Help Needed For Belle

[shayes19]

Hiya

I have had Belle for about 3 months now, we got her from people who weren't looking after her very well ie. no walks and leaving her on her own for hours. Anyway, for the most is seemed to be going okay, however there is still problems and although I am used to dogs, having already two lassie dogs, Belle is something else. She is very naughty and will get up onto worktops to steal food,  eats the bird food, even bulbs and simply wont be told off without growling at me.

Also my two old dogs are scared of her, they don't even want to go outside with her as she wont leave them alone and has recently started go for Alfie my 11 year old. I cant even put them in the car together. They were getting on fine so I don't know if she is getting too big for her boots and is after becoming top dog but it's not making life very easy. I feel that I am letting my two old dogs down and maybe I have taken on too much. Is there any suggestions that anyone can give me or do I simply try to rehome her. I really don't know what to do. I have never been a quitter and she is loving and great with the grandchildren, but how do I get this 18 month girl who has never had any training show respect. I know she is very attached to me already and I just want to do what is right. I need advice from people who know about Huskies.

[NOBELHOWLUC49]

Noah used to jump up on the Table and eat the cat food.... Every time we saw him do it he got told to get down.  I refused to move the cat food, because that is where the cat eats his food.  He was a stubborn boy.. and it took a couple of months until  we cured this behaviour,  it just got less and less but we never allowed him to stay up there.  He never growled at us though but he has always been part of loving family unlike poor Belle.  He used to counter surf as well. 

 

Sounds like she missed so much when she was in her most formative months. 

 

We asked a trainer to come to our house and analysis how we were training the dogs mainly for lead training as they pulled like mad... first thing she said was to stop leaving the never ending buffet of complete food out for them.   Feed them at set times and pretend that you were eating it first... (Bella, well  the eating first worked because we made slurppy eating noises) I know it sounds a bit weird but their behaviour did change.  There was a lot of other things and we only had two or three sessions but they have been invaluable.  Oh I got told I was babying them to much..   and if I wanted a lap dog I should of got a lap dog.    They say the truth hurts.

 

Maybe this might be an idea for you to have a reputable trainer come to your house listen to her story see her behaviour with your other dogs.  Some one on the outside can often see where the problem is and with there experience put a plan into place to make life better for all of you. 

[shayes19]

I think that if we had her from a puppy it would be different, however getting her at 18 months, well, the bad stuff is now in her brain. She has just attacked my old dog Alfie for no reason. He was laying down chillin and she flew out of her crate to see where the cat was, she wouldn't come back so I had to put a lead on her to walk her outside and on route she decided to have a go at Alfie. I simply cant accept this behaviour. She just totally ignores me at times. So frustrating.  

[MollyCharly]

I am also new to husky but just would like to share my thoughts, as we have a young husky mix pup Molly as well, and an 5 years old dog, Charly.

 

First thing is like suggested, get her on training. She can't perform what she hasn't learn, so give her a chance and of course with positive rewards she would probably like to comply.

 

Secondly, don't give her too much freedom just yet. We fostered Molly's mom, Sky, while she was pregnant and we've witnessed how persistent she could be, but with different approaches, she gave in, so we kind of being prepared for what the pup would be :-)  Molly was a very bold puppy with Charly, she would tried everything, and she still does. We had to separate them a lot at the beginning, now it Is down to around 3 times a day when she is at her energy spikes. When she is at that mode, there is no other way but put her in the back yard and play a little, she would start running around for a quick 5 mins then she calms down, it is just the build up of energy despite we've 3-4 regular walks daily.  If there is any comfort, we used to have to put Charly in another room, wait for Molly to fall asleep, then move Charly back to the bedroom, because we all sleep in the same room. There was no amount of effort could stop her harassing Charly, but she was simply too young then (8-10 weeks old). Now, we could simply body block or voice command her to leave Charly alone. I don't like to use harsh punishment, so if I am busy in the kitchen and she start harassing Charly, I'd just spray some water in her face. It is not nice to her and now she back off if she sees me coming her way. At times when she gets too rough on Charly and Charly yelps out of pain, I do grab her by her neck and pin her down, it is not alpha roll, I don't roll her over, I simply hold her down and told her off. Once she calm down, I let go, if she goes back to Charly (which she certainly tried at the beginning), I do the same thing again. Soon she realises I'll follow through, and she gives up. It will only take 5-10 mins, but the key is being persistence. You've already noticed that she is a loving dog, so it will get better.

