Dog Training

[Smartie_Pants]

I recently had another stray dog come up to the house, a huskey. She seems to be on the younger side, and even though she's nowhere near full weight she is strong as an ox and can drag me here there and everywhere. She also doesn't listen to "no's" or "get downs." It is very important that we get this under control as soon as possible, because my mom just had a knee replacement and we can't have this dog hurting her. There are no trainers in my town, and I really don't have any money to pay one away. Is there anyone here that can give me some good advice on how to train her?

Besides the leash issues, the other biggest issue right now is that she is obsessed with my two outside cats. She literally spent ALL day trying to get to them and ignoring everything and everyone else. If they come out of hiding she just chases them down and bugs the crap out of them. She's not trying to hurt them or anything, she's trying to get them to play, but they don't want it and I can't figure out a way that will actually make her stop. Suggestions?

 

[zzGypsy]

half grown husky with no manners... you've got a job in front of you.

if you don't have a local trainer you can work with (which would be best), you might order a dog training video - ceasar milan or one of the many others that are out there. you will likely need a prong collar at least at first - these are the ones with the "teeth" on the inside. before you start using it you need to know how to use it correctly... they should not be painful for the dog, but does serve to get the attention of a high intensity large dog with a heavy coat. (think of it as power steering for dogs.)

as for the cats, you're not going to fix that until you can get the dogs attention, and if he's draging you about, you've got work to do. keep him away from the cats while you get some respect and controls on the dog.

while you're waiting for a book or video on teaching obedience basics, hit YouTube and see what you can find... you're looking for basic commands like sit, stay, down, leave it, off, and basic leash behavior like not pulling.

 

[Smartie_Pants]

Thanks. The cats and dog are seperated. They can get up on our screened in porch, or in our outbuilding. Our yard is fenced, so they stay inside the fence and for right now the dog is in a pen outside of the fence. I bring her up and put her in the fence when I'm home and my mom walks down to see her and pet her and stuff whenever she feels up to it. We have one huskey alreadly who was very easy to teach, but she was 4 when we found her and this one is much younger.

 

[zzGypsy]

BTW, you can search on line for "dog traiing" but most of the sites I've found are simply leader ads for some program or another they want to sell. no real instruction there. youtube is better, there's some actual training on video.

 

[dainerra]

Huskies are known to be very VERY bad with cats and other small animals. They have a super-high prey drive. They are also pullers, so teaching loose leash walking can be a challenge.

Treat her like a new puppy. She never gets attention from ANYONE unless all 4 feet are on the floor. So teaching her "down" as in "lay down" might be a good first step. Look up clicker training.

Step 2: exercise exercise exercise. Huskies were created to spend all day pulling heavy loads, so it takes dedication to get them tired out.

There are several youtube videos on training your dog to behave on leash as well as not jumping up.

I wouldn't trust a fence to hold a husky, they are notorious escape artists and climbers. Most husky websites say that even an 8ft fence is no match for them, esp if it's chain-link!

 

[Smartie_Pants]

LOL. We learned about them being escape artists from the first dog. The fence is well over six feet high, and not chain link, and I check regularly for any holes they might be trying to dig under without my knowledge. They are so smart, and that works both ways. It can be a blessing and a handful. This is a really sweet dog, I just have to lay down the rules and establish dominance with her. I'm just not sure how, because with our other huskey it was so much easier. I'm definitley looking up training videos though. I like a challege. Which is why I now have six dogs. One of which is in a wheelchair.

 

[Kevin565]

1. Exercise is a must. Huskies need alot of physical and mental stimulation to stay content.
2. Food seems to be a very good motivators for huskies. Treats can make the training easier.
3. Make sure she knows that your the boss. Any leniency will give rise to issues later

 

[watchdogps]

I hate Cesar Milan, he's an idiot. I have spoken to him in person and he will admit that unless you do what he says every day the dog goes back to bad behavior. That means it doesnt work. Hello!
Key is to teach the dog what TO DO not what NO to do.
I agree with Dainerra - look up clicker training. its really not that hard once you grasp the basic concept. Jean Donaldson is a great trainer/behaviorist and a ton of her stuff is available online or in inexpensive booklets.

 

[Rosto]

I taught my dogs not to drag me by first carrying treats in my pockets. Talk to the dog and periodically pull out a treat as you are walking and hand it over. They soon start paying attention you you and your hands. If the keep pulling you around, Try saying NO and then doing a complete 360 every time they started pulling. They soon learned, Hey!!! we aren't heading to the the park right now, but back home! So, they usually quickly learned to stop with the pulling if they want to keep moving. Another tip, if they keep it up long, Say NO, then stop in place. Order them to sit, and stay still until they sit quietly. They soon figure they aren't going anywhere if they are dragging you all over creation. It worked for me!!!
Amy