May Have To Rehome

[CARRINGTON]

Zach and I are getting married in May and shortly after plan to start a family. Our problem is Balto. I hate to say this but I am strongly thinking of rehoming. Balto does pretty well at home minus being obnoxious with the cat which we still have not figured out how to get him to stop. However, when people come over, we go other places Balto is terrible!!!!! He whines, jumps up on people, nips them etc. He is put on a leash and when he bites or tries to jump up on them, nip, etc. we have them do exactly what we do and they are not allowed to pet him or interact with him until he does what they say and calms down. Problem is he NEVER calms down. When we go to puppy class we try and try to get him to do the commands but he is so interested in other dogs that he just doesn't listen the trainer is trying her best with him but he just isn't doing it. He can no longer play during puppy play time because he goes to the smaller dogs and picks on them even when the puppy submits or growls and tries to tell Balto enough is enough. He is socialized and he goes to the dog park and plays with my OH brothers and sisters dogs which are twice his size so they do well together, but small dogs is what he goes for to play with and he cannot play with them. He is too big and he doesn't know when enough is enough. Any time we are outside the home or people come over he does NOT listen so he is put in time out and on a leash but he Yowls and screams and barks. So we try to ignore him but he gets insane about it!!!!! He doesn't get toys or treats or anything until he calms down but he never calms down. No one is willing to watch our dog for us while we go on our honeymoon for a week in Cancun which has already been paid for by my OH's dad and step mom as our wedding present because Balto is terrible and does not listen. We have others interact with him, make him do commands before he gets anything including a simple pat on the head but he just whine and yowls and yells. Now I have people who no longer want to come to my house because he is there and he gets loud (especially when they come over so we can study together). We have asked and asked for help and nothing is helping he is absolutely terrible with the cat, in other places, or if people come over. My fiance does not want to get rid of him at all and neither do I, I love him to bits but something has to give. We do NILIF and that works at home so we try that other places and he doesn't seem to care all he wants to do is scream and howl and bark. I either need serious help or we are going to have to rehome.

[sharloid]

Going by your sig he's only a puppy? Dogs can take years to learn manners and behave appropriately. It's a shame that you're thinking of rehoming him when he's so young. 

[Stormy]

You seem to be giving up before giving Balto a proper chance. He is only 5 months old bless him. They are a extremely high energy breed and all you are describing sounds completely normal part of growing up to me. I still go through it now with Skye who is a year this month she still has no learnt sometimes when enough is enough and i have to get quite harsh with her but Shadow is almost 3 this year he calmed down with age. It is just one of those thing you have to put alot of time in and patience with these dogs and unfortunately it does not happen quickly, you are doing everything right and it will sink in with Balto but they are the most stubborn dogs you can meet!

 

Im sure alot of us will be happy to help out so you dont need to rehome if you ever need to chat etc atall feel free i know how frustrating it can get with a pup that does not calm down lol

[Storm Angel n Auroras Mum]

With my storm i wanted to give up. I really did. He was difficult but i am so glad i didnt.

I keep telling myself that with aurora who is equally as hard if not harder.

[HugTheBear]

Sounds like a normal Husky puppy to me. Even when Asha was with us she was the same way sometimes in public. But when I started using a head leash/gentle leader she didn't really pull or yip at other people walking by. I would just give the leash a tug when she would look like she was about to love all over strangers. It takes time. How often is he walked and taken to the parks? Huskies need a lot of exercise. Even after long walks and dog parks Asha would go on the treadmill sometimes. Lol.

 

My puppy does the same thing right now. We have a HUGE laundry room so we have a gate up and her kennel in there and she goes nuts when people or anything interesting is going on out here. Even if she is out of the kennel. We ignore her until she is quiet. She is improving very slowly. But at least she is improving.

 

Maybe you can find someone with Husky experience in the area to watch him?

