smiley783 Posted October 14, 2013 Report Share Posted October 14, 2013 Hi all, We have not long moved house (about a month and a week ago). At first Skye our huskie/Alsatian who is 2 was really good like she usually is. My boyfriend has spent a lot of time training her and we also took her to obedience training a few months. We have never had problems with her until now. She has started being so naughty, she digs up the garden, even though she has toys out there new and old, then when she is inside she has started to steal the babies toys (not our baby, the people we have moved in with) and also the babies dummies. She pooed in the house yesterday when we left her for an hour. Today i popped out for 10 minutes and my friend was here with the baby, she went to put the baby to bed and when she came down skye had gone into the study and into our housemates bag and taken his toothbrush and toothpaste and demolished them! She also leaned onto the worktop and took the crackling that was at the back of the worktop and was eating it. shes also ripped a cushion of mine into pieces. She has never been like this. she has toys new and old, we take her for walks, she has love and attention. I just don't know what to do. i am at the end of my tether and im worrying our friends will say she cant live here anymore. I spoke to the vets who have said about a plug in thing to calm her, my mum mentioned putting her in a crate with toys and her kong when out, the vet also mentioned seeing a behavior counselor called Claire arrowsmith but that would be a lot of money. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted October 14, 2013 Report Share Posted October 14, 2013 Hi Sharon Firstly, welcome to the forum. It sounds like she's stressed - is she crate trained? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emma Posted October 14, 2013 Report Share Posted October 14, 2013 Is she used to being left unsupervised? Huskies are known for the above things you have mentioned but if this is unusual and to suddenly appear at 2 years of age, I am wondering if it's a case of separation anxiety due to the new-ish environment? My Ice would eat my house if I left him uncrated when I left, and many others will likely tell you the same horror stories of ripped sofa's, beds, etc..... Crating and crate training is a useful tool and there are threads on here that can help you to gradually introduce her to this as smoothly as possible. The DAP diffuser the vet mentioned can be useful in calming some dogs as can a thundershirt, but honestly not one single product will work on every dog, it's usually a case of trying everything and seeing what works for you. Good luck, we're here if you need us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smiley783 Posted October 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2013 Thank you both for your quick responses. No she isnt crate trained and I dont have a crate at the moment so would have to buy one, im just not sure where on earth i would be able to put it as would be quite big, She has only just started doing these things, she has always been exceptionally good and we havent had any problems with her Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted October 14, 2013 Report Share Posted October 14, 2013 you don;t need a Huge one 42" would be ok for her - we have ours under the counter in the kitchen, have you anywhere like that?x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormy Posted October 14, 2013 Report Share Posted October 14, 2013 Crates are amazing tools i can pretty much go anywhere and they settle quite quickly in their crates Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted October 14, 2013 Report Share Posted October 14, 2013 It does sound like it's stress from the move to a new house. Hopefully she will settle down soon. Something to think about. don't judge a dogs actions in Human terms. The ripped cushion, you may have spilled something on it (even weeks or months before) and the dog is trying to get at that nice smell in the cushion. If you leave stuff out, especially food, don't be surprised if the dog has it. Try baby stairgates to keep the dog out of areas that she's not allowed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emma Posted October 14, 2013 Report Share Posted October 14, 2013 I haven't really got anywhere perfect for a crate either so decided to put it in the middle of the kitchen! still, it's a big enough room and one I only enter if forced to! ha ha.. Can often find second hand crates online which is cheaper but what I'd personally recommend is one with a metal bottom not the plastic tray kind as they slip out and can be problematic. A determind husky can destroy a crate but cable ties secured around certain parts of the frame should sort that one out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smiley783 Posted October 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2013 Im not sure if there would be anywhere to put a crate, will have to measure my room and dismantle it when we are here or something, worth a look at i think. As for the food thing, it was our house mates that left the food out and seeing as we are in their house and already disrupting it I cant ask them to move everything. The food was out and at the back of the worktop, in the whole 2 years we have had her she has never pinched food like that ever :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smiley783 Posted October 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2013 Thank you, im going to have a look at crates as I think if I can find somewhere to put it that would be great. Our problem is that it isnt our house and we only have our room which is ours. We have already caused enough problems with the dog digging up the garden, escaping, chewing thier things and there isnt much free space here. I think putting a crate in their way would annoy them even more and we need to stay living here at least til February Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emma Posted October 14, 2013 Report Share Posted October 14, 2013 yeah, I see your point. Maybe a bit of bedroom furniture shuffling is in order? Awkward, but well worth crate training in the long run. Destruction is costly but not as costly as an operation to remove an obstruction should any of the broken furniture become ingested. that was my biggest fear with Ice, that he'd end up eating the stuff he destroyed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smiley783 Posted October 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2013 I agree, I would hate for anything to happen to Skye. I have just taken her for a long walk to get my boyfriend from the bus and then back, she is now passed out thank god! In our room there is maybe about a metre walk way by 3 metres but the door opens up into it and the radiator is in the middle. You basically walk in, the bed is on the left and the tv is at the end of the bed with a little gap inbetween so hardly any room. There may be a small space in the dinning room, I will measure it tomorrow. What size by what size is your crate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mydiamond Posted October 15, 2013 Report Share Posted October 15, 2013 hi Sharon and Skye welcome to H-O I have no suggestions about crates because my boy is not crated as well, but I do vote for stress as well. In a dog's eyes (dogs not puppies), everything new is scary. And just now everything changed at the same time in Skye's world. Destructive behavior is caused by a whole lot of things, but... Yes, stress is one of them. Try to walk her a little further and play with her some more. Not sure if it'll help a lot but at least when she's tired she won't destroy anything. She'll adapt soon, that I am sure of, it's just that the process might be a little stressful for both you and Skye Btw "that plug-in thing to calm her" you mentioned might be the DAP diffuser. Do try that device. I've heard a lot of good reviews about them good luck xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmscott Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 · Hidden Hidden Dogs are not the worlds greatest generalizers. You should start back at training 101 and help her "remember" all the behaviors from the last home, apply to this one too. Link to comment
Husky-gunner Posted October 15, 2013 Report Share Posted October 15, 2013 first of all welcome to husky owners good to have you with us i think the plug in you talked about maybe this one http://www.amazon.co.uk/Adaptil-Diffuser-Pack-Appeasing-Pheromone/dp/B001A2X950 and the dog crates talked about are like this one http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ellie-Bo-Puppy-Folding-Non-Chew-42-inch/dp/B003627LBU/ref=sr_1_4?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1381838668&sr=1-4&keywords=dog+crates please keep us updated on how things go and most of all please dont feel you are on your own you can come on here and have a rant in our steamroom if that helps we are always here to lend an ear for anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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