siberian husky question?

Question

I have a 4 month old siberian husky who is constantly getting in the trash & chewing on things she's not supposed to. I've read that they are very stubborn & really never get out of the habit of chewing & to grab them by the scruff of the neck & growl at her like her mother would & that works on some things but not others so can anyone suggest a way to try to break her from getting into the garbage & chewing?

also how do I get her to stop trying to bite my kids & growling at them when they come near her even if their just trying to walk by her. she does this mostly when she has something that she's not supposed to & they try to take it away or if she is laying down & thay get near her BUT she doesn't do it to adults or my 7 month old son who actually pulls on her....help

Answer 1

Sounds like you need to get a handle on this one quickly. Your right, Siberian Huskies can be quite stubborn. I would suggest getting a professional trainer involved if you can swing the time and cash. I would start by approaching her with positive reinforcement. When she does something good, she gets a simple YES! followed by a low-calorie treat or favorite toy. It can be difficult to do this, because we are so used to pointing out the negative. For example: for the dog that usually jumps all over you when you come home from work. Walk in and make no eye contact with the dog, turning your back to the jumping and pawing (this can take a while, but you will see it start to work). When the dog quiets down, & stops jumping THEN you turn to her with YES, how are you? and a pat on the head. That is the positive reinforcement. Not yelling GET DOWN! over and over. This principal can be applied to almost anything. It just takes time an creativitiy. Please, whatever you do, be careful leaving the children around the dog. Guarding food and toys are natural instincts. This will take not only you, but your whole family getting involved. If you can have the patience to do it, you will have a well-behaved (if not better tolerated) pet. I should also mention that pups this age get bored very easily. Make sure she has plenty of things to do so she forgets about chewing other things up...get a KONG. You can find them at almost any pet store. Smear a scant amount of peanut butter on the inside with a disposable spoon and shove a milk bone or a few pieces of kibble in there too. This can entertain her for a while. If you live where it its hot, you can freeze peanut butter or low calorie broth in it to play with outside.

Answer 2

It sounds like you're pup is confused about who the boss in you're house is.I have seven indoor dogs. One is a mutt, one is a
beagle, and the others are all poms. We have went through this stage with eveyone of our dogs it is not unique to huskeys. I breed huskeys for several years and only had problems with one older female. THe snapping and biting at you're kids is because at some time or another they have let her know that they are scared of her. She probally was severly punished if she ever did even growl at the baby and remembers it. If you don't already have them buying her plenty of chew toys and giving them to her after telling her no to chewing on something she ain't suspose to have will help. One I would suggest is called a kong, it has openings to place treats in that the dog has to figure out how to get out. The toughter issue is how to control the agressiveness., if not controlled soon you will have a dog that will not be able to be around you're children. Assuming yuo're children are old enough, start having them work with the dogs on basic commands. You need to be around when they do this. But once the dog get used to taking commands from the children she should realize that she is not over them in the pack. ANd that should take care of this problem. As for the grabbing her by the scruff of the neck and growling. This is not recommended very ofetn and was used more in the old days than now. You have basically taught her to growl at her underlings (such as you're children). More effective if a firm no and a time out in her crate if she has one or on her leash in a confined area of the house if she doesn't have a crate.

Answer 3

Husky's are known to chew everything up and get into things that there not supposed to.. Maybe you should have looked them up first before you got her so that you would know what you were gettin your self into:) They are very stubborn and it takes time and patients to break them from bad habits:) The scruff thing hardly ever works.. Your not going to be able to do that when she gets older she's going to be to big to pick up like that.. Simply smack her on the tip of the nose NOT HARD.. Just enough so that she knows and tell her with a firm NO or BAD she learn really fast.. When she starts chewing do the same or you can simply say BAD girl and give her something that she's aloud to chew on:) It worked for me I dont have no problems in the matter!!