[CARRINGTON]

You seem to be giving up before giving Balto a proper chance. He is only 5 months old bless him. They are a extremely high energy breed and all you are describing sounds completely normal part of growing up to me. I still go through it now with Skye who is a year this month she still has no learnt sometimes when enough is enough and i have to get quite harsh with her but Shadow is almost 3 this year he calmed down with age. It is just one of those thing you have to put alot of time in and patience with these dogs and unfortunately it does not happen quickly, you are doing everything right and it will sink in with Balto but they are the most stubborn dogs you can meet!

 

Im sure alot of us will be happy to help out so you dont need to rehome if you ever need to chat etc atall feel free i know how frustrating it can get with a pup that does not calm down lol

 

i know he is a puppy and we look at that. At the same time I want to be able to go on my honeymoon in peace and still have people come over to the house without dreading it because he is there or dreading him having to come with us because he is so loud and annoying

[CARRINGTON]

Sounds like a normal Husky puppy to me. Even when Asha was with us she was the same way sometimes in public. But when I started using a head leash/gentle leader she didn't really pull or yip at other people walking by. I would just give the leash a tug when she would look like she was about to love all over strangers. It takes time. How often is he walked and taken to the parks? Huskies need a lot of exercise. Even after long walks and dog parks Asha would go on the treadmill sometimes. Lol.

 

My puppy does the same thing right now. We have a HUGE laundry room so we have a gate up and her kennel in there and she goes nuts when people or anything interesting is going on out here. Even if she is out of the kennel. We ignore her until she is quiet. She is improving very slowly. But at least she is improving.

 

Maybe you can find someone with Husky experience in the area to watch him?

We walk him 3-4 times a day for 25-30 minutes and the dog park we try to do every weekend but it has been so dang muddy around here from 10 inches of melting snow and ice with a rain storm that lasted 3 days. He goes to puppy class every single week and we go out to my OH's mom's every Sunday and she lives on a farm so we try to tie him up outside with a really long lead (I think it is like 2 or 3 maybe 4? lead things hooked together to let him run but then he hollers and tries to come to the door and break through it since we are not out there with him.

[Cherrie-Nanook-Indy]

It sounds to me like normal puppy behaviour. Our Kaya is a total but job, she has no idea how to interact with people she still thinks its acceptable to just on everyone. She is learning very very slowly what we expect of her but she still has a very long way to go. Kaya is 7 1/2 months old now, do I wish she was calmer? Yes, do I wish she was easier to train? Yes, would I give up on her because its the easiest option all round? Never in a million years. I am sorry if I sound harsh but when all said and done would you give up your human child if they were a bit wild and difficult to train?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Keeonah]

I can understand where you're coming from. As you may know I have 3 pups that are just over 6 months old. My life is a living nightmare most of the time. We get hardly any sleep and are always trying to teach and get them under control as well as having Skye who has been more than difficult enough on her own. You just have to persevere and keep going. Please don't give up on him just because you are having a few awkward moments. It does sound as if you need some help and I would probably suggest getting hold of an animal behaviorist. There must be one somewhere near to you. I know I  would have welcomed some "on hands" help with Skye but I did get lots of support from members of this forum. It will all get better with time you just have to believe it. I hope you can find someone close that can help you and I'm sure if any members of the forum have answers they will help as well. Good luck.

 

Gary.

[sharloid]

i know he is a puppy and we look at that. At the same time I want to be able to go on my honeymoon in peace and still have people come over to the house without dreading it because he is there or dreading him having to come with us because he is so loud and annoying

 

I'm sorry but saying you want to give up your puppy just so you can go on your honeymoon in peace sounds awful... 

