crazy b.d. Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 Our husky is about a year old now, and he was a rescue from a backyard breeder. We got him when he was about 7 months old...diet is finally straightened out (yay for raw diets! and yay for learning that people will feed and water you more than once every few days), timidness and fear are pretty much gone (poor dog was terrified of any male and stairs in particular, thinking he was kicked down them on more than one occasion ). Now, I know huskies are smart and are chewers, but this is getting ridiculous. He pretty much destroys everything. We've so far learned that bedding and pretty much any type of toy is pointless. He gets TONS of active play, both indoors and out, but is still very much into chewing just about everything in sight (except for his kong wubba toys...he'll only chew/lick/play with them for about five minutes at a time)...in the five-ish months we've had him, I've lost half a door frame, three curtain panels, cloth diapers for the baby, countless kids toys, part of the drywall next to his crate, a giant chunk of carpet from the side of my living room (gotta love berber, its just so twisty and fun to yank up!)and a METAL curtain rod (36" killed down to about 4"...not really sure what happened there and can't find it anywhere, so assuming he actually ate it? is he part goat or something??) among many many other things. Most of these were done in a five to ten minute time span, usually with me in another room dealing with the baby. Because he is SO destructive, I have absolutely no choice but to crate him when I have to leave for anywhere or any amount of time. That said...we're on our third crate because he eats them. Yeah. EATS them. Like, bars and pieces are missing and/or crushed into nothingness. Plastic trays in the bottoms of them last for a couple days if I'm lucky. If he can't manage to eat the crate, he will clamp down on it and yank and/or claw/dig at it until they bend and he can get out. We have carabiner clips holding it together at all the corners, along the sides, top, and bottom, AND along the parts of the door where it latches. Yet he still manages to bend it then skinny himself down and out the bottom corner of the door. There are no pet daycares here, and even if there were I couldn't pay for them for every ten minute errand I have to run every day (like running the kids to school). Tried putting him outside on a lead, he ate it (plastic coated wire lead...when we used a metal chain, he ate his collar and harness off, how I don't know). Is there ANY type of crate that is husky proof? My husband is actually considering welding one out of rebar and its starting to sound like a good idea. HELP!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAGRI Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 How much Excercise is he exactly getting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elyse Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 Yeah...how much exercise per day is he actually getting? They need to be stimulated mentally as well as physically, so maybe you can teach him a few tricks! What does he currently know as far as tricks go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mydiamond Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 Have you ever heard of this one period of time where dogs--not only huskies--need to chew on something ALL the time? It's a popular myth here so idk if it's true or not but it's true enough for me x_x Dogs from age 6 (or 7) up to 18 months old are currently growing their teeth so they NEED to chew things. I'm not surprised, huskies ARE destructive. I even read about a husky that ate a TV remote control my boy--back when he's 13 months old--has chewed 15 pairs of shoes, including those that doesn't belong to me. Other than shoes, he has destroyed my entire front yard which was once beautifully decorated with exotic-like plants. He chewed plastic pots, uprooted expensive plants, ate a WHOLE rug (belongs to his previous owner, threw it up in my house) and chewed the handle part of a plant clipper. Still, even if everyone says they'll stop chewing things once they get a lil' older, exercise plays an important part on stopping this behavior. The more exercise he gets, the more tired he become. A tired husky is a good husky. He'd be too sleepy to do anything and would choose nap time over chewing so yeah IMO extending his walking time would help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazy b.d. Posted February 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 He gets 20-30 minute walks every 4 hours or so, goes outside on a leash (put not for a walk, just to potty and play around, usually jumping from the deck, running around trees & the yard, chasing a frisbee/ball/stick) for about ten to fifteen minutes every two hours, gets a hard play/run for at least 1.5-2 hours every evening when my hubby gets home, plus the kids (3.5 and 6) are constantly rolling around with him, playing, throwing toys, tugging ropes, etc throughout the day. He spends at least 15-20 minutes of every hour racing through the house playing with our Corgi as well. He doesn't seem to have much downtime really other than at night when we go to bed and the occasional ten minute snooze here and there...we have to crate him at night because he'll chew everything in sight (we had him in our room, but I woke up one night to him eating my pillow and found a huge hole in the comforter at the foot of the bed ) but we're usually woken up at least once a night by him trying to break out of the crate. He knows pretty much nothing for tricks beyond chasing toys, he's not even really all that great at bringing them back, you have to chase him down and tackle him to get them lol He had no training at all when we got him, and we're still working on