# very aggressive 10 mo Husky Biting and Jumping



## reanybeany (Dec 6, 2011)

Help. I dont know what to do. Our husky is huge at 10 mo and I even tho I work with him daily simply to just sit, lay down, bed. Just simple things. he does this, once he gets treat he's back up and jumping on you. I try petting/loving him but he is too excited and with a very strong powerful jaw biting w/o puncture or nips with just his front teeth. WHICH HURTS!!!. I'm 5'4'' and he can put his front paws on my shoulders. (not that I let him) he worries me around my two year old and seven year old. Both kids love him, but have learned that he can be rough and I NEVER leave them alone in a room with him. 

I just dont know what to do. I am a new dog owner. I had dogs as a kid, but never responsible for training them. He isn't a mean dog. He just hasn't learned what is ok. what is not. I know this is my fault. I'm trying. I've researched. I've read. I've taken him to puppy training class. I know he is smart. But he just isn't retaining the no aggression... We have him leashed while inside. when the baby is around. We take him off the lead at night. I want him to be able to be in the house unleashed. The living room is gated (to keep toddler inside...just got taller gates when got puppy) so he has a safe place to be. Although, he still chews everything and can't be left alone. He spends all his day outside unless it's raining (large fenced in back yard). He is crated inside at night. Husband has no tolerance for the aggression or barking and sends him outside where Lucky will just claws at the door whining to come back in, but is a wild man when brought back in. I hate this. I want him to be like the family dogs I had growing up (hubby never had dogs). 

What can I do when he is aggressive. He is huge and I can't allow him to jump on my children. grab their clothes, Bite their arms. (my son will wail and my daughter will cry and point to her arm and then Lucky. But then is fine...it hurts, but even on them he doesn't break skin) Still NOT ok. 

How do I address the aggression in the moment. 
How do I work with him to follow prompts when not being aggressive. sit, stay, down. stop. drop it. leave it. 

Reanybeany


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

First of all - you don't have a Husky if he stands on your shoulders. They aren't that big. Second of all - your dog isn't aggressive. They're mouthy dogs and the little nips are them showing affection. They shouldn't be more than just that little nips - but you haven't taught him any bite inhibition. Third of all - he's getting NO exercise. Of course he's wild. If someone threw you out into a backyard by yourself with nothing but yourself to occupy the hours - would you be happy??

I'm assuming you have a Malamute since they're larger. That being said - these dogs were meant to pull freight on sleds over snow for many many miles. Putting him in a yard by himself with no toys and no human interaction - he's going insane with boredom!

A tired dog is a happy dog. Simply just doing sit and lay is repetitive and not very stimulating. Get him a puzzle toy to play with and lots of things to chew on. When he bites give him a firm "NO" and ignore him for a few minutes. No looking, no interaction - nothing. It'll teach him that when he bites - play time, affection time - anything is over. He bites - human time is done. Also, when he goes to bite - you can put a toy in his mouth. It'll teach him a proper item to bite/play with/chew on

when he jumps turn your back to him. Don't look or talk to him. Keep your back to him always until he settles and isn't jumping. when he stops - praise him.

They're also dogs that -have- to be involved in what their humans are doing. They love feeling included.

Your dog has simple behavior problems that just need consistent working with. Nothing about him is aggressive. he just needs mental and physical stimulation. A tired dog is a good dog.

Also, why did you get a northern breed dog? Did you not do any research on the breed?


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## reanybeany (Dec 6, 2011)

Wow, lots in response. 



