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Any advice on Husky mix issues please

1K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  Arwen 
#1 ·
Hi there,

I would be very appreciative of some suggestions regarding issues with my new-ish rescue Husky mix- mixed with a Samoyed they think.

I am a very experienced animal owner-the vast majority of domestic animals have been owned by my family and I at some point, with dogs being the center of the family and all being rescued.

I am very used to all the usual issues with dogs, nervousness, house training, recall, commands, various smells and even worked in kennels through my student summers. I rescued a hunting ferret who tried to break your fingers and turned her into a cute, litter trained wiggle of joy who is currently asleep under my knee.

So you get my drift: me+animals= a whole lot of love both ways.

Bought a house and thought now's the time i can responsibly have a dog. Found a beautiful lurcher in a rescue center, made an appointment to see her. turns out she wouldn't be good with the cat but "ive got the perfect dog for you two" and out comes what looks like a sheep, we felt sorry for him all grubby so that was that.

In comes the (8 month, neutered) Husky. He is very intelligent and chooses to pretend i don't exist in a way I've only seen in cats! I've trained him to do all sorts of commands perfectly and then he looks at me like I'm hideous and runs to the local Army base<---that happened today.

I took him on a 7 mile cross country walk and he pulled so much i spent the entire next morning lying on a hard floor as my backs out, as even though he knows not to pull- you guessed it- he pulled with all his might for 7 long, freezing, muddy English winter miles.

Took him to the woods in the middle of nowhere- he ended up on a golf course. he did this after coming back to me many times perfectly.

He is house trained yet once in a while goes to the bathroom on the carpet then saunters off to his basket as he knows he's been naughty but hey he fancied a nap anyway so 2 fingers to you owner!

Hes not even excited for his dinner- he looks at it, actually sighs and walks off.

Gets too hot when cuddled and doesn't seem to enjoy it anyway.

Permanently wet as he wants to lay in the rain- so def no cuddling. His coat is so fluffy that it wont dry for a good 2 hours.

refuses to leave the cat alone no matter how many times hes been hissed at, spat at and fully whacked by our very large male cat. He is never vicious but wont give up- for literally hours.

I'm basically at my wits end- he seems very happy yet my partner and I are miserable. I have never once given up on an animal but at the same time I've never had an animal that has such little regard for me or my partner.

Just to add- my partner works from home and the dogs has all the attention he wants (not much it turns out), a big house, great walks at least twice a day, other dog friends, other human friends, a good diet, toys, sticks etc etc.

So basically what I'm saying is please could I have some advice from anyone with Husky experience who could tell me if this is a passing phase that I need to persevere with(i do see glimmers of a lovely dog in between the bad bits) or if this is just Husky through and through in which case we cant live with him.

100% the dog I will have needs to walk off of a lead eventually, will never go in a crate and will, once fully trained come back every time. We live in the countryside so its insane to have a dog on a lead once trained enough to know right from wrong. Everyone i see has a gun dog perfectly at heel and i have a nutty sheep look-a-like literally dragging me through the mud, happy as Larry, pretending i dont exist!

Sorry for wittering away- just thought I should put in all details.

Many thanks in advance for any advice.
 
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#2 ·
1) This dog is a rescue. You need to treat it like it's a new puppy than double the time. For every year the dog is older, double that This means that if you previously would command-train a puppy in 2 months, give yourself at least 4 months for a 2 year old dog, 8 months for a 3yo, a year and a half for a dog that you got at age 4. You're still a stranger.

2) This dog is probably hot. Huskies have so much fur. Can you get him to a groomer who will help address any excessive undercoat problem? Can you make sure you're not keeping your house too hot.

3) Even if you prepared the food yourself, not eating is NOT a sign that a dog dosn't like you. Having seen a dog nearly die of bloat becuase it attacked it's meals I'd much rather a dog like mine who grazes. My dog (part german shepard) is exactly like my parents german shepards---a free feeder. Neither my parents, nor I, expect the dogs to have any interest when we put food out in the AM. And agian, we'd rather it be this way having seen the pain that a crazy eater does.

