Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've read about both these dogs, and their temperaments kind of contradict eachother. So I'm going to wait a week or so until I see which side of the puppy is more dominant, the husky, or the Labrador.

But in the meantime.. I've read that Husky's should be on a harness leash when taken for walks.. and the puppy I'll soon be getting, has a Husky's body and a Lab's face, so I've been told. Should I get him a body harness or a neck leash?

>>I've read about both these dogs, and their temperaments kind of contradict eachother. So I'm going to wait a week or so until I see which side of the puppy is more dominant, the husky, or the Labrador.
>>
>>But in the meantime.. I've read that Husky's should be on a harness leash when taken for walks.. and the puppy I'll soon be getting, has a Husky's body and a Lab's face, so I've been told. Should I get him a body harness or a neck leash?

>>>>>>>>>>

Have a trainer advise you after meeting with the dog in person. It depends on temperament, which is unpredicable in a mix.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series at www.veterinaryforum.com

I wouldn't want to put a harness on a dog until the dog has learned not to pull on a leash. In fact, I only use a harness when I'm using a flexi-leash. On a 6-foot lead I want them to learn to walk nicely without pulling.

its good that you want to start training early. pups are learning so you want to guide them in the right direction from the start. this is a wonderful opportunity to bond & with a good foundation, the later training will fit into place.

you are getting breeds that are very head strong - both physically & tempermentally. its up to you to provide strong leadership & gain the respect of this pup. so that he will enjoy/prefer to follow you.

there are some good training books in the library that teach how to train your dog with treats & not even using a leash/collar in the beginning.

a phrase like 'watch=it' said in a pleasant tone while holding a treat down low in front of pup's face while he is on your left as you walk along is a wonderful way to begin.

do this in short sessions several times a day, you want to (always) set up your pup to suceed so he will get that treat/praise. if you begin like this, you can basically ignore any mistakes he makes.

its good to have the pup get used to collar & leash, but once he learns to pull then you could have more difficulty training. as he is focussing on you/treat, then he can drag a leash, so that if he does get distracted, he won't run off.

with this 'watch-it' you can make turns, slow or speed up pace. add sit & you might have a dog that is basically healing without using the leash.

you can do this inside or in your own backyard without distractions at first, then add distractions gradually, always getting more successes.

you won't want to take the pup out too much at first, until he has all his puppy shots & vet oks it. maybe 12wks?

another great bonding/important exercise is as much handling as possible & brushing. you can do this mostly when pup is tired. helps if he has some toy/nylabone in his mouth while you brush.

my personal most valuable lesson is 'wait'. started early is so easy.
pup in crate, open door waying in slow drawl 'wait' hold pup gently until he relaxes then 'ok' in cheerful tone.
done consistantly won't take long, you can say, after the ok, 'go-out' then 'potty'. use 'get-in' to put back in crate for feeding.

add 'collar' so you say 'wait' then put collar on, then 'ok'. I like this one so later if dog is out running free then you call him, he will expect to come/sit/wait/collar. you can have one collar/leash on him, then practice putting another collar on several times in a row.

very important to get dog used to you grabbing neck (not to scare him) with lots of praise & commands.

hope this helps, you see that the training is part of daily routines (wait also works well with retrieving games - that'll be interesting a lab loves to but a husky???) & everything fits together.

write down your plan step by step, it takes practice. & highly reccomend the training classes with positive reinforcement.

So, my puppy is now in the teething stage... he's chewing EVERYTHING in sight, himself sometimes as well. I've gotten him to not chew the furnitures as much, but I still need to remind him everyonce in awhile. Can anyone please help me with this problem? I've tried:

When he bites me, I yelp or say OW!, and walk away. But then he'd usually just find a slipper and carry it away to savage it.
When he bites something I don't want him to, I say "bad bite!" and make my hand into a fist, then I say "chew toy" and give him a toy. I praise him when he plays with the toy.

He doesn't seem to understand this, and always repeats everything. Can someone help me by telling me what I'm doing wrong or suggesting any other techniques?

Also, I happen to not be crate training him anymore. He's somewhat potty trained though. I'd wake up everytime he wakes up, about once every 3 hours, and let him out in the grass to go. He's accustomed to going in the grass, but I'd rather him go in our backyard, cement. He refuses to go though, he holds it in while he's back there and sometimes let's it go in the house... any suggestions?

patience...smile

just be consistant with what you are doing when he gets nippy, & make an effort to puppy-proof your place, much as you would for a visiting 2 yo child.

as for him pottying on the cement? the only idea I have, is to pick a bunch of grass to put ON the cement & see if that works? otherwise just stay out until you are sure he's finished which the more he does the 'wrong' thing the more he'll continue - got to break that cycle & it may take extra effort for a while, but lavish the praise when he does.