 

You cant give her back the precious first 18 months of her life, but she has got a better life ahead of her. I supposed Husky is very different from Lassie dogs as they don't have the will to please you. Molly comes lick me when it is meal time, and that's the only times she do that ;-) To us Molly is definitely not easy puppy, but we are lucky that we have contact with the other puppies' owners through facebook group so we all seek comfort knowing that our pup is not exclusively 'difficult'. If anything, Molly is the mellow ones... hard to believe because we too are frustrated at times, but it is just a phase.

 

hope this help. I am glad you saved the dog from the previous poor condition.

 

 

 

 

 

[MollyCharly]

another thing is has she been socialising with other dogs yet? For Molly we noticed she was bully-ish towards our own dog but she learned very fast that she can't fool around with every dogs. I think she got some canine corrections a few times at the dog park and it helps her a lot, because Charly is way too soft with her and not really teaching her manners. So maybe let her meet and play with other dogs that you know and trust?

[mydiamond]

I don't have advice regarding counter surfing (that's stealing food from the table -- just in case) since I've never dealt with that, but I can tell you that her age *doesn't matter*. You can train, retrain, teach and reteach a dog anything at any age. Don't let her age or background distort your expectations. Be positive and optimistic! Three months is a very short time. She probably still hasn't trusted you or the rest of your pack yet. I really doubt this has anything to do with dominance ("top dog" etc). That word is insanely overused these days.

 

About her being naughty: Like Jen has explained above ^^^ Huskies are very different from your "typical dogs" (or "Lassie dogs", that's a great term). They are like little people with four legs. Each is an individual with their own personality. They are not the kind of dog that do as you say flawlessly wherever whenever. Training a Husky requires a two-way respect. Meaning: you have to respect the dog, too, if you want them to respect you. Always keep in mind that your dog has her own opinion on things (like what they tolerate and not tolerate, for example) and sometimes you gotta listen to them instead of them listening to you. Instead of focusing on "why isn't she listening to me/following my commands?", try: "what is she trying to say now?".

 

About her growling: that may be a sign of resource guarding. Before I go there though, I'd like to remind you that growling does not mean she is mean or trying to be. It is simply a way of communication. It's her way of saying "no, dude, this is mine. Don't touch my stuff!". There are lots of methods to help with resource guarding you can read in here, but unfortunately I can't offer you any advice since I've never dealt with it hands-on in real life. It's 100% curable though!

 

About her not getting along with your other dogs: I did hear the word "cat" being mentioned there. Without intending to sound condescending, did you know that this breed has a very high prey drive? Sometimes when a dog is in their "hunt mode", they become "blind" for a moment and may bite if you obstruct them from their prey. It seems like Alfie is non-intentionally blocking Belle from your cat. If that's not the case, do provide more details so we can work out another hypothesis.

 

About her not wanting to leave your two alone: again, I don't want to sound condescending but can you tell the difference between over-exuberance and real aggression? Like most young Huskies, she's probably just excited. And like most senior dogs, your two are simply not interested of her invitations to wrestle. But I must note that if Belle is being pushy or just not getting the cues, then she needs intervention. Time-outs, maybe. It would be even better if your seniors growl at her, teaching her to back off if her invitation is not accepted. I do think that Belle would benefit from a group play with well-socialized dogs so she can learn from them. It sounds like this young lady needs a lesson on etiquette x but again, it does not mean she is mean or anything. She's just being a puppy! Being neglected in her first few months of life, she probably never got a chance to be one.

 

Lastly, I'd just like to say that I understand your frustration. You're not alone on this. I still remember when I first adopted Diamond. His nickname back then in my diary entries was "demon dog". Today, he resembles an angel loads more. Having pretty much gone through the boat you're currently in (more or less, probably less), I have a bad news and a good news for you.

