Siberian Husky with Problems, or Owner with problems.....
Game Player No. 1088
I have a 3 or 4 year old siberian husky that we rescued from the shelter.
For the most part she (spayed) is a good dog. But does seem to have some
quirks.
1. She digs, digs, digs, digs. I've read some books on it, and some
suggested that I fill in the holes with rocks, then put dirt over that, and
that should stop her from digging. It didnt, she dug up the rocks and
continued to dig. I broke up a couple of cinderblocks with a hamner, and
put the broken pieces in the hole and covered it with dirt. This stopped
the digging, IN THOSE AREAS!, she just found new places to dig. Theres just
no way to keep up with her, it feels like a losing situation since I am
always a step behind her when she starts a new hole while Im away at work.
2. Food problems. For the most part she's okay with the food. I have out 4
bowls of food for 3 dogs. Now my little one (the lhapso apso) will walk
towards one of the food bowls, and the sib husky will immediately jump in
front of him and growl, the lhaso backs down everytime. Other times she
will go to the food bowls and lie in front of them so nobody else can get
any food until she says they can.
3. Coke habbit: She's apparently got a really bad coke habbit. If you leave
out a empty coke can, or even put one in the trash, she'll fish it out and
rip the can apart. I thought at first it was unrelated to the contents, but
last night there was a 2 liter bottle (empty) of coke sitting on an outdoor
table, she promptly chewed the top off of it to lick it out. I also caught
her knocking the coke can off the table outside to lick up the contents from
the ground. But she'll also dig in the office trash to get an empty can out
to rip it up and lick it clean. How do you stop this, short of actually
putting the coke cans in a bag in the garage where she cant get to it most
of the time.
4. Chewing, man, when we first got her, she was a really bad chewer,
slippers, cans, trash, everything. I bought her a muzzle (because my dal
came up one day with a huge 3 inch gash under her chin and we assumed it was
the new dog - fortunately it turned out now that it was the neighbors dog
and the chain link fence), but at the time I and my roomie thought it was
the new dog, so I put a muzzle on her when I couldnt watch her. She found
it one day on the coffee table and chewed the straps off of it.
Intentional? Probably not, but seemed that way.
Any help appreciated.
DogStar716
>the digging, IN THOSE AREAS!,
Yup, thats what usually happens :)
Can you give her a designated spot in the yard to dig? Mark off a corner with
2X4's, put some sand down, bury some toys or goodies and show here where to
dig.
If not, perhaps a fenced off dog run or section of your yard where she can dig
to her hearts content and the rest of your yard will be safe.
>Now my little one (the lhapso apso) will walk
>towards one of the food bowls, and the sib husky will immediately jump in
>front of him and growl
Feed the dogs seperately. End of problem :)
> If you leave
>out a empty coke can, or even put one in the trash, she'll fish it out and
>rip the can apart.
Don't leave coke cans lying around, and make the trash inaccessible to the dog.
Sometimes you have to pick your battles, and many times simple environmental
management will eliminate many of these problems.
>chewing, man, when we first got her, she was a really bad chewer,
>slippers, cans, trash, everything
Again, manage the environment. Close doors to rooms you don't want her in.
Pick things up. For items you cannot move, try some Bitter Apple Spray.
Provide her with tons of chew toys; if you see her with something inappropriate
in her mouth, take it away and give her the chewy.
Huskies are very physical dogs. They need tons of run time and excercise.
Make sure you provide that; oftentimes dogs will become destructive because
they are bored and underexcercised.
You might want to enroll in a training class. Lots of fun for you and the dog,
and many of them cover behavioral problems.
Good luck!
Dogstar716
Come see Gunnars Life: http://hometown.aol.com/dogstar716/index.html
Melinda Shore
They sure are. They're also extremely social and typically
find being alone very stressful, which can also lead to
problem behaviors like, uh, digging and chewing. If the
Sibe isn't with the other dogs during the day and they get
along, it might help if they were together.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis - sh...@panix.com
If you send me harassing email, I'll probably post it
diddy
> I myself think feeding dogs together is generally a very bad
> idea, even if they don't fight. It's a stress for them.