Niraya said:


> First of all - you don't have a Husky if he stands on your shoulders. They aren't that big.  He is very lean and tall when he stands up on hind legs. Now his paws do not rest ON TOP of my shoulders, but they do rest on the meaty part of my chest at my shoulders. Lucky was largest in litter and yes, both his parent's are Husky.  Second of all - your dog isn't aggressive. They're mouthy dogs and the little nips are them showing affection. I know he isn't being mean. Maybe I should have said something to the effect of he is extremely hyper, easily excitable and out of control. I know his nips (which hurt like heck, more so then his full jaw powered 'bite') are his way of communicating that he wants more of something.  They shouldn't be more than just that little nips - but you haven't taught him any bite inhibition.I've been working on this. He allows my hand near his mouth, in his mouth. I think this is why he doesn't break skin. At the same time his jaws are very powerful and when he does add pressure it hurts. Again, I've been working on this Third of all - he's getting NO exercise. YES HE IS. I walk him in the AM and in PM my husband runs up to three miles with him 3x a week and fast pace walks him when they dont run. Of course he's wild. If someone threw you out into a backyard by yourself with nothing but yourself to occupy the hours My family is constantly out back playing as well. He loves to play tag with my son and he loves to play catch. He doesn't like tennis balls except to chew up and he loves his whistle sounding ball for catch. He likes to take the bark of wood from the woodpile and has a love hate relationship with our "pet" chipmunk that lives in the wood pile. - would you be happy?? I agree that he does spend a lot of time out back. My husband and I both work. He is outback while we are at work if the weather is nice. And in and out when we are home.
> 
> I'm assuming you have a Malamute since they're larger. That being said - these dogs were meant to pull freight on sleds over snow for many many miles. Putting him in a yard by himself with no toys and no human interaction - he's going insane with boredom! He has tons of toys and we dont leave him outback for hours and hours by himself. We play with him inside and outside and he has tons of toys, but only prefers a select few, which we've gotten multiples of.
> 
> ...


OF COURSE WE RESEARCHED. We did a ton of research. With our high energy family we thought he would be a great fit. I dont think it's his fault at all that he is like this. I'm new at training a dog and even tho (much like parenting) I am consistent, I get frustrated. I read a lot about parenting and different ways to approach a situation and ask for help when I am unsure how to do something. This is the same approach I take with Lucky. That is the main reason I am here. What I have done isn't working. Much of what you said I've read or was told about by professional trainers I have spoken with. I appreciate the little advice you did give, which I have heard before (reminders are always good) and instead of criticizing our choice in breed, use of backyard, lack of training/interaction, being a Husky owner, maybe if you have knowledge (which it appears that you do) you could be understanding of a young family first time dog owners. We love our Lucky-Dog. Before him, my seven year old was afraid of dogs. Now he isn't. He loves him and Lucky loves him right back. I just need to get Lucky to a place where he follows directions and I dont have to worry that my house is torn apart or that he will accidentally hurt someone, especially the kids. 

That is why I am here. :help::help::help:


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

There's nothing wrong with being new at dog training! Everyone starts somewhere! However, Siberian's are not recommended for first time/beginner dog owners for these reasons. They are independent dogs and they are STUBBORN dogs. They take a lot more work than most other breeds and it isn't uncommon for them to test you in every way. You have to think two, three steps ahead of your dog simply because you have a Siberian. They are dogs who are extremely driven and they are dogs that will ONLY do things if they figure there is something in it for them (i.e "only when he knows he will be rewarded with treats"). 

Now, I criticized your choice of breed, use of the backyard and the lack of training/interaction because in your first post - you didn't include anything that you did other than you let him run around in the backyard. You didn't say you took him for walks or interacted with him at all. You should then see why I said the things I did if you read back over the posts.

