Frustrated New Sibe Owner

[Tsnyderkc]

Hello, I'm new to the forum and new to owning a husky. I've had Danes and Weims so I'm having trouble connecting to this aloof breed. To make it harder, our 10-month Chinook has been extremely challenging. Besides the digging, shedding, always on leash and food allergies, he chews everything! We've already spent over $1000 on emergency surgery for swallowing a towel and special food for his sensitive stomach. Can anyone give me some hope that 1) it will get easier and 2) I can connect with him on some level to make all this trouble worthwhile. I want it to work out. In 42 years, I've never given up on a dog.

[Val (Zebedee)]

Hi Tanya, welcome to the forum.

 

When I got my first Sibe 9 years ago, I wondered what had hit me! My OH and I had both had other breeds before (Staffies & GSD's)  and thought we'd be ok but this dog wouldn't listen, was stubborn, had selective hearing. We thought it was us doing something wrong. Until we fell across this place & started reading what other members were posting. We had a "lightbulb" moment - we didn't have a dog, we had a husky. From then on, our attitude to her changed & she changed too. We asked lots of questions and read up on others posts which helped immensely. But the best thing was going back to basics & keeping her mentally stimulated so she didn't eat half the house!

 

Have a read through our training section, there's loads of ideas to mentally tire him out as well as physically and a tired husky is a happy husky (with happy owners!) Also check the food you are feeding is not making him hyper i.e. is not for working dogs unless you do work him etc

 

Good luck 

[Mazz]

Welcome to the forum. Siberian Huskies are one of the most challenging and yet rewarding breeds. Our very first Husky was so much of a challenge, we almost gave her up. But we stuck it out and she became one of the most loving and precious dogs I have ever owned. Some people are not cut out for Huskies. We currently have three, with the newest being a male puppy a bit over eight weeks. Have you had him neutered? Sometimes that helps. Also they need a lot of interaction and exercise. They can be aloof, and always determine what's in it for them. Digging can be a problem with some. You might try to set up a specific area and train him to dig in that area only. Not an easy task, but it is doable. Chewing is also a habit they develop. Find safe alternatives for chewing and introduce those. At ten months, he is at that stage where they can be difficult. Just stay a few steps ahead and don't give up. It does get better.

Huskies in the Heartland

[mydiamond]

Hi, Tanya. Sorry to hear about Chinook needing a surgery they always find a way to scare you, don't they? I adopted mine at 14 months old, diving head-first to the world of dog ownership with zero prior experience about canines let alone this special breed. He chewed everything, too. Including a plugged-in power cord that someway somehow did not hurt him (but boy did it scare me). He grew out of it when he turned two.

 

Some Huskies are very cuddly, but mine--and yours too as it seems--is very cat-like. He used to follow me around, but then high school became hectic and we grew a little distant. He stopped following me ever since. I can disappear on weekend trips or even two-week long home stay programs and he won't even bat an eyelash when I come home. Yet, randomly and without prior cues, I'd find him laying near my feet when I'm working on a paper or watching crappy TV shows. He doesn't snuggle up, but it felt special. He never licks me ever, but through these little random things I know that this dog loves me too. I am originally from Indonesia, and that's where Diamond lives still. As the day I had to fly to The States for college drew closer and closer, honestly the only thing I worried about is whether the rules and daily regimes I've made for the dog will be upheld or not. I never even thought that Dime would miss me, much less notice I was gone. He was being his usual aloof self all day during my last day in Indonesia. But then the moment I picked up my luggage and walked out the door, he stared right into my eyes, slowly sinking to a seated position as I disappear beyond his line of vision. Then he started howling every single night, and going upstairs to my room knowing full well he's not allowed there (this is the dog that always respects the house rules). I guess he just knows this time I won't be back so soon.

 

So I guess the moral of the story here is that they don't convey their love out loud the way most Labs and Goldens do, but that doesn't mean the love isn't there. They're just playing cool about it, without the sun glasses.