[Mazz]

It's your choice.  But before you make your final decision, let me tell you our story.  It's about our first Husky, named Elke.  She was such a cute puppy.  She was active, rambunctious, destructive, jumpy, you name it, she did it.  We gave serious thought, many times, to taking her back to her breeder, or putting her up for adoption.  But we did not do any of those.  We kept her, we worked through the issues, and she became the most well-mannered Husky you would ever hope to meet.  She became a part of our family, not just any part, but an important part.  Did it happen over night?  Nope.  Was it easy?  Not really, just had to remain dedicated and consistent.  Am I sorry that we kept her?  Not one bit.  In fact I cannot tell you how fortunate we are today, because of not giving Elke up because of the inconviences we encountered.  I am convinced beyond any shadow of a doubt, that if it were not for Elke, and what she taught us about the breed, we'd probably own one of those new-fangled designer pooches.  As I said, it's your choice.  All any of us can do is plead that you don't give up on Balto so soon.  You sound as though you are fairly young and just starting out.  I was at that point in my life once as well.  Decisions made without experience sometimes come back and bite; and that can go both ways.  Don't let what you are anticipating to be in your life, dictate what will actually be in your life.  This is one of those times when the heart makes for a better benchmark than the head, because the head is full of "what ifs" and not facts.  Again, it's your decision, your choice.  At least give consideration to Balto.  He relies on you for comfort, care, and support.  He needs you to survive.  It's your decision, your choice.  Make the right one. 

[simhauu]

Well, for holidays and such, there are places or people who offer to petsit people's dogs, e.g. dog hotels. Have you looked around?

On the other side, Balto is 5 months old, do you think it will be easier when he's 1 year old? No. When he's 1,5 years old? No. Huskies are good if not best at pushing people's limits. I only have one, but damn does he push it sometimes. You can see from my signature that Ghost is pretty young no, but I'm not giving up on him. 

Ghost pretty much also goes for the smallest dogs, it's hard isn't it? When at a place with 20 dogs, he always goes for the smallest to play with, but they are usually unsocialised (yapping at him) and their owners take their dogs away.

In our social classes (we have a trainer for individual classes, but also every second week a group class) and when there's a female, all the time he makes noise to get to her, so trainer has to tell it to his brain that his behaviour is uncalled for, then he's fine.

When we take the subway/metro/underground or almost any other public traffic vehicle, he whines. So unless I want him to whine for 30 minutes sometimes I have to bribe him with treats for some tricks. When we go to park, lately since it's sunny I take the scooter so he has a proper run, I have to take off everytime there's dog in front of us, and sometimes he pulls me to the dog because the son of .... has worked out my way of not letting him cross other dogs. When I hold him properly, he barks at them in this horrible way, imagine a crazy psycho dog trying his best to get to a prey, jumping, snarling, throwing himself in different ways..., and combined with the look, I think most people are scared of him now, lol.

Honestly, it doesn't get easier for about 2-3 years, then they calm a little, but huskies are kids in their minds forever, so I don't expect it being any easier. 

 

Can you get marrow bones from some local butcher's? I freeze them and give as such to Ghost, it usually keeps him busy for some time, since Balto is 5 months old, ergo smaller, it could keep him busy when you have guests over.

 

Just hang in there, it's totally worth it at the end of the day, when you see the sleeping pup.

[Stormy]

i know he is a puppy and we look at that. At the same time I want to be able to go on my honeymoon in peace and still have people come over to the house without dreading it because he is there or dreading him having to come with us because he is so loud and annoying

I understand you want a lovely honeymoon but i imagine this was booked for a long time?? Or you knew you were going so why did you get a puppy knowing this or did you not realise how much hard work huskies can be? (im not having ago so dont take that that way please ) Just trying to help you I didn't have a holiday for must be almost 3 years... yeah it will be i am going to turkey next month it is my first holiday abroad since i decided to get a husky! And i have robs parents to take them while i go if i did not have this i just simply wouldn't be going on holiday i would be choosing somewhere in the uk with the dogs

 

Also training is not easy and it is frustrating skye is really really hard work alot harder than shadow was and i can give her miles and miles of walking it does not tire her, i have added in lots of mind stimulation now and training but it is going to take alot of time still. Skye is a year this month and gone into what i would say a teenage stage where they test you all over again so bear this in mind... i say from puppy to age 2 can be the most testing times but also really fun and rewarding i look at shadow now at almost 3 and am really proud of myself for how he is and remember that is ME that made him that way  

