Hi - I am new to this site - and hope I may be able to obtain some insightful input regarding my 9 mos old Husky.. He is a sweet dog - but loves (did I say LOVES) to chew on everything!!!! He has plenty of toys, raw hide and appropriate items for him to destroy! He loves his toys and totally loves his raw hides. He also loves, carpets, books, dvds, etc... I cannot crate him during the workday as I am away from home 12 hours a day (m-f). He and his 'brother' (our 5 year black lab) have a fenced in back yard and doggie door. What can I do to curb this very bad behavior? Any ideas? Suggestions? When I catch him I can spray him with the water bottle and he stops, or use the bitter spray on off limit items - but I need some direction -PLEASE...

Thanks - Debbie

Unfortunately the best way to train him not to chew is to be there to stop it everytime. Since you are away for the larger part of the day, you need to create a safe area for him. Where his toys and hides are the only things available for chewing. When you get home, let him spend time alone around things that are not his but keep a close eye on him. When he picks them up be sure to tell him "no, mine" and then hand him a toy and say "good boy, yours" - it will take a while. It's tough because chewing and digging are what most dogs are hard-coded for. Good Luck! This is the same method used for potty training... it teaches them that certain things are theirs and certain things are not, just like potty training teaches that certain areas are bathrooms and others are not.

Is there no friend, neighbor or dog sitter locally who can come by once daily to let your dog out in the middle of your work day? Every time a dog gets to practice a bad habit it makes it HARDER to break it. So while crating for 12 hours a day is not ideal...it does keep him from destroying things.

Perhaps you can set up a tall exercise pen that opens to a dog door so he can come in to sleep and go out for potty?

I still vote for the dog sitter if that's a possibility.

Adina

[wishbone]

Does your dogs getting enough exercise everyday? Some dogs lacking of exercise entertain themselves with chewing or some other behavior. Be aware if this take too long, it might become his ultimate habit. He might be on stage of teething too! Enroll them to agility class.

[lil mutt]

One of your option is to crate your dogs since you are not around to correct them whenever they chew.

Originally Posted by msdebe1963

Hi - I am new to this site - and hope I may be able to obtain some insightful input regarding my 9 mos old Husky.. He is a sweet dog - but loves (did I say LOVES) to chew on everything!!!! He has plenty of toys, raw hide and appropriate items for him to destroy! He loves his toys and totally loves his raw hides. He also loves, carpets, books, dvds, etc... I cannot crate him during the workday as I am away from home 12 hours a day (m-f). He and his 'brother' (our 5 year black lab) have a fenced in back yard and doggie door. What can I do to curb this very bad behavior? Any ideas? Suggestions? When I catch him I can spray him with the water bottle and he stops, or use the bitter spray on off limit items - but I need some direction -PLEASE...

Thanks - Debbie

Hi Debbie what made you go for a Husky. I take it as a play mate for your Lab?

Huskies are really HIGH ENERGY dogs, lovely yes very gentle dogs BUT they dont do well being left for 12 hours at a time.

They are extremely intelligent and mischievous. They must be kept occupied. A BORED HUSKY IS A DESTRUCTIVE HUSKY!

How long a walk do the dogs get before you go to work? A dog like this needs a good hour walk a day with lots of activity if not more.

Can you get a dog walker?

Have you tried some KONG toys, especially the ones where you put food in and the dog has to get the food out which keeps them occupied for a bit.

To be honest 12 hours is a really long time to leave a dog any dog without human contact, sorry but its true. Especially a high energy dog. Perhaps you would have been better getting a dog which doesnt need so much attention.

I found this information for you its from someone who has 14 huskies.

Huskies are a special breed that most definitely is not for everyone. Yes, they are beautiful. Everybody loves them until they get one and find out how much work they really are. And they have many good points as well as bad.

Some of the good points:

1. They love all people of all ages.

2. They love company.

3. They are extremely intelligent.

4. They are easygoing and forgiving.

5. They are clean with little or no “doggy” smell. Some people who are allergic to other breeds can live with Huskies.

6. They are generally quiet. They rarely bark except in playing, but will “talk”
or howl like their wolf ancestors for no reason.

7. They don’t require a lot of food. (get good fuel mileage)

8. They are honest. Their body language and voice can be taken at face value

9. They are not fussy eaters and will eat pretty much anything that doesn’t eat them first. But they do require a proper diet. (see # 6 below)

10. They usually get along with other well adjusted canines but they will take up a challenge if offered.


Some of the bad points:

1. They love people …. any people. This is sometimes seen as a lack of loyalty.

2. I do not believe that there is a type of dog that could be friendlier than a Husky. A Husky may alert you by his actions (running to a door or window etc) but he is not a watchdog by any stretch if the imagination. On the contrary, he will invite the bad guy in and show him where the good stuff is. And then help carry it out! It's in the breeding and I doubt that you can train them otherwise. Even if you abuse them (we have several that were very abused) they do not become mean ... they will just shy away from you. It's possible that they may (or may not) defend you against an attacker (more likely with an animal attacker). He very well may be a deterrent to someone looking to do bad stuff .... a “hungry wolf looking” dog looking back at them through the window ....

3. They have a STRONG desire to run. This was bred into them over many hundreds of generations. It cannot be trained out of them in a few months of obedience classes. They MUST be kept in a secure area. And taken out in open areas on a leash. They are escape artists like a hairy Houdini. They have been known to jump or climb over 6 foot fences. If they can’t go over it they will go under it.

4. They are extremely intelligent and mischievous. You have to be smarter than they are to stay ahead of them. Don’t laugh. It’s true, they are smarter than
most people.

5. They are too independent and strong willed to make it through obedience training. (see # 4 above). They will know and understand the command but if they don’t see the point in carrying it out they won’t.

6. They are very keen and efficient hunter / killers.

7. They must be kept occupied. A BORED HUSKY IS A DESTRUCTIVE HUSKY! (see # 10 on below)

8. They shed. A LOT! Year round. Then twice a year or more they will “blow” their coats. This takes shedding to a whole new level.

9. They dig …. A LOT! You could rent your yard to NASA to train astronauts on.

10. They play ROUGH! Very rough. And they sometimes can draw blood. But it is still play.

11. They need company, either human or canine and will be miserable without it. Though they can survive outdoors they really need to be inside with their “pack”……. YOU!

12. They can live 12 to 14 years. Maybe longer. This is not a bad thing. But can YOU live with a 2 year old that long? That’s what it’s like with a Husky in your life.