[berbatova998]

Hi everyone.

I have a 1 year old husky - neutered, loved and was a rescue (at about six weeks old).

My husky is friendly, greets visitors, lovely over the park with other dogs but my mum has him during the day and he jumps up and nips her on the arm - very hard drawing blood. She is just watching tv when this happens. My mum is nearly 80 and I have to work. Is this something we may be able to fix? Its not fair to my mum. He also does not return to us when called and if we tell him off he jumps at our faces and growls.

He has loads of good running exercise, interacts with us and other dogs, plays with a bubble machine and receives loads of affection but I cannot allow him to bite. He does it very hard.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Lunareclipse]

Crate him during the day while you are training him not to bite. Tell your mom to carry a cane and block the dog with it. And when the dog bites her, she needs to yell really loud and startle the dog.

[lange]

Originally Posted by berbatova998

he jumps up and nips her on the arm - very hard drawing blood.

He also does not return to us when called and if we tell him off he jumps at our faces and growls.

These behaviors are displays of dominance. He thinks he is above all of you.
The two things you should work on is;
1- teaching all people are above him
2- bite inhibition & no bite

#1 - Alpha- If you're not already familiar with how someone establishes alpha position in the eyes of a dog you can read some info here;
Letting your dog know you are the boss
and
How To Become ALPHA DOG

I also strongly recommend you read as many books on dog behavior & training as you can. Watching shows like 'It's Me or The Dog' & 'Dog Whisper' can also give you an understanding of body language & some tips. Although I would not mimic Cesar Milans advice on confronting aggression because it can go very wrong undergoing it on your own. Just learn the body language & stick to the simpler, non-confrontational demonstrations of being alpha (as posted on the websites I linked). In addition, if you were to enroll in obedience training you can get help & tips from your instructor.

Your mom will also have to establish herself as being above your dog by also following the alpha suggestions. You, simultaneously, need to show your dog that your mom is above him. When you come home. Ignore your dog & acknowledge your mom for the first 10 minutes. In my house my son is always the first one in and out of the house so that the weakest of us has their position enforced. You can do the same with meals too. Your mom can eat first and anything else you can incorporate into your routine.

This may sound time consuming but some dogs need more conditioning then others. Yours might be one of them & this might be something you need to work on for years depending on your dog.


#2- bite inhibition- Unfortunately your dog didn't learn this as a pup. Bite inhibition is when your dog learns to control the force of his biting. Here's some websites to learn more on that. Ideally, once a pup learns bite inhibition you should then teach it not to bite at all.

This website has some information; Teaching Bite Inhibition - Whole Dog Journal Article Pay extra attention to the bottom part of teaching an adult dog bite inhibition.


...And as Luna mentioned, your dog can be crated if he can't be trusted. He should also be leashed when he misbehaves. I see it as privilege. And only dogs who behave get more privileges.

[berbatova998]

Thanks so much guys - good advice there. Will tell my mum about blocking him with the cane - we have not tried that. He is put into his cage when disobedient. He is very dominant and his behaviour is completely different with my husband. He does sit and down to command and his manners with visitors and other dogs are impeccable. He is sociable off the lead over the park and runs to greet all dogs of all shapes and sizes. We are giving him more and more exercise which seems to help and he is still only 1 year old so we are positive we can achieve the "alpha" status we need. It is just my mum who needs to toughen up with him.

[berbatova998]

Yes we do have a yard and massive garden - he spends a good three hours tearing around it - he has boundless energy! We have started shutting him in the kitchen and last night tried putting the cane in front of my mum when he jumped up and it seemed to work. Thanks very much for the link. All help from you all is very much appreciated.