Any advice? Just got a Siberian Husky

[brittandan]

I just let my daughter talk me into getting a 4 month old Husky. I'm worried that with such a powerful dog that training needs to be implemented quickly and effectively. Is the alpha thing really as important as it seems to be from the websites I've found so far or is training similar to other breeds. She has never worn a collar and hasn't been inside since very young. She's very calm and seems pretty skittish so far. After 20 minutes of walking around in the driveway last night she improved on the leash, but pulls ALOT. Is a harness better for training this type of dog?
I've started with only praising good behavior and totally ignoring the bad. Some sites are suggesting you should growl or grunt at the bad behavior. Does this work?
Crate training I'm thinking is a must. She did wonderfully last night. NO whining or howling. I've never had a dog before though that didn't just "go" in the crate instead of waiting or letting you know they need to go. Her cage was dry this morning, but she refused to go outside. (until I shut the garage door and the noise startled her). Should I return her to the crate or let her run a little? I put her back in it but left the door open with her food and water in front. She would not touch either. I may have to call previous owner tonight if she still hasn't eaten.
Thanks for hanging in there and reading! We did this on the spur of the moment. I spent several hours googling last night, but haven't found anything that gave much advice that didn't cost a lot.

[ClippintoSave]

I am jealous Is she red or black colored? Ours was red and he was a great dog. But he was an outside dog. I have no training advice but I can say the "Pulling" is natural thats what they are meant to do. Congrats and enjoy.

[coupondad101]

Ck out this link it will help answer your questions


Cesar Millan's Official Website | Achieving balance between people and dogs.

I have had dogs all my life and the unconditional love they give you is incredible..One of our dogs should be having her puppies any day now. good luck with your puppy and don't get frustrated in the training process

[StacyNVA]

Take it to Petco, PetSmart or the SPCA and get formal training with the dog.

The dog is old enough for puppy classes now. (My father is a dog trainer)

[brittandan]

Today went well. Daughter decided to call her Cinnamon. She is white with gray and black markings except for the top of her head is the red. Her undercoat looks like she may turn more red as she grows. Her father is a red and mother is gray. Have an appointment on Friday with vet, maybe he can recommend someone as there aren't any of those stores within 30 miles.
She seems to recognize her name already! The pulling did calm down some by bedtime. However, my shoulders really hurt from trying to keep her in heel position while walking her today. She got her first bath today and that went well. Thanks for the link, he seemed to be the best site I'd found. I'm trying to explain the importance of pack mentality to the kids. She is eating too! I was even able to leave her out of crate on leash for a while this evening. She loves her crate, I have more trouble getting her out than getting her into it.
I want to keep her leashed in house until better socialized with other pets and housebreaking has been better established.

[pjfrn]

My son has the same kind of dog. His dog is very loving but her shedding is an understatement. They shed terribly. They are a very strong dog. She has a mind of her own. Other people has told me the same about this breed of dog. They are sled dogs and made for running for long distances. I have been to my son's house and walked his dog before. It takes all of my strength to hold onto this dog. Good luck.

[Justmeinflorida]

You really should get yourself a harness for her. She's not gonna stop pulling until she's properly trained, the harness will prevent her from hurting herself and gives you more control of her.

Try one of these:
Dream Walker No Pull Harness

Here's a little video about clicker training:
What is clicker training?

I personally have clicker trained tons of dogs, cats & birds.

[Smee]

That dog is going to need a lot of hard exercise.

[collectorofbells]

Siberian Husky Dogs - Siberian Husky Puppies for Sale

get a copy of Dog Fancy-the current issue has a feature on Huskies



edited to add.....I have no clue why the link says there are puppies for sale it's just a breed info page!

[Nyx]

That dog is going to need a lot of hard exercise.

Agreed. Huskies get destructive when they don't get enough exercise.