Are you searching for tips and advice on how to crate train your husky? Trust me you are one of many. Day after day, husky owners all around the world use crate training as a way to train their husky. It’s a proven method to prevent negative behaviours such as barking, biting and chewing. Crate training has also been used for years as an effective method to house train husky puppies. Giving your husky its own space makes life easier for everybody. You get to keep your bed and couch while your husky has its own special place to call its own.
The Real Reason Why Huskies Enjoy Crate Training
When you are considering the idea of crate training your husky, it’s good to think about how it came about. You must realise that in their own natural habitat, dogs would locate snug, warm and safe places to stay sheltered and away from harm. A crate replicates this small space and gives them their own territory which they can call home. When you husky has a yard to play in and also goes on walks, it may get confused about where its actual home is. Crates help to teach your husky exactly where their home location is.
How to Crate Train Your Husky
The best time to crate train your husky is when they are a young puppy. A fully grown husky that has spent plenty of time going on walks will find it hard to adapt to spending time in a crate. Your older husky may develop anxiety so tread carefully when crate training older huskies. A husky puppy that has spent time with you on your bed may also become very upset. It’s best to not sleep with your puppy to prevent this small distress for your puppy.
You will find that your puppy may cry for a night or two but if you keep the crate in your bedroom any distress while your husky is adapting to the crate will be minimal. As long as they know you are close by they will be comfortable. After 1 month you can try moving the crate into another room.
As a good owner, you should keep your huskies crate nice and clean. Provide something comfortable for your husky to lie on such as an old blanket or towel. Give them some water to stay hydrated and their favourite toy to keep them entertained. The size of the crate is also important. It should be big enough that they can turn around comfortably, without being so big that your husky can make a huge mess.
In the early stages of crate training, you’ll have to listen to the odd whimper and cry from your husky. This is natural so keep them close by. Whatever you do don’t pick them up as this is a backwards step in the crate training process. They will eventually adapt to the crate. Once your husky is calm and has been that way for over 6 to 7 minutes, you can then pick your puppy up and give them a lot of affection and attention. This helps to teach them that if they stay in the crate and relax there will be a good feeling that follows.
When you start crate training your husky, don’t keep your husky in a crate for longer than an hour. As your husky gets older you can stretch that time out to overnight right up to a full day when you are out at your job.
If you put in the time early with crate training, you’ll have a far more relaxed and placid husky. They will have a lot less behaviour problems and they won’t suffer from separation anxiety. The sooner your puppy feels good about its environment, the happier everybody in the house will be.
A Husky Puppy is one of the cutest puppies on the planet. Many husky owners will spends months or even years deciding what husky is perfect for their family. For some owners getting a husky is a spur of the moment decision.
Some questions to consider when choosing your husky:
- Will my husky get along with my kids?
- Will my husky bond with the other animals in my home?
- Does my husky puppy have the temperament and disposition that I am looking for?
There are some very important questions you will need to ask yourself when bring a husky into your family.
Time – Realise that Huskies do require a good amount of time. Huskies need at least 45 minutes of vigorous walking every day. Regular exercise will help a huge amount with the overall obedience of your husky. They are also very pack orientated and need plenty of attention and affection either from you or other family pets. Husky puppy training requires quality time.
Money – A husky will inevitably cost you money. There are cost for pet food, vaccinations, medical check ups and any veterinarian emergencies. Huskies do have relatively few medical problems but keep the money factor in mind.
Size – Huskies grow to be between 35 and 60 lbs. They are considered to be medium sized dogs. They require a good sized yard with a high fence to play in. Do you have the space for your husky puppy to play and run in?
Searching – You can start your search by looking in the breeders section of huskytips.com. Here you will find breeders from most parts of the world. The SPCA and local shelter will also have a selection of huskies.
The personality of a husky will begin to show through at around 6 – 8 weeks. When selecting your husky make sure that your husky is happy to be picked up and held by you. Play with the husky puppy and see if they are happy to play. You will quickly be able to see if their personality is what you are looking for.
Husky Puppy Training and Development
A huskies development follows along the same lines as a child. They need the neccesities of life like food, water and shelter. They will learn news things very quickly at the puppy stage of life. Husky puppy training can be a real joy if you do it right.
