Delica Dog... and maybe some training advice?

[Adrock]

Well, its not quite delica related, but I doubt I would have done it if I didn't have my van. I bought a 4 month old siberian husky pup. She is the sweetest little girl right now. She came from a sled dog racer, but she was a little small to be effective in that field. She's also very calm and a little shy, perfect for me, not for a working dog. Her name is Ruby, She was named when I got her, but I couldn't call her anything else.

She will be at the next meet, and by my side at all times until then haha.

She is pretty mild right now, It is new for her to be away from the other dogs right now and she is just getting used to her surroundings. I hope she opens up a bit, but I like that shes not crazy like a lot of dogs I know. If anyone has any good training tips for siberians or just dogs in general I would love to hear them. I've got a spray bottle, which I will use sometimes, the less the better, any other advice would be great.

heres a photo of my little ruby...

[Schwa]

If you're up for an incredibly well trained dog (and master) take search and rescue training... Very thorough and you'll learn all about 'natural' dog communication, so you'll feel a lot closer. We took our dog to it when he was quite old and it was still well worth it, but as a pup it would be so much better.

Beautiful dog btw!

[Nisseman]

I've got all kinds of advice about dogs but most of it applies to specific problems in specific situations, every dog is different and what works with some dogs can be counterproductive with others. Two things I highly recommend is crate training and a book called the Art of Raising a Puppy by the Monks of New Skete. It's an older book but it still does a great job of explaining the nature of dogs and how to cater your training to take advantage of their natural instincts.
The crate training was new to me two dogs ago and I was dead set against it to start with. I'd had several dogs before this and never crate trained, now I wouldn't do it any other way. The book covers crate training and there is lots of info out there on crate training and variations on this method. I've crate trained my last two dogs and it worked so well for us. Both dogs ended up absolutely loving their crates. Our current two year old still sleeps in it weather we ask her to or not. Sometimes she's just in there during the day taking a nap. The key is that the crate is not for punishment or locking the dog up which is what I had first expected when it was suggested to me.
Anways, it's certainly not the only way to raise a good,happy dog but it does have it's merits.
It may not be the best if you're not home much. Good luck with your dog.

[BCDelica]

Cute puppy Adam.

[delicanuck]

Hi Adam,
What a doll!... No! I mean the Dog !! Sheesh!
What to say about dog education. I could go on and on and on.... And I probably will but I'll do it in point form.

-I like a lot of the points in the New Skete monks book and even in the Cesar book. How you handle it depends on what kind of dog you want to end up with. Skim through the books with a sense of where your priorities are then pick a book to read. My favourite book for dog training is by Alphie Kohn. He is actually a parenting guy but I think his descriptions of the relationships between action and perception are more lucid than any dog writer and the relations are still mostly valid.

-There are a lot of good reasons to hand fed your dog for the first few months to a year. Everything she eats, she gets right from your hand, not a bowl or even a fork. Its a really non-volatile way of establishing yourself as the alpha in your group. There can be drawbacks to this later on but on balance those issues are easier to fix later than control issues.

-More Carrot, less stick. Lots of praise and the least possible amount of punishment. Very often, if you really examine the bad behaviour, you'll find that it was really you that owed her the apology.

-Establish a really strong return behavior. Treat train her for this. I taught Myra to look for me when I whistle and then, if I put my hand in the air, she will run to me and she gets a treat when she does. This has saved her from a scrap with a bear once and from two traffic mishaps.

-If you want to be your dog's best friend, she has to be yours first. Pay attention to her continuously, and include her in everything you can. Pat her while you talk to other people and introduce her to them. If you got your dog because she looks cool, take her back and get a tatoo instead. ( I work in Yaletown. Dogs are fashion here and if a dog behaves at all doggishly, God help the ungrateful little accessory.)

-Absolutely do not leave her at home alone if you can possibly avoid it. She will get lonely and then bored and then frustrated which will manifest itself in the form of furniture adjustment. When you get home, you'll be furious and give her a stern talking to which is attention which is what she wanted so she just learned that to get attention, eat the lazyboy. Its also a really crappy thing to do to an animal. They don't 'get' TV or books.