[Tsnyderkc]

Thanks everyone, it helps to know there is support out there. Yes, he's neutered and yes, I will check out the training forum. He has 2 acres and a Weimaraner to help tire him out, but I need to work on mentally tiring him out. I'm just not used to the lack of responsiveness- he's not praise motivated at all. He will lick me and stand close for a belly rub. When I come home he will do a little yodel and come up to me but he doesn't wag his tail. Is that normal? I never know if he's happy.

[goingsolo]

Yes its normal Solo doesn't wag his tail much just holds it higher when he sees something. He also answers back, we have actual arguments lol. He is affectionate though, usually as a distraction We have Charlie for rail waggingm Solo for entertainment. Love em both. Welcome ti the forum.

[Dan]

Welcome to the forum! My boy will occasionally slowly "wag" his tail if he's excited, but for huskies usually they just hold it more upright. Like most people here I went through the same thing (well, not so much the destructive part). Rest assured if you put in the time and effort, it'll always get better. Same with everything in life

[mydiamond]

Thanks everyone, it helps to know there is support out there. Yes, he's neutered and yes, I will check out the training forum. He has 2 acres and a Weimaraner to help tire him out, but I need to work on mentally tiring him out. I'm just not used to the lack of responsiveness- he's not praise motivated at all. He will lick me and stand close for a belly rub. When I come home he will do a little yodel and come up to me but he doesn't wag his tail. Is that normal? I never know if he's happy.

 

I... honestly never known a Husky that is praise-motivated. Mine is cheese-motivated. I understand though, I mean... if I were in his shoes, why would I want to go through all these tasks just to receive a pat on the back and a "you're doing great, Liv!"? Surely I want a physical reward! If not money, then cheese!

 

Mine vaguely wags his tail. But usually I know he's happy by reading his eyes and ears x

[psychgrl]

First of all, welcome to the forum!  As you've seen already there are tons of people here that have tons of experience and great advice.  I'll share my experiences with huskies in case there's anything helpful in what I did.    So I had my first husky almost 20 years ago (she just passed away about 4 years ago) and she was very aloof like your guy.  I definitely burned off her energy by taking her on long walks everyday but that wasn't enough.  I actually had to mentally stimulate her through training but I also took her out and about with me everywhere so she was exposed to new situations and stimuli.  Not only did this help keep her more calm and focused but it really bonded the two of us.  I don't think huskies are typically one person dogs but this girl was as close as could be.  The vocalizations are also a way to tell that they connect with you-my first girl and I talked back and forth all the time (I, too, experienced the arguments referred to above) and even my pup "talks" to me already.

 

Now my current puppy is still young enough to be sweet and cuddly (three months old) but I expect her to become more aloof as she gets older.  I've had German Shepherds in addition to huskies and I do like how easy shepherds are to work with BUT I've always really loved and respected the independence of the huskies.  They can be much harder to connect with in a typical sense but, once you do, it's much more like a partnership and nothing compares to that.

 

Good luck with your guy!  It can be frustrating at that age but keep with it and it will get better.  And as a couple of people above have stated-food works really well as a motivator since many huskies aren't necessarily as responsive to the praise and affection.  Case in point-I'm working on the recall with my girl and if I call her and she comes and she gets praise, she looks at me like I'm nuts.  Bring out the treats and she can't come back to me fast enough!

[NOBELHOWLUC49]

  and 

 

 

As a puppy Noah was stubborn, could be very aloof at times and was a chew monster,  I can remember saying when Noah was about a year that I did not think I would ever own another Husky.  (I now have two Husky/Malamutes puppies).  But round about the year mark he changed, or did we change as we got to know the breed better? 

 

We have a GSD and she is the same age as Noah, as a pup she was far more affectionate, but she could be stubborn (and still is), easier to recall etc.