The more you can engage with your husky early in their life the better. Playing with your husky keep them physically fit and mentally active early in life.
Week 1 – 2
Your husky is completely reliant on its mother and you. Their eyes will start to open around this time. They will be very familiar with the smell of their mother and the closer they are to their mother the safer they will feel.
Week 3 – 4
Your husky is starting to recognize you and things other than its mother. You need to make sure that nothing life changing happens to your husky in these formative weeks. Keep your husky’s life calm and consistent. Your husky will cling to it’s mother and let them do so. The mom is a very important figure at this time and will start teaching the little huskies how to be a dog.
Week 4 – 8
Your husky is now starting to interact with its siblings. Your husky will be actively playing with the other puppies in the litter by week 8. Weaning is normally happen in this period. The mother will start to teach your husky about eating ettiquette and a few other rules. Your husky is still not quite ready to be separated from its mother. The mother still has life lessons to pass on to the husky puppy. This is the period where you can trial your husky puppy on puppy food.
Special Considerations with Husky Puppy Training
Your puppy will go through a very insecure and vulnerable time at 8 weeks. This is not the time to make any major changes in their life. Things that your husky was used to may all of a sudden become scary. Be careful not to shout at your husky as this may startle them and make them anxious. This is a good time to teach simple husky puppy training behaviors such as sit and stay. Start with the first steps of Crate Training.
Week 12 – 16
At 12 weeks your husky is growing in confidence and becoming more independant. With each day your huskies character and personality will come out more. Your husky is starting to learn about choices and he may not comply with simple commands that he already knows. Your husky will love to play fight and will try to intice you into play fighting games. Be wary that these types of games can lead to obedience problems such as aggression, biting and chewing.
Week 16 onwards
A four months your husky is entering the teen stage. Your husky is going through a lot of hormonal changes so don’t be surprised if some obedience problems come up. Your husky will also have the combined problem of teething. This is not a great time for your husky so try to be understanding. Keep something cold in your freezer for your husky to chew on. The teen stage ends at 6 months which is a perfect time to spay or neuter your husky if that is what you plan to do.
Husky puppy training should be progressing at this stage. Puppy school and obedience classes are recommended or if this is not possible purchase a quality step-by-step husky puppy training guide online.
Some owners don’t realize the importance of bathing their huskies. They need to understand that if not done correctly their huskies can end up suffering from an infection. Ear infections are common because during husky bathing, water can easily get into your husky’s ears and cause symptoms such as discharge from the ears. To prevent this from happening, large cotton balls can be placed in their ears while being bathed. Make sure you don’t put any small objects in your husky’s ears obviously.
How Often Should I Bath My Husky
Huskies don’t require husky bathing often. Their coat is thick and if washed too regularly their skin and coat loses its natural oils and protective characters. Once every couple of months is more than enough, although they may require extra baths if they suffer from diarrhea and it gets on their coat. Obviously if your husky plays in the dirt and gets filthy it is a good idea to bath them.
You need to be careful what type of soap or shampoo you use during husky bathing. There are certain types of soaps that cause irritation during husky bathing. As a rule of thumb stay away from human shampoo and soap products. They normally contain the wrong type or amount of ingredients in them. Stick to specialized dog shampoos as they have the right amount of ingredient types. When using a new product during husky bathing it is best to try a small amount of the product on a small area of your husky.
You really need to be organized and patient when bathing your husky. Keep all your husky bathing products and tools in one place near a source of water. You may choose to bath your husky in the family bath. If you do this then make sure you sterilize the bath afterwards with bleach. The best option is to have a small bath that you if used only for husky bathing.
Huskies are not great water dogs and prefer water to be kept to a minimum. You may wish to sprinkle water over them or use a hose on low pressure. Massage and lather your husky bathing soap onto them. Try to make bathing a nice experience for your husky and they are more likely to stay still and calm during bathing. Rivers and oceans are alternatives to a bath.
