Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My husband loss his leg in Iraq and we got a 2 year old siberian husky from his hospital to train with for a companion dog and he attacked my husband and then went for my neck. I now have a bad taste in my mouth for aggression. So we decided to get a puppy instead and not a male a female. Her name is Blizz and we got her at 9 weeks and she is now 11 weeks. She is black and white siberian AKC registered beuaty. I am having a few minor problems and keep in mind this is my first dog ever!!!! I am doing alot of research and blizz starts obedience classes tomorrow. I had to stop crate training because she would cry all night for a whole week and get so worked up she would wet herself and lay in it. I have been putting her in our bathroom and that seems to be working out good. I am going to move the crate in there tonight and try her in our bedroom. I feed her 3 times daily at the exact same time everyday and I pull it up at the same time. No food after 6 and plenty of walks and I let her on a 25 foot inground leash during the day often. I still can not let her run at all in the house because she wants to pee. She goes outside very well and she knows how to sit, lay down, and stay. She isnt doing as great with the leash but we are working on it. She also seems to want to lick everything and bite so I have been doing the whole hold her tounge down and hold her snout and roll her on her back and stare her down. I have 4 kids and my husband is missing his right limb so not being agressive is something I want to be strict on. Any suggestions. Thanks for your time..........

Crissy

A Siberian Husky may not be the right breed for you, and a well-chosen adult dog would be much more stable than a puppy. Your methods for establishing dominance over the pup may cause problems. You really have your hands full, and it may just not be a good situation to try to raise a puppy.

One breed good for you might be a Labrador. They are very high on the list in both intelligence and trainability. They are I think still the number one breed chosen to assist people with various physical disabilities. And they tend to do well with children.

There are so many homeless Labradors, as well as many breeders with both puppies and young adults that could be perfect for you. It would be best to get a dog from a knowledgeable person prepared to remain available to you for questions and aid--and to take the dog back if things did not work out.

You might also be able to get a dog who would be trained to assist your husband. Again, a Labrador is a good choice. For an assistance dog, you need a trainer.

There are some big programs, but there are also small programs distributed around the country. Your local veterinarian and other dog people may be able to direct you to someone near you. I got my assistance dog from a local program here in my state called A New Leash on Life. There is no fee to me for the dog, though I like making donations to help others. Beware of a program or trainer who charges a fee. That training money should come from donations, not from the disabled people with whom the dogs are placed.

You will find tons of articles on all aspects of dog training and behavior, free and no password or other requirements, at the link with my signature. I really do urge you to consider changing dogs, and soon. It would be easy to find another home for a puppy. By the time you are really sure this is the wrong dog for you, she may be large and have various problems that make placing her in a new home much more difficult.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

The problem is the hair on a lab sends me into breathing problems. I have no probs with our siberian. I now have this siberian and I have got to give 200% to make this work. We may never reach full companion dog status but I am going to get as close with blizz as possible. My husband gets around better than most people with two legs. He really doesnt need any help at this point so this is a long term goal for us. I respect your excellent opinion and it may not work but I have to give it my best because this is my husband dream dog. I was in a car accident pregnant last year and was told I would never walk again and a year later I am running. I got blizz and I can and will not give up on her. I was unable to walk a year ago and 4 months later my husband lost his leg and shattered his arm in Iraq. Miracles happen and I am hoping I can pull this one off as well. Thank you for your opinion and any suggestions no matter the opinion can not hurt me at this point.

Okay, go to the link with my signature--it's to a Table of Contents of articles on behavior and training, all free and no registration or anything required. It is provided as a public service by the Veterinary Information Network.

Read these articles first (in the Table of Contents, titles of articles are in alphabetical order):

Housetraining Basics
Alpha or Leader

The Siberian Husky is a highly instinctive breed. It is essential that you train with positive handling, and do NOT do the roll-on-your back correction. That could cause a dog bite, especially as the dog matures.

The coat is going to become much more profuse, too. That may become a problem for you. You might look into a Furminator, I think it's called. The coat changes a lot as a dog matures, and here comes winter--it may be overwhelming.

Look for a class instructor who appreciates this breed. A lot do not. Siberian Huskies have been bred specifically to pull sleds. That means running, being leashed rather than loose, and some other things. They tend to be unreliable with cats and other smaller animals, because one thing they were often let/required to do was hunt down their own food! So they can be very predatory with smaller animals. Never leave a Siberian alone with a cat.

Siberian Huskies can learn tricks, and that would probably be a great idea. It's one more way to communicate with the dog and to learn handling. Positive methods must be used. Also read the article Toys as Tools for Dogs at the same link below.

Be sure to stick to ONLY one dog for at least two years. This dog needs the right start, and plenty of attention and training. Besides, with four kids, whew! One dog, especially one Siberian Husky, will be plenty!