>
> >
Stess is not necessarily bad. IT can be a useful tool.
diddy
> feeding dogs together - I do not consider this stress
> useful.
>
> Maybe it can be. But I can't think of why it would it
> useful.
>
> Pat
I line my dogs up at feeding time (right now, three of them, mom and
dad's dog is over for her bi-weekly custody visitation)
They have to sit shoulder to shoulder for 10 minutes at a stay with
their food bowls lined up across the room. They make a mad dash on
command to eat, and they eat shoulder to shoulder and don't mess with
anyone elses dish. It's a matter of discipline and obedience.
Game Player No. 1088
the dry food in 4 dog bowls all day, they eat when they feel like it. None
of them are "gorgers" so they dont over eat, if anything they probably eat a
slight bit less than if we were to follow the directions on the bags of
food, of feeding xx cups per xx pounds of dog.
It's not always a problem, only occasionally, although I admit it's lessened
over the past couple of months, where the sib will laydown in front of all
bowls.
I tried once when we had another dal in the house that was dowright mean
towards the laso so I attempted to feed the laso in the hallway and the dals
in the kitchen, didnt work, went 5 days of this before I relented and put
the laso's food back into the kitchen. seems he refuses to eat by himself,
even if I sit with him in the hallway or bedroom with his bowl, he wont eat,
put it in the kitchen where he sees the other dogs, and he eats up good.
Oh well, I'll just have to keep a close eye on them since feeding habbits
are unlikely to change in this household, where the dal doesn't even start
eating her "dinner" until after she's gone outside in the evening to do her
business, then she comes inside and eats dinner.
The siberian husky is more of a couch potato than anything else, much like
the dal, people swear up and down that dals need all this exercise, but I
tell you what, she loves to just lay on the bed or the couch all day. She
rarely wants to go outside except to potty, dont get me wrong, when going on
a hike, she keeps up and looks like shes enjoying herself, but I think much
like the laso she' prefers to be inside laying on someones lap.
Sadie, the sib husky when allowed into the yard, doesnt do much more than
lay around looking at the grass. Even when people walk by she's not really
interested in getting up and barking or running the fence line. When I get
home unless I specifically call her over to the gate, she just lays there
looking at me. Of course I dont really encourage her to get rambunctious
when I get home, (I could see the day of coming home in formal clothes and
having her jump up on me).
Oh well, good dogs, with small quirks that I can certainly live with.
Thanks all,
"Pat Meadows" <p...@meadows.pair.com> wrote in message
news:a4jmbuom34hff9sk6...@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 15 Apr 2002 20:07:39 GMT, "Game Player No. 1088"
> <Reply_In_Forum_...@spam.com> wrote:
>
> >Hello,
> >I have a 3 or 4 year old siberian husky that we rescued from the shelter.
> >For the most part she (spayed) is a good dog. But does seem to have some
> >quirks.
> >
> >1. She digs, digs, digs, digs. I've read some books on it, and some
> >suggested that I fill in the holes with rocks, then put dirt over that,
and
> >that should stop her from digging. It didnt, she dug up the rocks and
> >continued to dig. I broke up a couple of cinderblocks with a hamner, and
> >put the broken pieces in the hole and covered it with dirt. This stopped
> >the digging, IN THOSE AREAS!, she just found new places to dig. Theres
just
> >no way to keep up with her, it feels like a losing situation since I am
> >always a step behind her when she starts a new hole while Im away at
work.
>
> I have a digger too, although she's only an occasional
> digger. I am also fortunate to have a very large wooden
> deck behind our house, so I can confine her to the deck
> (part of which is roofed) and allow her to be outdoors, then
> just let her go out in the yard when I can supervise her. I
> know of no other way to stop digging for sure....
>
> >2. Food problems. For the most part she's okay with the food. I have
out 4
> >bowls of food for 3 dogs. Now my little one (the lhapso apso) will walk
> >towards one of the food bowls, and the sib husky will immediately jump in
> >front of him and growl, the lhaso backs down everytime. Other times she
> >will go to the food bowls and lie in front of them so nobody else can get
> >any food until she says they can.
>
> I don't feed my dogs together in the same room: stressful
> for both of them. One dog gets fed in the kitchen, and one
> in the living room.
