Hey lads, a question 'bout a Siberian Husky

canislupus91

Hey everyone Im new to this forum.
I own a 6 year old Foxterrier,Sonya, but unfortunately she's staying in my dad's house. My mum decided to get a 10 month old Siberian Husky called Rocco just last night. He's been malnourished and possibly beat around before. Could anyone please give me any training tips and how to get Rocco used to his new family a.k.a me and my mum.

All help will be very appreciated
Thanks,
Adrian

kmes

I highly suggest a good basic obedience class! It will help your mom learn how to train her new pup, provide some much needed socialization for the pup, and also help to form a bond between your mom and her pup!

Other than that, for now I would say just some good food, a lot of patience, and plenty of love will go a long way!

canislupus91

Sorry to bother all of yous again but i'm encountering a problem that i dont know how to solve. Rocco seems sad all the time and he lies in one place almost all day. But the thing that is bothering me the most is, Rocco doesn't want to leave the house. Everytime I try to bring him out for a walk he retreats into his corner and I have to force him out. Now I know that's not the way to go about it but he can't stay indoors 24/7. I tried petting with him, tried to 'bribe' him out with his so-far-favourite food(salami) but nothing's working. Any ideas would be more than welcome.

Thanks,
Adrian

kmes

This concerns me! I would take him into the vet asap to make sure that everything is ok!

GreatDaneMom

i would get him to a vet and have him checked out, as i would any new dog.

he may also just be taking time to adjust to his new home, this can be very stressful on some dogs. give him some time. also with the training i wouldnt do anything but positive reinforcement training with him.

pawzaddict

Can you take some time to sit near him (like 10-15 feet away) with treats and just sit there, wait for him to feel comfy and come to you then give him treats while keeping calm and quiet. Say a simple "yes" not over excited. Where did you get him from?

pawsitiveside

I know cats and dogs are different but....

A few years back, I had been give a cat named Tux. When I first got Tux, he was very depressed. I was worried about him. When my other kitten tried to play with him, Tux would just lie down and wouldn't move. At only 10 weeks of age, Tux had already been re-homed 5 times within 3 weeks. It was a very sad thing to see. I took him to the vet. He had a clean bill of health and was perfectly healthy.

Tux was also afraid to go outside, and he would just eat and sleep. Very odd for a kitten. I often gave him tasty treats, lots of love, and wanted him to know that he was in a safe place. A few days later, he just kinda snapped out of it. He started to come around on his own, play with my other kitten, meow at the door to come outside with me, and became a great cat!

You stated in your first post that this new pup may have been beaten. If that's the case, it will require A LOT of work on your part to show the pup that you are trustworthy and that he is safe. If he doesn't want to go outside, then don't force him. Let him take his time to come to you.

Try to teach him the 'come' command in your home and reward him with an okay treat. Gradually, ask him to come to you when you're standing by the door, then when you're in the door frame, then when you're right outside. Whenever he gets near the door, and especially when he's in the door frame or makes it outside, give him a GREAT treat and tell him what a great doggy is!

If he refuses to go outside, then don't force the issue. Don't baby him either. Let him deal with this at his own pace. Be patient, he'll get there. It just takes time.

fawkese1

you've gotten some good advice do far, i would like to repeat the advice to take him in for a vet check (if you haven't already) lethargic behavior could be a sign of a serious illness, the sooner he gets medical attention, the better his chances are of surviving...

once that is done, then as has been said, you will just have to be patient with him... give him some time to adjust... DO NOT FORCE him to go out for walks, except if necessary for potty breaks... he is the only dog in the house at the moment? if so, i would give him some good chewies and toys, stuffed kong toys are great!
What do you put in your Kongs?

just be "gentle" with him... you know, imagine if your life had been really unhappy then you suddenly found yourself in a strange place with strange people... you'd probably appreciate some space/time to yourself, as well as gentle encouragement...

good luck... and please keep us posted on how you are doing...

canislupus91

My mum picked him up from her manager, which makes me his 3rd owner. I don't really know much about his background. His last owner brought him to the vet 2-3 days before giving him away, but I will go down there myself.

Actually I noticed Rocco moving around the sitting room and the kitchen this morning, so I assume he's getting a little bit more comfortable.

@Pawzaddict I like your treat idea, I will definetly try it out.

@Everyone Thanks very much for replying and all your help. I'll listen to your advices, and I'll keep yous posted on how Rocco's doing and I'll post some photos soon as he's a lovely dog =)

canislupus91

Yes he is the only dog in the house, my dad took my foxterrier away from me. I'll try looking for kong toys as well but I couldn't find them anywhere in southside Dublin area, I have one more place in my mind but I'll have to leave it till Sunday until I can go there.

Btw. Me and Rocco had some difficulties walking out again this morning, but he wasnt forced out, he took his time and eventually walked outside after me