 

 

Noah is a very friendly dog to strangers and will want to jump on them, seems to crave their attention even, when we come home we get the same attention.  But for the most of the time though he can appear that he is not interested and bored.  I say appear cause that's all it is.  We call him uncle grumps and also a snobby dog, as he sits with his nose in the air in the garden. 

 

They are at times the most dignified dog you can own, the most playful, the most stubborn, most loving, the most destructive, and the most worrying.  But would I change any of this, nope.  He is just different in the way he shows his love, I will sometimes just catch him gazing at me with such focus that I know I am his world.

 

He is now the easiest to walk, and is treat focused with recall, although I would never have him of leash in an unenclosed area.   And patient to a fault.  Noah is two and a half years old.  He is so good when at the vets he never gets anxious, just a little concerned when he has his temp taken. 

 

So my summary is:  don't give up get wise to you Husky; there is a lot going on in their and a very special bond that no other woof will give, those silent moments when he looks at you will be more precious than being bowled over and licked to death. X  Trust me I am a convert.

Edited December 28, 2014 by NOBELHOWLUC49

[Dunc]

 

[robke]

TO 

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

Welcome to the pack , when my girl hit around 10 months she got VERY destructive , we crate trained her so she was crated when we went out and when we were home she had to be constantly supervised she did eventually grow out of it and now she's a wonderful obedient girl :-)

[sarahjng]

I've got two dogs, and before we got the first I did extensive research on the breed, read books, articles, etc etc.....

And still it hit me like a hammer, huskys are not normal dogs !! None of the books told me that, no one warned me !. They are stubborn, determined, cantankerous fur machines, and I wouldn't change mine for all the world.

As for the food allergies, have you thought about raw feeding ? My boy was a hypermaniac on dry food, almost constant zoomies, never settling, I joined this forum, got some advice and switched to raw and the change was drastic, literally 3 days and he calmed down (well, calmed down to normal husky levels !) it might be worth discussing with your vet

[Keeonah]

Good evening and   to the best husky forum in the world. I have had GSD's all my life and coming into husky ownership turned out to be the biggest challenge of my life. Well, almost. Upon purchasing my first husky I said to the breeder, "Is there anything special I should know?". "Yes" he replied "forget everything you ever learnt about dogs". That hit like a hammer but he was right. These dogs have given me so much fun. Learning to understand them is a challenge in itself.. Their ways, their mannerisms, the fact that they can tell the time. I could go on but why spoil it for you. It does get easier, trust me, you only have the one to contend with. I had 3 puppies to train and that was definately a challenge but I couldn't ask for a better pack than I have. Persevere and enjoy every second of it. The rewards will come. Good luck.

 

Gary.

[Carly]

Hello and welcome!

Most people have covered what I would have said, but just to echo....nothing prepared me for when we got Skye......I realised I was even less prepared when we added Holly, but we have gradually learned from eachother and me, my OH and the girls are happy little family now.

We wouldn't swap the digging, chewing, stupid expensive food is they both have sensitive tummies, getting up at 6am everyday because we can't reset Holly's body clock and three walks a day (in all weathers) for anything :0)

Hang in there

[Tsnyderkc]

Thanks! Do yours have food allergies? So far the only good that doesn't give chinook diarrhea or regurgitation is science diet zd canned food

.

[Carly]

Huskies are notorious for having what I call "stupid tummies" as I found out when I couldn't settle Skye in the beginning.

Both girls are now fed just enough for their weights (which doesn't look very much at all) twice a day on Taste of the Wild dry kibble (which is about £46 a bag here), they have raw chicken wings every other day in addition and only have a few carefully selected grain free gluten free treats.

Occasionally they will have a small chunk of cheese if I'm cutting some and even more occasionally will we let them have a crisp or something.

They also only have boiled water too, not straight from the tap.

