Our dog drives me nuts!

[Buzzy]

Don't get me wrong, I love our little pup, but he can really be a bitch sometimes.

Ever since my boyfreind and I got our Siberian husky (Rocky), we've been working with him on different things, specifically staying out of the kitchen and not begging. He is NOT getting it through his head. We've had him for almost a year, and now he is a year and 4 months old.

When he follows me into the kitchen, I take him out to the living room, have him sit (which he does just fine), and tell him to stay. He stays for a few seconds but then gets up to follow me again. Wash, rinse, repeat until he finally stays out, and when I come back to the living room after he has stayed I praise him. I've been doing this for the whole year we've had him. He still isn't learning. Same with his begging problem.

I don't know if I'm doing something wrong, or if my bf isn't being consistent with Rocky, or if he's just testing his limits or is stubborn... whatever's going on, though, is really getting on my nerves. I don't know what else to do. What I'm doing now apparently isn't working.

So... anyone have any ideas?? I'd love to hear you guys' thoughts.

(heh, sorry, this turned out to be more of an advice thread. But it's still something I hate, so it fits.)

[Vagabond]

There are several puppy-training methods out there, sometimes available on the net.
Sometimes local breeders/kennels/dog-trainers will have good advice.
Some breeds of dogs are particular, as are some dogs of that breed.

My family used to use both rewards (doggy treats) and reprimands (usually a quick smack on the nose with a newspaper and a shout) to get dogs to mind. But we mostly raised labs. I am unfamiliar with huskies, so I don't know if those methods would work, or if there are better methods.

[Boozy]

Do you walk him a lot?

Dogs need lots of time outdoors. Not in a backyard. It has to be walking, together, as a pack would do in the wild.

Huskies are going to have greater walking requirements than the average dog.

It sounds like Rocky has a lot of nervous energy. When my pugs get like that, it's because we haven't been able to walk them yet that day. After their walk, they tend to collapse together in the living room, and I can get dinner ready without tripping over them.

At any rate, making sure he gets lots of exercise can't hurt. At the very least, it will make him calmer for your training sessions, and more likely to listen to you.

[elsporko]

Seeing how dog's main purpose in life seems to be eating making the dog stay out of the room with all the food in it is kind of like trying to train rain to stay out of a puddle. Just keep at it.

Having something like a baby gate blocking the kitchen might also help. The dog can stand at the doorway and watch but not be able to get in. Eventually it could be taken down and the dog might still stay out. I know my neighbors did this with their dog.

[Shangri-laschild]

I help out with my best friend's husky, Jenna and she can be a handful too. They can be stubborn dogs and training for them isn't always as easy as it might be for other breeds. I've found the best source of information is to find husky books or forums to find out the really helpful specifics. Huskys will test their limits a lot and if you aren't consistant with them, then it's not that they don't learn that they shouldn't do that, it's that they learn that they can get away with it. Like the three year old that learns to ask daddy instead of mommy. I wouldn't trade Jenna for anything and she makes it worth it but she can still be a handful sometimes.

As far as you trying to get them to stay, that one I've had so-so success with. I had to keep saying "stay" while I was in the kitchen if it sounded like she was starting to move or if it had been a little bit. She still has trouble with it (she's also not as well trained as she could be so I'm not saying it's not possible to get a husky trained well) if I don't do that and every so often when I do but it's what I've found so far that's had the most success. If you have any other problems and ever want to send me a PM feel free but I would also definitely recommend finding websites and books about it because there's a lot of interesting stuff to learn. Also, don't know if you've encountered this or not but be careful with chain link fencing. We haven't had a problem with it but apparently huskys have been known to just climp up it strangely enough. I hadn't ever heard of that happening till recently but I've only ever had expirience with Jenna, but Jenna also won't tug her lead free if it gets caught which is also unhusky like.

Seeing how dog's main purpose in life seems to be eating making the dog stay out of the room with all the food in it is kind of like trying to train rain to stay out of a puddle. Just keep at it.

