Hi
  I have just recently bought a siberian husky and already had a whippet although they tend to get on nothing is wrong with them.My husky has a habbit of nipping people as she is only 9 weeks old and we've only had her 1 week we cant take her to training lessons yet (as was advised not to) Is there any training methods i can use at home to try and socialise her more???

Think this is just puppy nipping not anything to suggest she has a problem with people. Try to distract her with a toy or say no and then distract her, sure it is a puppy thing and will pass, do carry on introducing her to people when you can.

im not bein funny but she clinged onto my youngest son's arm is this normal aswell for a pup???
also my partner encourages her to climb all over him and lets her bite him ect. will this cause her to bite and then confuse her when we say 'NO' ???

It is important that the whole family treats the pup the same and it would be best if your partner did not behave like another puppy if he wants some respect from her when she is older. Mind you if your partner is anything like mine they wont listen. Stop her doing anything that you don't like but remember at 9 weeks old she is a baby and is missing the rough and tumble of her litter brothers and sisters in the nest and will try to play in the same way as she would have done with them.

Sure if you have any real worries you should speak to the breeder you bought her from, but at the moment I would say you have a normal pup and  enjoy whilst she is a baby, it does not last long.

It's a shame you've been advised not to take her to training yet as she is definately ready to learn.   If you find a good puppy class, one that uses reward and motivation, they'll usually take pups from an early age and you'll then get lots of help with all the usual puppy stuff.

Sally

i would take her myself but ive have been told to take her training after 3 weeks of having her so she gains my trust is this true or should i take her on on my opinion which is the sooner she is trained the better or should i wait???

Why wouldn't she trust you now?  I'd get started right away.  :)

Sally

ok thanx will do :D:D:D

Don't take her till she has had her injections there is Parvo about. That is what I thought you meant, not that you should keep her to yourself.

Hi Dani, welcome to Champdogs,

Now is the time that you can do some 'people' socialisation with your pup.  I always found that taking them for a ride in the car to the supermarket, then sitting either in the car looking out, or on a bench/seat so that they can 'peoplewatch' really helped.  You could also try to meet some farm animals,or at least some cows and horses, and lots of other things, such as bicycles, people with umbrellas/wearing sunglasses/hats etc..
Please don't leave it until your pup is 12-13 weeks old as you'll have 'wasted' a good couple of weeks that could have a real impact on their confidence in later life.
Also, when you are deciding on a training club, make sure that the instructors use positive rewards, and if possible, have successfully trained Huskies/spitz breeds before. From experience, I know that they are not the easiest breed to train, but, by asking for advice, you're getting off to the right start.
Enjoy your pup
Ali :)

Please do not take pup to classes until all jabs have been done and had time to kick in to system :)

I have heard the same comment from several other husky owners so you are not alone.  Yes your pup will grow out of it with the right help.  Here are a few pointers on how.

Biting and mouthing are normal behaviors for puppies. Dogs don't have hands so they investigate objects and their environment with their mouths.  A dog's ability to control the force of his biting is called "bite inhibition." Puppies learn to control the force of their biting from the reactions of their mothers and littermates during play and especially play-fighting.  We can teach puppies about bite inhibition by looking to the litter mother for guidance and mimicking some of her techniques


The next time your puppy bites you, scream "OW!" in a high- pitched voice. Exaggerate a little. Then refuse to play with him or pay attention to him for a few minutes. For a persistent offender this may involve leaving the room. A smart puppy picks up the clear message quickly: "if you can't play nice, I won't play with you at all!"



For puppies that just won't quit , flip them over on their backs, scold them in that same low, scary voice (growling) and gently but firmly, hold them in that position until they stop struggling.This is a sign of submission to your authority.
  
NB: Be careful that your high pitch cry doesn't sound more akin to a high pitched "hey, lets play!".  In some cases it may be better to make a low pitched "ahhhhh!" to avoid the confusion.

With regards to the grabbing the arm bit I have noticed that this is how a pack of young husky pups play with each other.  THey will grab and drag eachother round by the scruff of the neck or whatever they can get hold of.  Husky pups play rough.  You need to teach your pup that your child is higher in the pack them them. Younger pack members such as children often get seen as "easy conquests".  In situations like this encourage the children to feed the dog at every meal, each time issuing the sit command.  This will reinforce their higher position as they control the food supply.  However this is probably a bit difficult given the age of your child! 

All these tips we acquired during our puppy socialisation classes we took the pups to as soon as they were allowed out.  The quicker you attend such classes the quicker the problem is resolved and corrected before they get too set in their ways.  For example the success of "pinning" a pup does depend on their strength and size.  We only had to use that maneovere on our largest boy a couple of times.  Now he is the most laid back in the pack and is well behaved.  Given he is the largest of all three dogs this is a godsend.

>>>For puppies that just won't quit , flip them over on their backs, scold them in that same low, scary voice (growling) and gently but firmly, hold them in that position until they stop struggling.This is a sign of submission to your authority.

NOOOOO!!!

Any technique that involves force is not only inhumane but also dangerous.  Apart from the negative effect on the dog it could result in a facial bite to the person applying the Alpha roll.