What You Need For Husky Bathing
Essential items to have when you are husky bathing are a leash (option during bathing), shampoo, conditioner, a brush and a dog towel. Conditioner is a great idea for husky bathing as it will really assist with the drying and brushing process after the bathing. Bathing should be an enjoyable experience for both husky and owner. You may wish to hire the services of a professional dog groomer. I recommend doing this at least once to see what technique they use for bathing as well and drying and grooming.
The Nordic breeds (Huskies, Malamutes and members of the Spitz family) are are all prone to digging. Some dog experts would suggest that you should steer clear of the Nordic breeds because of digging problems. With the amount of energy that huskies carry, digging can be a way that your husky uses to remain engaged and active. Your husky will have its own unique character and temperament. This along with the owners training philosophy will determine whether your husky likes to dig.
There are two vastly different philosophies when it comes to your husky digging:
The first view is that a husky has natural tendencies and that these natural tendencies such as digging, should be allowed to flourish. The other view is that huskies should be trained how to stop digging until all risk of your husky expressing itself through digging is gone.
My point of view lies somewhere in the middle of these two opinions. It is a fact of life that the majority of huskies love to dig. For you, it is a matter of drawing the line at what is acceptable behavior from your husky and what isn’t. If your husky is digging already, you’ll need to start thinking outside the square to turn this behavior around.
It IS possible to have a husky that is enjoying puppyhood without wrecking your back yard with digging holes. There are a number of proven techniques that will stop your husky digging in a destructive way. I’ll get to that shortly.
To decrease the likelihood of your husky digging, try a combination of the following methods;
Increase Exercise To Stop Your Husky Digging
The husky is legendary for its stamina and endurance levels. Exercise is by far the best way to expend any excess energy that your husky has. Your husky is of working dog stock and every working dog needs to have fulfilling work in its life. If you don’t provide the opportunity to work, your husky will revert to digging as a way to pass time and burn energy. On the other digging can be a means to an ends for a husky, who wants to escape no matter what the price. Huskies have a natural desire to explore and find things.
Solutions are obvious if you start putting yourself in your husky position. If your husky is not getting enough exercise, take him for more walks or jogs. Personally I prefer to take my husky for a run while riding on my bicycle You need to teach your husky not to run into the line of the bike when cycling. It takes a fair amount of skill to hold a husky while riding your bike so be careful.
Husky Separation Anxiety
If your missing you and overly anxious, digging out to find out where you have gone is a possibility. Husky Separation Anxiety is a pyschological problem that is relatively common among huskies and dogs in general. Separation Anxiety is a huge topic in itself.
What To Do If Your Husky is Bored
If your husky is bored, the first thing you should do is make sure your husky has at least a few toys and chews. This will at least take up some of your husky’s time during the day. Hopefully this helps your husky to expend enough energy that they are distracted from digging. If your husky continues to dig even with toys and chews available, your husky may need to be crated or contained away from your yard.
Ways To Stop Your Husky Digging
If your husky has it’s heart set on digging and you have run out of ideas, try some of these basic husky digging tips:
Restricting Access – This is the only fullproof way to prevent your husky from digging is a certain area. Unfortunately it is not always convinient or realist for a husky to be kept away from the yard area.
Natural Deterrents – 99% of huskies will steer clear of digging anywhere near their own poo. Even if your husky eats poop (known as Coprophagia) 99.9% of dogs will shy back, horrified, from the prospect of digging anywhere that there’s dog poop. Even if your husky eats poop (a condition known as coprophagia) they will still normally refain from digging near to their poop. Huskies have a natural dislike for soiling and dirtying their own coat and paws.
Rethinking your Garden Layout – If you have some delicate parts of your garden you may wish to think about fencing off a certain part of your garden. There is also the options of planting hardier fauna that has deep roots and natural defenses from a huskies paws.
A Long Term Husky Digging Solution
If you are moving into a new house, or if you want to create a better long term solution try this: Remove (if you are yet to turf your property this should be done prior to turfing) the first couple of inches of your lawn. This should be done in an organized and tidy manner. Lay down chicken-wire on the bare dirt and relay your lawn on top of the chicken wire. Your husky will find that digging is not enjoyable and is pointless. Provided you have full coverage of the yard, your husky will not dig in this area again.
