TERRY VALENTINE

This is another issue that has surfaced since we got a second dog. Even though our 80-lb husky mix Sebastian now has a playmate he seems overstimulated much more often, judging from his energy levels after an hour-long walk or even two in the same day. I've been implementing training sessions (though forming a regular schedule has been a challenge) and brain games to tire him and even reduce the need for physical exercise (=fewer/shorter walks), but often he still wants to go farther, longer, down that road we didn't walk, etc.; and when he doesn't get what he wants he vents his frustration on his little sister, rough-housing while they're both still on leashes, clamping onto her neck and slinging or dragging her. I don't think he's trying to hurt her but of course it's both irritating and disconcerting to me, and we spend several minutes tangled in two leashes while I try to intervene and get them both moving down the road again. While he was our only dog there were hints of this behavior (that I see now in retrospect) when he wanted to be off-leash, as he would play tug-of-war with the leash for a minute or so before giving up when he saw that I wasn't stopping or giving in. Eventually with more and more walks he gave up this behavior altogether for a while, especially as I was able to trust him off-leash once we returned to our own property. But now that he has an actual dog to pick on it seems the behavior has escalated (including resuming the tug-of-wars), and I'm not sure how to handle or prevent this. Maybe the overstimulation is a husky thing, but I've mentioned before that we're his 4th owners at least, so my knowledge of his history is limited.

Wow...looks like my work is cut out for me! I'll have to look for those "middle-ground" opportunities to practice in public but with fewer distractions. We do take walks in-town, up and down sidewalks with only the occasional passer-by and where I already discourage marking garbage cans and mailbox posts, so these present as a proverbial stepping stone. But as for "losing his cool," (#10) he's always friendly even toward other dogs; if anything his excitement manifests by dragging me around and trying to take it all in at once. Another related issue (and maybe this should be a separate post) is that even if he marks in an appropriate spot, he almost always follows up by scratching the ground with all four feet. On our road out in the sticks this isn't typically a big deal, but if we're in town I don't want him destroying people's landscaping so I try to preempt and distract by beckoning him to keep moving, wherever we are so as to break the habit. This doesn't seem to be working, so would you recommend a click-and-treat type distraction like the above? Understanding why he even does this might also be helpful.

As our dogs don't get "out" much in public places I've been trying to desensitize them to crowds, e.g., festivals, farmer's markets and such. I try to exercise them beforehand so that they're not so over-the-top excited when we arrive, but in addition to the overstimulation from all the people, smells and other dogs, Sebastian especially seems not to "get" when/where it's appropriate to relieve himself. Thus even if he's already been walked and pottied, I still have to watch that he doesn't lift his leg on a tent cable, a table leg or (gasp) an actual display. Recently I noticed too late (at the exclamations of a vendor) that he lifted his leg to pee on a potted flower arrangement that was for sale. The vendor was laughing and I think if anything only the pot was "watered", and I did apologize...but like the parent of a human child it's not possible to "watch" him every second. Is there a way to convey that situations like this are like being "inside," and that he should wait until we find a patch of grass, or a bush or a tree, away from the activity, to leave a proverbial Post-It(R)? Is this even reasonable?

The little blue has been rehomed, so we're back to being a 2-dog family. Prior to this I did begin feeding them separately, the Aussie on the back porch and the bluey in the kitchen. I also tried feeding the Aussie her food a spoonful at a time while making her "down," to establish that *I* control the food, not her, and kept them separated until all of the dogs had finished eating and the bowls were put away. This did reduce the number of incidents but we still had a few more while he was with us. I also stepped up the obedience training as there seemed to be a respect issue as well, given that she never pulled these stunts when my husband was feeding them. After a month+ with no owner coming forward I placed him with the family of a veterinary receptionist who had experience with blue heelers. From the pics and videos they've sent it seems that he's in the best situation I could hope for. I will keep the above tips in mind however as I imagine we'll be fostering again, given the frequency of dumps in our area, and with a smaller dog it's likely that this behavior will resume. I did come across a book on teaching dogs to regulate their own impulses, so we've been doing some target/mat training that hopefully we will have implemented before the real test comes.