 

Look into other places for him to go if people are terrified to look after him!! It would be better he went into a nice kennels than him be looked after by people that dont really want to look after him

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

Skyla was a nightmare puppy at 7 months old , she slowly gets better, still has her moments even now at 3 years old but she's slowly getting better with a lot of patience, I've not had a holiday in 4 or so years n when I get married god knows if we'll even get a honeymoon but when the time comes we'll deal with it , even if it means staying in the UK n finding somewhere dog friendly to take skyla with us lol , unfortunately puppies can be annoying n hyper but they just need time , hope u get things sorted

[CARRINGTON]

I understand you want a lovely honeymoon but i imagine this was booked for a long time?? Or you knew you were going so why did you get a puppy knowing this or did you not realise how much hard work huskies can be? (im not having ago so dont take that that way please )

 

Look into other places for him to go if people are terrified to look after him!! It would be better he went into a nice kennels than him be looked after by people that dont really want to look after him

 

No we got the puppy and then discovered that is when we were going on a honeymoon. We had no intention of going on a honeymoon because money is so tight there would be no way we could afford this. We were thinking maybe a night in a hotel and that was it since that was all we could afford here in town with a dog, cat and two naked mole rats we also have to pay for a worry about. Well his dad and step mom asked where we were going on our honey moon and when we said no where we couldn't afford it they just said ok like they understood. About a month ago we received an email from his step mom with an all paid honeymoon from them. So we knew we had to find a dog sitter, well his mom volunteered but once she was around him a ton every Sunday and has seen how terrible he does and how he tries to step on her small dogs back to play and he is food aggressive with other animals that it wasn't going to work and Zach's stepdad said there was no way he was staying in HIS house for a week. So we thought about his brother but him and his wife are gone so often that Balto would get little exercise and they wouldn't put the time into keeping his NILIF program. We have yet to meet another person with a husky here (we have met one but I was at an event so I couldn't talk to them and I haven't seen them since). I have never heard of a dog hotel here or around that doesn't cost an arm and leg and possibly the other foot. So we are thinking of boarding him at our vet which is $12 a day which isn't too bad but he would be in a cage most of the day except when they walk him three times a day; so we are not sure how well that would work since he wants to go for a walk come in the house and zoom everywhere, do tricks, chase the cat, gets the zooms again, play with his ball, play fetch (kind of when he brings it back), play with his other toys, run like mad, want to go outside to potty, zooms again, and so on until the next walk.

[CARRINGTON]

I'm sorry but saying you want to give up your puppy just so you can go on your honeymoon in peace sounds awful... 

If you think I would give up my puppy just because of a honey moon then you have for sure read that completely wrong. I would never give an animal up just to go somewhere, I am not 16 who has to hang out with friends every weekend. I am however, still in school full time in college, working on top of that and having to volunteer 50 hours every 2-3 months to keep a scholarship to school. So as you can tell my life is booked and we were not even planning on going on a honey moon because we didn't have the money for it but his parents paid for it and it was a surprise. He is not learning acceptable behavior and his puppy class teacher is usually really patient with him and tries but she is even getting fed up with him. He barks and whines so loud in class that it is hard for us and others to hear what we are supposed to do next. Now people will not come to our house and when he barks and whines in our house we usually don't mind however we have neighbors not the kind that live down the road or across the street but the kind that live on the other side of a separated wall and although they understand and are usually accommodating to it there are times where she gets fed up with it as well. WE also have other neighbors who live on each side and you can usually hear him outside the house I am not sure where you live but here where I live if someone calls in a noise complaint we can get billed and fined and after some many complaints against you your dog can be taken or you have to move and sadly most places around here have a limit on the size of dog you can get which is 20-25 pounds and Balto has already well exceeded that. We have a cat as well the cat was there first before him and when we went to adopt him the shelter does evaluations and said he did fine with cats and when we first brought him home he did great with her. Now it is a nightmare, he has even pinned my cat and if I wasn't there to pull him off in time would he have killed me cat who knows but that is not going to happen!

