The Siberian Husky is a beautiful, independent, athletic and intelligent dog breed. Despite their seemingly gentle and loving demeanor, the husky is a difficult dog to train. Due to their herd nature, the husky will challenge your leadership and test your boundaries. Husky will also be destructive if it is not carried on the move. In order to avoid an unpleasant experience with a Siberian husky, it is very important to understand his temperament in order to provide him with the proper training to deal with various things and situations.
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Method 1 of 3: Training a Siberian Husky
Step 1. Show yourself as a leader
Siberian huskies are notoriously difficult to train. Huskies are herd dogs that have a hierarchical order of leadership and, as such, are stubborn, strong-willed, and independent. Since huskies also have natural traits that can be destructive if not trained properly, it's important to give them training as early as possible to minimize the bad sides of their temperament.
- It is very important to know the temperament of a Siberian husky. Self-confidence and a strong will are important things to have as an employer in order to make your dog obedient. Husky will only respect or listen to orders that come from the leader of the herd.
- Treating your husky as an equal is not a good thing to do because huskies are herd dogs and will only follow their leader. Therefore, you must present yourself as the leader at all times, from eating first, entering the room before your dog, or telling your husky to shift.
- At times, huskies display aggressive behavior and attempt to destabilize leadership positions by biting, gesturing, or engaging in other acts of violence. In these conditions, you must show your dominance as a leader. If you allow these behaviors, your husky will continue to develop stronger aggression towards people and other dogs.
- Sometimes, the Siberian husky does things that are very natural to him but that other people don't expect. As a leader, you will gain the authority to train your husky to avoid bad behavior like jumping, digging, biting, and chewing. A husky will only obey its leader.
Step 2. Reward a good attitude
A good attitude is the foundation for a dog of good character. Providing tasty treats and using an encouraging voice is an effective combination to encourage your husky to repeat his good behavior. This method is called “positive reinforcement” or “respect training.”
- Make sure you give the gift as soon as possible so that your husky understands what behavior he should repeat. If you wait too long, your husky will get confused. Once your husky has mastered a command, you don't need to treat it anymore.
- Turn bad attitudes into good ones. Focus your dog's attention from bad to good. This will tell your husky what you can and can't do.
- The bait and reward system is a safe method because your husky won't feel scared, aggressive, or pressured by violence. Instead of physically acting on your husky, you can simply limit the number of treats it provides.
- Keep the training simple and set specific targets. Husky, like any other animal, have specific learning times. Start training easy, with as few commands as possible, and work your way up to more complex ones. Don't forget to give gifts or treats as your husky's understanding increases.
Step 3. Discipline your husky without resorting to violence
In addition to rewards and praise, your husky must also be disciplined if it does something bad. Just like rewards, punitive actions must also be carried out as quickly as possible, consistently, and directed to form a good attitude. To avoid over-punishing, physical or violent discipline and, afterward, losing your husky's trust and willingness to obey, you can simply control your husky's resources such as treats, toys, play, and attention so that your dog responds in a positive manner.
- Teach discipline firmly. Use words like "don't" or "stop" with a strong emphasis without emotion or anger.
- At all times, make sure you show leadership by controlling the training session and giving firm orders.
- An order must be obeyed. If your husky refuses, leave and don't ignore him without giving him what he wants. After a few minutes, give the same command again. Do this repeatedly and patiently until your husky obeys you.
- If your husky continues to be stubborn and refuses to obey after several commands, move him to an isolated area to prevent him from interacting with other people before he has calmed down.
Step 4. Prepare useful vocabulary for huskies
As with communicating with other humans, useful vocabulary is the key to building understanding and a good relationship with your husky. A strong vocabulary will make your husky smart, well-behaved, and, most importantly, understand your commands.
- Simple words like “yes”, “no”, “sit”, “shut up”, “here”, or small phrases should be used to try to communicate with your husky.
- Familiar words and phrases build trust. Husky will build confidence by knowing who the leader is and what orders are given.
- A good vocabulary will give your husky sufficient knowledge and, in the end, enable him to structure these words and phrases to complete more complex tasks.