>
> I myself think feeding dogs together is generally a very bad
> idea, even if they don't fight. It's a stress for them.
>
> >
> >3. Coke habbit: She's apparently got a really bad coke habbit. If you
leave
> >out a empty coke can, or even put one in the trash, she'll fish it out
and
> >rip the can apart. I thought at first it was unrelated to the contents,
but
> >last night there was a 2 liter bottle (empty) of coke sitting on an
outdoor
> >table, she promptly chewed the top off of it to lick it out. I also
caught
> >her knocking the coke can off the table outside to lick up the contents
from
> >the ground. But she'll also dig in the office trash to get an empty can
out
> >to rip it up and lick it clean. How do you stop this, short of actually
> >putting the coke cans in a bag in the garage where she cant get to it
most
> >of the time.
>
> You really know the answer to this, right? Keep the coke
> bottles and cans in the garage (or elsewhere) where she
> cannot get at them.
>
> >
> >4. Chewing, man, when we first got her, she was a really bad chewer,
> >slippers, cans, trash, everything. I bought her a muzzle (because my dal
> >came up one day with a huge 3 inch gash under her chin and we assumed it
was
> >the new dog - fortunately it turned out now that it was the neighbors dog
> >and the chain link fence), but at the time I and my roomie thought it was
> >the new dog, so I put a muzzle on her when I couldnt watch her. She
found
> >it one day on the coffee table and chewed the straps off of it.
> >Intentional? Probably not, but seemed that way.
>
> Although I recognize that dogs need to be trained not to
> chew on some things - for slippers, cans, trash: keep them
> where the dog cannot get at them. I keep my slippers in the
> closet, and I keep the closet door closed. My dogs cannot
> chew my slippers.
>
> Our trash can is kept in a place where the dogs can't get at
> it. They can't knock it over and chew the trash.
>
> Alternatively, keep the dog when you can't be supervising
> her - you're not home - in a dog-proof room (kitchen maybe)
> behind a baby gate.
>
> Pat
Game Player No. 1088
is about 1 to 1/2 feet, so perhaps 2 feet of sand, but since it's easier to
dig in, maybe deeper?
Yeah, I guess I knew the answer to the coke addiction prior to asking, it's
a matter of being dilligent about it.
Thanks,
"DogStar716" <dogst...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20020415162415...@mb-mv.aol.com...
sighthounds etc.
wrote:
Unless you're dealing with a food-aggressive dog. And yes, that can
be fixed, but why take a chance? My large pack is not
food-aggressive, and everybody knows where his/her bowl goes, but I'd
not ask them to eat shoulder to shoulder.
Sally Hennessey
Rocky
(news:7vumbus8nsiuphttl...@4ax.com) wrote:
>>They have to sit shoulder to shoulder for 10 minutes at a
>>stay with their food bowls lined up across the room. They
>>make a mad dash on command to eat, and they eat shoulder to
>>shoulder and don't mess with anyone elses dish. It's a
>>matter of discipline and obedience.
>
> Unless you're dealing with a food-aggressive dog. And yes,
> that can be fixed, but why take a chance? My large pack is
> not food-aggressive, and everybody knows where his/her bowl
> goes, but I'd not ask them to eat shoulder to shoulder.
My 3 eat in various parts of the kitchen. Ol' Murphy gets a
head start because she's a slower eater than the younger two.
Rocky does a sit-stay in front of his bowl while I spend a few
minutes of obedience with Friday - right now we're working on
"left" and "right".
I've got it timed so that they all finish at the same time;
they're not agressive, but about a year ago I caught Rocky
pushing Murphy aside to finish her supper. The little putz.
--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.
Jerry Howe
"Rocky" <PeTAsaysDri...@rocky-dog.com> wrote in message
news:Xns91F1E77DDC365au...@130.133.1.4...
Cindy
Granted, but IMO a food fight isn't the way to do it.
--Cindy
Rocky
(news:c69obu8fgipo3irm8...@4ax.com) wrote:
> I don't free feed. I did have four dogs one time, and one
> of them would get terrifically fat if we let her. I like to
> control how much each one gets.
By not free feeding, I can see when one of my dogs isn't feeling
well.