basic commands right now. And electronics...he loves them lol In this past week alone I've lost the covers to two Wii remotes, the battery to one of them, the battery to one of our cordless phone handsets, and a total cordless phone handset. He stands up and pulls them off the counters and shelves. He also seems to have a love for refrigerator magnets. But the moment we're not in the room, he's chewing anything he can get his paws on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mydiamond Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 He gets 20-30 minute walks every 4 hours or so, goes outside on a leash (put not for a walk, just to potty and play around, usually jumping from the deck, running around trees & the yard, chasing a frisbee/ball/stick) for about ten to fifteen minutes every two hours, gets a hard play/run for at least 1.5-2 hours every evening when my hubby gets home, plus the kids (3.5 and 6) are constantly rolling around with him, playing, throwing toys, tugging ropes, etc throughout the day. He spends at least 15-20 minutes of every hour racing through the house playing with our Corgi as well. He doesn't seem to have much downtime really other than at night when we go to bed and the occasional ten minute snooze here and there...we have to crate him at night because he'll chew everything in sight (we had him in our room, but I woke up one night to him eating my pillow and found a huge hole in the comforter at the foot of the bed ) but we're usually woken up at least once a night by him trying to break out of the crate. He knows pretty much nothing for tricks beyond chasing toys, he's not even really all that great at bringing them back, you have to chase him down and tackle him to get them lol He had no training at all when we got him, and we're still working on basic commands right now. And electronics...he loves them lol In this past week alone I've lost the covers to two Wii remotes, the battery to one of them, the battery to one of our cordless phone handsets, and a total cordless phone handset. He stands up and pulls them off the counters and shelves. He also seems to have a love for refrigerator magnets. But the moment we're not in the room, he's chewing anything he can get his paws on. there's something much more than exercise in walking. It helps you to bond with the doggie, and he'll learn to respect you as a leader by heeling perfectly on walks. With 4 hours interval between each walks, I'm guessing he gets at least 4 walks a day? Well that's supposed to be enough---if you're jogging x) IMO he lacks mental training--which is tricks and commands learning. Huskies are very smart, and they need to use their genius mind. Without using their brain they'll get bored, and do a research on how electronics tasted like instead x) oh and don't worry about the fetch it is very common for huskies to have problem in learning this my boy doesn't even know that a tennis ball is supposed to be a toy O_O Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sutsibe Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 Is there a kennel club around you that offers obedience classes? The mental stimulation goes a long way toward tiring them out - any night you have class, you can pretty much count on him crashing out for a little more time than average, anyway - maybe even all night! They might also be able to give you ideas for working with him, having seen and interacted with him to an extent. Your husband's rebar-crate sounds like it might be a good idea - an outdoor kennel run made from the stronger gage chain link (I have kennels made from the black mesh metal you can find at the home stores, and am not very well impressed with how quickly its rusted away...), put on cement or patio blocks, and covered with an extra chainlink panel makes a pretty good area to keep them confined, as well. Be as careful as you can with him eating odd items - I just lost a dog a bit over a week ago who'd eaten a piece of metal that perforated his intestines. He wasn't the dog that had been destructive, so I was very surprised at that being what was wrong with him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tams Teeko and Keeta Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 I may be wrong...but could it be the food? Too much protein or too many additives could cause hyperactive behaviour which your dog is letting out through chewing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormchaser09 Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 I may be wrong...but could it be the food? Too much protein or too many additives could cause hyperactive behaviour which your dog is letting out through chewing. I wondered about this too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Povodny Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 I was thinking the same as Tamsin. When Togo was younger and we just had him I changed from dry food to raw food. He went bonkers. I couldn't exercise him enough, he was manic in the house and just couldn't concentrate on anything. I put him back on dry food and he returned to normal, still a tw*t dog, but a manageable one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 I'd deffo go for changing diet and more mental stimulation - or get a second husky You'd be amazed at the difference! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Wilson Posted February 14, 2012 Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 I have the same problems with my husky he was chewing everything when he was really young hes almost a year old now he calmed down for months never chewed anything except his toys now he is back to chewing everything he can get again ... carpets , A screwdriver ! , sponges from the bathroom he loves those... curtains you name it.