So I adopted this dog about 4 years ago. It's a 80lbs Husky mix. I spent a lot of time trying to train her and I still have issues which caused me a lot of grief. She had separation anxiety and when left home either cries or claws and destroy our doors. I fixed at least 4 different doors she destroyed. She's very strong. I thought her anxiety was over after 4 years but today we were out for about 5 hours and I came back to a door frame destroyed again. She also pulls and walking her is difficult due to her hunting instincts. To make matters worse, she keeps escaping and when I find her, she runs away so bad recall. She's very food motivated but even that won't help the recall. We are very emotional people and don't have the heart to take her back to the shelter. I tried a doggy camp paying $3500 and nothing changed. I tried positive and negative training. Nothing works. Only thing she has ever learned was not to poo and pee inside (thank goodness). The sad part is that she's a loving and beautiful dog when you're at home. She loves people, gives kisses, and is super sweet. But I'm desperate and I don't know what to do. Any advice you can think of will be appreciated. Edit: 4 dog walkers rejected her so far.
Huskies don’t like being cooped up all day. They want to run.
Hey, I have a pitbull mix who used to bite randomly, like one in hundred people. He's a sweetheart. But because of some trigger I'm not aware of was threatened by certain people - I rescued him when he was 9 and about to be put down, his previous owner passed away and there were no takers. He also has chewed doors. I can recommend some of the things that have worked for me: 1. Trainer - I can't recommend him enough. Will DM you the details. He helped with crate training and anxiety issues. Also my dog hasn't had aggression since then. I'm extremely careful also. 2. You might want to invest in doggie daycare if he's good with other dogs or someone who can dog sit every time your at work. I've heard Huskies as a breed are escape artists and need more stimulation than others. They cannot be left home for more than 4-5 hours alone without going crazy. Finding a good dog sitter will be extremely useful here. Please please don't give up on her. She has made you family and likely if you give her up her anxiety will get worse and the next person might not even put up with her as much as you did. DM me, I'm happy to talk to you through this.
Also if your sure she's good with people why not take her to Google?
I am not sure about most trainers as I have not seen progress. I might give your suggestion a try. Thanks. Tried doggy daycare, didn't work out. Can't take to Google as I live in SF and can't commute with her.
Huskies require a lot of exercise and they don’t tolerate being alone in the house. Also, you need to be the one to train your dog. Not some doggy training camps (most are just scams). It really sounds like you didn’t really know what you were getting into because Huskies are known to be pretty difficult to train and are not good breeds for novice dog owners. I had a Husky many years ago and she was the sweetest dog but can be exhausting at times. I took her on morning runs AND afternoon walks EVERY DAY.
I take her to run almost every day.
That’s not enough for some Huskies. I’m not kidding when I say that you may need a morning run AND an afternoon walk every single day. Don’t skip even one day unless you want your bedsheets torn up and holes in your couch. And by morning run, I really mean RUN. Not jog. Definitely not walk.
Lot's of excercise and doggy day care will definetly help. Don't give up on pure love. They are the most wonderful living beings on this planet.
Try this guy's approach. Particularly his calming steps. https://tribeof7.link/todt
I dont know about Huskies specifically but I've always has multiple dogs (granted small ones ) and they could be left alone all day without problem, I think they kept each other company but they were probably calmer mix breeds (bichon and other mixes), and introducing another dog may not be great idea, I would agree with comments about getting professional training guidance
Oh no. Huskies can't be left alone for hours. They get bored and tear everything down. Especially if they are cooped up in an apartment. The shelter should have informed you about this before adopting her. I am so sorry about what you're going through. The best option is to get a trainer or a sitter for her whenever you're out. She's your baby❤
4 walkers already rejected her. I don't have high confidence in trainers tbh.
Doesn’t Google allow dogs inside?
Can't commute from SF with her.
Sometimes Prozac helps with anxiety
Find her a home with a backyard. Had the same issue with my dog. They need a fenced yard with a thick 60 ft. chain that lets them roam
Already bought house with no backyard.