Gwen Watson
Rocky wrote:
>
>
> By not free feeding, I can see when one of my dogs isn't feeling
> well.
>
> --
> --Matt. Rocky's a Dog.
Great point Matt!
I have never been one to free feed dogs. I definitely
think they would have a high tendency to get fat.
I always have free
fed my cats. But you can definitely tell fairly quickly when a
cat isn't feeling well as they often quit grooming theirselves
and their fur starts to look all ruffled and knarly.
Gwen
sighthounds etc.
<PeTAsaysDri...@rocky-dog.com> wrote:
Heh. Can't blame him for being opportunistic, can you? My gang have
their own food games. My female Sibe will not start eating until one
of the other dogs, having finished his own food, comes over to sniff
at hers. She then gives this silly growl and starts in. I guess it
tastes better when someone else wants it.
Sally Hennessey
shelly
> I don't free feed. I did have four dogs one time, and one
> of them would get terrifically fat if we let her. I like to
> control how much each one gets.
>
> I also like the fact that their two daily meals are events
> for them: something they enjoy and look forward to.
two other plusses of fixed meal-times: you know when the dog goes off
its food and it is easier for others watch your dogs for you (either at
home or kenneled). the second one may not be very important to some
owners, but the first is IMO a Very Good Thing. it makes it much easier
for me to monitor my dogs' day-to-day health if i know how well they're
eating, especially as i have a Boxer with a touchy stomach.
oh, and a third plus: i can often put my dogs' medications in their
food instead of popping them down their throats. it's not a big deal to
pill either of them, but i'd rather not get my hands all slimy if i
don't have to.
--
shelly and elliott & harriet
Melinda Shore
Gwen Watson <gw...@ig.utexas.edu> wrote:
>I have never been one to free feed dogs. I definitely
>think they would have a high tendency to get fat.
Also, and this is *entirely* subjective, but dogs that are
free-fed seem to have more problems with fussiness, etc.
Gwen Watson
Melinda Shore wrote:
> Also, and this is *entirely* subjective, but dogs that are
> free-fed seem to have more problems with fussiness, etc.
> --
> Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis - sh...@panix.com
> If you send me harassing email, I'll probably post it
I can imagine this to be true especially in the small breeds that
are probably more often "free fed", ie yorkshire terrier, toy poodles etc.
Gwen
dogsnus
news:Xns91F26207A5C5Aau...@130.133.1.4:
I happen to agree. However, Ruth Mays reports about a law
in N.J. that having a dog outside without food available
to it will result in having the ASPC calling on you.
How stupid is THAT?
Terri
sighthounds etc.
wrote:
>Great point Matt!
>I have never been one to free feed dogs. I definitely
>think they would have a high tendency to get fat.
>
>
>I always have free
>fed my cats. But you can definitely tell fairly quickly when a
>cat isn't feeling well as they often quit grooming theirselves
>and their fur starts to look all ruffled and knarly.
I free feed our cats too; it's too difficult not to, and free feeding
has been shown to be healthier for cats. But we do have the problem
that a couple of the cats are on the fat side, and it's pretty hard to
get their weight down when free feeding. I'd never free feed our
dogs. A couple of them would probably eat until they blew up.
Sally Hennessey
Gwen Watson
"sighthounds etc." wrote:
> I free feed our cats too; it's too difficult not to, and free feeding
> has been shown to be healthier for cats.
Cats really eat so little at a time they more or less must
be free fed IMO. I can't imagine feeding them just several
times a day.
> But we do have the problem
> that a couple of the cats are on the fat side, and it's pretty hard to
> get their weight down when free feeding.
I have not had this problem thankfully. Of course I never
offer canned cat food, so it is pretty much just dry kibble
all the time.
> I'd never free feed our
> dogs. A couple of them would probably eat until they blew up.
>
> Sally Hennessey
Yep, Blade would definitely blow up! I am just about
certain of it. Clovis on the other hand *may* benefit
from being "free fed". She is super thin and I would
love to get some weight on her. Just hasn't happened.
Gwen
BethF
Was the dog fussy so the owners free-feed to give it more time to eat?
Or did they free-feed so the dog became fussy?
