Training for Husky, Malamute and Sled Dog Owners!

When you take on a husky or sled dog, you have to realize and accept that it is not just the dog who will have to be trained to learn new ways to behave. Just as importantly, you, as an owner, will have to learn new behviour too. This applies to any other people who live in your household or come into contact with your dog.

Some of the main things that you will have to learn:

You must not ANYTHING lying within your husky's reach

• Huskies will chew and destroy anything that you leave lying around, from shoes to TV remotes to kids toys and everthing in between.
• Huskies will not differentiate between 'safe' and 'harmful' objects, and may chew objects that are potentially very dangerous if injested (remote controls or mobile phones with batteries; cigarette lighters, etc).
• In taking on a husky, you should be willing to accept that this is a common characteristic of the breed. If YOU are daft enough to leave anything lying around, you can't get angry at your dog if they assume it's a toy for them.
• If your husky is caught chewing away on something that you don't want it to, give it a short, sharp, verbal repremand (NO!), take it away without any more fuss. Give your husky something else to chew that is acceptable (i.e. a Kong or other 'indestructable' Dog Toy).
• Even better: Give your husky plenty of its own toys in the first place, so it will not be so tempted to find entertainent in chewing up your house and its contents.
• If your puppy or dog is a persitant chewer, try using pet corrector spray, such as bitter apple spray to discourage it from chewing things it shouldn't. Theses sprays have a bitter taste that dogs and puppies don't like.

You Must ALWAYS Close Doors, Windows and Gates

• Huskies are not dogs that respond well to recall.
• However much we may wish it wasn't the case, FREEDOM AND HUSKIES JUST DO NOT MIX!
• If you leave doors, windows or gates open, and your husky gets out, you may well not see him or her again.
• It's as simple as that.

Recommended Reading

There are many great books out there that help us to understand and improve our relationships with our dogs. Even the most skilled, naturally gifted 'dog people' will no doubt find that they can learn something new from the following titles.