Most husky owners will need to find out about preventing husky biting some time. If your husky has a habit of biting it can be quite a disturbing thing for you and anybody that your husky comes into contact with. It is important to figure out what is behind this negative behavior so you can take charge of the situation. A husky may initially be play biting but if this habit is allowed to continue it can develop into more aggressive and harmful biting. This is obviously not a safe situation for family, strangers and other dogs. Biting as a behavior needs to be addressed as early as possible to put an end to it.
How To Prevent Your Husky Puppy From Biting
When your husky is a puppy, it is the easy to make sure that you eliminate biting as a habit. Training to overcome bad behavior is very easy when your husky puppy is under five month old. The first five months of a huskies life is when biting as a habit is formed which mean it’s the best time to retrain the habit.
A lot of people assume that play biting from there husky is normal when they are teething. The reality is that your husky is following its natural instinct to attempt to take the alpha role in the pack. Huskies, even at a young age, use biting as a way to assert dominance. As with all dog training, preventing your husky from biting starts with asserting yourself as the leader in the alpha role. If this is done when you’re husky is a puppy, biting as well as other negative behaviors become less likely to occur.
There are also other ways to prevent your husky puppy from biting. The trick is to treat your husky puppy as it would be treated in a pack by its mother and fellow puppies. Distraction is a good method where you offer your husky puppy a toy to take their focus off what they are biting. Alternatively you can try a slight pinch to the neck or making a high pitched noise when bitten. All of these methods can deter your husky puppy from biting. As a last resort professional help from an experience dog trainer is a good option.
How To Stop Husky Biting At Year One
If nipping and biting forms as a habit in your husky’s first year, don’t be surprised if your husky gets a little rougher at around 12 months old. If your husky is biting at this age, it’s important to stop playing rough games with your husky. Steer away from games where your husky is challenged to assert itself and to fight for dominance.
As stated earlier, make sure that your husky knows that you are in the alpha position. Restrict your husky to certain parts of the yard and certain rooms in your house, if any. Husky crate training can also be used as a training method to stop your husky biting. Should this fail enrolment into obedience classes will benefit your husky greatly. Also it will give you as an owner more knowledge on how to remain in the alpha role.
How To Stop Your Mature Husky Biting
If your mature husky is biting people or other pets, chances are this behavior has formed in younger years. This becomes a big problem for anyone who may come into contact with your husky including the owner. In your husky’s mind, they constantly need to assert their dominance over others.
If your husky still has issues with biting after 12 months of age, it is definitely time to seek help from an experienced dog obedience trainer. Should your husky make an attack your husky may need to be put down or even worse somebody may be badly injured.
As with all husky training, good habits early in your huskies life will benefit you and them greatly. With the right training to prevent husky biting, there is very little chance that your husky will start biting at a mature age
If you have the problem of your husky jumping on you or other people, you will need to take positive steps to put an end to this situation. Huskies are a breed that really enjoys face to face interaction with people. Your husky at times can be overly enthusiastic around people which leads to your husky jumping on you or others.
When your husky is small, jumping isn’t a big problem. As your husky becomes larger and more powerful, your husky jumping is more of a concern. People may find your husky intimidating or just a plain nuisance. The worst case scenario is that your husky causes injury to yourself or another person.
Ways To Stop Your Husky Jumping
The easiest thing you can do to stop your husky jumping is to get down to your husky’s level by kneeling. Your husky will then be able to have face to face contact without jumping up to you. Your husky is merely trying to see you face to face.
If that technique doesn’t work, try turning your back and ignoring your husky when they jump on you. Look up and away and do not acknowledge your husky until he has settled and sat down. Huskies are longing for attention and hate to be ignored. That is the reason they are jumping on you in the first place. If you want this method to work you have to be prepared to ignore your husky completely until he has settled down. If you acknowledge your husky before he has settled the training technique will not work.
The final technique that I will teach today is especially helpful for adult huskies that are fully grown. Wait until your husky jumps up on at and when they do gently and safely take hold of your huskies front legs. Slowly make your husky walk backwards a few feet. Then slowly and deliberately lower your huskies front legs to the ground while using the command “down” simultaneously.