BTW, about 'wait' on prev. post, I should add that a young pup will only 'wait' for a second or 2 at first, it'll take time for any longer, so be sure to get that praise in quickly for the least amount of wait - got to work in small steps.

often when it seems that they aren't getting it, they are really soaking up the learning & it will pay off eventually.

Yeah it sounds like you're doing everything right. Puppies just take time and patience that's all. You have to stand your ground and out wait them however long it takes.

Keep on redirecting the chewing, that¡¯s good, and praise, praise things he should be chewing. Just leave plenty of things laying around, old clothes etc. Mine loves slippers and shoes too but she now understands ¡°leave it¡± and drops it straight away. I don¡¯t really get the whole teething phase! I mean I know what it is physically but I¡¯m never sure if it¡¯s started or finished or just a continual thing. I have one of her teeth that fell out and she was growling and crying and chewing like crazy for 2 days but then it stopped. No doubt it will start up again soon!

I didn¡¯t quite understand why you make a fist when he¡¯s chewing something you don¡¯t want him too. That could appear threatening and intimidating to a puppy. I just take away what mine¡¯s chewing that she shouldn¡¯t be chewing, give her something she should be chewing and then praise her. Maybe the fist signal is confusing yours.

I didn¡¯t do the crate training either but then it really comes down to your own personal lifestyle and common sense and for her and me the crate isn¡¯t necessary. Maybe because she¡¯s older I can leave her in the apartment on her own and she¡¯s fine. She does sleep in it though with the door open and any traveling we do she just sits on my lap.

Don¡¯t know about the cement issue but I think just persevere. Eventually if your puppy has to go he has to go and eventually he will and then he will get used to the cement under his paws.

He usually needs to go about every 3 hours or so, or when he wakes up. So I took him out to the cement today, and stayed out their for half an hour with him. He didn't want to go there, and I was getting really cold and sleepy too! So I just gave in and let him out to the grassy area, and he went right away! I know its not good letting in like that, but I'm finding it hard to train him to go on the cement.

And as for making the fist thing when he chews on stuff I don't like. I'm not sure why I do it, I think it's just my instincts kicking in. But when I do that, it's harder for him to bite hard on me, but when he does bite the fist, I say ow! and walk away. I think he might be learning to control his biting. Some of his bites don't hurt as much as others.

I read an article that might help with the potty issue. Next time Eikon poops on grass, scoop it up and then place it on the cement. When he next needs to go poop take him to the cement and he will smell his own scent and it should give him the urge to go there. It sounds a bit unsavory I know but it seems to make sense and it sounds like it will make your life a lot easier if it works.

As for the fist I think most people would say that any puppy mouth to human skin contact should be discouraged from the earliest age. I just worry that by putting your hand into a fist is like telling him it¡¯s ok to bite that instead and then if anyone goes to stroke him or pat him then he might see the hand and think its an open invitation to bite.

>>So, my puppy is now in the teething stage... he's chewing EVERYTHING in sight, himself sometimes as well. I've gotten him to not chew the furnitures as much, but I still need to remind him everyonce in awhile. Can anyone please help me with this problem? I've tried:
>>
>>When he bites me, I yelp or say OW!, and walk away. But then he'd usually just find a slipper and carry it away to savage it.
>>When he bites something I don't want him to, I say "bad bite!" and make my hand into a fist, then I say "chew toy" and give him a toy. I praise him when he plays with the toy.
>>
>>He doesn't seem to understand this, and always repeats everything. Can someone help me by telling me what I'm doing wrong or suggesting any other techniques?
>>
>>Also, I happen to not be crate training him anymore. He's somewhat potty trained though. I'd wake up everytime he wakes up, about once every 3 hours, and let him out in the grass to go. He's accustomed to going in the grass, but I'd rather him go in our backyard, cement. He refuses to go though, he holds it in while he's back there and sometimes let's it go in the house... any suggestions?

>>>>>>>>>>>..

This site has articles that deal with the things you're asking about, including Puppy Biting, Destructive Chewing and several housetraining articles:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47
-----
Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series at www.veterinaryforum.com

I have a 7 year old husky lab mix. He is the best dog that we have ever owned. I do not use a harness only a leash. He is very obedient and he has never had any training other than with my husband and myself at home.The one thing that you will need to be cautious with is owning other dogs of the same sex. Then the husky in him will show and he will try to beome the alpha male.

"I have a 7 year old husky lab mix. He is the best dog that we have ever owned. I do not use a harness only a leash. He is very obedient and he has never had any training other than with my husband and myself at home.The one thing that you will need to be cautious with is owning other dogs of the same sex. Then the husky in him will show and he will try to beome the alpha male."

That wouldn't be a probably, as typically my family is a one pet family. But my parents have been wanting our puppy to meet our 5year old GSD. Is your husky/lab good with dog friends? Does he or did he try to become the alpha male?

An update on my pup! He's still biting everything, no change there yet! But he's now used to going on the cement. Good boy! Lol, now our grass will maybe have a chance of living again!