[LittleLuka]

sounds like a typical husky and that you weren't exactly sure what you were getting yourself into before you got Balto. Luka has been challenging to say the least, fortunately for me i found this forum before i got him and knew what to expect. My OH not so much. Luka has stressed him out for the past year.

It helped when we had Sera over. (our foster husky) She was 2 years old and a completely different dog. I promise they do calm down EVENTUALLY but definitely not at 5 months old. I've noticed a change in Luka's behavior just in the past few months.

 

However, he still doesn't do well with cats or small dogs. Huskies are known to have a high prey drive and i believe sometimes no matter how much training is given it can't be overcome. Food Aggression isn't something I've experienced first hand but i know there are ways to correct that, it just takes time and consistency. And when most of us say time we don't mean a few weeks and you will have your perfect dog, because that is just not going to happen with a husky but more like months,years,etc.

 

Luka is a year old and still zooms around the house like a lunatic. I make sure he gets plenty of exercise but at the end of the day i don't worry about it as this was the breed i chose. I chose my high-energy, annoying, LOUD, husky. You need to take a moment to consider your life without Balto, is it something you can bear? If so, then maybe rehoming is the answer. If not, then I recommend you continue to work on training and your hard work will eventually pay off.

 

Also, you sound very frustrated with his behavior as you write about it. I know my OH had a big issue with taking his stress into his emotions which affected his training with Luka. You literally have to clear your head or they can sense things.

 

Sorry to hear you're going through a hard time.

[Applebear]

Everyone that knows me here, KNOWS huskies are NOT my breed. I have told the story a few times how I spent forever at the shelter with a chow like dog that turned into a husky like dog about a month after getting home. I spent nights stressing over him, his horrible behavior, tantrums, pulling, food aggression, separation anxiety and more. I honestly can say I had a love/hate relationship with him...there were days I just couldn't stand to even look at him. 

 

But dogs of any breed take work, and time. They are our responsibility  and even though I don't completely blame myself for picking Ro [mixes can be deceiving]...I still had to step up to bat. I learned a whole new method of training for him, started changing things about myself to make it work. And if anyone remembers, I all most HAD to take him back to the shelter because I went through a major surgery where I couldn't take care of him and my family and friend were being jerks telling me not to baby it A NIGHT after surgery, just  because they couldn't handle his husky ways and wanted me to take him back. Thankfully someone else helped me find a kennel to board him and they had no issues. 

 

It's been nearly 2 years I think since I brought Ro home and a lot has changed. Is it perfect...no, he's a husky. lol He's always going to challenge and push my buttons, but he is to a point where I don't cringe when we walk past another dog or I have to put ice on my arm afterwards. He's actually super well behaved most of the time...we just have our overstimulated moments. With that, I would say it's A LOT better and I don't have the severe love/hate relationship with him...most the time, I couldn't imagine life without him now. When we have one of those bad days, I simply put him in his crate with some toys and give myself space...I call it 'me time.' But even these 'me times' are becoming less and less, I can't even think of the last time I've really needed one.

 

What I am trying to show you with all this, is it gets better with time and work...Balto is just a pup, give him a chance to show you his potential. If it's just about taking a honeymoon, just go with the vet for 12 a day...being coped up for a little while is better than rehoming him all together. Just remember it's only temporary...not forever. When Ro went to stay at the kennel, he was there for 3-4 weeks...he got walked twice a day and he came back just fine. I thought he'd be super wound up from all the kennel time, but he wasn't...even if he was though, I was all ready prepared to run him on the trike [we did regardless] and burn the pent up energy. Maybe I was just lucky, but regardless, it didn't take long at all to shift back into the routine of things.

[CARRINGTON]

Everyone that knows me here, KNOWS huskies are NOT my breed. I have told the story a few times how I spent forever at the shelter with a chow like dog that turned into a husky like dog about a month after getting home. I spent nights stressing over him, his horrible behavior, tantrums, pulling, food aggression, separation anxiety and more. I honestly can say I had a love/hate relationship with him...there were days I just couldn't stand to even look at him. 