"Melinda Shore" <sh...@panix.com> wrote in message
news:a9hhmc$puu$1...@panix2.panix.com...
Rocky
rec.pets.dogs.behavior
(news:a9hh9d$3bo54$1...@ID-39167.news.dfncis.de) wrote:
> oh, and a third plus: i can often put my dogs' medications
> in their food instead of popping them down their throats.
> it's not a big deal to pill either of them, but i'd rather
> not get my hands all slimy if i don't have to.
Excellent point. Rocky takes pills just fine (without sliming
me), but his liquid KBr would have to be shot down his throat
with a syringe. The dosage is important so I wouldn't want to
spill any. Plus, it's bitter stuff - spraying it on his food is
really the only way.
sighthounds etc.
wrote:
>
>
>"sighthounds etc." wrote:
>
>> I free feed our cats too; it's too difficult not to, and free feeding
>> has been shown to be healthier for cats.
>
>Cats really eat so little at a time they more or less must
>be free fed IMO. I can't imagine feeding them just several
>times a day.
>
>> But we do have the problem
>> that a couple of the cats are on the fat side, and it's pretty hard to
>> get their weight down when free feeding.
>
>I have not had this problem thankfully. Of course I never
>offer canned cat food, so it is pretty much just dry kibble
>all the time.
Supposedly the canned food is lower in calories, and it has a higher
water content. The Whole Cat Journal recommends feeding at least 50%
canned food. We have several cats, and I buy them Innova canned, and
it's too expensive to feed it as 50% of their diet, but I try to give
them a large can every day. Interestingly, it resulted in at least
one cat losing a bit of weight.
>> I'd never free feed our
>> dogs. A couple of them would probably eat until they blew up.
>Yep, Blade would definitely blow up! I am just about
>certain of it. Clovis on the other hand *may* benefit
>from being "free fed". She is super thin and I would
>love to get some weight on her. Just hasn't happened.
My Borzoi is like that. She's gained all of about 2 pounds since we
got her, and I think that's just muscle mass. Doesn't matter what we
feed her, or how often, she just doesn't gain.
Sally Hennessey
sighthounds etc.
<PeTAsaysDri...@rocky-dog.com> wrote:
That is a good point, especially for epileptic dogs. Our Spencer, now
deceased, used to get a lot of supplements in his food, and he was
also a walking appetite, partly from his meds (he once opened a
cupboard and chewed the canned food out of an unopened can - - without
cutting his mouth!), so free feeding wasn't an option even if we'd
wanted to do it. And the KBr - - IIRC the vet said it has a very
metallic taste and advised against putting it directly into the dog's
mouth - - really has to be mixed in the food.
Sally Hennessey
Gwen Watson
"sighthounds etc." wrote:
> Supposedly the canned food is lower in calories, and it has a higher
> water content. The Whole Cat Journal recommends feeding at least 50%
> canned food. We have several cats, and I buy them Innova canned, and
> it's too expensive to feed it as 50% of their diet, but I try to give
> them a large can every day. Interestingly, it resulted in at least
> one cat losing a bit of weight.
Really? This is interesting. This sounds
like I best change my cats eating habits a bit.
Strangely the reason I stopped offering
my cats canned food was my one cat would get sick on the food
every time I gave it to her. The other one kind of got very
lose.:( But I admit I wasn't giving "Innova" or any of the better
quality types, like I do with my dogs.
>
>
> >> I'd never free feed our
> >> dogs. A couple of them would probably eat until they blew up.
>
> >Yep, Blade would definitely blow up! I am just about
> >certain of it. Clovis on the other hand *may* benefit
> >from being "free fed". She is super thin and I would
> >love to get some weight on her. Just hasn't happened.
>
> My Borzoi is like that. She's gained all of about 2 pounds since we
> got her, and I think that's just muscle mass. Doesn't matter what we
> feed her, or how often, she just doesn't gain.
>
> Sally Hennessey
Yep but people kind of look at her and look at me like why
aren't you feeding this dog.:( She is now getting 5.5 cups
of Canidae a day or if I buy Wellness Fish and sweet potatoe
she gets much more than the suggested amount.