Nipping - His nipping isn't necessarily him telling you he wants MORE of something. Think of it as his way of showing you affection. At 10 months old he is still a puppy and he will easily be hyper and excitable for years to come. It's great that you work with him so that he's comfortable with you putting your hands in and around his mouth. Bite inhibition is a dog learning the appropriate amount of pressure that is allowed when interacting with people. Puppies learn this from playing with each other - I.E. One puppy bites another puppy too hard and the second puppy yelps in pain. The first puppy learns that when he bites too hard - it hurts and thus not to bite as hard! Humans have much thinner skin - so we get hurt a lot more easily. You could try - when he bites to give a high pitched Yelp! and then ignoring him for a few seconds (as some would tell you). For me, this didn't work with my Siberian - it only made her more excited and wanted to play more and much harder. However, I do know that she hates being ignored and she absolutely hates the word no (She knows that no means no more of whatever we're doing). So, when she bites too hard, she gets a firm no and anything we're doing gets stopped for a few minutes (3-5 minutes for her. Anything under that she didn't learn). She has a very soft mouth now - and the little nips don't hurt. See this thread: http://www.dogforums.com/first-time-dog-owner/8377-bite-stops-here.html

Exercise - It sounds like you're giving him quite a bit of exercise. Which is great! But think of it like this; These dogs were bred to run miles. 25,50 even 80 or more miles A DAY while pulling freight. Now, obviously we can't do that - but it sounds like to me you have an extremely drivey dog and three miles to him isn't three miles to us. That's -nothing-. Something you may or may not want to try is biking with him. Get him a harness and a bike set up so he can run next to - or even better have him pull! I do this with my Siberian and many members on the forum do this with their dogs of various breeds (it's not just for freighting dogs)! It is -great- exercise for him and encourages him to do what the breed was built for.

Often times what we think of as him getting lots of exercise and enjoyment is nothing when we think back to what some breeds were originally intended to do. Personally I think it puts a lot of things into perspective.

Training -It really helps if EVERYONE in the household is involved in a dogs training. He listens to you because you're rewarding him for the things he does! Training is an every day thing that lasts the entire lifetime of your dog. I give Bella several training sessions a day - not because she doesn't know her commands, but because it's a bonding experience and it reinforces and solidifies the training she already has. If you want him to hold a command until you release him you have to work on a stay. Dogs don't just automatically know it . If you want him to sit and then stay - you have to work on the stay little by little. Get him to sit and stay - if he does it for a few seconds, praise and treat. You work on the length of the stay and the behavior so he's doing it every time you ask - then introduce distance. If you want the dog to listen to the other members of the family - they have to work with him. remember, these dogs are NOT people pleasers. They will only do things when they think they're getting something out of it.

As for puzzle toys - you can get them at Petco for probably around 15 dollars each. Something like this: http://www.petco.com/product/104547/KONG-Stuff-A-Ball-Dog-Toy.aspx
http://www.petco.com/product/112212/KONG-Wobbler-Food-Dispensing-Dog-Toy.aspx
http://www.petco.com/product/113907/Kyjen-Dog-Games-Star-Spinner-Dog-Toy-Puzzle.aspx
http://www.petco.com/product/113691/Kyjen-Dog-Games-Treat-Wheel-Dog-Toy-Puzzle.aspx

As for the jumping - it will only get better with as much time as your willing to put into it, really. It won't get better over night - and it'll take as long or as short amount of time as you do training. . It sucks to have to be so repetitive - but that's what it takes. You have to have A LOT of patience. When you train a dog and start a new behavior - you treat right away for it. Like doing sit. When he does the behavior you treat and give a cue and you're reinforcing the behavior you want. So now every time he sits - he gets a treat. But if you constantly treat him for just simply sitting - he knows that as soon as his butt hits the floor he can get up because you treat that behavior. You have to extend the time that he has to sit in order to stop the popping back up. So say you tell him sit and he pops up. Make him sit again. If he does it again - same thing. Just have to repeat it. then say he sits and stays sitting for 3 seconds. Praise and treat! And then make him sit longer before rewarding.

I can't help with the humping - simply because I've never dealt with a dog that does it. I've seen other people on the forum suggest that when he does start, tell him No and redirect his attention to a high value toy of some sort.

I forgot to add earlier - you might want to teach a "settle", "relax" or "calm" command to help get through that there are time when hyper and play is okay but when that command is given its time to chill out.


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

I will touch on this only because the Siberian Husky breed is really my life.

