Tallulah Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Hi Everyone. I could really use some help as this morning i woke up come downstairs to have a cuppa and some breakfast only to find that Spike has chewed the sofa arm to pieces. We have tried leaving him in his crate overnight but it is non stop howling and whining as he hates to be left on his own. We have bought Bones so he could chew on which seemed to work for a bit but i think he has now got bored of them. So we have tried other treats. If He is in his crate we try and give him treats and his bones to calm him down but it has no effect as when we leave the room he will whine and howl untill either one of us goes back into the room. My OH said that it might of been a bad idea to give him chews as it is encouraging him even more. Spike is also very disobedient for a 11 months old we feel as if his previous owners have neglected him this could be why he doesn't want to listen to us. Any suggestions or tips will be greatly appreciated Tallulah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyshqa Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 If you're after a quick fix for chewing the sofa etc then go for taste aversion - spray something nasty tasting on it, or since this sofa is now ruined drip some tabasco on it. He won't want to chew it after that and if he goes for it and gets any in his mouth is could put him off ever chewing furniture again. I would definately suggest working on his separation anxiety and crate training though. I've never had to train either as Kiska was fine from day one but there are plenty of people here who have experience training their dogs to be left alone in crates despite their SA, I'm sure some of them will offer advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Angel n Auroras Mum Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Ok first things first. Did you crate train him or just stick him in it and that was it? You need to teach him that the crate is his safe place, to do this you need to do things like throw toys in the crate and encourage him to fetch them. Feed him treats and meals in it, all this with the door open. At night it will take time, we have just sucessfully crate trained our rescue girl. It took us weeks of late nights and lying in bed listening to barking and howling for night on night on night. Perseverance is the key. Unfourtunately you have a chewer so unless you want to come down each morning wondering "what the hell hes done now???" then the crate seems like your only option. ALso try covering it at night with blankets, use crappy ones in case he pulls them in and chews them (mine does that). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tallulah Posted July 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 I've tried putting treats in his crate with the door open but he just brings them out again and eats the treat out side, when he has gone in I've fussed him and told him good boy. Feeding him is not a problem with the door open he will eat his meals. I also covered the crate this blankets too but like your husky he pulls them in. He's not interested in toys we have tried a rope toy but nothing, with that a teddy he just ripped to shreds. If I'm doing these then am I on the right track and just have to persuasive with him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahursty Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Aww.. Good luck .. Can you not let him sleep in your room with you or maybe on your landing near your door.. Rico has run of the house at night and he sleeps where ever he wants in many different places , maybe put a radio on just a talk channel near his crate so he can listen to it., that seems to help with our RICO if left alone during the day..:-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tallulah Posted July 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 he did have the run of the house most nights and hes been fine but lately hes got into the habit of chewing and i really want to break the habit before he wrecks my whole house. But i will try putting the radio on and see if they will help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sutsibe Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Keep up what you're doing with getting him to go in his crate with small food treats (you can use tiny little pieces of really good-tasting stuff, like hotdogs, dog jerky, liver treats, chicken - whatever works!) for a start. Then, shut him in the crate, and leave the room very briefly - give him something really high-value when you do this - maybe a bone stuffed with some peanutbutter or cheese. Come back in almost as soon as you go out, praise him if he's been quiet, but keep it low-key. Remember, his being in the crate isn't a big deal (and it's your job to convince him that's so!). If he's quiet and involved with whatever he has, leave the room for a slightly longer amount of time, come back, praise for being quiet. You want to gradually increase the amount of time that he's in the crate, being quiet, and you aren't in the room - if you can take a whole weekend to work on it, and are systematic and really patient, it should make a big difference. As you leave the room for longer periods, you can first step outside the house, walk around the house, spend a little longer outside, and then actually go somewhere for a very short trip. The idea is to convince him that 1) his crate is his room, and a very good place to be! and 2) that you do go away from him, but you always come back! If he is making noise, do NOT let him out while he's making noise! If you do that, it will reinforce the idea in his furry little brain that making noise is THE BEST way to get out of the crate. It's easy enough for them to make the jump from "Making noise got me out of the crate - I'll bet it will get them to ________!" One try at that which succeeds will convince them that making noise ALWAYS gets them what they want! If you can have him in your room as you sleep, it would be best, either in the crate or loose. Siberians are very much pack animals, and are lonely away from their pack - either canine or human! Covering the crate is helpful, often, as was stated above in another post. Good luck! Whatever you do, be consistent - that is absolutely the key! