Hi.

I'd like to know if you guys have any tips on what should I do with my 9 month old husky.
He spends a lot of time in my backyard, and so, when I open the door to feed him or something, he quickly gets away and goes inside the house and also in the frontyard. Once he does that it's simple impossible to get him back unless I corner him and carry him myself.

He simply won't go back to the backyard no matter what I do.
I tried loud noises to scare him, I tried tricking him with treats... he just ignores it all and runs away to another corner as soon as he can.

This is turning to be very problematic. Sometimes I have to spend a long time chasing him in order to get him and drag him back down so I can leave the house.

Please, what can I do?

Thank you.

To be honest, it sounds like your husky needs two things and neither one is discipline. He needs more exercise and time with you. Huskies aren't really 'yard' dogs, they need to be with their people and they need lots of activity. He probably just sleeps all day and is so happy to see you when you do go outside, he wants to hang out with you.

^^I agree, doesn't sound disobiedent at all. How long is he outside for? I wouldn't leave my dog outside only because people have poisoned dogs before and that scares me. I used to have the opposite problem that you did, I couldn't get Karli to come inside once I had let her out and it would take twenty minutes of chase to get her back inside, which I didn't always have time for. But I have a dog who LOVES wheat thins with a passion, so I have a bag next to the door, and she gets one every time she comes in like a good girl. It has really helped improve her outside time and now there are times where I don't even have to give her one. Do you go outside and play with him at all? You need to make outside just as fun as inside, which right now its not because it sounds like he's outside by himself a lot. You can go out and throw a ball for him, chase him around the yard, anything that will make it more fun for him. How many walks does he get a day? Any dog park time? And do you do any type of mental stimulation with him? This would involve trick training, which you can do in the yard with him as well. Huskies are pack animals, they aren't content to be alone.

Agree with the above posters. What is a typical day? How long is he outside for? How often do you guys go on walks and for how long? Might not be a obedience issue but just a bored/excited husky.

Hi, thanks for the responses.

I go out with him once a day for about 40 min, after I get back from work. It's the only time I can.
I also play with him a little bit before sleeping and in the morning.
I used to run with him... but after a few comments here on the forum, I decided to stop with it until he grows a bit more.

The rest of the day, he stays alone in the yard, and I do feel that he's loleny, but there isn't much I can do right now.

How about you guys? How many hours a day do you spend with your husky? How much do you think is necessary?

Mishka is with me for about 1 1/2 hours in the morning before I go to work. He's crated from 7:50am to about 12:35pm, let out for lunch for about 20 minutes, then crated from then to about 4:35-4:40pm when I get home from work. Sometimes later if I don't go straight home. He's usually out from then to 9:30-10:00pm when we go to bed. I take him on two walks each evening weather and time permitting. We also work on tricks and general play in that time. 10-15 minutes of each thing. So it's really not time consuming. And not all the afternoon/evening time is spent together. He goes in the backyard and does his own thing on and off throughout the evening.

You should at least spend a good hour working together, whether that be training, a walk, or play. I think more is definitely best to create a good bond.

I spend every second I can with Karli. I get her up in the morning before work and we eat breakfast together. Then when I come home for lunch we hang out (or she plays outside, but lately she's just wanted to be with me.) My hubby gets off before I do, so he lets her out and they spend time together. I'm really trying to get him to take her for walks because sometimes I don't get home in time to walk her. Then we eat dinner and she falls asleep on the couch with me. On the weekends its all walks and dog parks. I try to sneak the dog park in on a week day too if I can (if I get done with clinicals early enough.) And if I have to run errands somewhere I take her with me. You can go on walks with him, by the time Karli was 8 months old I was walking her 40 minutes a day. He doesn't need ultra excerise, just something to stimulate him. I also have a kong wobbler that I feed her out of.

I spend as much time with Kai as possible. Usually wake up between 6-7. I take her for a long walk in the morning (when she was younger, she needed to go out multiple times, but now that she's older she just needs one longer walk).

If we don't take her to doggy daycare (like now as she has puppy warts), she's crated from 8-11am, when a dog walker takes her out for about 30 minutes. She's then crated from 11:30-3, when the walker comes back to take her out. We usually get home between 6-6:30. After that, we spend the rest of the day with her. We take her out for a long walk when we get back. Then it's inside for dinner and hang out time. She'll nap, play, hang out or want to go through training. Then we'll go out again before bedtime (which fluctuates between 1130 - 1. Though I sometimes fall asleep in the living room, me sleeping on the couch, Kai sleeping on the floor in front the fan The length of that walk depends on how much energy she has.