My response at first was as it is because really - The first post included NOTHING about how the dog was handled on a day to day or what training the dog was receiving. See my next post where I say:



> Now, I criticized your choice of breed, use of the backyard and the lack of training/interaction because in your first post - *you didn't include anything that you did other than you let him run around in the backyard. *You didn't say you took him for walks or interacted with him at all. You should then see why I said the things I did if you read back over the posts.


The part about "not being a husky" was because Siberian's are not LARGE dogs that are able to stand on a person's shoulders. I did not mean to imply they didn't have a Siberian. Just that it was most likely a mix of some kind (again, applying a tone that isn't there - or perhaps just poor wording on my part - most likely the last one as this post was made....10 months ago?)

The OP touched on those things AFTER I made that post - which was then very helpful in determining how I was able to respond with the appropriate things that the OP might find helpful in dealing with problems. This breed is my passion. You applied a tone to my post that was not there. My response was such that even if this wasn't a Siberian they got - I would have said the same things if it was a German Shepherd, a Great Pyrenees, a Malamute, a Border Collie any kind of breed, really etc. Research is the most important thing. Speaking to owners who have owned the breed. Seeing them in action BEFORE buying them is important. Even some of the most active families can't handle (some) Siberian Huskies - the energy level is just one part of the whole. My point however is that no matter the breed - I would have said the same things. This is text and as such it doesn't have a tone or a type and we as people apply our own "tones" to it when we read it determined by our moods and emotions at the time.

Everything I said is the same response essentially that you'd receive from many other Siberian Husky owners. Why? Because these are the first things that are the reasons Siberian Huskies don't have manners or appear "wild and crazy" or "untrainable" etc.


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## seaboxador (Sep 23, 2012)

Honestly, with kids that young around with a hyper, poorly trained dog, you might want to think about rehoming him. Given that you're at a size advantage anyways, bringing him back to the behavior where you need him is tough. I'm guessing someone with two young children isn't going to have a ton of time on her hands.

Should you want to continue with the dog, I'd really advocate professional help. At 10 months, mouthing and nipping is not acceptable. Professional training usually involves things like work with other dogs or training with you with a lot of distractions of other dogs around. That's not something you can simulate at home.

"So, when she bites too hard, she gets a firm no and anything we're doing gets stopped for a few minutes (3-5 minutes for her. Anything under that she didn't learn)."

3-5 minutes is waaay beyond their attention span. The time out doesn't need to be that long.


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## msthuy07 (Jan 30, 2013)

Hi all!!

This is my first time actually joining a thread and the reason is because this topic really spiked an interest in me. I could relate to this post and hopefully be of some help since I too am new at this. I own two very handsome, male husky from the same litter. As of today, they are both nearly 9 and a 1/2 months old and yes, very very active guys. I of course done my research of this beautiful and intelligent breed and am aware of their behaviors because of extensive research and joining a Husky meetup group here in San Diego. Let's start that my guys fortunately are very well behave puppies and I believe it is because both my boyfriend and I put much time into training them. Speaking of time, I would like you to be advise that this particular breed requires that. I don't, in my honest opinion think that bringing up a husky (mentioning that this is you are in the process of training him) around small kids is ideal. Realistically, your little guy (puppy) will require a lot of your time. I again just my opinion, think it'll be hard to equally provide the time for your pup, kids, social life, and family. Do not get me wrong, I am not saying that you shouldn't have the puppy. I think that this breed requires active parents.

My two guys get an hour to two at the dog park EVERYDAY. I like to tire them out the most by having them pull me and my boyfriend on our mountain bikes. We hook them up with their harnesses of course, and let them mush. It's amazing at what they can do! I also spend about 30 minutes daily training these guys apart their commands. We also practice showing these two that we are the alpha in the house. We do this by not doing things such as: we step out the door before they do so we make them sit and wait, we also don't show much compassion when leaving the house and coming home from work or school as this may make them develop anxiety disorders, and we rough play with them such as forcing them on their back to be submissive and showing them that we are the alpha, and so on...