Don't be surprised if you have big problems with the fur, since a Lab's coat bothers you. But if this is your husband's dream breed, and you guys handle her just right, it can be done.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

Thank you so much I didnt want to affend you. I know you know what you are talking about. I am going to take full advantage of you site. Problem with all my research is it becomes overwhelming to sort out what works and what doesnt. She has a private obedience instructor who has worked with mainly huskies and she is really good with blizz. We have introduced the clicker and blizz picks up very quickly. I am still fighting her with her kennel but feel I am going to hold off another month to build up her bladder control because she will go outside and I will put her in there and she will whine so bad she will pee where she lays. I moved her next to my bed and it doesnt seem to do any better. It is weird about my allergies because it isnt how much of the hair,it is the texture and different breeds bother me. Poodles are suppose to be good and they send me into a asthma attack it is really weird.

thanks again
crissy

Ah, here's another bit of info that may help. Pups don't develop good bladder control until 4 months, sometimes later. Read the crate training articles at my link, too. If the pup makes noise and gets let out of the crate, oops, that reinforces making noise to get let out of the crate.

That doesn't mean the pup then does it to be contrary. They think that is how things are supposed to work. Some pups will work themselves into a truly terrible state over being crated. What you might try is confining to a bathroom with a baby gate (stack two if she jumps over one) on the doorway for 2-3 weeks, and then try crate-training again. There are four articles starting with the word "Crate" in my Canine Behavior Series (link with my signature below), and those will help.

The last time I raised a puppy, she got housetrained at four months to the day! Prior to that, she just didn't have enough control. Be sure to use the bacterial enzyme odor eliminator product on any spot that has dried before you treat it--otherwise, she will smell the scent and return to use the spot again, even though you can't smell it.

If you can treat the spot while it is still wet, undiluted clear vinegar works great--use plenty. It will smell strongly of vinegar at first, but the scent will be completely neutralized, and the dog will actually kind of avoid using that spot again.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

I, too, have asthma (although it's not bad asthma) and most dogs make my breathing labored and an inhaler needs to be used. I have two Siberian Huskies that I do not have any problem with. Labs and retrievers I definately react to. The amount of the hair doesn't seem to be the deciding factor.

Furminators are great!

>>I, too, have asthma (although it's not bad asthma) and most dogs make my breathing labored and an inhaler needs to be used. I have two Siberian Huskies that I do not have any problem with. Labs and retrievers I definately react to. The amount of the hair doesn't seem to be the deciding factor.
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>>Furminators are great!

>>>>>>>>>>>

Maybe the reaction to Labs is due to the oil from the skin that is there to protect them from getting wet swimming over and over. Siberian Husky fur would be different. People can be allergic to different things. I read somewhere that there are something like 40 different kinds of dog coats. That just blows my mind!
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

Asthma, and allergies. My sibe, and sibe/lab/shepard mix do not bother me, neither does our cat, but then again they are raw fed.
Sibes are very very strong willed. Some train quickly, some take alot of time, they need to see the point behind everything you want them to do or learn.
Personally I wouldnt have any other breed, I love sibes.
As far as housebreaking goes, my sibe took to it in 24 hours with one accident 2 weeks later as a 4.5 month old (he had diarhea at that time). My sibe mix took months to completely housebreak.
The furminator is great, once a week they both get brushed out with it, and sometimes the cat gets it also.
Cats, thats a subject that is hard to deal with sibes. Mine love cats, in fact they run loose all day with the cat, whom rough-houses with them, and plays with them both all day.
Something to keep in mind though, mine both look differently at unfamiliar cats, and act differently to them, especially the mix breed, he cant get enough of chasing them. I dont want him to get the opportunity to see what happens when he catches one.

You've got a young new dog that doesn't know you very well and you don't know her very well. Things take time. She's smart. Everything will come together- just be patient and do your homework- training, grooming, being consistent, feeding her a good diet, exercise her well, try to understand and communicate with her. You'll do great. Th classes will help a lot, but don't make the mistake of thinking that obedience is only done in a classroom setting. Make her so a 30 second "stay" before getting her meal. Have her "sit" before putting her leash on to go on a walk. Make her "earn" privaledges from you and the rest of the family.

I'm not a huge fan of correcting a dog in the manner in which you described- especially when the dog doesn't know what to do instead. I find the best way to train a dog is to show it what it's supposed to do, not show them they are constantly wrong. Dr. Ian Dunbar has some wonderful books and I highly recommend you grab a few and use those methods to establish you and your family as leaders in your household. These primative breeds have a different way of working in human world. They aren't necessarily stubborn, they are just a bit different than a lab or golden. Find out how to use that difference to your advantage- they are smart- it will work out.
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Chelle and the rest of the crew including, but not limited to Kita and Taiko (the shiba inu wrestle maniacs), Adi (reserved and dignified tabby cat), and all 28 reptiles www.freewebs.com/performanceshibas

Ever have a baby? They cry too?!?!...pups miss their mom, and brothers and sisters...that's when YOU have to be there WITH them, and FOR them...Even though their attention span is EXTREMELY short...they remember who was there for them or not. I had a dog that met a friend of mine when it was a tiny pup,who played with and spoiled him....He never saw the guy for about 5-6 years, and when he DID?!?...it was like a reunion with a family member that he hadn't seen in YEARS.