bought a new puppy 6 weeks ago and he seems to have the same problem as mr amstaff`s dog i have just registered as a new member my puppy is a x siberian husky german shepherd he is a dominant dog and i have tried all methods that i know of and i have had dogs all my life at times i feel he is making improvements and all of a sudden we have the tantrums, he is also not very keen on strangers and shows fear and a slight aggression if they approach him, i have recently started dog training classes with him to see if that helps any advice would be appreciated he is a lovely dog.

Hi, I'll start the ball rolling :)
In terms of agression and fear towards strangers, you need to socialise him with as many people and dogs as you can while he's young. Training classes are a good start. As well as this, take treats with you wherever you go and if anyone shows an interest in your dog, ask them to give your dog a treat - that way he'll start to associate meeting people with treats.
What sort of other things is he doing to show dominance? It's a wide area to cover. There are different methods with dealing with dominance in different situations. Hope this helps for a start :)
Joan

Hi thanks for your reply, I do carry treats with me and do the other things you have suggested, I think there has been a slight improvement with Kodi. He does not like to be told what to do, at the beginning he did not like you holding on to the collar he would try and bite in fact I had a couple of painful bites he drew blood, so I tried the harness but he was still the same but after a lot of treats he has got a bit better. He takes mad turns when he just totally ignores us so all I do is get hold of him shout no and put him in the kitchen for a while and basically ignore him. I have just bought a halti for him to try better control over him to basically say I am boss not him. He has a habit of trying to bite at your legs or grab on if wearing trousers when he is in a hyper mood. He does get plenty of exercise and company so its not because he is left for any length of time. My poor cats and my other little rescue dog dont care for him too much yet as he does not give them any peace, but hopefully that will come as he gets older, Kodi is 14 weeks old today so hopefully theres hope for him yet. Sorry I did not get back to you before now I have not had time to go on the P.C. Feel free to give me anymore advice. Thank you. Darcy

Hi Darcy

I found that a book called The dog listener by Jan Fennell had answers to problems I was having with my Staff it also had answers for problems that I didnt know I had. Give it a go, I found it a life saver.

Liz

Thank you Liz I will see if I can find it and give it a go, I would like to sort Kodi`s problems now rather than later. Darcy

Sorry, I had to laugh when I saw your reply my second Mal is eight months old and is called Kodi :) He's a livewire too. You said that you shouted at your dog when he ignores you. I take that to mean that you get him to come to you and then tell him off - definitely not the thing to do. I see dogs who visibly cringe when they hear their names called :( At 14 weeks, you should be convincing him that it's fun to come to you and fun to be with you. If he ignores you when you call, persevere and then praise him when he finally comes - at 14 weeks he's still a baby. If he misbehaves, there is nothing wrong with ignoring him but shouting won't achieve anything. With husky in him, you've got a handful, but with patience you will get there :)
Joan :)

Hi Joan,
Afraid you misunderstood me, I shouted no when Kodi was doing wrong, I know not to tell him of when he comes to me and he does 9 times out of ten, he is a smart little fellow, he will sit and wait until I tell him to eat from his dish at mealtimes (only a few seconds). I do make it a fun game to come when he is called and he always gets praised or a treat, we are currently working on recalls and close turns with his training classes. He is a very much loved puppy. He just worries me with his nervousness towards people. Can you tell me what you know about the Husky trait (In your reply you say I have a handful forewarned forearmed).Look forward to your reply.

Hi,
Sorry I misunderstood you, it's the only thing I hate about computer communication - it's too easy to get the wrong end of the stick. Wait around this board for a while and you'll see what I mean, sparks fly for the slightest misunderstanding :) I don't really feel qualified to talk specifically about Huskies, I know people who own them, I see them at working rallies, they have similar traits to mals. I must say that I don't know of any timid huskies! perhaps this trait is developed from the GSD side. If you want to talk specific husky traits, might I suggest that you post a message for Dogs who has five huskies I think. I'm sure she has plenty of sound advice to offer.
Like I said before, at this age it's important to persevere with the socialisation and you will get there eventually.
Joan

Hi Joan,
Got your e-mail this morning, not a problem for the misunderstanding.I am new to the computer world, and don`t know much about the jargon so bear with me. Thank you for your help, I will try and contact 'Dog' and see what advice he can give, any information I have found on the Husky does show they are not timid dogs, even the G.S.D. am beginning to wonder if the breeder socialised him enough as a tiny puppy although she has offered advice and has been quite nice so far.
Thankyou Darcy