Sally

We have never had to use force to hold them down, its more of a light gentle hold on the chest. I`m not talking of WWF pins here. and screaming at them.  Once the pup has relaxed and realised that they are perfectly safe then you release and praise accordingly.  Yes this would potentially distress an adult dog but we are talking about puppies here. which is why it should be used sooner rather than later.

If you read the literature on puppies interaction with their mothers this is what she would do if the pup was getting too rough. If you have a husky that is likely to bite you in that manner I would be well worried and take that dog to behavioural classes.  None of my dogs have that type of disposition, nor should any other husky that has been socialised correctly. See below link to articles written by a husky kennel on the subject of husky socialisation and the alpha factor.

http://mikaylakennels.com/newpuppyinfo/info13.htm

Perhaps what I probably need to add to my comments above is that our pups were handled regularly from birth and throughout puppyhood. This involved regular sessions of play, checking teeth, pads etc etc over each time on a daily basis.  As a result our pups could be held like babies in our arms as that were that secure with being handled by us and trusting our intentions.  Rolling them onto the backs were a regular part of play and "the checkover" and was something they were used to and comfortable with. This is the sort of thing that they will encourage you to do in your socialisation classes.  I can see how, if you do not regularly handle your pups in this way from the outset, that this could be distressing for the dog.

Rolling them over was another method that we used to reinforce our alpha position and was used concurrently with things like; we ate before them, we went through the doors first etc etc.  Our dogs have a very placid nature and have been used in training classes to socialise other pups that have issues with other dogs ie the little dogs will yap and bark at ours all the want and ours will just stand there and ignore them.

For most pups the leaving the room thing and "ahhhh" noise should do the job just be patient.

Had a quick look at the link Liz, just scanned it on account of my new fitness regime and spending less time on the puter and more walking the dogs ;)  so for now I'll just say that we are not their mother.  However I'm sure I can find you some links later when I've walked the last of the dogs and got the dinner underway.

Sally

I can`t disagree with that philosophy.  i`m only on computer now as i`m downloading doggy pics from the camera.  I have just spent an hour chasing them round the garden.  Its so hard when you don`t have anyone to help them to pose for you. It occured to me I didn`t have many shots of my bitch....I now remember why...because she refuses to stay still.

I have spent four hours at a show today and another three hours walking them (had to to each individually as husband is away atm)  so today is minimal PC time regardless!  I might have to add a dog bath to that this evening as I can see one relaxing in a big muddy puddle.

Maybe the roll technique is not for everyone, I just know it worked with one of our dogs and required minimal stress on both fronts as they were used to tummy inspections/play etc.  The other points I mentioned should be tried first regardless.

Liz,  Know how you feel.  Yesterday we tried to take a photo of a group of pups that had all come out for a play and a bit of training. The finished result had one dog in it.  So they've been sent home to practice stay and we'll try again next week. :D

But we digress -  Pups that are handled regularly as yours are - no problem rolling them over for checks grooming etc and even holding them there gently if neccessary.  It is something that I encourage puppy owners to do at my classes.  However I would never recommend doing this to a pup or dog of any age pup as a 'scolding'.

Have a look at these links. They explain what I mean much better than I can.

http://www.dog-dominance.co.uk

http://www.dogwhisper.com/article-endangered.html

http://www.dogwhisper.com/book_review-alpha.html

http://www.alldogsgym.com/basics/dogbasics-dominance.asp

Sally

My husband only did it a few times when the boys play got far too much rather than a scolding.  In fact the reference to it shouldn`t really have been in with the biting comments!  The dog in question had no problem with it.  I suppose its the way you go about these things and writing it down probably isn`t describing the technique properly.   Will have a look at those sites later in the week as its bedtime now.

Many thanks for those links.  I always find such articles useful to read.

For puppies that just won't quit , flip them over on their backs and gently but firmly, hold them in that position until they stop struggling.This is a sign of submission to your authority

i had to do this to my american puppy 2 years ago because she was getting worse she drew blood a couple of times
i not sayin be nasty but you have to make them submit to u and get them out of the habbit that they can boss you
aroundu need to let then no that ur the boss at times and naw she is totaly diffrent shes as kind as i would wish her
to be and i think she respectes me for doing it its not nasty so dont worry it dosent hert then just lets then no when
they yhave gone to far

Dogs never flip other dogs over to show authority over another; dogs DO throw themselves on their backs and raise their hindlegs to demonstrate submissiveness!  Another one of the GREAT DOG MYTHS.

There is a big difference.  So called alpha rolls have nothing to do with "nature" and are potentially extremely dangerous when perfromed on adult dogs!

One does not MAKE dogs submit!

Hear Hear tohme :D

Yep...

I think, to further that view.....an dog that IS pinned down by its neck (by another dog) knows one thing......its going to be DEAD in the next few minutes.......thats the only time one dog has another by the throat by force......

So, if thats what you want to teach your dog 'I might want to kill you any time i feel like it' go ahead...doesnt strike me as a way to gain trust and respect though....

I knew of one girl who tried that technique....she had collies, and yep, it worked on them, they feared her, did as they were told.

Then she got a working bred terrier....tried it on that, every time the terrier bitch tried to have a go at one of the collies, she alpha rolled it.

After a few months of this, the dog started attacking people, anyone who put a hand near it.....so it was alpha rolled more, so it attacked more.........

It ended up being shot.

Em