Blade, OTOH is definitely in need to lose a couple
of pounds. I do prefer to see ribs on dogs. Not
sticking ribs.
shelly
"sighthounds etc." <greypi...@ncweb.com> wrote in message
news:qamobu4h20a7n6rgk...@4ax.com...
> Supposedly the canned food is lower in calories, and it has a higher
> water content. The Whole Cat Journal recommends feeding at least 50%
> canned food. We have several cats, and I buy them Innova canned, and
> it's too expensive to feed it as 50% of their diet, but I try to give
> them a large can every day.
i free feed kibble (Innova or, when it's out of stock, Sensible Choice).
but, i also supplement with canned food about every other day. for
canned, i use Innova or Pro Plan. i give them one tuna-sized can spread
out over a dinner plate. all three of them get to eat their fill and
there's usually a little bit left over. it's not 50% of their diet, but
IMO it's a good balance for my cats (two are 13yo and one is 7mos).
Gwen Watson
"sighthounds etc." wrote:
> And the KBr - - IIRC the vet said it has a very
> metallic taste and advised against putting it directly into the dog's
> mouth - - really has to be mixed in the food.
>
> Sally Hennessey
I take it this medication only comes in a liquid form?
Gwen
sighthounds etc.
wrote:
>"sighthounds etc." wrote:
>
>> Supposedly the canned food is lower in calories, and it has a higher
>> water content. The Whole Cat Journal recommends feeding at least 50%
>> canned food. We have several cats, and I buy them Innova canned, and
>> it's too expensive to feed it as 50% of their diet, but I try to give
>> them a large can every day. Interestingly, it resulted in at least
>> one cat losing a bit of weight.
>
>Really? This is interesting. This sounds
>like I best change my cats eating habits a bit.
>Strangely the reason I stopped offering
>my cats canned food was my one cat would get sick on the food
>every time I gave it to her. The other one kind of got very
>lose.:( But I admit I wasn't giving "Innova" or any of the better
>quality types, like I do with my dogs.
The idea is that cats dont drink a lot of water - - perhaps most cats
dont drink enough water - - so canned food helps to fulfill that need.
One of my cats tends to inhale canned food, so she often brings it
back up right away; but other than that, we havent had a lot of
vomiting with the Innova canned.
>> My Borzoi is like that. She's gained all of about 2 pounds since we
>> got her, and I think that's just muscle mass. Doesn't matter what we
>> feed her, or how often, she just doesn't gain.
>Yep but people kind of look at her and look at me like why
>aren't you feeding this dog.:( She is now getting 5.5 cups
>of Canidae a day or if I buy Wellness Fish and sweet potatoe
>she gets much more than the suggested amount.
Oh, I know what you mean about the way people look at you. If Triss
didnt have long hair that covered her bones, Id have probably been
turned into the local humane society by now. The local humane society
being what it is, however, theres no need to worry.
Pardon the lack of punctuation in this post. Keyboard is acting up
due to a little spillage incident this morning.
Sally Hennessey
sighthounds etc.
wrote:
>
>
As far as I know, yes.
Sally Hennessey
sighthounds etc.
My cats will not touch Innova dry food, so they get Nutro for fat
cats, Nutro for senior cats and another brand whose name I cannot
recall at the moment. Plus one 13 or 14 oz can of Innova, which
equals out to about what your two get. Probably about 1/4 of their
diet is canned, which is the best I can do.
Sally Hennessey
Jerry Howe
"sighthounds etc." <greypi...@ncweb.com> wrote in message
news:8moobukf2tqpbj7bk...@4ax.com...
Gwen Watson
"sighthounds etc." wrote:
> The idea is that cats dont drink a lot of water - - perhaps most cats
> dont drink enough water - - so canned food helps to fulfill that need.
> One of my cats tends to inhale canned food, so she often brings it
> back up right away; but other than that, we havent had a lot of
> vomiting with the Innova canned.
Actually before these three cats I had always given some
amounts of canned food. Since Reba always vomits
on the stuff I just quit giving it to any of them. Guess
I best go find some good canned food and start
changing the program up a bit.
>
>
> >> My Borzoi is like that. She's gained all of about 2 pounds since we
> >> got her, and I think