Dog Training & Health

[Jasmer]

Argh! I'm pulling my hair out in chunks right now. Not really, but I want to. Since the dog has been sick he's been on a bland diet--rice and hamburger. During the whole ordeal he was always hungry because he just wouldn't eat the dang rice so he started raiding the trash can and helping himself to dinner plates if we looked away for five seconds. My husband is alright when it comes to keeping the dog in line, and most of Shadow's current behavior stems from getting "too much people food" (i.e. rice and hamburger whenever he was hungry) and not quite enough exercise since he just wasn't up to it.

The dog is better now and probably feeling up to resuming his twice-a-day runs through the field out back but all the slack he's gotten lately due to being sick has gone to his head. He's still raiding the trash can, he's still stealing food off plates, and he's still occaisionally pooping on the living room floor while we're asleep. I can't tie him up in the kitchen overnight because the other night he broke his thick nylon leash quite literally and neatly in half. He begs constantly. My husband insists he isn't and it's fine. I do not like my dog STARING at us while we eat. He EXPECTS us to give him something and half the time the husband will give him something.

I know how to fix my dog's current issues. He's subtle, so that's probably why my husband doesn't seem to accept that Shadow's obedience is slipping, but I've had the dog for four years, I know him and I know his behavior. Simply saying "trust me, he's acting up, stop feeding him table scraps" doesn't sink in and I'm accused of being harsh or told to just let the dog be a dog. I'll tell you what, though, you get the begging and trash raiding under control and he'll stop crapping in the house, too. Can anybody help me find a way to get it through to him that this dog's behavior may not seem so bad now, but it's not cute, it's starting to annoy us both, and it's only going to escalate until we BOTH put a stop to it?

[meezermom]

Simply put, training husbands is totally impossible!! They are simply not capable of obeying commands at all and repeating things over and over just teaches them to blank things out. You can try a pinch collar or a shock collar but really, I have found they do not work!

All joking aside, you may need to hit a few basics here. Can you crate the dog at mealtimes? I have found that ignoring the dogs at the table will get all of them but the alpha to lay down by me. She on the other hand will stand and stare and that may get her a return stare from me with a harsh command to lay down or to back off. She will then go and lay down and watch me.

As for the trash can, you can try one with a lid but most dogs figure out how to open them pretty quickly. I keep a smallish one under the sink and it gets emptied outside in a big one daily if not more often. I also have a garbage disposal so very little food stuff goes in the trash.

When the dog was sick, you did use his dish to feed him out of didn't you? You didn't use a dinner plate or such right? Sometimes, some dogs see that as their plate after that. Also, as he doesn't like rice, next time, use oatmeal. When it is cooked, it gets sticky and they cannot pick out the hamburger! It works as good as rice...

Other than that, some remedial training for both of them should get them both back in line as well as more exercise!!

[Jasmer]

Yeah, I'll be using oatmeal next time for that very reason. I fed him the rice and hamburger in his own dish, I never feed him on plates.

The problem is, when he's staring and watching us eat, I do stare right back at him and tell him sternly to stop. My husband immediately rolls his eyes and plays the "oh he isn't doing anything" card. More exercise will help, as will weaning him off the 5 am trips outside that he's growing accustomed to. Right now we've just been opening the door and letting him out to poop because that's about all he's had interest in, then he'd immediately come back inside. He's going back to twice-a-day runs out back and the occasional necessary pee break in between. At least my husband agrees with that.

The problem comes when actually correcting the dog. If I'm anything but that pleasantly obsequious "No no Shadow, please don't do that" he thinks I'm being harsh. Shadow's a skittish, neurotic dog by nature. At this point I think it's more a temperament problem than general insecurity. He's warmed up to my husband a lot but he still slinks around and is still generally fearful. Being the way he is, he tucks his tail when he's told "no" and shrivels up and cowers on his way out of the room if it has to escalate to a "get out" or "go lay down". It's just the way the dog is. He was never socialized as a puppy, was mistreated all his sledding life, and alaskan huskies are often bred entirely for function with little regard to temperament, so skittish, neurotic sled dogs exist almost entirely by design. With the dog's mannerisms, when I have to actually assert my authoritah the dog throws out calming signals and discreetly removes himself from the situation and my husband interprets it as genuine fear and feels sympathy for him, hence the "oh he's not bothering anyone" attitude. He's bothering ME with his continued and escalating insubordination, though.

I'm not really asking for much, though, I just want him to accept that begging is not an acceptable behavior BECAUSE Shadow will start snatching food right off of plates. I know this from personal experience, he's done it to me once or twice and to a couple relatives at family barbecues. I told him this morning that I don't mind the dog getting table scraps. I really don't, at all. However, my new rule is that the dog will be ignored completely while we eat, sent out of the room if he's begging, and any table scraps will go directly into his food bowl AFTER Shadow sits or performs some other task in order to "earn" it.