4) you have alot more concern for how it makes you look than how life really is with your dog. If you look crazy for having a dog on a leash, perhaps you should go to training with a professional rather than just feel embarassed. People have used leashes FOREVER...since before Roman times. Not only that, most places have leash laws--and if the town dosn't, the county might and if the county dosn't the state may. AFTER (and only after) my dog was trained I purchased a remote trainer/wireless leash to which I use the beep to recall my dog when I don't wish to shout my lungs out. In every state but Wisconson it's a legally recognized method of "leashing". I will never allow my dog, even with 100% recall, to ever truly be offlead. In most places it's not even legal anymore, anyway.
 
#3 ·
Huskies aren't really known for being trustworthy off lead. Sure there are some that listen, but I wouldn't count on it. How long have you had him? It can take many months for a rescue dog to settle in. A lot of what you are saying sounds like a husky to me. Maybe they aren't the right dog for you. But maybe if you give it some time it will work out, with some effort.
 
#4 ·
Hello,

1) I'm fully aware it's a rescue as have all our other dogs been and am more than happy to take as much time as needed. My concern is that the more he learns the less he seems to care. He's not had a bad past-he was just given up. Family have had other dogs which have been severely abused which have taken a massive amount of time to come to- but you see the gradual improvement, trust and love.

2) House in winter has not got the heating on for his benefit-the humans have got a lot of jumpers on instead, stone kitchen floor which is chilly, back door open, no panting at all. Buckets of undercoat have come off both via us and a groomer. My comment was more that with all our effort to maximise his comfort he still doesn't come particularly close and is nonchalant.

3) Thanks, I've not experienced a grazer before.

4) I do not, in any way, have a concern in how he makes me look- i was just trying to put a little humour in the post as he really does look like a loose sheep covered in mud. I'm now well known to the locals and have had a giggle with many people due to what a state I have been, it's no problem at all, embarrassment was not mentioned- its the lack of him listening to me for so long that's my issue.

People have also not constantly used leads since before the Roman era. Dogs would not perform their purpose of hunting, fetching and chasing intruders which were the favoured tasks the Romans had for their canine friends, if they were not fully trained off of the lead. I have a secure house and lead for near the roads, but the open space is for a dog to be a dog.

I'm not at all occupied with laws in the US, nor do I need to be. I am of course fully aware of the laws I need to adhere to.

Please trust me when I say I've done the obvious for weeks and would like some experienced Husky behavioral advice if anyone has any.

Kind regards,
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the reply Anna.

The more research i do the more he is just being a Husky. I've had him a month now and believe it or not hes the quickest of learners- but also has the least desire to please me when anything (and i mean anything inc the wind) catches his attention- again a Husky trait. I'll give it a little longer but I may return him as he would make a better town dog rather than a country one. He's beautiful when clean and dry and would easily find a home. TBH I'm slightly annoyed the the rescue suggested him to me as it seems to not be right for our location and needs.

Wish me luck!
 
#6 ·
Hope everything works out for you.
 
#7 · (Edited)
i agree with @annageckos . huskys and husky mixes take being daft to another level.. i dont think they have a nasty bone in their body, they just like being annoying. i have had pure bred huskys, and now i only have a husky akita cross.
when he was young, he used to pull terrible on walks, as you discribe, so much that it really wasnt enjoyable, especially since i had 3 dogs at the time.
the first 15 minutes of walking them used to be chaos.
i did try everything with King, from halti to harness, made no difference, it is just in their nature, he did calm down with age though. he is 13 now.
same with letting him off the lead. he always had selective hearing, until he got to the age of about 10. he'd come back, but only when he was ready.
i only ever had one husky bitch, that behaved perfectly of the lead.
you could try training classes, see if it helps.
as for cats, my huskys and cats got on great. you say your dog is not nasty with them, he just wants to play i guess. husky daftness, no sense no feeling...lol.
i hope as well that all works out. with that breed you need allot of patience. :)
 
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