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tallulah Posted July 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Thanks for all the advice, i think the best option would to be let him sleep in our room at night but in his crate we have been throwing treats into his crate and he goes and eats them in there. We will try all the ideas that have been suggested Thanks again for the help!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikitashuman Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Nix sleeps in our room with us babe and we don't have a problem but then Nix has no seperation problems at all. Problem is if you take him into your room with you you may make his anxiety worse when you have to leave him alone during the day coz he'll be even more attached. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraxxx29 Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Willow was terriable when she was a pup. soon as i put her bed in my room i have had no problems. When I go out this is where she goes by herself even if there is someone else in the house she will stay on her bed till i return. I also done as @sutsibe said split second then built it up. Takes time but you will get there. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mydiamond Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 crate-training takes time to learn, don't stop doing what you're currently doing I wonder if he knows the word "stay"? Make Spike "stay" in his crate for a few minutes (@ 1st with u right in front of him) and then you can gradually expand the time. You know the rule--praise if he stays and correct him if he leaves his crate. After he decides that staying in the crate is a good manner, start to leave him alone in his crate. Don't make 1 minute your starter time tho bcoz now you're leaving him alone. Start with 30 seconds, and then you can gradually expand the time. Now this training might take a lotta time, but with consistency and patience Spike will soon love his crate as much as he loves afternoon-walk-time LOL Remember-->before he decides that the crate is his den (human language:room) please don't leave him in his crate with the door closed. If you make him get in and close the door, he'll think that the crate is a trap and he'll do his best to avoid the crate O_O always leave the door opened, and make him eat some treats or play with chewtoys inside the crate so he'll associate the crate with nice things. Good luck and have fun crate-training your husky! ^0^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Angel n Auroras Mum Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 I've tried putting treats in his crate with the door open but he just brings them out again and eats the treat out side, when he has gone in I've fussed him and told him good boy. Feeding him is not a problem with the door open he will eat his meals. I also covered the crate this blankets too but like your husky he pulls them in. He's not interested in toys we have tried a rope toy but nothing, with that a teddy he just ripped to shreds. If I'm doing these then am I on the right track and just have to persuasive with him? the key word is perseverance im afraid, it will take weeks of little sleep or broken sleep. but you will get there just be patient. And dont thank us, thanks what we are here for! xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirbysowner Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 the way i crate trained my boy was by first sleeping next to his crate, and slowly getting him used to not seeing us while sleeping. it only took a week for him to get used to the crate. when it comes to training sometimes you gotta think about what bothers them and fit the training to their needs.some might howl bc of the crate, others because of fear, others bc of SA. if you can figure out what it is, it will speed up training as far as disobedience goes, he is 11 months and probably starting teenage-hood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toshi Posted July 29, 2011 Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 When we first brought Toshi home @ 7 weeks we used to let her sleep on the bed with us. When she turned 9 weeks old we started crate training her. First thing we did at night was to keep the crate near our bed so when she would start whining I could put my hands on/in the crate to let her know we were there if she needed us. After two weeks she got used to being in the crate at night (day time is another whole story) so we slowly started moving the crate further and further away from our bed. She's now 15 weeks old and doesn't mind sleeping in the crate at night time. As for biting on furniture we use the bitter apple spray which really worked for us but from what I've here and on other sites is that it doesn't for all dogs. Also, might want to start training the "leave it" command. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted July 29, 2011 Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 At 11 months old he's also possibly still teething. So He will chew anything. Sofas do appear to be high on Husky Nomability scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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