The Importance of Consistent Training with Husky Jumping
It won’t take long for you to get your husky out of the habit of jumping. You just need to remain consistent with the method that you choose to stop your husky jumping. It is very important that all members of your family follow this same training plan. Otherwise you’re the husky jumping problem you have will continue because your husky is confused.
Huskies are great family dogs because of their longing to belong to a pack. Under normal circumstances they are very loving and affectionate to adults, children and other dogs.
However, One of the Huskies first roles in Siberian culture was as a look out and to guard against large animals and intruders. From time to time, this history can rear its ugly head as unwanted aggression. The think to remember about husky aggression is that if you take steps early in your husky’s life problems will be minimized.
The Origin of Husky Aggression
It is true that dogs were originally wild animals. This isn’t to say that husky aggression can’t be prevented. Most dogs will either be aggressive or not depending on the environment in which they are raised. This is good news for husky owners. As long as you do not neglect your husky and you provide a good alpha male role model, aggressive behavior will not come out.
Not enough interaction with other dogs at a young age is one of the main reasons for husky aggression. Being pack dogs, huskies should be allowed to mix and mingle with other dogs of any breed. It will also be helpful if you let your husky spend time with other family and friends. These small steps will prevent husky aggression in most cases.
If you have young children or other family pets then it is important that you do not spoil your new husky with preferential treatment. This may be hard because they are especially cute puppies. Be firm but fair with your husky but make sure you never hit or yell aggressively at your husky.
Your husky will only mimic your behavior and then may act aggressively towards the family or other pets. When training your husky be firm but fair. Keep a normal tone in your voice that is calm but lets your husky know you are in charge. What you are aiming for is compliance that you are in charge as early as possible. This must be done in a non abusive way.
Coping With Husky Aggression
If your Husky happens to show aggressive behavior later in life, there are basic steps you can put in place to turn them around.
The first step is to make sure that all the original boundaries that were originally put in place are enforced. Owners tend to become more relaxed over time with their pets. Your husky may have started behaving badly because it is taking things for granted.
Keep a tight reign over your personal space as the alpha role model. That means your husky is not allowed on the couch, any beds and any rooms that you deem unsuitable. If you have an adequate fence and space, you may wish to make your husky a 100% outside dog.
Start controlling meal times for your husky. The person who provides food is definitely the alpha role model. Stick to specific times and make them sit and remain calm before placing food down. This will prevent food aggression.
If aggression targeted at other animals is the problem, the best solution is to segregate your husky from other animals for a time. Once you have take back control of your household, slowly allow your husky to spend time with other animals. The main things is to not make a scene about any incidents. Be decisive and unemotional.
Husky aggression toward people in your home is a more serious problem. Make sure you seek out expert help from a professional dog trainer. It goes without saying that your husky should be kept away from that person until the problem is fixed.
Huskies are deceptively strong and powerful dogs. If they decide to throw their weight around and to become aggressive they can be a handful. Make sure you keep people and other animals safe at all times and seek out professional help as soon as possible.
Realising the Wonder of a Husky
Huskies are naturally caring and affectionate dogs. They are also very aware of your feelings and emotions. Stay relaxed around your husky and just enjoy their company. If you are on edge and worried there is more chance of husky aggression. Remember your husky is always checking to see who the boss is. Make sure that you are at ease and that you are in charge.
If you are able to show your husky that they are safe in your home, and that you are in charge, your husky will enjoy pack life. Because their environment is so good their aggressive nature will fade and they will want to bond with you. Daily walking on a leash and having the chance to run freely is a big part of keeping your husky calm and content.
A Husky who does not get the right amount of exercise will become frustrated and may suffer from anxiety. These two feelings alone can easily lead to your husky having aggression problems. They really enjoy the security of an alpha leader and a regular routine.
In reality, your Husky has the potential to be the perfect dog for your family. As long as your provide strong but loving leadership at all stages of their life you will have many great moments with your husky.
Peoples knowledge about husky feeding will normally depend on their experiences while raising huskies. The real answers to questions about husky feeding should be found through scientific research. It’s best to refer to scientific studies as well as speaking to experienced husky breeders and a vet when making husky feeding decisions.
How Much Should I Feed My Husky?