-Never try to play tricks on her. She has to be able to absolutely trust you.

-If for some strange reason, you feel you need to punish your dog, don't send her to her bed or crate . That should be a place that she likes to go to and not feel bad about. Send her to the bathroom. Don't hit her. Make her lie down in front of you with her chin down. This is dog speak for supplication. She will be embarrassed but not scared.

- Ruby is outbred from Malamute so she will probably want to den. Make a covered space near where you sleep and provide some nestie, non-synthetic materials and see if she makes a den. Myra found a coffee table to be the right size so I moved it into the bedroom for her.

-If your dog gets into a scrap with another dog, don't panic and don't think first about how embarrassed you are. There is no so-called "alpha" dog. Its all relative to a group so the dogs have to establish the relative alpha for each new group. Female dogs will almost never actually hurt each other. Male dogs have more at stake so if Ruby gets into a scrap with a male dog, be prepared to wade in there and rescue her. Otherwise, if you've established yourself as a strong alpha member and you've established a strong return behaviour, you should to just call her out.

-If you've left Ruby alone for a little while ( bad you ) she is going to have a little squirt when you get back. Almost all female dog's do this when they greet a more alpha member of the group. She didn't do anything wrong, she's just instinctively giving you an estrous update. Just wipe it up.

-Don't give her a toy that looks like something you don't want here to eat, e.g. a shoe shaped toy. That would teach her to eat shoes.

-Pick it up. Always pick it up. If she hides it in the woods, go find it and pick it up. The issue isn't whether someone else will step in it. The issue is twofold. 1) Self esteem. Your a good owner and good owners pick it up. 2) Our ecology isn't equipped to handle the thousands of extra tonnes of non-native kahkah getting sluiced into the water system. The only place it would be acceptable to leave sit behind is in areas with less than 10 cm. annual rainfall, and then, you should spread it out on a rock like icing. Frankly, I'd rather pick it up.

You get the dog you raised so raise the dog you want.

Sorry Adam but you asked. Pat your barking girl friend for me.
Regards,

[Adrock]

Thanks a lot guys.

Just as an update... she is responding very well to me. when i walk into the yard she runs up and greets me, excitedly now. Presently she has a 12 year old lab she stays with almost all the time. He is not quite as active but she really enjyos his company still. I took her to play with a friends 6 month old puppy and they got along great. It was so nice to see her playing like that, I knew she was enjoying it. The past few days ahve been a little rough. She isn't used to being around people and cars. When i'm walking her and things get too hectic she will just sit down, or want to turn around and go back the way we came. I see a lot of good behaviour in her, and she doesnt seem to act in any way i see bad for a dog except for resisting, but Ithink by reenforcing the good behaviour it will become consistent and I will have the dog I want.

She had been living with about 20 other dogs until saturday night, knowing nothing but them and the person who fed and watered them twice a day. I'll look into the books and I really do want to look into search and rescue training. That would be such a great experience.

I definitely didnt buy her for looks. I had been to the spca a few times looking for just the right dog, then this one sort of fell into my lap. I couldn't say no. but on that note, isn't she pretty?

Every day she improves, becomes a little more confident, a little less timid, and a little more my little girl i'm going to have for a very long time.

[sean]

Wow, nice looking girl. Some great advice from everybody and I would agree with all the points. Some great detailed info Delicanuck!
My dog Kaille (also a female Husky) is trained for Avalanche Rescue with the Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Association.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8593639@N02/978708760/

I have trained dogs most of my life, but learned a ton about problem solving certain issues. Working with a working dog is a lot different than with a normal dog, a little more regimented, but the basics are the same.

As for advice, exercise her twice a day. Love her but also make sure she knows you are alpha. Huskys like to "test" their order in their pack often. Not so much with females, though.

Never hit your dog. If you need to get her attention if she has done something wrong, put her on a "bad" bed. Or if you really need to get her attention, pick her up by the scruffs, place her on her back and stand over her kneeling telling her "no". This is similiar to what wolves would do to each other when a younger pup disobeys (except they use their mouth, which I don't suggest or you end up with lots of hair in your mouth )

Do not rush into obedience training. Let her reach a year old a then begin with the basics.