 

The bad news: neglected/abused dogs take a long, long time to rehab/retrain/re-socialize. My dog only turn into the social butterfly he now is after almost two years of constant struggle. Within his first three months at home, I don't even have time to think about how to correct his behavioral issues. I just thought about how my house would look like several months in the future! At his fifth or sixth month at home, I started thinking of returning the dog to his foster home. I thought; heck, I've worked with this dog for almost six months and nothing has changed. Maybe I'm not the best fit for him. But I persevered someway somehow, and here I am today looking back. You'd be in my place too soon! Just stay there!

 

The good news: you've found us! This forum has been incredibly helpful for both me and many other members. Every time you need to ask/confirm something, anything, you're very welcome to shout up. Just ask, we'd answer. We're an international forum with members occupying many different time zones, so even if it's midnight in your part of the world and you decided to post a question, there would still be someone to help/talk to. People here are of the friendliest kind, not to mention knowledgeable and heavily experienced in various fields. We're more than happy to help you help Belle! x

[Martian]

It sounds as though you are struggling but for the very best of intentions.

I also respect everyone who is prepared to take on any 'rescue' animal.

As you are probably aware the 'Husky' is certainly not your average 'well behaved' canine companion as they are strong willed and they WILL challenge you at any given opportunity - although I have found that the severity of the circumstances lessens, considerably, with time, (Skye only challenges me when I am calling her in to the house and she will sit, just outside the back door, ready to pit her whits against mine)!

Your situation is further complicated due to the simple fact that Belle may not have had the best start in life, (a situation that you have already identified), so her behaviour may well be further exagerated than that of a similar age Husky that has had a good upbringing.

I do like Kati's suggestion whereby you consider professional assistance, ASAP, as this would then serve to provide you with some clear guidance as to how you should start Belle's training regime or, (and I certainly hope that this is not the case), the trainer may suggest that Belle may not be suited to your environment.

I will always state that I am not an expert, (although we have had plenty of challenges over the years), and I am also one to persevere, (I have yet to be beaten), but not without a great deal of drive, determination and time.

I will always add that exercise is a great bonding agent, (taking Belle out with one or both of your other dogs - if you can manage it), so that they all start to learn that they are a 'pack' and they will then start to share experiences together and the more tired you can get them the better!

In addition to the above a visit to the vets is always a good idea just in case Belle is in pain or suffering some form of discomfort which will not help her interpersonal skills!

Ultimately the decision will be down to you but if you do have the time to devote to Belle I am sure that you can turn her around and she will fit in well with your existing dogs, (subject to her receiving plenty of exercise, training and regular healthchecks).

We started with a Labradoodle puppy, (Cassie), and when she was three we then 'rescued' 3 year old Luna, (Luna also had a troubled start in life), and the first few days were ok.

About two weeks into the new relationship Luna 'attacked' Cassie which caught us by surprise as we thought they had bonded, (we were always very careful but my wife managed to let them get too close whilst eating one day), and food and toys are the primary cause of 'fall outs'.

We then acquired a 3 year old rescue 'Sprollie', (Lysa), who is one of the most skittish dogs on the planet and we then went through the process of introducing our third dog to the pack.

Once again things started well but there was one occasion, (on the second day), when Luna went for Lysa and we then found ourselves visiting the vet as Luna had lacerated Lysa's throat and it was bleeding quite badly, (throats are always very visceral)!

This was only Lysa's second day with us!

As if that wasn't enough we took on a second Husky, (3 month female puppy who had already had three previous owners), and Skye has now been with us for nearly a year!

I am confident that all of our four dogs have bonded well and, (more importantly), established their own social hierarchy, (irrespective of what we think), and I know that they can be left together without any cause for concern.

Cassie and Luna play fight all the time, (sometimes very roughly), and Luna may participate if she feels like it.

Lysa is the pack 'underdog' she will not play fight but I have seen her take the ball away from all of the other dogs, (when their guard is down), and she is not afraid to stand her ground and growl if she thinks any of the others is getting too rough when playing.

It has been hard very work but I guess that what I am trying to say is that with the right attitude, lots of time and a readiness to undertake some serious training, (and see it through), then anything is definitely possible.