Update...I've been able to curtail the attacks by watching the Aussie after meals, games and treats and recognizing the "look" as she approaches the BH, and also the BH's posture and demeanor (i.e., he can tell what's coming). As she approaches him I tell her "Be nice!" which distracts her; and I tell her again, and again if necessary until she's relaxed and whatever demonic urge she might have has passed. Hopefully by breaking the habit she'll eventually forget that she ever did this. In the meantime though the poor little guy scarfs down his food and then runs and hides, even if it means leaving food in his dish if she finishes before he does. Otherwise they play and roughhouse a good part of the day, with the BH giving as good as he gets - which is part of what makes the attacks so odd. I don't know how they can run around, wrestle and play tug-of-war all day and then assume attacker-victim roles only at specific times. Talk about a toxic relationship...We're still hoping to either locate his people or place him soon, so maybe he won't be scarred for life.

His tracker doesn't always show that he's left the property, as cell coverage is limited in our area. He has shown up in the same places several times, either for the people or the dogs living there. He was visiting the same house for a while, although one of the people there told me that he would show up and then act like he didn't want to be there. Maybe he was waiting for me to come and pick him up so he could go for a car ride (which he loves) - ? Recently he (and his sister) went very far, and I think he got tired of wandering and "checked in" at a house so that someone could call me and they could get a ride home. Fortunately people recognize that he's friendly and are understanding, but we do technically have leash laws (although a lot of people still let their dogs roam).

We've temporarily taken in a blue heeler puppy that followed us home after the outer bands of Helene brought us a day and a half of rain and wind. While we try to locate the owner (if there is one) we've been feeding him and incorporating him into the usual routines of walking, potty breaks, games and treats. Our other two dogs are an 80lb husky mix and a young Australian Shepherd. The problem is that the Aussie attacks the blue heeler AFTER meals and treats, oddly enough. Any attack is unacceptable but I would expect it to happen while food and treats are available (i.e., resource guarding) and not after they've all been eaten. The husky is very mellow and has been uninvolved, but as he's also a slow eater I've wondered if Aussie is hoping for first dibs on any leftovers. The two are not close to him (or even in the same room) however when the attacks happen so I'm not sure this is the reason. When it does happen I clap my hands and yell (which may just add to the chaos), and the Aussie breaks off the attack and faces me looking contrite; however she does not seem to understand that this behavior displeases me. Feeding them in separate rooms is not practical (they both follow me wherever I carry the food, and both dive into the same bowl), and I'm still learning what signals to look for when an attack is imminent. Do you know what's going on here, or how to head off an attack before it happens? I've looked over the relevant articles but I'm afraid distracting her with more food will just delay the inevitable.

I did use a 30' training lead for several months, for the very reasons you state, in addition to practicing recall (although the effectiveness of this is limited as he knows when he has no choice but to come to me and when he's loose); and then I made the mistake of tethering him outside with it, and the puppy chewed it in two. (We tied the halves together but he snapped it outright taking off at a run out the door.) I do plan to replace it but deciding whether to get the same thing (1/2" cotton leash) or something more durable, what material etc. has been the issue. Anyway, I do think boredom has been part of the problem, as 99% of our walks are one of two routes: a) to the mailbox and turn right, or b) to the mailbox and turn left. We do walk in town on occasion where there are sidewalks and lots more doggie smells to check out, but there is no "dog park" or even a designated walking trail in our county. We'd prefer not to build an outdoor kennel for the same reason we didn't fence in the property, although the separation anxiety would also be an issue if he had company. I may try tethering him again as this seems the best compromise, if we can find a line AND harness that wouldn't break.