Come and stay being the most important. A long 30 foot lead is a good length to start with
The monks of New Skete book is awesome. The Art of Raising a Puppy and How to be your dogs best friend

Treat training will work but there are other ways that work just as well.

Any problems do not hesitate to ask. I am no expert by any stretch of the imagination, but have trained dogs for the SPCA so they could be adopted easier, and I came across lots of breeds, some being pretty disobiedient, wild dogs that I managed to turn into adoptable ones. Very satisfying.

Sounds like you already have a nice, mellow female. SO if you do it right now you will have a great dog for athe rest of her life.
Sean

[Erebus]

On the subject of search and rescue training ...

I've been involved in both ground and air search and rescue, so have had contact with search dogs and their handlers. There is a great organization [now] called Canadian Search Dog Association. Their website is http://www.canadiansearchdogs.com/index.htm.

I did a quickie Internet search and found an interesting article entitled "Search Rescue Dogs
Through the Eyes of a Retired RCMP Dog Handler" at http://leerburg.com/murray1.htm.

You might also want to check out the links at SARBC's http://www.sarbc.org/sarbc/sar-sar.html for both Avalanche and Search dog info.

Apparently, one of the basic traits a search dog should have is that they love to play; because to them a search is play time, a game (since they are trained with rewards).

I can't help you much with any sort of training besides that, because I'm a cat purrson <ducking quickly here>, but I have to say she's a cutie!

Ruminanté

[konadog]

Dog behaviour help. Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer. We got the classic 1.5 year old pound dog who was OUT OF CONTROL! No training, no education, no exercise - a Siberian husky cross disaster. Super high energy with no clue where or how to channel it. We watched Cesar through his dvd's and read his books as now after 7 months Kona-dog is a great guy. Everyday we take him - on leash - for a 15 to 20 km bike ride. He gets his exercise and has to stay focussed and connected. Cesar in a nutshell is "Exercise, discipline, THEN affection" and You need to be "calm and assertive" and your dog needs to be "calm and submissive." "When your dog is balanced, you with enjoy a try friend." Long live The Dog Whisperer!
Konadog

[jaggedfish]

BEAUTIFUL dog dude!

I think you have got most of the advice already. I used to have a Siberian/Arctic Wolf hybrid (85% wolf) and this advice:

Love her but also make sure she knows you are alpha. Huskys like to "test" their order in their pack often.

...rings home very true. I also found mine to have a high degree of separation issues when I went off to work and he got into all sorts of trouble even with discipline. Not saying this will happen with you... most likely more wolf traits than husky. He REALLY liked to be with me and was very much possesive and protective but a sweetheart at the same time.

Will be a wonderful friend I'm sure!

[konadog]

Assuming I did the picture attachment thing right, here is a shot of Kona-dog all set for his daily, whatever the weather, run beside the bike. Without these DAILY intense runs he is nuts! And that's on top of a daily 40 min. walk with a weighted pack every morning, first thing. " Always let your dog know you are alfa" - amen to that! That is what Cesar is getting at when he puts affection AFTER exercise and discipline. Our culture tents to treat dogs like they are little kids when they are much happier being DOGS. They want to know there is a competent leader running the pack. Be consistent and fair. Never let the dog get one over on you, but never get mad, angry or frustrated. Stay calm and in control. The cuddly baby-talk stuff is weakness to most dogs and really is something we take from them not give to them Better to walk the dog daily and be a serious solid leader 100% of they time. They are happy and balanced and at ease when they trust that the boss has his/her hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. I know Kona-dog is still watching us for signs of weakness and reverts to his fresh from the pound spaz case if we falter or lay the cuddly stuff on too thick (hard for a softy like me!). He really just wants to know what is expected of him. Best dog I have known and getting better. Did I mention that Cesar Millan is a great help. The Dog Whisperer. Can't say enough good things about this guy and the help we have got from him

[loki]

my wife and I found the book "the Dog Listener" very helpful with our Golden Doodle (golden retriever and standard poodle cross). The search and rescue training is interesting though I'm going to look into it.