They are very highly energetic dogs that requires consistency in training. I am so fortunate that my two nine month old puppies are well behave and I believe it is because of the efforts that the owners put into it. All I like to advise is that the training is consistent and universal from all parties so that the puppy knows well of the commands of the alpha. I also like to advise that an energetic husky owner means a tired dog which equals to them laying around the house all day like good dogs.

Hope you find your solutions, and if you like to know more about my two husky and ask how I am training these guys, I could give you some alternatives that I am trying. My two dogs, at the same time, yes I sure did questioned about my insanity by every other husky/dog owner. But I can assure you that if you put time into this beautiful breed, they can be the best companion you'll have. They're smart, sometimes too smart for their own good, friendly, active, and their personality are just the coolest. My two guys are totally different in personalities, but they are obedient and can be taught obedience from the owner with time over a course of consistency of course.

Just remember that this breed are not lap dogs nor are they also loyal. Give them the chance to run, the will RUN!! I keep my on leash at ALL, I mean by ALL TIMES. They play very well with their own breed from my experience from joining the Husky meetup group, and given them the chance to be surrounded by more of their kind. They can be very independent and stubborn. Don't let your guard slip, and give them the chance to show their dominance. You'll do that, they'll be submissive to you and kind. 

I have only one problem now with them and it's them pulling me. LOL, which won't cease since they are born to pull.


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

Hey, I'm in the husky Meetup group here in San Diego too!

You can absolutely teach a husky to not pull on leash. They're smart enough. My girls walk perfectly nice on leash and when it's mushing time they pull and pull.


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## Candydb (Jul 16, 2011)

Having an adolescent male dog of a breed not known to be easy to train at the same as a toddler, well that would be more than I could handle. We did end up sending our adolescent giant schnauzer off to to a 3 week boot camp-- she had a thorough installation of all her basic commands, we all got a 3 week respite, and our trainer does touch ups for... the life of the dog.. Mostly we learned, we needed the discipline to enforce consistency and lots.... of excercise.....for the dog....
I would second the person that suggested getting a trainer (I happened to have a coworker who brought up this Boot camp, that it worked wonders for her 90 lb unruly lab mix, or I dont think it would have occurred to me either)....


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## marbear2402 (Jan 7, 2022)

reanybeany said:


> Help. I dont know what to do. Our husky is huge at 10 mo and I even tho I work with him daily simply to just sit, lay down, bed. Just simple things. he does this, once he gets treat he's back up and jumping on you. I try petting/loving him but he is too excited and with a very strong powerful jaw biting w/o puncture or nips with just his front teeth. WHICH HURTS!!!. I'm 5'4'' and he can put his front paws on my shoulders. (not that I let him) he worries me around my two year old and seven year old. Both kids love him, but have learned that he can be rough and I NEVER leave them alone in a room with him.
> 
> I just dont know what to do. I am a new dog owner. I had dogs as a kid, but never responsible for training them. He isn't a mean dog. He just hasn't learned what is ok. what is not. I know this is my fault. I'm trying. I've researched. I've read. I've taken him to puppy training class. I know he is smart. But he just isn't retaining the no aggression... We have him leashed while inside. when the baby is around. We take him off the lead at night. I want him to be able to be in the house unleashed. The living room is gated (to keep toddler inside...just got taller gates when got puppy) so he has a safe place to be. Although, he still chews everything and can't be left alone. He spends all his day outside unless it's raining (large fenced in back yard). He is crated inside at night. Husband has no tolerance for the aggression or barking and sends him outside where Lucky will just claws at the door whining to come back in, but is a wild man when brought back in. I hate this. I want him to be like the family dogs I had growing up (hubby never had dogs).
> 
> ...


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## DaySleepers (Apr 9, 2011)

This thread is a decade old, so I'm closing it to further replies. Please feel free to start your own thread, or join any of our current discussions!


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