Nightmare Rescue Pup

[daltor]

we rescued a 6 month male about 3 months ago - we are his 3rd home.

 

problems & activities to date.

 

1) he recently completely trashed the back seat & chewed the front seat belt of my wife's 2 year old car - about £600 + damage.

 

2) i checked my 2 year old  rav4 & discovered he chewed  3 of the seat belts - £325.

 

3) he continually steals food & anything else he can get from the kitchen worktops - we try to keep everything out of his reach but he's big for his age - for example tonight he scoffed 2 large iced creamed fingers & later about half a loaf - bags & all

 

4) he  gulps his food down so fast that he almost chokes himself & even trying to give him the food  is a challenge as he jumps up & won't let you give it to him.

even when you withhold the food &  make him sit, the moment you try to put it down he pounces on it sometimes knocking the plate from your hand.

 

5) generally he will try to eat anything be it animal, vegetable or mineral.

 

we have to 2 other huskies - admittedly they too of have had their moments of husky madness but this boy is a real furry nightmare.

 

any ideas - the vet has checked him out. also, he is now crated when transported in my rav.

[Mazz]

Sounds like a handfull. He may require more exercise. Do you walk him? How much protien % in to food you feed him? If it's more than 30%, you might consider a lower %. Finally, a behaviourist trainer may be of help. More ideas to help will be posted I'm sure.

Huskies in the Heartland

[jmscott]

As for the car, its a common trait in Sibes. Use a crate in the car if it is an issue. 

Never make it worth his while to BE up on the counters. It is self rewarding. If tasty smells and snacks are up there, then its worth getting up there. Wipe and spray down counters after every use. Move things to cupboards if needed. Even the toaster.

 

This is Dr. Sofia Yin's (RIP) video on food aggression but the methods can be the same for gulpers. http://drsophiayin.com/videos/entry/ben_guards_the_food_bowl
There are also slow down dishes that may be good for him. Try feeding them in crates. It can remove the competitive atmosphere and give you a food delivery system that isn't something he can force control over (like startling you into dropping it when trying to give it to him.)

[Mobezilla]

Sounds like my Lyon.

Took out my driver seatbelt and chewed a chunk in my passenger seat. So we crated him. Then he started pooping in the crate in the car. He's getting better but something you've gotta deal with.

 

If uncrated and has not had enough exercise, will go and grab the necks of the other dogs in play and latch down, or go to the couch and start destroying the cushions/blankets.

 

He's constantly trying to bite my feet, or my legs, or my arms or my hands. Always have to have a tug toy handy. 

 

I have two other sibes that are much more laid-back than Lyon. Just got lucky. Lyon's a typical true teenager through and through, sounds like yours is too, and you've just gotta hang on for the ride.

[Jase]

There is some great advice above.

 

Regarding the bench tops, here are two things that may work;

 

1. Wipe down the tops with white vinegar - most dogs don't like the smell and it is also a good cleaner. Smell will dissipate so if needed you can soak a few small cloths and strategically place them, so the smell lasts longer. 

 

2. Place some pot lids sightly hanging over the edge of the bench top, if the husky jumps up, it should knock the lid on the floor which will make an awful noise that may deter a second or future attempts?

 

Best of luck in solving the various issues.

Edited February 15, 2015 by Jase

[Rachael_Astro]

Astro used to jump for food, he knows now that he doesn't get anything unless he's sat nicely. I use the sit command before o give him his food (although he does it automatically now), and if I see him about to jump up for a treat etc I use a hand gesture of putting my hand out as if I'm saying 'stop', that has stopped him from jumping.

As others have said a slow feeder bowl would help too

[Emma]

Are you sure you don't have my dog?  Honestly you're describing Ice to a T, lol.   When we go out he's in the boot and the way the seatbelts are designed they sink into the frame in the boot area......you can guess where this is going right?  Yep, he destroyed both sets.  The only one still intact is the middle passenger belt because he couldn't reach it. 

He also used to eat at a rate of knots, he has since calmed down now but it took time.  One thing that i've seen others to help slow down eating is to use a slow feeding bowl.  Ice still tries to counter surf, even though there's nothing worth surfing.  No way would I even consider leaving anything out on the counter top, so now he likes to go into my washing up bowl and help himself to the plates.  I have to keep an eye on him and shout "down!" if I catch him in there.   He's an opportunistic dog, I need eyes in the back of my head, lol.