Step 5. Do the training consistently and balanced
Although huskies are known to be intelligent dogs, good manners are a response to repeated conditioning in a consistent environment. Implementing routines is a great way to build consistency. Routines have a great effect on dogs and their owners because with a regular schedule of exercise, play, and activity, the time together between the two will be maximized and lower expectations.
- Commitment to a daily routine is the biggest challenge to effectively training your husky. Be aware that sudden changes in your daily schedule can confuse and unsettle your dog, and make him more motivated to break the rules.
- Make sure a variety of supplies such as food, toys, collars, chains, treats, and cleaning kits are always available so that the daily schedule is not cut off or stressful for both the dog and the owner.
- Always act calmly and make plans to achieve certain goals. The Siberian husky must be aware of who is leading it and what commands to follow. Make sure that rewards and disciplinary action are carried out commensurate with the amount of achievement and decline. Love and tenderness are also things to share with your husky.
Step 6. Create and maintain rules
Although huskies are known to be intelligent dogs, good manners are a response to repeated conditioning in a consistent environment. Therefore, it is very important to establish rules, maintain them, and communicate them to all family members who have direct contact with your husky. Most likely, your husky will not follow orders that are inconsistent or confusing.
- Decide what rooms your husky can enter, which chairs it can sit in, and determine where it will sleep.
- At some point, you may have to leave your husky alone. In this case, make sure you have well-defined boundaries to protect your belongings from the husky, who might get bored. You can keep your husky in places like the kitchen where it's easy to clean if something goes wrong, has a low risk for destructive behavior, and is close to family activities to prevent loneliness.
Step 7. Do at least thirty minutes of activity every day to burn off excess energy while playing
Keep in mind that Siberian huskies have been trained for hundreds, if not thousands, of years to be sled dogs, and because of this, their stamina is very high. If there is less activity, the husky will become fat and lazy, and encourage him to do harmful things such as running, howling, biting, and digging.
- Walking alone is not enough for a Siberian husky. They are trained to run for miles each day and, therefore, require a lot of activity. At the very least, you should be able to take him for a daily run or at least a brisk walk to get your husky energized.
- Siberian huskies tend to howl rather than bark. Howling too much will disturb neighbors and lead to complaints. Providing adequate activity will release retained energy and minimize excessive howling.
- Siberian huskies are known to be good at running away. Husky is very creative in finding ways to escape from your yard. In most cases, your husky will only try to run away if you don't have much activity or if you feel bored.
- Other outdoor activities such as biking, mountain climbing, or even simple games like catch, ball, or frisbee will help fatigue your husky and are a great alternative to running.
Method 2 of 3: Capturing
Step 1. Make your husky comfortable in the crate
The cage may not be used as a place of punishment. Instead, let your husky get comfortable in the cage by opening the door. Use a soft voice and praise when your husky is in or near the crate so that your husky doesn't get scared. Avoid coercion or tricks to get your husky in.
- If your husky refuses or is afraid to enter its cage, place a delicious treat in it as a lure. Let your husky approach the treat on its own. Put the snack several times a day if needed.
- Word associations are very important. When your husky enters the cage, use the same word to create a positive association with the action. It is best to use a key word or phrase as an angler and entry of the husky into the cage.
- On the first day, repeat the procedure so that your husky recognizes and becomes comfortable around the crate.
Step 2. Get ready to close the cage door
At night, put treats in the cage, and once your husky comes in, close the door. To reduce his anxiety, place interesting toys in the cage to distract him from the closed door. Accompany him from outside the cage until the husky stops complaining. Keep him in the cage until your husky is silent for about 30 to 60 seconds. Don't ignore the urge to get your husky out before it reaches that minimum. Use words of rebuke to silence him when necessary.
- Always have extra toys on hand if the first treats and toys don't stop your husky from complaining. It is very important to distract them from the cage door.
- A great way is to take your husky out for play or activities. When your husky is tired, put him in a cage. If your husky sleeps in the cage, let him stay there all night.
- Don't praise your husky in the morning after he's been quietly in the cage. This will make your husky think that being outside is better than being inside. Instead, ignore him for the first few minutes after your husky is out of the cage.