The begging has gotten so bad that I can't even cook now without a dog sitting just outside the kitchen staring at me. He never used to do this, but then again I never used to feed him table scraps WHILE I was eating. This is a new thing for him and I know he's just reacting accordingly and trying to figure out the boundaries, but it has to stop. Shadow may be mellow and well behaved even right now compared to a lot of other dogs but he's getting worse and worse, quickly. I know my dog, I know his personality and his body language, and I know when HE knows he's breaking the rules.

When he eats he'll usually walk a few paces away from his bowl while he chews. When he's given a treat he usually takes it to the corner of the living room but generally eats it right away. When he sneaks food off your plate he runs into the spare bedroom and eats it in the closet because he's well aware that it isn't allowed. Even sniffing our plates isn't allowed, and that's something we both agree on. I just have to figure out how to get the boundaries set back up again AND get my husband to help me enforce them. It's frustrating.

[meezermom]

Have you tried having your hubby read NILIF?? That may help him understand what is going on and what he is doing. He is actually causing Shadow more insecurities and fear by undermining what you are doing! He is telling Shadow that there is no leader and considering Shad's nature, that is really scary! Shad needs to know there is an alpha member who is willing to do his thinking and control the situations around him. That way lies security for him. He will see it as the "boss" will handle things and I don't have to worry about what to do... Shadow does need to learn that he has to lay down at the table. It will take patience and for a bit, meals will be no fun at all.... try putting a leash on him and hook the leash to your chair leg. Then have him lay down with a chew bone or kong stuffed with peanut butter, not much though! After dinner is done, any treats should go into his dish and then release him with a command and go into the kitchen or where ever he is fed, and be near. Remind him that it is fine to eat right there...Some dogs are very insecure eating when their backs are to the room. They want to see out while eating because they feel they need to see who is coming to take something away. Considering his bad beginnings, I am betting that is some of Shad's problem. Your husband needs to see that he is part of the problem! He isn't standing up for Shadow, he is rewarding the fear...It may be best if Shadow is kept on a waist leash and encouraged to stay with you or your husband. Or you can try to just keep him in whatever room you are in...

Your husband also needs to understand that you are not asking Shadow to do something as a favor, you are commanding him to do something as his alpha! That is your right and it is Shadow's safety to obey! He is a submissive and he will gain confidence and comfort in the safety of obedience. You may want to get a copy of the Id iots Guide to Selecting, Choosing and training Your Dog and have your husband start in on it....it will help him see what he is doing that is so confusing... Shadow doesn't need to hear a gentle "no, no, please don't do that". He needs to hear a low growled out arrrggggghhhhh. That will show him that he has stepped out of line..Obedience is not harshness, it is confidence inspiring and security.

Your husband does need to understand that Shadow's behavior will escalate! If he is already stealing food, it is not that far of a step to stealing it from your hand or from a child or a guest while they are putting it to their mouth and the possibility of a bite!

You only have Shadow right? No other dogs??? Your hubby would probably be very surprised if he watched a group of dogs. I learned a great deal watching the four I have. How the alpha female disciplines and just how fast she moves when someone is out of line. She is like a striking snake and considering she is elderly and crippled, it is amazing to see her move as fast as she does. She does not hesitate at all to let one of the others know they stepped over the line. It's the same kind of authority....Fast and appropriate and then forgotten.....Like the person puppy chasing her kitty this afternoon and the two of them knocking over a hundred year old one of a kind lamp!!! I wanted to kill them both but it was an accident. Disciplining a cat is like draining the ocean with a spoon with a hole in it! Impossible! But Willow knew she was in the wrong as soon as it came crashing down....

[Jasmer]

He and I had a talk about it and he's agreed to try things my way. Because of the dog's behavior and the fact that I'm having a baby in two months the idea of rehoming him had come up because we were worried we wouldn't have time for him and all of this would start again. We've decided to cross that bridge when we get there, though, and in the mean time I intend to fill him in on the kind of structure Shadow needs. I'll probably find that book at the library and I'll ask him to read up on NILIF.

The new problem is that the front door was left open on accident the other night and the dog got out. He bolted as soon as he could because the house has been a stressful place for him (and myself with the pooping and the whole pregnant thing). He wasn't feeling inclined to come back right away and instead went snooping about. Turns out he snooped a good 15 blocks away overnight and is now wandering around town. Everybody's seen him but us, animal control is out looking for him today, we've got posters up, etc. I'm reasonably sure they'll eventually catch him. At some point he'll have to be too tired to run away from them. I'm going to ask if I can ride along with them next time somebody reports him to see if he'll come to me. I intend to bring a hotdog along.

After all this stress, if we do find him and get him back home, I'm worried we'll just be starting over again. He's going hungry, there's a lake and everybody has a pool, pond, or fountain, plus it rains regularly this time of year, so at least I can be reasonably sure he won't dehydrate. Dog's lucky I like him!