Thats bad if your pup is trying to bite your kids.. Does the kids torture her... In most cases the pup gets mad when they are pulled or tugged on when they dont want to be... It could be stress.... Hmmm...I dont know about that growling thing that might be somthing you'd wanna ask your vet cause she could be sick... Who Know's? Ive never had that problem..
GOOD LUCK

Answer 4

Do some research. Start with the AKC page and the Alaskan Malamute Club of America. There is a lot of information online and some great books out there. Don't base your decision on an online forum! That being said: Mals are great dogs, but they were developed to be an arctic breed where they had to think for themselves. They are not easy to train, especially for novice owners. Trying to force one into doing something will backfire. Use positive methods and make the dog think it was his idea all along. Unlike some breeds, the Mal will be more likely to think for himself instead of trying to do whatever it is you want. They are smart enough to train you instead of the other way around! Many tend to be dominant. Mals need a lot of grooming and exercise, and you must use great care during warmer weather. This is not a breed that you can leave alone in the yard or kennel all day. They will dig, bark, chew, and become extremely destructive if bored. You need to involve your pup in the family, not leave it by itself. Mals will jump or climb fences just to prove they can. Some tend to be dog aggressive. Many view smaller animals as prey and will hunt and/or kill rabbits, birds, squirrels, cats, etc. They are also prone to health problems if purchased from unreputable sources. Take a few weeks (or more) and do your research. Call and talk to some breeders. Make sure you buy from a REPUTABLE breeder instead of from a newspaper ad or a pet store. Such a breeder will be willing to visit with you and let you know the pros and cons of the breed and assess whether this would be a good fit for you. Anyone who tells you this is the perfect dog for everyone and that there are no bad things about it does not have your best interest or the pups' in mind-- they are merely trying to make a sale.

Answer 5

If she's growling at your kids, you need to seek a professional trainer. The problem is she views them as litter mates, and that can get dangerous. She's acting appropriately if your children were puppies, but since they aren't she could accidentely hurt them if this behavior is allowed to continue. She needs to understand that all the little humans are above her in the pack order. You can help this by having your children help train your dog in obedience (best done under the supervision of a trainer). You also might have to teach your children to leave the dog alone when she's chewing on a bone or needs her rest. The dog might just be trying to tell the kids that she needs her space.
With the garbage chewing, just keep a tight lid on the garbage and close off that room so she can't get to it. Bitter Apple spray might teach her that garbage is something that is bad to chew on, but my husky does it, too. She's very well trained, but if I leave her alone with the trash, she will undoubtedly get into it. Prevention is the best cure!
Hope everything works out...

Answer 6

it's common for puppies to chew on things. substitute a toy and praise her for chewing on it if she does. a reason of her misbehavior might be from being bored or not enough discipline. remember disciplining doesn't mean yelling or hitting it means correcting something that the dog should not do. this connects with being the alpha leader. another reason might be she is not getting enough exercise which leads with being bored.

siberians are actually known to be good with children so it's surprising that she is acting this way. try to get your kids to give her treats, but of course remember that the puppy has to do something for it. let the kids take toys and only when the puppy can be rewarded for doing something good. it takes sometime i have a husky myself and it takes sometime for training, longer or shorter for some dogs. just need some patience and the right information.

Answer 7

I had German sheppards and i use to take everything away from then and give what was OK back, to build a trust and show them who was boss. What you're saying sounds normal and just takes time and training.


Another suggestion, bring your puppy to a shelter and let them do a psych evaluation. They can tell in a few minutes (at no or little cost) if the dog has behavior problems that are untreatable.

Answer 8

I wouldn't trust this dog around that 7 month old baby. I really don't trust these dogs. I had one many years ago that was given to us. A very beautiful dog but it killed anything that moved. Cats, chickens, and even killed and drug a full size deer into the yard (we lived in the country at the time). It didn't bother people but I still didn't trust it after that.

Answer 9

frist try to bit his ear,not hard.,so and with the kids,they maybe being mean to him/her when your not around.sojust keep a eye on them, with them not knowing