[Jay]

I would recommend the slow feeder bowls to help him with gulping the food down.  Kodiak and Yukon use these and it seems to help.  Also, they sell those puzzles that you hide treats in; you could get one of those and hide his food in compartments.  I also like the suggestion to feed him in the crate.

 

For counter surfing, like it was suggested, make sure anything on the counter is put away that he might get into. The pot lid idea is good too.  Watch him and everytime he gets up there yell OFF.

 

Hope it gets better!  With the proper training I think he will be fine

[daltor]

hi all - thanks for your replies.

 

i already  tried 'the dish' - it slowed him down a bit but he can still eat about 5 times faster than the girls.

 

the cars are sorted out (except for the bills) - for now we just crate him in the jeep.

 

forgot to mention - last week he started humping everything - legs, toys, washing machine, couches, clothes/washing  carousel -you name it - however strangely he doesn't bother with the girls - i think he's insane.

[jmscott]

This is the dish I have seen used. http://www.lambertvetsupply.com/GREEN-Interactive-Feeder-for-Dogs_p_5029.html

 

Also you can buy kong feeder balls and they make a racket, but only allow a little food out at a time.

 

Humping is a sign of an overstimulated dog. He may need more training exercises.

[Austinville]

First, remember that he's had three homes in his short life. Obviously, none of them had the patience he requires. I'd begin by crate training, honestly. And by feeding him by hand. He needs to learn that everything good comes from your hand(s).

 

I work with a rescue as an adoption counselor, and sadly, many are returned because of their tremendously bad habits. Finding proper and good adopters is difficult. I hope you'll continue to find the time and patience to work through these quirks!

 

Best of luck.

[SibeHush]

Stealing food... Put his leash on, put food on the counter to tempt him, be ready and when he reaches for it, say "No" in your regular voice, and then pop his collar firmly but not aggressively (use a flat buckle collar- pain is not the objective). Repeat until he takes notice of the food but instead of reaching, he turns his head away. At that point, mark the behavior with a 'yes', spoken again in your regular voice, and within 1 1/2sec of your 'yes' marker, give him a tasty treat (not a treat from the counter!). Rinse, repeat, continue practicing this until your dog makes the right decisions on a consistent bases.

 

Pushy at feeding time... Get his food bowl and only put a few morsels in it- have it within reach but don't hold onto it. Put your leash on the dog once again. Put him into a 'sit' position and once into position, reach over and grab his food bowl. If he brakes the command, give him a 'No' marker in your regular voice, put the food bowl back, and return your dog to his 'sit' or 'down' position. Once you're successfully holding onto his food bowl and he learns to remain sitting, look for eye contact and only then begin repeating all the previous steps when placing the food bowl on the ground. If he succeeds, give his 'yes' marker and let him inhale the morsels. Rinse, repeat, and extend the time you make him sit and hold eye contact before being allowed to get anywhere near his food bowl.

 

Eating anything and everything...  teach him a 'leave it' cue. Beyond that, thank the gods for providing you with such a high food driven dog. I WISH MY GIRL LOVED FOOD THAT MUCH- you have the ultimate training tool at your disposal- I have to use a rope toy attached to a long line (it's the only thing she'll actually work hard for and is quite cumbersome). As for your guy inhaling his food... rather then feed him his daily meals in one or two sittings, use his normal food for training rewards and feed him that way (the things I could do with a dog that has such a strong food drive... I miss my aussy )

 

Finally, addressing his car chewing issues... you should be using a travel crate. If you ever get into an accident, it's the safest place for him to be- not to mention it also solves his destructive issues. If don't want to use a crate, I advise you to correct any chewing using the means I mentioned for stealing food and afterwards provide him with a nylon bone or something that is okay for him to chew on instead of your seat belt and seats.

 

p.s. My methods may be frowned upon by some, but in my mind, our dogs communicate 'no' with one another by growling and enforce it by snapping. They don't do it to harm one another and in most instances it's utterly painless, yet still very effective. It's what they understand. It's what I employ. It works.