I know, big news flash here...but this is actually only a recent problem. We adopted a husky/malamute mix a year and a half ago (Sebastian, if you recall a post or two from back then), and in anticipation of escapes we had him microchipped, tagged his harness AND ordered a GPS tracker. (We don't have a fenced in yard and don't want one, as our house is in the woods, 1800' from the road.) However with daily walks and after being able explore the local landscape he became content simply hanging out in the driveway, within sight of the house. After working through a few solutions for separation anxiety we realized that we could even leave him loose outside for a few hours while we went to church or ran errands, and he would be waiting on the patio for us when we returned. In the winter he's even enjoyed staying outside all night in the cold. Fast forward to about a month ago and he suddenly had a new playmate, a 5 month-old Aussie mix (whom I discuss in another post) who fills his need for doggie interaction and has helped with the separation anxiety. Running away has not been a concern with her so we started letting both of them out to play together and generally hang out. However a couple of weeks ago he discovered that now that he had a partner in crime, running off was fun once again. We stopped letting them out loose together but now that he has the bug he's left the property alone almost every time we've let him outside. Our walking schedule has been disrupted as I've been sick and was unable to take him (or even play with him) for several days, and as my husband doesn't have the time and Sebastian whines and practically climbs the walls we give in, let him out and wait for a text or call from one of the neighbors. (I taught him early on to get out of the road when a car is approaching, and he does this now as a habit.) After a few trips out to get him we started hiring dog walkers to help keep him exercised until I can take over again; but it seems the idea was solidified by then. I'm starting to take them out again but even this morning after nearly an hour's walk (although I turned around to return home before he was ready) I let both of them loose in the driveway as per usual, but rather than go down to the creek for a drink and continue to the house he went into the woods and disappeared for several hours until I got a call once again. I'd like to think that he'll lose interest once we're back on our regular morning walks, but I believe this began before I got sick so I'm wondering if his days of being able to hang out loose in the driveway are at an end. Is there a way for this not to be a self-rewarding behavior? I actually wonder if he enjoys going to someone's house and waiting for one of us to give him a ride home in the car. We've never managed to teach him recall so maybe it's time to revisit that, but I'm not sure this would entirely solve the issue. I'd like to find other ways to engage his mind but he's not interested in games, just walks and more walks, and his motivation to learn new training even for food is limited.

We've taken in a young Aussie(?) mix who was about 4 1/2 months when my husband found her in the street. She's settled in well, gets along with our 5 year-old husky (mostly) and quickly learned to respect our cats. She's also attentive and eager to please, but sometimes this clinginess manifests in pawing, typically when one of us is sitting down. I've looked at the article on pawing, and I know we shouldn't reinforce by responding even negatively, and some of the time I'm able to turn my back or walk away. Other times these are not options, like when I'm on the toilet (ahem) or eating a meal. Ignoring her might work eventually but I have to tolerate my leg being scratched repeatedly (ow!) or some piece of fabric like a pant leg or a blanket being damaged. Apart from housebreaking (which is mostly complete) this has been the biggest behavioral issue we've encountered with her. How can we wait out the pawing without tolerating damage to ourselves or our things?

I have two questions, one theoretical and one in regard to my husky Sebastian (whom you've "met" previously in another thread). For my "theory" question, I received a Level 4 bite (according to Dunbar's Bite Scale) from a pitbull/lab mix several years back, while on inline skates. I mention the skates because it seemed (and seems in retrospect) that the dog's behavior was due to a specific set of circumstances, namely that I was a human on wheels (or alternately, wearing a helmet). I'd met the dog before and even petted him, both on foot and on skates, but while on skates I was stationary as I'd turned around and stopped for the owners to bring him up to me. For the bite incident I was still slowing down to talk to him and his owner, and passed close enough for him to jump out and bite my leg. As soon as I screamed he let go (as opposed to shaking and tearing the flesh off my leg), and when I immediately fell down I could feel his nose barely brush the back of my head as he sniffed and strained to check me out further while his owner held him back - no snarling or "I want to kill you" vibe. Once I got up he stood calmly as a passer-by called 911 for me (I'd also broken my wrist in the fall), and he only began barking and lunging again when I began rolling back toward the trailhead. Back in the parking lot he reacted similarly to a little girl on a tricycle, and the attending police officer wondered if he would have to shoot him. I passed him/them at the park a few times afterward (they'd paid a fine but were still taking him out in public), and I didn't pet him again but his reaction to me (or lack thereof) was entirely dependent on whether I was on skates or on foot. So my question is whether a dog can truly be labeled "dangerous" if he's only reactive to a given stimulus, such as a person on skates or a bike - ? The owners eventually moved back to their home country and took the dog with them, so I don't know if he ever bit anyone again. He presented to me as a big puppy who didn't know his own strength (and he was between 1-2 years old at the time of the bite), so I've wondered if he could have been de-sensitized to wheels to the extent that he could be safely taken out in public again. As for Sebastian (and this is my short question), there have been a few times when he's been (for lack of a better phrase?) "affectionately mouthy", e.g., while he's on the leash outside and apparently feeling spunky. I've read that huskies show affection by "holding hands" as it were, so I'm not sure if I should be concerned - ? They're technically a Level 2 as teeth touch skin, but they seem almost accidental. So far I haven't really encouraged or discouraged this kind of contact (although I may have squealed once or twice) but it's also been few and far between thus far. Is there anything I should do or look for going forward?