 

But dogs of any breed take work, and time. They are our responsibility  and even though I don't completely blame myself for picking Ro [mixes can be deceiving]...I still had to step up to bat. I learned a whole new method of training for him, started changing things about myself to make it work. And if anyone remembers, I all most HAD to take him back to the shelter because I went through a major surgery where I couldn't take care of him and my family and friend were being jerks telling me not to baby it A NIGHT after surgery, just  because they couldn't handle his husky ways and wanted me to take him back. Thankfully someone else helped me find a kennel to board him and they had no issues. 

 

It's been nearly 2 years I think since I brought Ro home and a lot has changed. Is it perfect...no, he's a husky. lol He's always going to challenge and push my buttons, but he is to a point where I don't cringe when we walk past another dog or I have to put ice on my arm afterwards. He's actually super well behaved most of the time...we just have our overstimulated moments. With that, I would say it's A LOT better and I don't have the severe love/hate relationship with him...most the time, I couldn't imagine life without him now. When we have one of those bad days, I simply put him in his crate with some toys and give myself space...I call it 'me time.' But even these 'me times' are becoming less and less, I can't even think of the last time I've really needed one.

 

What I am trying to show you with all this, is it gets better with time and work...Balto is just a pup, give him a chance to show you his potential. If it's just about taking a honeymoon, just go with the vet for 12 a day...being coped up for a little while is better than rehoming him all together. Just remember it's only temporary...not forever. When Ro went to stay at the kennel, he was there for 3-4 weeks...he got walked twice a day and he came back just fine. I thought he'd be super wound up from all the kennel time, but he wasn't...even if he was though, I was all ready prepared to run him on the trike [we did regardless] and burn the pent up energy. Maybe I was just lucky, but regardless, it didn't take long at all to shift back into the routine of things.

It is def. not just for the honeymoon. It is a love less/love lots relationship. I worry about my cat as well, that was her home first and he has to learn that he cannot eat her. I am not sure how to do that. Walks are terrible, puppy class is terrible, going places is terrible, etc. At home he is golden except with the cat, other places not so much. It is very frustrating having people nag and complain about your dog and saying you need to control your dog or don't you teach your dog discipline. We try and them saying things like that really bring me down. I kind of feel like a failure, which I do NOT take well since I was told that by my parents since I was little (thank goodness later in life I was taken from my parents when I was younger

[LittleLuka]

It is def. not just for the honeymoon. It is a love less/love lots relationship. I worry about my cat as well, that was her home first and he has to learn that he cannot eat her. I am not sure how to do that. Walks are terrible, puppy class is terrible, going places is terrible, etc. At home he is golden except with the cat, other places not so much. It is very frustrating having people nag and complain about your dog and saying you need to control your dog or don't you teach your dog discipline. We try and them saying things like that really bring me down. I kind of feel like a failure, which I do NOT take well since I was told that by my parents since I was little (thank goodness later in life I was taken from my parents when I was younger

 

well thats when you need to take into consideration that there are many people who are just uneducated about the breed. This is why huskies aren't for everyone, because they act like little maniacs. lol don't let their negative feedback make you feel like you're failing. if you're working hard, you're doing a good job and it will eventually show in Balto's behavior.

[HuskyGuerl]