We have to strict for their own sakes as well as ours, might sound a bit harsh to other dog owners of other breeds but I challenge them to deal with a husky with a tummy upset lol

Also, it does take a while to settle everything down when you first start your new relationship with a husky, it took about two weeks to settle Holly's tummy, even longer for Skye, but we stuck too it and got there in the end :0)

Edited December 28, 2014 by Carly

[gypsydal]

 Upon purchasing my first husky I said to the breeder, "Is there anything special I should know?". "Yes" he replied "forget everything you ever learnt about dogs". That hit like a hammer but he was right. These dogs have given me so much fun. Learning to understand them is a challenge in itself.. Their ways, their mannerisms, the fact that they can tell the time. I could go on but why spoil it for you. It does get easier, trust me, you only have the one to contend with. I had 3 puppies to train and that was definately a challenge but I couldn't ask for a better pack than I have. Persevere and enjoy every second of it. The rewards will come. Good luck.

 

Gary.

 

 

 

What Gary said!!

You've come to the right place to help keep you sane. No amount of research prepared me for my first husky...and I also had lots of dog experience beforehand. I'm not sure it gets easier, rather than you learn to deal with their little weird ways. And you find ways to minimise the devious tricks.

 

I admit I'm lucky in that both my girls they are very loving, and the youngest is like my shadow. She's there on my feet ALL the time. She even jumped in the shower with me last week......not invited I hasten to add!!!..she's not even allowed to come upstairs, but for some reason she decided it was time she was.

 

My eldest likes her own space sometimes, and will spend hours in the garden by herself, but she also loves lots of cuddles, so i don't really know how it feels to have an aloof husky.

 

Have you considered home cooked food for your furball? One of mine had a very sensitive stomach and since I switched to homecooked and RAW food she's been fine

[Austinville]

Hello, I'm new to the forum and new to owning a husky. I've had Danes and Weims so I'm having trouble connecting to this aloof breed. To make it harder, our 10-month Chinook has been extremely challenging. Besides the digging, shedding, always on leash and food allergies, he chews everything! We've already spent over $1000 on emergency surgery for swallowing a towel and special food for his sensitive stomach. Can anyone give me some hope that 1) it will get easier and 2) I can connect with him on some level to make all this trouble worthwhile. I want it to work out. In 42 years, I've never given up on a dog.

How old is he?

 

Sibes are some of the most challenging canines you will ever be owned by. They are unique in that they are 'thinking' dogs. That is to say that they will hear a command/request and take into consideration how and if it will benefit them.

 

To best understand the breed, consider learning about their heritage. These wonderful beasties, for centuries had a job. That job was to run, pulling sleds in the winter. During the summer months, they were released to fend for themselves. Hence, their tendency to run and need large amounts of exercise along with their high prey drive.

 

Be patient.

 

Teach the commands 'drop it' 'leave it' and 'on-by' as you are out on walks. Be consistent in your training. One slip or one missed opportunity to correct a situation is, in their eyes, a 'vote' to allow the situation to continue and training begins all over again.

 

Another good command to teach is 'settle'. A wiggly pup, taught to 'settle' will, as an adult, calm down when the command is given.

 

Never give up.

[elenamarie]

Thanks everyone, it helps to know there is support out there. Yes, he's neutered and yes, I will check out the training forum. He has 2 acres and a Weimaraner to help tire him out, but I need to work on mentally tiring him out. I'm just not used to the lack of responsiveness- he's not praise motivated at all. He will lick me and stand close for a belly rub. When I come home he will do a little yodel and come up to me but he doesn't wag his tail. Is that normal? I never know if he's happy.

 

Welcome! You're in the right place, many wonderful and experienced people are here.

 

Siberians are unlike any other breed of dog in terms of their thought processes and behavior. I can't stress enough that you need to learn how to communicate with Chinook and understand his behavior in order to address the problems you're experiencing. Handling a Siberian like you handle your Weimaraner simply won't work. Siberians simply do not process the world like other dogs.