I'm typically already crouching or on my knees in front of him when I try the "L". We do lean over him sometimes while he's lying down, to scratch his head and neck, and he only rolls over if we rub his belly, presumably for easier access :). Sometimes he does it spontaneously, when we're nowhere near him. I can also try to "capture" when he lies down on his own (which is frequent). We do training sessions in the kitchen but the porch may also be a good idea if he's not too distracted. Our back deck is 10-12' off the ground so hopefully he recognizes that it's too high to jump to the ground, even if he can get over the railing.

This is quite possible, given that he was one of three dogs in his last home as I mentioned, and the "rescuers" who had him before that also had multiple huskies. I think he would like to befriend our cats (and only chased them before because they ran) but I'm not sure if they'll ever come around to that. My security camera idea didn't work out so I don't know if we'll be able to nanny-cam him (although I'll suggest it again to the husband)...We haven't found any messes these past few mornings, just one when we got home from church on Sunday (along with fresh scratches on the door to the garage). So it seems he's become more comfortable here but still doesn't like us leaving without him. He also poops/pees on our covered back porch (which serves as a compromise to letting him run outside - and it's too high off the ground for him to consider jumping the rail, presumably), even if he just did so outside, apparently...so emptying on command will be a work in progress. There has been a little progress on the crate training as I tried placing his breakfast in the kennel this morning (having placed it next to the kennel yesterday) with the idea of him just sticking his head in, but he walked in entirely and sat down. And we aren't letting him go upstairs, so the cats just have to slip in and out when they get a chance for now. An outside run is theoretically doable (provided the ground isn't muddy), although he did discover indoor-fetch today. We've ordered a GPS tracker but I view this more as a safety net than a babysitter. A question on teaching the "lie down" command...He came to us understanding "sit" but either doesn't understand that he has to stretch out on his belly or doesn't want to. I've tried teaching it in stages, and have gotten him to hunch over to take the treat near the floor without standing up, but when I try to complete the "L" he straightens up again. Using a chair is a good idea but we don't have one that he'll fit under (as they all have the horizontal support brackets 3-4" from the floor). A couple of times he did reluctantly sprawl over onto his side (and I clicked him for this), so it might(?) be that he understands but has that stubborn-husky streak. He flops over on his side all the time and displays his belly, so he doesn't have issues with lying down in general.

