my primary focus in the future.
About him: he has two Engineering degrees in Aeronautical and Mechanical design. He is also a U.S. Army veteran. We both have a large skillset and are very hardworking and dedicated to this move. If you can think of anything, please let me know!

I am seeking your help. Any advice is encouraged!
What are some great locations to live out of town with some property?
What parts of town do we need to avoid? What parts of town do we need to check out and experience the culture?
What do you love about Spokane and the surrounding areas?
Alternatively, what do you dislike about Spokane or the surrounding areas?
What is your favorite restaurant?
What is your favorite recreational activity in town?
Any other things you just want to let us know!? Jot them down!

*One thing that we have heard before is that there is a lot of property crime and a drug problem in town. Unfortunately, this is true for ANYWHERE in America. And we have dealt with our fair share here in California, especially in Sacramento.

Thank you in advance for all of your help and words of wisdom! I look forward to hearing from you!
I can't help with your Spokane questions but as a dog trainer of 25+ years I couldn't help but cringe at your idea of having Mals and chickens...I am assuming that you wanna free-range your chickens? Here is a link from a pretty decent website...they are actually spot on when it comes to listing the various breed pros and cons...if you are interested: Alaskan Malamutes: What's Good About 'Em? What's Bad About 'Em?

Many, many dogs have a desire/instinct to chase/kill chickens. As a dog trainer in a rural area I hear countless stories of dogs being re-homed or shot by neighboring farmers because they killed chickens. Some breeds are better/worse than others...Mals would be on the extreme end of worse, unfortunately...and you can enhance your chances with certain breeds but it really depends on the individual dog's temperament. A top notch rescue group or a very experienced, ethical breeder can help with choosing a puppy/dog with a temperament suitable for hobby farming chickens...that would be a puppy/dog with off the charts low prey/play drive.

Here is a thread from BackYardChickens on the best breeds around chickens. It might be somewhat helpful. best dog breed around chickens?

If you plan to keep your Mals penned or on leash at all times when outdoors then it matters much less. But mistakes happen, dogs get loose and then...

You can do a search on C-D forum using Spokane as your search word and you will find tons of useful threads where many if not all of your questions will be answered.

Congratulations on your upcoming marriage and your wonderful goal of a more relaxing lifestyle! Blessings to you on your journey.
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Old 03-29-2015, 08:56 PM
 
5,151 posts, read 4,482,357 times
Reputation: 8346
Dept. of Corrections was actively recruiting for Corrections officers at Clallam Bay about a month ago...it's in Western Wa...go online to follow up.

Re dogs & chickens...I adopted a sweet Lab mix 2 yrs ago...her 3rd home..she was given away b/c she chased the family chickens...she is a great dog, but that was just too much temptation for her. I had a neighbor in SoCal who just had to be an urban farmer. Her beagle mix killed all 6 of her hens...just saying..,
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Old 03-30-2015, 02:16 PM
 
Location: Sacramento, CA
9 posts, read 14,536 times
Reputation: 10
Thank you both for your words of advice regarding this. Regarding the Department of Corrections, I am on a mailing list regarding any open applications. I have family in Corrections and I actually wanted to pursue being a correctional officer at one point in my life, but have shied away from it.

About the Malamutes, I didn't even think about the combination of them with the chickens. I will have the chickens in a large enclosed chicken coup/fenced in area(I had already planned against other predators such as raccoons & coyotes), but the dog issue is something to keep in mind as well. My mom has free range chickens and she has a Rottweiler that killed one, but only because it escaped from its fenced in area. I will research this further. Thank you for pointing that out! Another breed we are looking at is a German Shepard, and this is if we even get dogs when we move there. It might not be a while until we do, but we want something for protection.
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Old 03-30-2015, 05:42 PM
 
Location: Lake Country
1,961 posts, read 2,236,425 times
Reputation: 1830
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Koalas View Post
Thank you both for your words of advice regarding this. Regarding the Department of Corrections, I am on a mailing list regarding any open applications. I have family in Corrections and I actually wanted to pursue being a correctional officer at one point in my life, but have shied away from it.

About the Malamutes, I didn't even think about the combination of them with the chickens. I will have the chickens in a large enclosed chicken coup/fenced in area(I had already planned against other predators such as raccoons & coyotes), but the dog issue is something to keep in mind as well. My mom has free range chickens and she has a Rottweiler that killed one, but only because it escaped from its fenced in area. I will research this further. Thank you for pointing that out! Another breed we are looking at is a German Shepard, and this is if we even get dogs when we move there. It might not be a while until we do, but we want something for protection.
You're welcome. Protection of you, of your property or of your livestock? Or a combination?

Most Malamutes will let any burglar in...very people friendly for the most part.

My breed, the Australian Shepherd, is both a guardian (of people, property and livestock) and a herding breed. GSDs are too. Our national breed club offers herding titling programs in sheep, cattle and ducks to prove the Aussie's versatility as a useful all-around farm dog. But you still need to be very careful about the individual dog...some Aussies wanna overrun ducks (not good for the ducks) or eat them (useless as a farm dog). Also, the herding breeds are so frickin' smart that your own brain has to be in operating mode all the time...they are learning even when we are not teaching them.

