Advice on dog training needed ASAP!!! Help us keep Kavik!!!

If this is the same animal that was going after your pets/livestock in your other thread then I would re-home her.

There are lots of Huskies at any pound or shelter. There are also husky groups and Petcycles if you look under the YAHOO! Groups.

Im all for getting on Petfinder.com or going to a local shelter and getting a male or beta husky. See if you can do a trial or take your dog to meet the new one first.
Heck, maybe you can even find a trade.......
 
I agree with Akane. I think it all depends on you being the alpha leader and letting them sort out a pecking order...within reason. My dogs still have to sort things out on occasion but no real injury is sustained during these bouts. It sounds horrible and there is a lot of violent movements but mostly posturing of teeth, not actual biting.

Of course, it helps that my dogs are outside dogs. The territory is bigger, there are no jealousy issues with toys, beds, etc.

I would think it would be like chickens and introducing a new flock member. First, see, hear and smell each other but no touching. Slowly introduce under supervised situations, corrections from you as the alpha for any overtly aggressive behaviors, etc.

If you really like this dog, its worth the effort to at least try it.
 
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I wouldn't rehome her yet. First off I would get her spayed. Yes that will help. Secondly I totally agree with this post. I have been in animal rescue for 18 years. Our group fosters the rescues in our homes so we deal with this alot. You have to introduce the dogs on neutral ground where yours isn't going to be territorial. Do you have a park or some other place nearby where your dh could take one and you take the other? You could call your vet or a trainer and ask for any other suggestions that they may have.

It sounds as if you already have your mind made up. If you do decide to rehome Kavik then maybe you could get a husky pup. That way your dog might not feel so threatened. Good luck in whatever you decide.

You could always call Caesar!
 
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Don't give up on her yet....But you will have to retrain BOTH dogs....Which won't be easy...To start you have to let them know that YOU are the #1 dog and that aggressive behavior between them won't be tolerated...Small things that you do send signals to the dogs so start sending the signal "Enough is Enough"...I work with bird dogs mostly, on obedience/respect issues for their owners....When a dog comes to me it is "Expected" to play by my rules...not the rules that he/she has been previously taught, Those previous rules are sometimes why they come to me....There is no fighting, sometimes a little posture growling but never to injure each other, The new dog just gets it after a few days...And it isn't easy my 2 house bird dogs,GSP's, are both female and both "think" they are the boss...Except they never "test me" because they know...Left unsaid I never Beat/whip/starve/even yell at a dog...YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME if your training methods include those things...Teach them to respect you, never to go through a door before you,allow you to pick up their food bowl while they are eating,make them wait for you before they do something...once a dog realizes you are the boss, he won't keep asking you (or testing you) because he knows the answer to the question....Teach your 2 dominant females that they are welcome to feel however they want but draw the line at them being physical with each other in a hurtful way....Who cares if they growl at each other...walk over to them, and grab one of them by the ear...Tell them to stop...then grab the other one and do the same thing...Don't hurt them just grab their ear to get their attention....Sorry about the long post...I hate to see dogs leave a good home and go "somewhere else".....JMO
 
How old is your female? How old the husky?

The whole be alpha thing works with some dogs and not others.

Some dogs are both alpha and dog and same sex aggressive. This is not a thing that gives in to training completely EVER. There is always the chance that it will explode. If you want to witness the explosion, feel free to attempt to retrain both dogs.

But huskies are a breed that ENJOY a fight that draws blood. Add another dog that MUST be Alpha and you really up the chances for vet bills in the thousands.

Some breeds/dogs are happy with dust up, dominance spats. Some are NOT. I've had over 100 dogs through my doors. I've seen many of both.

I kept two same sex aggressive male german shepherds for years. Dash HAD to wear a basket muzzle outdoors but never any indoor trouble - they were brothers. Before the muzzle one fight cost me 2000.

If you don't have that to risk. I don't suggest taking the chance. If you don't like dogs wearing muzzles, don't take the chance. If you don't want to spend hours training both dogs with the chance that there will be blood all over the house or yard. Don't take that chance.

I've seen dogs that forty year professional trainers cannot change. On duty the dogs work. Off duty the dogs would kill one another not kenneled seperately.

Human homes are "off duty". Most humans do not maintain a home atmosphere that is on duty. And any unconscious slipping of your alpha status - even injury or illness, which is when my boys fought, can result in injury, maiming or death.

You cannot anticipate or prevent you own injury, illness. And even that can cause a low rumbling threat to boil over.

When you did have control.

I'd really suggest a rehoming.
 
well, here's the update... We still have kavik - now dixie again - and we are taking things a step at a time. I have talked to a husky rescue, and they are helping us with the behavior issues (our dogs - not Dixie). Our boy dog loves to play with her, and she loves him, along with any other dog that will accept her. We are going to be doing the muzzle thing when they are all together, along with taking walks together. Dixie has been doing great in the obedience deparent. She has also grown very attached to me, which has been addressed with our male dog, and isn't a problem. So, we're trying, and keeping it as safe as possible for every body.
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Rehome the animal or bring in a pro. Without professional help, you, your family, and any of the dogs are in danger.

I'd have to go with Wolf-Kim's suggestion. I think this is a job for a real professional. If you can find the name of a good trainer/behavioralist through your local Huskie rescue or reputable Huskie breeder, that would probably be best, as those 2 groups would know who does or does not fare best with Huskies.

Good luck -- I hope you can make this work.

Gwen
 

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