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jroberts1 Posted February 14, 2012 Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 I'd deffo go for changing diet and more mental stimulation - or get a second husky You'd be amazed at the difference! does another really help or does it mean double trouble. we were considering another but wondered if we would end up with two looneys instead of one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted February 14, 2012 Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 personally I found getting a second helped immensely - they keep each other amused It's financially more expensive, with more spent on food / toys / bedding / vet fees / worming / insurance etc but for me is worth every penny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jroberts1 Posted February 14, 2012 Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 Is there a kennel club around you that offers obedience classes? The mental stimulation goes a long way toward tiring them out - any night you have class, you can pretty much count on him crashing out for a little more time than average, anyway - maybe even all night! They might also be able to give you ideas for working with him, having seen and interacted with him to an extent. Your husband's rebar-crate sounds like it might be a good idea - an outdoor kennel run made from the stronger gage chain link (I have kennels made from the black mesh metal you can find at the home stores, and am not very well impressed with how quickly its rusted away...), put on cement or patio blocks, and covered with an extra chainlink panel makes a pretty good area to keep them confined, as well. Be as careful as you can with him eating odd items - I just lost a dog a bit over a week ago who'd eaten a piece of metal that perforated his intestines. He wasn't the dog that had been destructive, so I was very surprised at that being what was wrong with him! so sorry about your dog Gigi.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jroberts1 Posted February 14, 2012 Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 personally I found getting a second helped immensely - they keep each other amused It's financially more expensive, with more spent on food / toys / bedding / vet fees / worming / insurance etc but for me is worth every penny maybe i,ll keep on thinking about it a bit more, i would love another but my o.h is always complaining about the dog hairs as it is,haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted February 14, 2012 Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 LOL 2 huskies = twice as much shedding lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jroberts1 Posted February 14, 2012 Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 LOL 2 huskies = twice as much shedding lol and love and cuddles:bouncy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted February 14, 2012 Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 and love and cuddles:bouncy: oh yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravenwolf Posted February 14, 2012 Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 Mine was full-blown destructive right up until the age of 2 and then some. At that age and thinking he would be fine in the Jeep with a bone for 10 minutes we went into a store - and came out to find he had chewed through the driver AND passenger seatbelts. They were over 300$ each to fix!!! Now he gets muzzled if we have to leave him in a vehicle. Your guy definitely sounds like a candidate for crate training - even drywall is not safe from a determined chewer! I found Tuff Toys to be one of the best for lasting. A determined husky can utterly destroy in relatively short order, but Scout absolutely loved it - it must have been very satisfying to chew on. I never left him alone with it, but when he was in the house that was his "soother" - something he could happily chew and destroy without punishment. If he did get into something else, I would reprimand him, take it away, then give him the toy and praise him when he chewed on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sutsibe Posted February 15, 2012 Report Share Posted February 15, 2012 so sorry about your dog Gigi.x Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Oakley Posted February 15, 2012 Report Share Posted February 15, 2012 Oakley chewed on things, still does every now and then. But when we got our female also, it slowed dramatically. We could never wear him out, his old owner even ran him on a tread mill, with little success. Now together they wear each other out and sleep like babies at night. She still chews if left alone for to long, and Oakley does to, we just don't leave them alone long. Two huskies= tired and fun for both. Totally recommend it. And of course training. Little Bit was in training till she went into heat. Have to wait now. But every night after training she was so tired. Works great. We have a huge yard and we go out and chase them and they chase us too, this helps also. Good luck, hope one of these ideas help. Sabrina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistiesmommie Posted April 7, 2012 Report Share Posted April 7, 2012 My husky a little over 15 months old. She is ok in the house and just tries to eat any socks she can find or empty water bottles. But outside is a complete different situation. She is out with my beagle mix while I'm at work, she has bones to chew on, toys..but she prefers to eat my sprinklers, tomato plants, any flowers I plant, she has pulled out the sprinkler system wires and chewed through them.....She gets played with every night and morning, walked. I'm at my witts end! She is also constantly trying to literally push me off chairs and such and constantly licking me and my daughter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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