[Mayalinda]

We just adopted a 2-year old female husky from a shelter. She is pretty good around us but as soon as we leave her alone, she gets really anxious and frustrated and starts howling and running all over the house creating havoc - knocking over plants and stuff, chewing whatever she can get her teeth on etc.

We do not have a closed room where we can keep her - she would scratch and destroy the walls anyway. And we do not have a fenced off area outside where we can leave her.

Does anyone have any advice?

Someone suggested getting her used to a crate or a cage, but I am concerned that she is a bit too old for that. But if it can work, I am all for it.

Thank you!

[reeskujo]

A crate is a very good idea...There is no set age limit...Huskies are known to have separation anxiety...I had a Husky who had extreme separation anxiety from my husband and would destroy whatever she could fine when he left...Crating is not only the best way to keep her from being destructive but to keep her safe as well.

A few tips...Do not make a big deal out of you leaving...Don't give her tons of attention or tell her"it'll be ok" as all of this is positive reinforcement which will only make her think that she has a real reason to be upset....Give her a treat,place her in her crate and just leave...Giving her a treat before you put her in the crate will teach her that you putting her in the crate and then leaving is a positive experience instead of a negative..

You can also do like I did...Go outside,wait about 5 minutes and then go back inside...Do this for a few days and build up the amount of time you stay out up to about 15 minutes. This will help her to learn and understand that when you leave you always come back..

Separation anxiety takes a lot of patience and time to over come but it can be done...I hope this helps.

[cigwyllt]

I know nothing about huskies - they have quite specific requirements with regards to exercise etc don't they? But we do have a dog that has suffered with extreme separation anxiety. She was about two when we had her. She was confined to the kitchen with our other dog but whenever we returned there would be mayhem - she even jumped to the top of our upright fridge/freezer - about 7ft. We talked to a behaviourist who said that she would benefit from being contained and suggested a crate. At the time that was beyond our budget so we decided to tether her while we were out. I wasn't happy with the idea but it was that or get rid of her as she was causing so much damage and eating inappropriate things.

Bear in mind she was a rescue dog found running on the hills in the middle of nowhere. When I brought her into the house it was clear she had never seen steps or stairs before, had never set foot on vinyl flooring yet clearly loved people and didn't show any signs of mistreatment at all.

The very first time we used the tether we left her very briefly and came home to a totally different dog. She was calm, waggy, happy to see us. We can only assume she was used to being tethered and in her mind that meant that we were coming back. Within a very short time we no longer needed to tether her, we would simply remove the leash and place it on her collar and she would stay in the corner on her rug until we came back!

Even now, 10 years on, she gets deeply distressed if she is left at home alone but we no longer use the tether and just try to make sure that there is always someone or another dog at home with her.

I know tethering is not ideal but I can only say that it made all the difference for us. But I would rather try a crate first.

[angiesample]

Huskys are amazing dogs. First off make sure ur dog is getting plenty of exercise.

Next i would invest in a crate. It needs to be just big enough for ur dog to be able to stand and turn around and lay down. After u purchase the crate, never force ur dog in it. Make the crate ur dogs "safe space" put a blanket in it and cover it up. Feed ur dog in the crate and randomly put treats in there for ur dog to discover. After a few days put ur dog in there and go for a drive about 30 minutes. then increase that time gradually until u are at the time u need ur dog to be at.

A crate is a good thing. It keeps ur dog safe so dont feel guilty about using it. If u just want it to be a training technique u dont have to use the crate forever. Good luck!