[meezermom]

Oh dear!!! Hopefully you can get him back fairly easily...He is a husky and they do love to run and run and run!! You really don't need the stress now either...This whole situation is not easy. I honestly don't know what to tell you. Shadow has gotten a taste of freedom and he may decide to decamp totally. He might just keep running and who knows. I hope you can get him back but in your area, someone might just see a "free sled dog" and go from there... This is tough on both of you I know. Do let us know as soon as you get him back and try your best not to worry as the stress is bad for you!

You really planned on having a baby in December? Is this your holiday present?? Hope all is going okay and you are staying healthy and getting good exercise although chasing down a nutty dog does not qualify! Hang in there..........

[Jasmer]

Well, everybody who's spotted him and tried to catch him has told us he looks totally lost, confused, and even afraid, so I think home will be a welcome concept for him if we can find him. I'm not terribly worried about somebody trying to claim a free sled dog because they'd frankly have to catch him first. I'm thinking that my husband or myself might just be the only people who can do that. He's a terrible sled dog now anyway. He's been spoiled as a house pet and his old musher sold him for a reason in the first place. Shadow doesn't really cooperate anymore with pulling unless it's a bike and he has another dog to compete with, then it just turns into a contest. As far as sledding there are too many dogs and it just frightens him. I don't think it ever really was his cup o' tea.

We didn't really "plan" for December so much as it just sort of happened. I've gained like 50 lbs since I got pregnant because all of a sudden I can't handle heat anymore. Summer practically killed me. I couldn't go outside unless it was unseasonably cool out until the middle of September because it's been unseasonably HOT up until then. Now I'm retaining so much water that my feet just plain hurt. I told my doctor they look like Fred Flintstone's and he just laughed at me. I keep forgetting to take my prenatals, too. I'll probably lose all my teeth because of it. At least I eat relatively healthy and am able to get some exercise now, though.

[meezermom]

Is he staying in a certain area?? If so, you may be able to start driving around and calling him. He may come now to you as he is so afraid....poor boy. About now he is probably so sorry he decided to make that mad dash out the door....I so hope you can get him back as soon as possible...As you say, he is now a house dog and all this must be so scary for him. Not to mention, he must be getting really hungry...

Has your doctor told you to get your feet up?? You need to! Retaining that much fluid now isn't good for either you or the baby so be sure to put your feet up in the afternoon. You also need to spend at leash three hours laying on your left side as it helps your heart...Most of us can't handle the heat when pregnant....eating healthy is great and prenatals weren't around a long time ago and there were not millions of toothless women... if your teeth were ok and still are, don't worry...put try to put the bottle near where you can remember. There is stuff in there for the baby too!!

[Jasmer]

Well it's been over a week and nobody's so much as called since last Saturday. I have posters up all over the south half of town, on the edges of the junior high school property (can't post ON the property, city ordinance), and a couple on the community college campus, a lost ad in the paper, several ads in my area's lost and found on Craigslist, a missing report with animal control and the two shelters they take dogs to, a lost and found ad on the local humane society website, and have called all the local vets to see if anybody happened to bring a black and white husky mix in. I'm thinking he's either left city limits, moved to a part of town we haven't covered yet, has been killed, or has been taken in by somebody.

Do you think it's possible for him to have, say, gone back "home" in a week's time? We recently moved about 50 miles away to a new town. Shadow has an uncanny sense of direction, which makes me wonder how he got lost in the first place. When he's gone on a certain path a few times he usually knows his way back. When I first got him he had a habit of slipping his collar several miles away from home and making a b-line straight home. I just don't know what else I can do. I can't hang any more signs up because the city has a very strict policy on sign posting and removal and imposes littering fines if any are left after so many days.

We were cruising the south end of town last Saturday after somebody positively identified Shadow, collar and all, in the area. We asked a couple kids and one of them said we should ask around the motel he lived at because he was pretty sure he saw that dog there the night before and that there are a lot of dogs in the area. We went and asked the guy who runs the motel and he thought he saw him running with a pack of strays but said it could have been any black and white dog, it was dark out and he didn't get a good look. It doesn't help that there are at least five other black and white huskies, collie mixes, and an akita reported missing as well. It could have been any one of them, or none of them. He taped one of our posters up on his window though and said if he saw anything or if any of his tenants saw anything he'd call us. He hasn't yet, so I'm assuming the pack of dogs either moved on or he's just not with them.

My hope is that he's either still with a pack of dogs and is eventually caught and turned over to animal control or taken in by somebody who knows how to handle a nervous-type dog. If he's still wandering hopefully somebody will catch him and turn him in. My worry is that by now he's been hit by a car, injured or killed, or taken in by some well-meaning individual that doesn't realize babying him and fawning over him will only make him nervous. So many people don't realize that just because humans respond well to that sort of reassurance, dogs don't.