Girl if I lived closer Id totally babysit him for you as long as it wasnt a forever trip lol..When I got Echo who is going to be three this year..He was raised from the day he was born because it was my hubbys dog that had him..He was a holey tearer!! He wouldnt listen he tore up things..he tore up a cage and then busted through my hubbys bedroom door at 6 months old..thats how bad it was because he hated my hubby being away from him when he had to leave for work(he lived with his parents and siblings still at this time)....he had the thought so many times to rehome him and when he took him with him in the car people would tell him theyd pay right here and now for him and my hubby still refused because he knew it would get better...He is older now and still has fits like breaking out of their dog room, he wont jump on people he just woooos at them to pet him but he has peed on people if he smells dog on them, showing aggression to other dogs when out and about..It was and still is horrible..we go to town and if we go in the store real quick he throws a screaming tantrum in the truck..he crys and barks and whines...and its not a cute its a very loud and annoying tantrum!!! We hate it (and he does this right now at this age) he does the same thing if we leave the house without him...its extremely embarrising but we wont give up on him because we love him ITS ALL A HUSKY THING....Cherokee she is our rescue dog..when we got her she was al\ways stuck outside never aloud in the house and she was 3 years old so when we brought her home she peed and crapped all over our house and would never learn to not..We have had her since june of last year and we just got her potty trained maybe two months ago?? We wanted to give her back so bad because of it but we wouldnt because we had faith and knew we handled one dog so we could definatly do another..(Echo wasnt even 2 years old yet when we got her)..Last year she also ate our couch, broke a TV, and tore up the flooring when we left for one hour to do grocery shopping...we were so mad and frustrated it was the last straw..we asked so many people if they wanted her but every time someone said ya we said no because we just couldnt give up so we kept her...since then she has tore up screen on our back porch, escaped the yard many of times, killed one of our cats, and killed two outside stray cats...but we will never give up or get rid of her because we have faith in her that she can live a good life because we are providing her with one better than she had...Larka and Meeka (my two pups that came out of Cherokee) they will be 7 months the 22nd of March and we have went through a cage, no sleep, waking up every hour cleaning up poop, going on a hunt for them at 2 in the morning while snowing and raining because they escaped when we let them out to potty, chasing them countless times for them escaping, rushing to the vets early in the morning because one got hurt, paying an outrageous vet bill that we cant really afford right now but we are any way because we love her and dont want any of them took from us..We are still going through a lot with our dogs but ITS ALL A HUSKY THING..you just got to love them and move on..We also have a husky whom we are baby sitting right now so its less time with our dogs because we have to split it up to provide him with comfort and love to....its very difficult they all have different personalitys they frustrate me and my hubby but they are still in our home..THEY EVEN EAT BETTER THAN US!!! And bear the one we are babysitting is 5 and acts like a 5 month old so we have to completly re train him because the environment he was in before...So trust me I know your pain...My hubby and I wanted to get married in July but we can not because of the accident with Meeka..plus we are wondering what to do with our four dogs while on our honey moon and the day of our wedding..So we are figureing all this out before we plan our wedding...We are going to get married next year though no matter what and if it results in our dogs having to go with us on our honeymoon even if they dont behave so be it we will take them because we have the rest of our lives to spend together and do things when dogs only have around 15 years...We have went on weekend or day trips in the past and my parents always come down and check on the dogs and let them out to run in the yard and feed them...they didnt walk them like we do they just let them run in our fenced in yard which was fine with us at least they were being tooken care of properly while we were gone on a trip that couldnt be avoided....So thats my story...if you do rehome Balto be sure he goes somewhere properly dont just give him away...He is still a puppy and has been caged for who know how long before you got him so has no idea how to react soo please just give him a chance and work with him...if you do rehome him then next time read up and be prepared before you get another husky..All them problems you said are a normal husky puppy and its A HUSKY THING!!! Not trying to be mean I am helping you out!! Please dont take it rude!! You can message me if you want and if you want to taalk through text to get through this time I will give you my number!!! We are all here to help and some may come of rude but its because some of us are pretty up tight about this breed and animals and only want the best..Im sure they dont mean to hurt your feelings!! And I will say sorry for them!! Good luck!!

[Applebear]

well thats when you need to take into consideration that there are many people who are just uneducated about the breed. This is why huskies aren't for everyone, because they act like little maniacs. lol don't let their negative feedback make you feel like you're failing. if you're working hard, you're doing a good job and it will eventually show in Balto's behavior.

 

 

It was not my intention to be negative, only to show her I can relate and things DO get better.

