Why do my huskies not come back when I call them?

Question

We walk our dogs twice a day and the huskies spend the whole time digging out rabbit holes. When its time to leave, all the other dogs will come straight back, but the huskies wont come until they are ready. I have tried treats and praise, but this will only work when they are already on their way back to me and quite close. They are 2 years old, so are a little set in their ways. Can anyone help?

Answer 1

Huskies are a unique type of dog, and it will be of the most help if you understand their motivations and training methods. No dog is too old to be trained until it is senile!
This is an excellent site, to help you understand your huskies and their motivations and limitations> http://www.adoptahusky.com/education/Personality/Personality.html

this is a great site, from a Siberian husky trainer> http://www.syntari.com/obed.htm

Also good reading> http://www.wayeh.com/aboutsleddogs/obed.htm

http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/breeds/huskies.html

Answer 2

You need to train them to create a solid recall.

This is best started in a familiar environment with few distractions. Use a long leash - you can purchase 15 ft leashes at the pet store or use cotton laundry line from the dollar store - and take your dog outside on it.

Call your dog using his name and your call command - for example, "Abby - come!" If you need to, you can make happy noises ("puppy puppy!") or clap your hands to get your dogs interested in coming - but don't repeat the command as that only teaches your dog "come" doesn't mean "come" the first time!

If your dog does not come when you call, tug on the long lead and "reel" him in. Then when he gets to you, praise him like crazy and give him a special reward. A reward should be something of high value to the dog - something he does not get at any other time except training. Small pieces of liver work great for this purpose, or bits of cheese if your dog enjoys cheese. Even a spoonful of peanut butter works great. Just make sure it's something very special.

Repeat this in short sessions (no more than 5 to 10 minutes at a time) for awhile until you have a solid recall in that location. Then use the same approach in different locations with different amounts of distraction. Doing it in the place with rabbit holes should be last because the rabbit holes are very interesting to your dogs and as such, present a very strong distraction. Work on it there using the long lead until you can get a solid recall.

Also, don't let them off leash until your recall is solid. There's a lot that can happen, and if you're not 100% certain that your dogs will listen to you, they should not be allowed off-leash unless you're in a fenced area.

Lastly, the fact that they are 2 years old means little. You can train a dog at any point in time just as long as you're consistent.

Answer 3

Babe if you can find this one out please let me know [e-mail]. I have a 13 year old siberian husky and even after all this time he is dead ignorant. I have never had or bred a dog so bad. I believe but may be wrong about this, but huskies are the nearest to the wild and still have a lot of wolf in them. Aren't they gorgeous and faithful though, just disobedient. Bet you would change youurs.

Answer 4

I don't know anyone who has control of their huskies once they can run free. This breed of dog is contained only by being penned up or on a chain. For that reason I would never consider owning one. From my experience you can also have similar problems with other breeds if they are not neutered. When I was a kid we use to have a Beagle mix that was not fixed. He was pretty well trained in that he would return when called, but once out of sight, if he smelled a ***** in heat he'd take off for a couple of days and come back stinking to high hell.

Answer 5

My dog is two and, believe me, it's not too late to train - in fact looking at some of the younger dogs in the class I'm beginning to think it's the perfect age as they are that much more mature and attentive. I would definitely recommend training.

Answer 6

because they are huskies. Welcome to the one of the most difficult dog breeds to own. As a dog rescuer, we see more huskeys because they simply don't want to be a pet. They were bred to live in the wilderness, and that is still what they want to do - run free. You are simply stuck with a breed that has this particular trait - there isn't a treat, training, nothing you can do will change this. It's just the way they are - good luck

Answer 7

huskies are bred to run and bark... difficult to train... not the ideal house pet... you should enroll in dog obedience school and work on changing their genetic behavior.. it won't be easy but it can be done,,, and remember,, never buy a dog because you like how it looks,,, you should get one that would fit your lifestyle

Answer 8

Because of what Huskies were bred to do, they're extremely hard to obedience train on your own. I suggest taking them to a training class.

its never too late to start training

Answer 9

while you work on training, you can always purchase a 30-50ft leash (they have them at petsmart, or you could order online) to keep the dogs on while they are running and digging. this way you will have control over them and they will be able to get their exercise safely.

Answer 10

dominance u need to show em whos boss ie u eat 1st u walk through doorways 1st etc look on the internet for loads of ideas