i need some advice on my 7 week old husky bitch.i am having trouble leaving the house without her howling and going mad! i have started to crate train her and she seems comfortable in it when she can see me.but if im out of site she howls and according to my neihbours,she howls the whole time im out(*which is only for 2 hours at a time)

i only go out shopping etc and im at home 90% of the time.i realise she is still very young but im planning on college part time in sep and would like her to be comfortable being left alone for short periods.i have another dog for company and leave a radio on when im out but this makes no difference.i also have the same problem at night where if i have her upstairs with me she is fine but if i have her in her crate she howls.

i wouldnt mind having her upstairs with me but she is not yet toilet trained.also advice on toilet training would be helpful.i am currently putting her outside every hour and if she makes a mistake in the house,i show her im displeased and take her outside and make a fuss  of her if she goes to the toilet outside.is this the correct method? any advice on these issues would be gratefully appreciated!!!

Have you thought about putting her in her crate, and, if she is comfortable in it, just moving out of sight and returning after a nano second AS LONG AS SHE IS SILENT.  Then gradually increase it to a few seconds, always waiting until the nano second she pauses to take a breath before returning so that you ONLY return when she is quiet.

It will take some time for the penny to drop but if you ONLY ever go to her when she is quiet she will learn by the process of cause and effect ie:

I howl = nothing happens
I am quiet = mum returns

Gradually build up the time in tiny incremental steps so that you have not actually left the house but are just not available.

Also reserve some particularly yummy thing that she ONLY gets whilst in your absence ie a stuffed kong, buster cube etc so that she positively looks forward to your absence.

As for toilet training, if you show your displeasure your dog will not really compute so she may just decide not to do it when you are around.  Better IMHO to ignore mistakes and treat and praise for when she eliminates in the right place.

The more she is reinforced for eliminating in the garden the less likely she is going to do it anywhere else.

How long have you had your pup? My BC pup is 15 weeks old and it was a week before he settled at night in his crate. He would have been ok if I had taken him to bed with me but that wasn't how I wanted it to be. He used to cry and bark and pace up and down. I slept on the sofa for 3 nights with him in a crate and then I started sleeping in my own bed and he settled fairly quickly after that. You must never let your pup think you are annoyed for her for messing indoors, she is a puppy and that is what happens with puppies. if mine makes a mistake I just clean it up, if he goes outside then I make a big fuss of him like it's the best thing he has ever done, they soon learn the difference. My second dog is now 3 1/2 and he still does a little wee dance when we are out on a walk, he gets all excited cos he knows he done something right bless him. I am guessing that you have not had her very long, I didn't get mine until he was 8 weeks old, it takes them a little while to settle in even other dogs in the house are very strange to them :-)

The puppy is still only 7 weeks old!...hes still missing his mum.Out a hot water bottle and a peice of your clothing(unwashed!!!!) in with him for comfort.
You should also get him used to being away from you when you are at home...a baby gate so that he cannot follow you every where is a good idea and foolow Tomhe's advice too.A pup will not immediately be comfortable in a crate....he will need time to adjust.Try feeding him in his crate and giving him his treats in there....he needs to associate the crate with nice things
Archer

thanks for the advice.i got her at 6 weeks because the breeder wanted rid for the sake of money! something i dont understand and certainly dont agree with! i now know not to show displeasure to her toileting indoors.maybe thats where im going wrong.i shall try the advice and with fingers crossed hope all goes well over time!!!

hi,
When i first got my puppy i use to take her out every half an hour, she use to go most times so maybe every hour is to long for your pup to go at her age. I never had any accidents in the house except once when she pee'd on my bed!! Not very pleasent at all i have no idea why she did that! :-0
Good luck with your puppy, enjoy her they grow so fast!