It is best practice to keep your husky on its mothers breast milk for at least 8 weeks. This will provide your husky with the necessary nutrients for good immunity. If your husky has been separated from its mother then a good rule of thumb is to feed your husky puppy a quantity of food equal to 5% of its body weight.
One way to gauge how much to feed your husky puppy is to wait to see your husky’s tummy get full. Your husky will naturally overeat so it’s a good way to monitor their consumption. If you let your husky overeat then your husky may suffer from ailments such as diarrhea or bowel irritation. If your husky puppy has bowel problems and is not yet house trained you could be in for a big mess.
When your husky is under 2 months it is best to give them smaller amounts of food more regularly. Increase the amount of food and reduce the frequency of meals so by the time your husky puppy is 6 months old they are eating once in the morning and once in the evening.
If your husky is on a raw food diet then you should only be feeding them 3-4% of their bodyweight. This is a good starting point for this type of diet. You should then closely monitor their weight and pooping habits. A fully grown husky has a health weight range of between 45-60 pounds for males and 35-50 pounds for females. If your dog is obviously overweight or underweight then either reduce or increase food intake accordingly.
Growing huskies need more food than adult huskies. Huskies in the latter part of their life require less food because of reduced exercise and movement. As your husky gets older there it is a good idea to reduce their protein intake.
How often should I feed my husky?
How much a husky should be feed is a common question from new owners. If your husky is younger than a month and a half, your husky needs to be given milk or milk formula six to seven times a day. You can expect your husky to let you know when they are hungry with some whining or yelping.
As your husky approaches 2 months of age you should being reducing the amount of times that you give them feed each day. Your husky should start eating solids around the age of one month. It is best to mix solid food with water while they are getting used to solids. This may cause slight diarrhea but it is nothing to be alarmed about. Just stop feeding your husky for at least a few hours if they have diarrhea as a puppy.
You need to experiment a little in the early stages with how often you feed your husky pup. Stick to the basic principles mentioned above and you won’t have too many problems. It is advisable that once your husky has reach 2 months of age only to change their eating frequency a maximum of 3 times. For example you can try switch between one a day and twice a day feeding but eventually settle on a set pattern.
Teething is one reason why a husky over the age of 2 months should generally only be fed twice a day. Any more will most likely cause additional irritation to their gums. Once your huskies eating frequency is reduced it’s important to make sure that you meet their nutritional needs.
It’s not a good idea to feed your husky tinned or processed pet food before the age of six months. When introducing your pet to processed pet food do this over time. Try different brands and settle on a brand which your dog enjoys. A good way to monitor how good commercial pet food is for your husky is to check the consistency of their poop.
If your husky is pregnant, you will need to feed them more. Your pregnant husky will normally self monitor the amount that it eats. It is good to overfeed if anything as a rule of thumb but maintain daily exercise.
Husky Origins – The Husky originated in Eastern Siberia with the earliest record of their existence being around 1000 years ago. They have a long history as working dogs with amazing stamina and endurance. Pulling sleds and herding reindeer was their original role in Siberian culture. Huskies were introduced to Alaska in the early 1900s which has led to a number of different types of husky being bred. The Husky is a very hardworking dog and its endurance has been made legendary through endurance races such as the Iditarod in Alaska. Individually and as part of a team they are able to haul very heavy sleds over vast distances.
Husky Looks – Huskies are strikingly good looking dogs. They have a very strong and fit body and look to be built for agility and speed. They are of a medium size and have triangle shaped ears that stand proud above its fluffy face. The husky always looks ready for work and alert to anything going on around it. The husky has a double layered coat which gives good insulation in hot and cold conditions. Huskies come in 4 main color types. Black and white, grey and white, copper red and white and pure white. Huskies normally have blue or brown eyes or one of each.
Husky Temperament – By nature the husky is a very affectionate and loving natured dog. This is not surprising given their long history of belonging to a family pack and also mingling freely with their owners in Siberia. They make exceptionally good family dogs because of this character trait. They do demand a lot of physical interaction from their owners and plenty of attention from everybody in the household. They really need to belong to an owner who is going to give them plenty of attention. Lack of attention and neglect can lead to behavior such as excessive digging and chewing. This should not be interpreted as the fault of the dog.