If she goes to doggy daycare, we drop her off between 8-830 and pick her up between 6-630. The night routine is the same.

I would love to spend more time with Lupo, but I simply don't have more time to spend.
The most I can do is about 1hour a day counting everything. Do you think that's enough?

The running thing used to be great because he got really tired and it is something that I already do, so I was joining something useful with something necessary.

Letting him inside the house while I'm there is complicated. If he's not beeing watched al the time, he will chew on things, he will run and scratch the floor and even pee in a few places...

It's not so much the time spent exercising, it's the time spent around you. You are his family.

He doesn't want to be in the backyard because it's boring. Running around getting chased around the house is much more stimulating and rewarding for your dog. That's why he continues to do it no matter what you use to "punish" him. The positive feedback he gets or feels he gets far outweighs anything.

Why is your dog outside all day? And alone except for 40 minutes a day? Do you work 23 hours and 20 minutes a day? This isn't fair to any dog, let alone a Husky who despite their aloofness very much enjoy the companionship of their humans.

Bring the dog inside. Even little things like just having him be around while you work in the house or do anything is going to be more stimulation than he's been getting. He avoids going outside so much because he knows he's just going to be stuck out there away from you. It won't be before long that you'll have a dog who is digging or climbing out. And then you're going to have a real problem.



Daniel those are normal young Husky thing. He needs to be taught how to behave in the house. Taught what is his to chew and play with, and probably be neutered and housebroken.

daniel.bariquello wrote:

I would love to spend more time with Lupo, but I simply don't have more time to spend.
The most I can do is about 1hour a day counting everything. Do you think that's enough?

The running thing used to be great because he got really tired and it is something that I already do, so I was joining something useful with something necessary.

Letting him inside the house while I'm there is complicated. If he's not being watched all the time, he will chew on things, he will run and scratch the floor and even pee in a few places...

I personally don't think 1 hour is enough for huskies to be properly entertained/exercised. Why is that the most you can spend with him? Why is it complicated to let him inside the house while you're there? Has he taken to housetraining? How old is he? What's your schedule after work usually that prevents you from being with him? Just trying to gather more information.

arooroomom wrote:

Why is your dog outside all day? And alone except for 40 minutes a day? Do you work 23 hours and 20 minutes a day?

Well no, but there's 8hours of sleeping, 8hours of work, then I run almost every day and I also have a few sports that I train at night.
I usually leave my home at 9:00am and come back only for lunch and dinner until 10:00pm. During those intervals is when I try hanging out with him.

I know I should try to make more time for him instead of giving excuses. Leaving him inside the house when I'm there would be good, but until he learns some things and improve his behavior, it's exhausting.

seanbrunett wrote:

Why is that the most you can spend with him?

I could increase my time with him. Letting him inside the house while I'm there at my meals or maybe at night would do the trick I gues.

seanbrunett wrote:

Why is it complicated to let him inside the house while you're there?

He found a spot in the house where he always pees when no one's watching. I think the spot got the scent of his urine now and I don't know what to do with it. I need him not to do his things in the house at all. So evertime he does it, I point it out, get mad at him, clean it up, and lock him outside as a punishment. I don't know if I'm doing this right tough...

He also chews on anyones shoes (he has destroyed a few already) and scratches the flor when he runs.

seanbrunett wrote:

Has he taken to housetraining?

Professional you mean? No...

seanbrunett wrote:

How old is he?

9 months

seanbrunett wrote:

What's your schedule after work usually that prevents you from being with him?

My nights are really busy as I said in the previous post. But I can spend some more time with him if I leave some things aside.

Is there no way you can bring him with you when you teach? You could always tie him out if it's a field or a park. That way he's at least with you in some aspect.

Quote :

So evertime he does it, I point it out, get mad at him, clean it up, and lock him outside as a punishment. I don't know if I'm doing this right tough...