Step 3. Place a cage in the bedroom if your husky is afraid to be alone
The Siberian Husky is a pack dog and likes to be around their leader. This makes them think that they are not abandoned. Use your voice or place your fingers in the cage to reduce your husky's fear. Other than when your husky needs to go to the bathroom, keep the cage door closed for at least four hours.
- The key is comfort. If your husky pees in the cage, don't get mad at him.
- Keep the cage in the bedroom for the first few nights until the routine of entering the cage becomes familiar to him. Once your husky is no longer complaining, you can place the crate elsewhere in your home.
Step 4. Leave the house without the husky
This should not be treated as a special event. Instead, you should leave the house without letting your husky know you're gone to prevent it from getting agitated.
- Practice this first until it becomes a routine. Increase the amount of time you pretend to leave the house until you can reach two hours. Remember, if you have one, your husky pup will need to have a bowel movement once every four hours. So while you're training him, arrange to come over to your house or ask a neighbor to take the puppy out of the crate to relieve himself.
- You should tell your neighbors that you have your husky in a cage. This is because the husky will howl many times when feeling lonely.
- Siberian huskies are good at running away. When you leave the house, make sure all unsafe toys, collars, and leash are removed from around the cage to prevent your husky from getting hurt.
Method 3 of 3: Introducing Little Children
Step 1. Cultivate mutual respect between dogs and children
Siberian huskies, although generally known to be friendly with children, still have to have social restrictions such as not allowed to jump, bite, chase, or pull. Children should also follow the same boundaries-no bullying, roughing, chasing, grabbing, tail-pulling, or ear-pulling.
- Children should be invited to help train the husky under adult supervision so that the husky also feels comfortable and familiar with the whole family.
- Teach your child to gently touch and caress the husky instead of grabbing or hitting it to build a trusting friendship between the husky and the child.
Step 2. Identify potential risk factors
If you haven't had a husky as a child, it's a good idea to identify the background first. Find out if the husky was raised or socialized with children before coming to your home. Find out if your husky has had any training or contact with children. Observe your husky around children for signs of displeasure, worry, or growling.
- By nature, Siberian huskies have an instinct to chase small animals and, sometimes, children. Because huskies see small animals like cats as food, they can mistake babies or toddlers for prey and attack them.
- Always keep a new husky on a leash around the children so you can keep it under control and prevent things from happening.
Step 3. Understand your husky's body language
Children find it difficult to understand the meaning of husky body language unless they have been taught to identify aggressive dog behavior. Typically, an angry dog will growl, bark, baring his teeth, and stare at his target. Children should be taught not to approach a dog in this state, and to stop immediately, stand up straight with arms at their sides and legs closed, and avoid the dog's gaze. Children should also be taught, if the dog persists, to drop to the ground, curl up with knees to chest, and arms over face with fists over ears. Avoid attacks by staying still.
Step 4. Prepare your husky for the arrival of the baby
Training should begin a few weeks or months before the arrival of the newborn. Begin training your husky how to sit, be still, lie down, or approach as soon as possible and continue until you can trust your husky.
- Train your husky at home with a baby doll to simulate new situations, smells, and sounds that require your husky to obey a command. Make sure you don't let your guard down. If your husky doesn't obey your commands completely and regularly, you may want to send him to obedience school or take him to a qualified trainer.
- To prevent the dog from jumping, sniffing wildly, or acting badly in general, once the mother gets home, she should greet the husky without bringing the baby along for a few minutes until the husky calms down. This also gives the husky a chance to sniff out the mother's clothes and recognize new scents. Once your husky has calmed down, you can bring the baby into the house.
- It's natural to pay more attention to your newborn than your dog. However, you should never ignore or make your dog jealous. Prepare for this by reducing the amount of attention you give your dog periodically in the weeks before the arrival of the baby.
- Babies are very different from children. Usually, dogs identify children as humans, but with babies, that's not always the case. Recognize your dog's normal behavior and reactions around children. Afterward, make sure the dog repeats the behavior around the baby.