Having something like a baby gate blocking the kitchen might also help. The dog can stand at the doorway and watch but not be able to get in. Eventually it could be taken down and the dog might still stay out. I know my neighbors did this with their dog.

Yeah, they will test you on things a lot especially when food is involved.

This sometimes worked for us (though huskys will try to find weaknesses and some are known for being able to open gate latches even) but from what I've read, it might not necessarily work with most huskys unless you get a tall one or use one on top of the other. If you can get one set up that stays though, it will work wonders. Just make sure to ignore the whinning that will definitely happen.

[Buzzy]

Thanks for the advice

I hate to admit it, but I have been neglecting to walk him this winter. I feel bad for not taking him out, but the walkways by our house are scary to walk on with the amount of ice we've had. I suppose his lack of exercise isn't helping his behavior problems, but once the weather clears up he'll get plenty of exercise. Last summer he got a workout every day, whether it was a long walk or being taken to the dog park for an hour or so to just run. I plan on doing this again with him this year.

A baby gate sounds like a good idea, but I'm wary of it considering he has destroyed his first two kennels, and knows how to get out of his third one (which is why I padlock his kennel now, he's ok in this third one finally) I'd just be worried he'd break the gate or know how to get it open. He's incredibly smart when it comes to solving problems.

I suppose I'll just keep working with him and make sure to have my bf do the same thing and not let him get away with begging and getting in the kitchen. I have seen him let him follow him in there and that is probably part of the problem, along with not exercising this winter, which we'll take care of once it's safe to take him out.

[Dreamstalker]

I'm dogsitting for a labradoodle right now...thank the gods her owner comes back tomorrow.

She's a sweet dog, the issue seems to be that she thinks I don't belong in the apartment (if she notices I'm there, she'll start barking, growling and generally being a pain in the ass--on walks, she won't respond to any of the commands her owner says she knows). Thankfully, the only territorial peeing has been in easy-to-clean locations and it only happened twice.

For some reason, "stay" and "walk" (when I'm trying to get her to not pull on the leash) only works when I'm saying it. If I stop saying it, she goes back to being a little sh!t again. I know I'm the alpha and project that, but she never really got a good chance to socialize to me before the owner left so she doesn't want to admit I'm in charge. She won't really let me interact with her.

[draggar]

Easy fix for the kitchen issue:

Have treats ready. When the dog comes in walk up to it (in a dominant measure), say "OUT OUT OUT OUT" (or something else if you use "out" as a command to go outside) and (for the lack of a better term) push the dog (with your body) out of the kitchen. Block the entrance for a few seconds and look at hi m in the eye (yes, dominance). When he sits outside the kitchen (in an acceptable place - near the entry way etc.) praise him (good boy, pet him, and maybe even a treat).

Try not to let him walk into the kitchen before you - that's your way of telling him the kitchen is your area, not his.

If you live in south Florida shoot me a PM.

[Savannah]

It's really hard for a dog to be away from you as they are pack animals, so if there is any way that he could be on a mat in the kitchen or somewhere in the living room where he can see you, that might help. You also have to consider what you are asking him to do. Does he have to be sitting all the time when you are in the kitchen? (This seems really unfair. What if you are in the kitchen for two hours?) Does he just need to stay in one area while you are in the kitchen? Does he just need to stay out of the kitchen?

If he is getting up from a stay after a few seconds, he does not understand stay and would probably benefit from some additional training going back to the beginning.

If you'd like, you can PM me with some more details and I might be able to help. I've trained dogs as a volunteer at the animal shelter for six years and I intend to work dog trainer when I finish college. So while I'm not professional, I have some experience (but don't expect miracles )

[jedimaster91]

Try one of those pressure-mounted swinging baby gates. Ours is around 3ft high with a door, and we love it. Someday we hope to have our new dog trained well enough to stay where he's supposed to be, but for now, we use the gate.