You might wanna consider a young adult dog from a top notch local rescue group. Good rescues keep their dogs in private foster homes for several weeks...long enough for the dog to settle into it's new environment and for it's real personality to shine through. They usually put some rudimentary training on the dog and some can even test the dog on chickens for you to determine it's suitability. The best rescue groups ask tons of questions of their applicants and do home visits but that's because their primary goal is to make sure the match is good enough to guarantee a permanent loving home for their charges. That's the kind of group you wanna work with...the very fussy ones. That way you'll get the dog that best matches your needs/lifestyle cause they know that's the best way to insure a permanent loving home.

Lots of bennies to getting a young adult dog (around one year old give or take a few months) through an excellent rescue group (beware...they are not all good):
1. dog is housebroken
2. dog is past the chewing stage
3. you know the dog's personality and tolerances (laid back or high energy, dominant or submissive or middle of the road, independent or attentive, good or bad with kids, cats, other dogs, chickens; this is hard to evaluate with puppies unless the breeder is extremely experienced at both evaluating puppies and watching her puppies grow to adulthood but even then there are surprises)
4. you save a dog

But I would be leery of asking for a protection dog from a rescue group. Most rescue groups will toss your application since that situation has turned out so badly for so many dogs for so many reasons. I would instead look for a dog whose breed (or mix thereof) naturally lends itself well to protection (some of the herding and working breeds). Once the dog starts to feel at home he/she will prolly start protecting.

And I am guessing that's way more than you wanted to know about dogs right now!
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Old 03-31-2015, 10:10 AM
 
7,341 posts, read 12,559,322 times
Reputation: 9883
A few years ago I read an article in the Spokesman-Review about a great Humane Society/shelter in Spokane. Dedicated people, adoptable dogs. I'll see if I can find a link. Could be worth exploring.
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Old 03-31-2015, 03:28 PM
 
7,341 posts, read 12,559,322 times
Reputation: 9883
Here it is: SpokAnimal Inland Northwest Humane Society.

SpokAnimal
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Old 04-01-2015, 02:31 PM
 
Location: Sacramento, CA
9 posts, read 14,536 times
Reputation: 10
Thank you for all of the information about the dogs. I definitely want to adopt our dogs. Rescue pets are the best and I love being able to give them a good, loving home. All of my pets have been rescues, except they are all cats (as of right now). Too many animals out there without homes that need them prior to buying ones that will easily find homes.

Does anyone have any other information for me about Spokane and it's surrounding areas? Any other answers to my questions posted in my original thread?
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Old 04-02-2015, 10:35 PM
 
23 posts, read 56,953 times
Reputation: 39
I lived in Spokane for 8 years. Just retired in November '14 and moved to Arizona. We really enjoyed our time living in Spokane. Some observations:
1. Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake are very nice. You might want to consider parts of Idaho - Post Falls, Coeur d'Alene, etc. Probably avoid area north of downtown Spokane.
2. Lot of lakes for fishing
3. Number of ski slopes within easy driving distance
4. Number of golf courses and prices are very reasonable.
5. Easy driving to Montana, North/South Dakota, Canada, Yellowstone, Glacier National, Seattle
6. Winter's are usually mild and sunny but can last for 6 months.
7. Good spring and summer
8. People are generally friendly
9. Not the greatest restaurants. Ones I liked: Azteca at the Spokane Valley Mall; D'lish burger and fries; Ding How sushi in Liberty Lake; Flying Goat pizza; Mongolian Grill in Spokane Valley; Hay J's Bistro in Liberty Lake; Milford's Fish House; Clinkerdagger; Mustard Seed; Dick's Burgers.
10. Not much traffic even during rush hours.
11. Real estate is relatively inexpensive.
12. Spokane Valley Mall and North Town Mall provide adequate shopping.

We would have retired there if winters were shorter. Great place to live.
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Old 04-04-2015, 11:50 AM
 
Location: North Eastern, WA
2,136 posts, read 2,296,820 times
Reputation: 1738
Quote:
Originally Posted by glenns55 View Post
I lived in Spokane for 8 years. Just retired in November '14 and moved to Arizona. We really enjoyed our time living in Spokane. Some observations:
1. Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake are very nice. You might want to consider parts of Idaho - Post Falls, Coeur d'Alene, etc. Probably avoid area north of downtown Spokane.
2. Lot of lakes for fishing
3. Number of ski slopes within easy driving distance
4. Number of golf courses and prices are very reasonable.
5. Easy driving to Montana, North/South Dakota, Canada, Yellowstone, Glacier National, Seattle
6. Winter's are usually mild and sunny but can last for 6 months.
7. Good spring and summer
8. People are generally friendly
9. Not the greatest restaurants. Ones I liked: Azteca at the Spokane Valley Mall; D'lish burger and fries; Ding How sushi in Liberty Lake; Flying Goat pizza; Mongolian Grill in Spokane Valley; Hay J's Bistro in Liberty Lake; Milford's Fish House; Clinkerdagger; Mustard Seed; Dick's Burgers.
10. Not much traffic even during rush hours.
11. Real estate is relatively inexpensive.
12. Spokane Valley Mall and North Town Mall provide adequate shopping.

We would have retired there if winters were shorter. Great place to live.
Would mind expanding on the part above which I emboldened, please? Are you meaning to indicate the immediate area, or further north, or both?
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