That's another reason why he doesn't want to go outside. You use it as punishment. You need to get an enzyme cleaner to get the smell out of the carpet, because right now it smells like a place he should be peeing. He is still a puppy and needs to be trained, not professionally, but by you. Karli has never chewed a shoe because she has her own toys to chew on. Do you stuff kongs or give him bones? If he doesn't have anything to chew on he's going to chew on your things. A puppy is a big commitment and you need to make time for him, you're going to have to give up some things until he is fully trained. Expecting him to behave in the house when you haven't given him a chance to is unfair. Until he stops peeing in the house, hook a leash to him and keep him near you. He sneaks off because he knows he's gonna get in trouble. For now I would think it would be best if you spend more time with him. Once he's old enough you can go back to running but for now you need to do the things that he can do.

daniel.bariquello wrote:

arooroomom wrote:

Why is your dog outside all day? And alone except for 40 minutes a day? Do you work 23 hours and 20 minutes a day?

Leaving him inside the house when I'm there would be good, but until he learns some things and improve his behavior, it's exhausting.

How is he suppose to learn how to behave inside the house if you never let him in? Training isn't something that just happens overnight, you need to work with him everyday and make more time for him.

Also, perhaps you should invest in a crate that way the dog can't destroy things in the home while you are away. It will also prevent the dog from escaping your yard or being stolen.

Hit up a pet store and get an enzyme cleaner for the pee spot and an anti-chew spray. Bring him in and let him sleep in the house and during your meal times to increase bonding time. Have you worked on kennel training yet? You have an understimulated husky. Remember while you have your job, friends and hobbies, he only has you. So no matter if it is good or bad attention he will take it. If you don't have or can't make the time, you may want to consider re-homing him. I know that sounds harsh but you need to think about what is best for him.

^ fully agree. There is nothing wrong with admitting that you're too busy to raise a Husky puppy, and it definitely sounds like you are. It sounds like you want way too much return but hardly put any effort in to get that return. Doesn't sound fair to either of you. I know first hand that having a 9 month old Husky is rough on the social/recreation life but that's what is needed. If I'm not working my 35 hours a week I only have one night a week that I have an ongoing commitment and other than that our pup is never without either me or my partner or both.

A Husky of all dogs,let alone a young one, requires a.very dog-centric lifestyle. They are working dogs and strong family/pack animals and they need companionship, not just food and water and a yard.

Is it possible to give up a couple of activities? Perhaps pay for a regularly available dog sitter??

Thanks for all the tips everyone.

I will definetly make more time for him.
I lunched with him inside the house today. He ran straight to this "pissing spot" and did it again. I got mad at him a little, cleaned it up, but stayed with him inside this time. I will get that enzyme cleaner for sure and I'll will try to get him used inside the house.
He is a big dog, I didn't want him to be a inside-house dog, but I guess I have no other choice with the limited amount of time that I have.

He does have plenty of toys to chew on, but for some reason, he prefers to chew on anything that's new, like shoes and flip-flops.

This is one of the most depressing threads I've seen.

Your dog is not disobedient, he's desperate and lonely. He's little more than a toddler; would you expect a toddler to thrive on an hour of interaction a day?

This is not an outside, minimum effort breed. They need to be with their family. If you aren't willing to switch your priorities and make time for the dog, he'll only get worse.

If you want him to be happy and healthy, you need to make serious lifestyle changes and be with him. Or send him to daycare so he gets interaction with SOMEONE.

He's chewing on the things that smell most like you

If you only wanted an outside dog, and can only dedicate an hour a day to him, why on earth did you get a husky?

It just sounds like a terrible match-up.

AnyaLuv wrote:

If you only wanted an outside dog, and can only dedicate an hour a day to him, why on earth did you get a husky?

It just sounds like a terrible match-up.

About the outside thing... most people with large breeds keep them outside. They are not fit for living indoors. Indoor dogs are usualy smaller breeds.
There's nothing wrong with keeping a large dog outside... husky or not.

That beeing said, I'm trying to make an exeption for him, because in my case, I simply don't have many free hours everyday to stay outside with him... so I will try to train him to stay inside the house while there are people there and I'll see how it goes. This would increase his interaction with people to between 2 and 3 hours a day...

But huskies are not "large breed" dogs. They are very pack oriented, whether that be people family or other dogs. Any adjustments you can make would probably show some amount of improvement. How long have you had him for? Don't take offense to what people are saying. The members here just really love their dogs, who are treated as part of the family. Everyone really does mean well.

I agree with everyone else, you need to make time to spend with him. Otherwise, what's the point of having a dog?

A note for others to keep in mind, he is in Brazil. Different cultures have different views towards dogs. In many places, it's not customary for dogs to be so integrated into family life like we are used to. I'm not saying I agree with it, but just wanted to point that out.