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Behavior Question


Cole Venske

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She's wild when company comes over as well. If you get on the floor at her level, she gets crazy too. When we adopted her, I saw signs of abuse (malnourished, peed on the floor when men pet her, flinched when I raised my hand for any reason, etc.). I'm not sure if this is relevant but wanted to share.

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I'm the proud owner of a 3 year old Husky we rescued from the shelter 2 years ago. She is a wonderful dog who loves to interact with adults and kids and could chase a ball for hours.

From what I've read, Huskies are pack dogs and need exercise and companionship. She has a fenced backyard to herself but stays in her (large) cage inside while we're at work. Whenever we let her out when we get home or she comes inside from being outside for a while, she gets very wild and runs around the house. While doing this, she will step on feet (tearing flesh) and knock over our small kids. We chalked this up to the "puppy stage" for a while but I'm starting to feel it's something else.

My Questions:

1. Would getting another dog help with the companionship/playing aspect and calm her down?

2. Would obedience class help? I've read this breed knows when to turn it on and off (aka very smart)

Would love to hear from other owners who have had this same issue or an experienced breeder/vet tech/dog expert/etc. Any help is appreciated.

It sounds like she isn't being exercised enough...and IMO playing outside in a backyard does not replace a walk/run in terms of exercise.

How long do you walk her per day, what speed, and how often do you walk her?

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I'm unable to walk her as much as I used to. My wife works nights so I'm at home with our kids. It's too cold right now to take everyone for a walk so I don't see how I can exercise her until around Spring, when the weather gets better. This is why I'm entertaining the idea of getting another dog for her to burn off some energy with. Not sure if this will help or not.

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It might well help. I don't walk my dogs nearly as much as many of those on this forum, but they all get turned out (usually) twice daily to play together (I have a kennel). I would suggest obedience training with your current dog first, however, in part because sometimes when you introduce another dog, the first dog will "train" the second t0 behave as it does! Get your current dog to behave more as you'd want her to before introducing a second. Additionally, obedience training works the brain, which also helps tire the dog out - a very good thing!

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It might well help. I don't walk my dogs nearly as much as many of those on this forum, but they all get turned out (usually) twice daily to play together (I have a kennel). I would suggest obedience training with your current dog first, however, in part because sometimes when you introduce another dog, the first dog will "train" the second t0 behave as it does! Get your current dog to behave more as you'd want her to before introducing a second. Additionally, obedience training works the brain, which also helps tire the dog out - a very good thing!

Excellent point about training the first dog in case the second dog emulates her behavior! I'll have to look into the obedience training in my area.

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Excellent point about training the first dog in case the second dog emulates her behavior! I'll have to look into the obedience training in my area.

Petco and Petsmart usually have training classes, and are - in my opinion - better than nothing, but if there is a kennel club in your area, it's been my experience that's usually a better choice. There is a lot of camaraderie involved in them, usually, and it's a good place to make friends with other dog people, and get new ideas from a lot of different people. There are usually a mix of novice trainers and those with more experience. Additionally, if you decide you truly enjoy it and join the club, there are often breaks in how much you pay for classes, although they usually ask for help at club events such as shows.

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www.apdt.com

I went there to find a credible trainer in my area. Heard Petco and Petsmart will hire anyone off the street with no experience necessary.

Yes, that's true from what I've heard about those places too. Definitely look for a reputable trainer rather than a franchise.

I think obedience training would be the best bet for your dog, IMO mental exercise is far more important than physical exercise when it comes to tiring them out. Physical exercise just makes the dog fitter and stronger, but mental exercise (i.e. training) will not only address her behaviour, but will give her another outlet for her energy.

I wouldn't recommend getting another dog as a way of fixing her behaviour, she sounds bored, and in need of training :)

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I found in my area a dog trainer that also has an indoor building for a packwalk of any dog that shows up. cost is 10.00 per visit, and last about an hour, they have an Obstacle course for all the dogs to try out. we end up going once a week and juno has a great time being around all the other dogs, about 25 on the average, the rest of the week I take her on fast walks with a backpack that last about 45 min each night, so maybe you can find something like that in your area that would help burn off some of that crazy husky energy. another thought some of the dog day care centers also have where you can drop your dog off and leave for the day and they get to play with other dogs all day long. just a few ideas.

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Petsmart and petco can have great trainers and they can have crappy ones. A friend of mine was a petsmart trainer for quite sometime until she and 2 fellow petsmart trainers quit and opened their own facility. They do very well and I recommend them all the time. Just depends.

Yeah...we got a really good trainer at PetSmart too, but I've heard horror stories.

When I was looking for more dog-related jobs for this summer, I came across a wanted ad for PetSmart. I looked into it, and they train you for 2 weeks on how to train the dogs (and the people) using THEIR methods...you can't sprinkle in your own methods in there. Also, apparently the salary pay is poor and most of it is commission.

Needless to say, I let some other poor sucker take that job. :P

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Petsmart and petco can have great trainers and they can have crappy ones. A friend of mine was a petsmart trainer for quite sometime until she and 2 fellow petsmart trainers quit and opened their own facility. They do very well and I recommend them all the time. Just depends.

The reason that there is no consistency on the quality of trainer you get is precisely why I never recommend any training franchise.

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hmm it sure sounds like she needs more exercise. This thing happens to all dogs that doesn't get enough exercise. I believe there's something (idk what is it called LOL) that u can use to warm her up so would you consider exercising her a little bit more without waiting for Spring to come? It doesn't have to be an extra-long walk... Just go jogging with her for, like, 15-20 minutes 2-3 times a day. It'll help lots. Plus, jogging kept you warm :D

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I'd have to say that a reputable training program is in order (stay away from Petco/Petsmart training programs!)....but lack of exercise and mental stimulation is a big contributing factor to the behavior you are experiencing...I know it can be hard, I have 9 and work nights, but you have to get some sort of routine exercise! Getting a second would only add the number of dogs you'll be walking...they will play and exercise each other to some extent but there is no substitute to structured exercise...Good luck!

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IMO a treadmill would be the perfect solution for you. I just started to train my Husky to use one. It's easier then you think, although I still walk mine twice a day for a total of 2 hours, but in your case until spring 1/2 treadmill , 1/2 mental stimulation. My 2 cents for what's worth....

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