 

My four year old Sibe couldn't care less about praise. Like most other Siberians, she's an independent thinker and isn't impressed with a "good dog!" as a reward. When she was a pup I had to use food as a motivator, it was the only motivator she cared about. Over time as we developed our relationship I phased out the use of food for most obedience commands but even now I still offer her a food reward on occasion.

 

Siberians are challenging to be sure but once you understand him, and learn to communicate with and handle him effectively, your life with Chinook will become something others envy. I wholeheartedly recommend that you spend some time learning how Siberians communicate and think so you can begin to communicate with Chinook in a way he understands. It's not your fault, most people don't know that Siberians require completely different handling than other dogs.

 

Again, welcome and a scratch for Chinook!

[elenamarie]

To best understand the breed, consider learning about their heritage. These wonderful beasties, for centuries had a job. That job was to run, pulling sleds in the winter. During the summer months, they were released to fend for themselves. Hence, their tendency to run and need large amounts of exercise along with their high prey drive.

trem

^^^THIS^^^

 

When a Siberian is pulling a sled, they have to be able to asses terrain, etc. to keep the team and driver safe. The driver doesn't have reins or a leash on the dogs and the dogs developed the ability to think about their surroundings and develop strategies to keep themselves, their teammates and their driver alive. If the driver is telling the team to gee, but the dogs know that going left means they're all going off a cliff, they will disobey the driver because they know the driver is wrong. For at least a thousand years of Siberian breed development in the harsh lands of artic Kamchatka the same traits that are driving you batty were critical to the tribe and dogs' survival.

 

Definitely spend some time reading about the Chukchi tribe and their development of the Siberian breed. It will help you tremendously.

[Tsnyderkc]

Thanks! Ours is 10 months

[Austinville]

At 10 months, he is only beginning to challenge you. My best advice is to train them the way you want the adult to be. If you (and I'm not saying you do) think it's adorable when your itty-bitty husky jumps and nips, remind yourself that it won't be so adorable when he weighs 70 pounds and does it.

 

I knew that I wanted my girls to visit nursing homes and schools, so as a pup, I began training Ryn to be calm. (You could almost say she's the laziest husky in the world.) Tunes came as a rescue at 1 1/2 years old and nearly 2 years ago already. She quickly learned the ropes by watching Ryn. Thank goodness!

 

Take charge now or............well, you get the canine you train!

 

People often comment on how well behaved my girls are. I pride myself on what they can do/accomplish at nursing homes and schools when we visit. I do remind folks who comment on their behavior that they don't come this way. It takes months, days and years of consistent training.

 

Ryn still challenges me at times. Stubborn girl that she is, but she knows the tone of voice and knows when my patience is wearing and she needs to pay attention to what's going on. When we enter a care center, she's so excited about visiting her elderly friends, but one look and she's little miss quiet and content.

[elenamarie]

People often comment on how well behaved my girls are. I pride myself on what they can do/accomplish at nursing homes and schools when we visit. I do remind folks who comment on their behavior that they don't come this way. It takes months, days and years of consistent training.

 

When people make those comments about Sarah I tell them that it took two years of constant, every minute of every day training to get her to this point and I have to reinforce commands regularly to ensure that she doesn't decide she can ignore me now. Sibes simply do not train the same way that other breeds train. Most people don't believe it at first but I keep at it in hopes that people who think they want a Sibe think hard about it before getting one. I can't stand to see all the abandoned Sibes.

 

I have the most fun with it at the vet's office. It's a large practice with many vet techs and the ones we don't know are always shocked to see how well-behaved Sarah is while the vet is examining her, poking and prodding, etc. The last time this happened my husband asked the tech what was wrong (I was on the floor with Sarah and the vet) and the tech responded that she didn't think a "husky" could be that well trained. When I told her that it took two years she believed me the first time I said it, then said I ought to be the spokeswoman for how to obedience train "huskies." Um, NO! But it was a nice compliment.