He's got ibizan hound in his pedigree (as many alaskan huskies do) so his shape is thinner and more streamlined than a stocky husky or malamute. People have commented on this and asked me if he eats enough. The vet is happy with his weight, and I know he's got a wonderful proportion of fat and muscle and has been allowed to free feed since the day I got him. So here's my biggest concern: somebody sees a skinny, frightened dog running around and manages to coax him into their yard or house. Shadow, being skittish toward strange people by nature, keeps his tail tucked between his legs and cowers slightly and looks generally pitiful. He jumps or hides at loud noises or raised voices. I'm worried their reaction would be "his owners abuse him!" They'd know he's a pet, he has a collar on and a microchip if they've had him scanned. It's possible somebody may find him and keep him out of pity and try to make him comfortable. I can hope they know and understand the behavior and needs of an insecure, neurotic dog, but odds are more likely they don't and it won't occur to them that my dog is a rescue of sorts and has come a long way in his rehabilitation from when I first got him. I think it's more likely they'll assume his owner is some mysterious, tall, scary man that hits and yells too much, not a pregnant woman and her fiance who love him dearly, never raise our voices to him, and never hit him. Maybe they don't realize that he's happy with us, comfortable with us, wags his tail and "talks" to us like a normal, happy, healthy husky.

I just want my dog back.

[meezermom]

Damn! I was so hoping this was going to be a happy note! I am worried sick about him now and you too. This stress is bad for you! Now, just curious but any chance you could get your local news channel to do a bit of a "human interest" story on him? Maybe a short bit with a picture or two and you and let people know that you are expecting your first baby and how Shadow going missing is causing you to worry yourself into ill health and how desperate you are to get him back along with maybe a couple of things you mentioned? That he is not starved but naturally lean, not mistreated but a nervous dog who you have been working with for a long time and you are worried sick about him? You need answers! Maybe you would be able to get more help this way! Knowing how the huskies are though, they can revert to a wild life fairly easily if they can hook up with a pack of strays...I don't think anyone is going to catch him honestly...not with his personality. I really do not think he will just go to any stranger....

[Jasmer]

If he's with some other dogs and has access to food, water, and shelter then I have no doubt he'll be fine. He's afraid of cars so I'm not too worried about him getting hit. Really I'm more worried about some angry local taking matters into their own hands if he IS running with other dogs and those dogs are harassing somebody's animals or property. Other than that Shadow spent plenty of time on a mountain off the grid and was constantly gone for days at a time before I got him. He'd come back skinny and hungry, eat, nap, and take off again from what I understand. He can survive, but I still want him home. The problem with the news bit is that because all the local news channels broadcast to such a large area (over several states and part of Canada) I highly doubt they'd make room for a missing dog report.

I think you're right, though, he'll probably be difficult if not impossible for anybody but one of us to catch. Hopefully somebody will see him and report him. I know that my fiance or I could catch him. I think maybe if Animal Control really wanted to they could, too, especially if they kneeled down and offered him food. Most people probably wouldn't get near him. Most of the people who have seen him tried to call him over or follow him and he just took off, so I think you're right, nobody's going to catch him.

[Jasmer]

Figures that right after I post I check my email and have a reply to my Craigslist ad from a woman who thinks she saw him last night near a convenience store 15 blocks away.

We plan on spending the entire day tomorrow putting up posters and searching that part of town.

[meezermom]

Maybe he has had enough of the street life and is trying to make his way home.......head that way and you might see him and he will be glad to come home with you!!! Good luck and fingers and toes crossed!!

[Jasmer]

We spent all day looking for him. we walked around for hours calling him and have decided that if he didn't come to us it was likely because he wasn't within earshot. I'll renew my ad in the paper when it expires in a few days and keep up the craigslist ads and keep in touch with Animal Control, though.

[Jasmer]

Animal Control just dropped Shadow off Apparently they found him on a mountain trail one mile from our house. He looks like he hasn't eaten a thing since he left. Something bit his leg and it's absessed. I'm going to the vet this afternoon to pick up some antibiotics for him when hubby gets off work, then it's straight to the grocery store to get some oatmeal and extra chicken.

The poor guy, I know he's in a lot of pain, he looks exhausted, his eyes are glazed over. He got out of the animal control truck and just stood there staring down. I had to carry him up the stairs to our apartment because it was just too much for him. We'll probably be carrying him up and down the stairs until the swelling in his leg goes down. Hopefully I can get him to eat a couple tablespoons of, I don't know, something mild. A few small pieces of chicken maybe. I'm going to get his chip activated while he's still too weak to eat the paperwork. What are your thoughts on a wet canned food I can feed him? It's probably the only way to really ensure he actually eats enough of it.