[Applebear]

It is def. not just for the honeymoon. It is a love less/love lots relationship. I worry about my cat as well, that was her home first and he has to learn that he cannot eat her. I am not sure how to do that. Walks are terrible, puppy class is terrible, going places is terrible, etc. At home he is golden except with the cat, other places not so much. It is very frustrating having people nag and complain about your dog and saying you need to control your dog or don't you teach your dog discipline. We try and them saying things like that really bring me down. I kind of feel like a failure, which I do NOT take well since I was told that by my parents since I was little (thank goodness later in life I was taken from my parents when I was younger

 

Trust me when I say I can relate. Ro is GREAT at home, but when people come around or we go places...he shifts into overdrive and loves to go deaf. He is learning to calm this behavior and listen a bit better, but it can be very draining at times. I use to not be able to walk past a squirrel without him hopping, screaming and basically sounding like he was being stabbed 50 times. People peeking out their windows, staring. I learned to turn around and go home. What did he learn...walk ends right there for that behavior. I stopped trying to get him to settle down, we just ended it. He still whines lightly at times, but NOTHING like before...I decided that was our compromise.  I have also made it habit to just say, "keep moving" so he knows to keep walking and less talking. I was outside once talking to a neighbor that came over with her dog and he shifted into this yowling mode, I said "excuse me, just a minute." Put him in the house and went back and had my conversation. He NEVER yowled and went into tantrum mode again after that. A lot of it is just showing them you aren't going to put up with that behavior. They WANT to be there, use that to your advantage.  

 

As for the cat, I relate with you there as well but sadly have no real good advice. I have a parrot I wouldn't trust one smidge with Ro, but it's a bit easier for me because I can control the situation, where a cat is much harder as that is their space too.

 

Just try to hang in there and don't worry about what others think of your dogs behavior. I use to think horrible things about myself because of it too, but once you figure out ways to work with it...things do get better. I hope you don't give up, and when you need help...ask these guys, they have helped me more than once with my overstimulated mutt from hell.

[Jay]

Sorry to hear you’re having such a rough time with Balto.  It does sound pretty typical with a husky though.   Many people on here have given you examples of what they went through, or are still going through with a husky. 

 

I went through similar difficulties, and there were times where I was ready to give him up.  He would do nothing but whine and cry in the crate, would act crazy around the house, destroying stuff.  I couldn’t go to my friend’s house with him because when I tied him outside he would howl, whine and cry, and do nothing but dig big holes in their yard.  When people came over, he acted crazy, jumping on people, running around.  Plus, he was so bad at nipping and biting! 

 

There were days all I wanted to do was cry, because I no longer had any freedom.  If I wasn’t at work, I was tending to Nikko.  I had to replace carpet, remotes, etc.

 

It WILL get better!  Nikko still isn’t calmed down, but his behavior has improved greatly.  I didn’t see any improvement until he was about 7-8 months old.  They WILL test you!  Try to keep your head up, and don’t feel like a failure, because I guarantee most of the people here have felt that way at one time or another!

[Mobezilla]

It was not my intention to be negative, only to show her I can relate and things DO get better.

I think LittleLuka's comment was aimed towards the part when Carrington said " It is very frustrating having people nag and complain about your dog and saying you need to control your dog or don't you teach your dog discipline.", and I believe she was referring to those people, not you. 

 

As others have said, it will get better. However, huskies /are/ notorious for not getting along with cats. Not that it cant be done, but most know before even getting a husky that it will require constant training and supervision for well over the next year, especially when the teens hit. It's obvious that you don't have a lot of spare time between school and work, and if you dont think you have the extra time to put into him that he's going to need to become a well behaved dog, then its only going to be more frustrating for you when he has his outbursts. You will doubt yourself, and him, and if it will ever get better. Re-homing may be in your best interest. However I believe you have put a lot of time and effort into making Balto the best dog he could be, if you're willing to go the extra mile (and the mile after that, and the mile after that..) then keep working with him.

 

I wish you the best of luck.