The husky is a great dog for people who like to walk, hike or jog on a regular basis. The more you exercise your husky, the better behaved your husky will be. They will be able to express their nature better if they have a good sized yard to play in secure fence at least 6 foot high. They are extremely smart dogs and if there is a way to escape your husky will surely find a way.
The Husky Guard Dog – One of their original roles in Siberia was as a look out, therefore they make good guard dogs. They do not bark excessively and the husky is known barking only when needed. They do however howl on occasions when they reach adulthood.
The Social Husky – If you plan to have your husky as a family dog, it is advised that you raise your husky with children from the outset. Huskies are very friendly and excitable around new people. They get along very well with other dogs and love to socialise. They are very curious about other types of animals and their natural hunting instincts can cause problems with cats.
Husky Training – Huskies are known for being highly intelligent and fast learners. It is because of this intelligence that they are often hard to train. If they don’t see a point in doing something they just won’t do it. Establishing yourself as the ‘alpha dog’ is very important in training your husky to be an obedient pet.
Husky Grooming – contrary to what some people say, huskies do malt a small amount. It is best to brush your husky’s coat at least once a week. At the height of summer and in warmer areas it’s a good idea to brush your husky at least three to four times a week.
Husky Health – You can expect your husky to live from anywhere between 10 to 15 years. Much like other pure breeds, Huskies can develop have eye related problems such as progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), cataracts or cornea issues. Huskies that are kept active are not known to develop arthritis or hip dysplasia.
When attempting to turn your husky puppy away from chewing, you should keep in mind that chewing, just like digging is a natural husky puppy activity. Husky puppies will chew on objects not matter what you do. This is normally because they are going through teething or they have nothing else to keep them occupied. To stop chewing you need to distract your husky puppy by keeping them busy with other activities. This way they are less likely to chew things you value such as shoes, socks, power cables, underwear and furniture.
Why You Need to Stop Your Husky Chewing
Even though chewing as part of teething is a natural behavior, it’s definitely not a good idea to turn a blind eye when your husky is chewing. You should reinforce to your husky puppy that it is not acceptable to chew anything it likes. You must give your puppy different options to prevent your husky chewing.
Ways to Stop Your Husky Chewing
There are a number of options that you have on hand to prevent your husky chewing. To begin with, refrain from yelling or hitting your husky. Even if you get extremely frustrated try not to take it out on your husky puppy. Abusive behavior from an owner will merely confuse your husky and make him feel anxious. As an alternative, use the following methods:
Chewing Replacement – When you find your husky chewing something valuable, immediately replace the valuable item with a toy that they are allowed to chew. When you give this toy over to your puppy, make sure you praise and reward your husky puppy for chewing on the correct thing. This way the puppy learns to recognize what objects it’s allowed to chew.
Occupied Husky – Huskies chew because they are bored. Chewing takes up a good amount of energy and your husky wants to burn energy constantly. The best way to prevent chewing is to keep them occupied while you are around and well exercised. While you are away give your husky puppy objects that you know they enjoy playing with.
Husky Crate Training – Creating a separate territorial space for your husky at a young age generally makes them want to stay in a certain area. This cuts down the options that your husky has for chewing and can therefore limit any damage your husky may cause. For example you can crate train your husky to stay in a single room.
Aversion Sprays – It is possible to spray substances on certain objects in your household that will deter your husky from chewing them. Natural sprays such as Cayenne Pepper and Bitter Apple taste foul to dogs. Huskies are quick to pick up associations and they will recognize what is good to chew and what isn’t.
Chewing habits in husky puppies are natural. Should your husky extend this to chewing people or possessions this is a problem that needs to be addressed quickly.
Staying Consistent with Husky Chewing Training
To achieve the goal of stopping husky chewing, keep your actions as an owner as consistent as possible. Don’t use objects you normally wouldn’t want them chewing as alternatives. For example don’t give your husky an old pair of shoes to chew if you don’t want him chewing shoes. Give your husky a unique toy or object which is just for chewing. The more consistent you are with your rules, the quicker your husky will learn.