Thank you! A few replies to your responses, by way of more clues as to his history: - We tried shutting him loose in the master bath for a few nights as a precursor to having him use his kennel, and he did whine for a few minutes before settling down (and as this was before I started giving him chewies he did mess in there once or twice). Once we left him in the bathroom while we were away and the next day we noticed deep scratches on the inside of the door, possibly made as he heard us getting in the car and driving away (He does love car trips, presumably for the change of scenery but likely also to avoid the separation). After a few nights he didn't want to come in the bathroom and went to the hall instead (where there's a comfy wool rug), which was when we started shutting him in there. We don't typically hear whining but there have still been messes. - I've received a response from his last owner, who tells me she let him out every couple of hours with her other dogs and kept him penned in the house, so she apparently didn't have the issues I've seen. The pics from two owners ago show him only outside, so between the two it may be that he didn't so much learn not to eliminate in the house as much as he simply had no opportunity. - He's not quite as clingy as some dogs as he typically chooses a central location (or his rug in the hall) to sack out rather than following us around all the time. And for the first week or so we kept him shut in the kitchen during the day (and night) to prevent him from chasing the cats (who aren't interesting enough to him now to be worthwhile), but with the room being centrally-located we were in and out frequently. We only moved him to a different night-spot after he kept stealing food off the countertops, no matter how well we tried to keep things out of reach and put away. - Our cats go upstairs where there's a large kitty tower (and their selection of "safe" places has diminished of late) so shutting the doors to keep Sebastian downstairs may not be feasible. He typically follows me or my husband when we go up there but occasionally sneaks up there to potty if he hasn't been out recently (which is our fault). I do agree that a more regular "potty" schedule is in order and I will look at the links you provided. We'll also see about setting up a camera as we may actually have spare security camera we could use. I've been out of the game for a few years and had grown accustomed to the schedule and habits of our last dog of 15 years, so I undoubtedly have things to relearn. I'm also looking for ways to exercise him (beyond a run 1-2x/wk and walks down the driveway) as we're out in the sticks and there are no "good" parks and no safe place outside for him to be off-leash (unless/until we can train him not to run away). I'm hoping the brain games will help keep him occupied until I get more rigorous activity schedule (bikejoring?) worked out. Thanks again, and Happy New Year to you!

Hello everyone...I just purchased the course and I’d like to ask a question about inappropriate elimination. I’ve looked over the articles on the website and as they seem to address mainly situations with puppies I wondered if there might be other things to consider with an adult dog. We adopted an adult male husky 2 weeks before Christmas, named Sebastian. We are at least his fourth owners as I’ve been in touch with his last two and he was microchipped and neutered at some point before two owners ago. He is 3 years, 8 months old and seems pretty well-adjusted in general, with no obvious phobias or problems being touched or handled. One main problem we’ve had is finding that he has pooped/peed on the floor either during the night or while we were away for several hours. It may be coincidence but this seems less likely to happen if I give him a chewie before we leave or shut him in a room at night. Eventually once our two cats are accustomed enough to him we will allow him to roam freely and choose his sleeping spot. We did buy him a kennel but he seems averse as he became very anxious when we first tried shutting him in, even though it was in the master bathroom, just a door away as he had been in the kitchen, and we put a very comfortable bed inside. I'm familiar with crate-training as a housebreaking tool so I’ve started trying to get him used to it by degrees, having him go in and then shutting the door while I give him a treat. In the meantime he has chosen the rug in the hallway as his sleeping spot so we just shut all of the doors around it. Again if he seems reluctant to “go to bed” when we do, I find a mess to clean up in the morning; but if he’s especially tired or I give him a “good night” treat he waits until I take him out in the morning. Results have been similar when we leave the house for a few hours. In addition to this, we have an unfinished second story in our house where my husband has a home office and other used spaces. Several times now we’ve found puddles next to items that he’s apparently marked(?), as well as the occasional poop. From what we’ve seen and the articles here I’m guessing that there is some territorial marking combined with his not recognizing that the upstairs is also part of our house/den. He peed on the main level once or twice during the day (once we started letting him roam) but has not done this for a couple of weeks. I’m not sure yet if these things were issues in his previous homes, or if these behaviors are new-house anxiety related, especially as my in-laws were here with their two (geriatric) dogs over Christmas. We haven’t yelled at him or punished him as of course he wouldn’t know what he did wrong, but he’s so sneaky when he pees upstairs that we’ve never caught him in the act. He gets meals at regular intervals but we do need to adopt a more consistent “potty” schedule, and a belly band may be helpful as well, at least as a stopgap solution. So my questions are these: - Is the pooping upstairs due to a separate issue from the peeing/marking, or are they both anxiety-related? - How can I make the kennel a "safe" place where he goes by habit, if he always wants to be with us during the day? - Is his messing on the floor at night or while we're away due to separation anxiety or something else? Apologies for the lengthy post, and thanks in advance for any experienced advice.