restless, stubborn and howling!

[souriscath]

I've recently just moved into a house with a girl who owns a husky (Maina) who is around 14 months old. She is crated during the day (unless 1/3 people who live here are home) and is then is taken to the dog park for about 2 hours in the evening. Sometimes she will even get a bonus hour walk in addition to the dog park.

Maina has been poorly trained to this point, but is responding fairly well to the new training. But ,being a husky, she is very stubborn and only complies to commands when she feels like it. She also howls ALOT when she is being ignored or wants something. She will get right in your face until you do something about it. She begs to no end when we're eating, even though she is never fed table scraps and isn't allowed in the kitchen when we are cooking.

This isn't my dog but I want to work towards furthering her training with the owner... so I guess my question is, what are techniques to make her stop howling, and what are activites/ toys that she can do by herself in the evening so we can sit and rest/ chill out without her being extremely annoying?

[growler~GateKeeper]

At 14 months old, crated all day, and only going to the dog park - she's bored with lots of pent up energy. At least 2 good walks per day minimum of 45 mins each plus going to the dog park would be a good start, getting her in an obedience class will help her & her owner with commands.

Sibes are pack dogs they need interaction with their people, they don't want to be left alone all the time. "Stubborness" & howling comes with the territory with these dogs. Giving in when she is "begging/bugging" for food/attention only reinforces that it works. When she is asking for something ask her do a command for it ie sit & shake a paw - make it different every time because once a Sibe masters a command they figure they know that one already so why should I do it agian this often is seen as being stubborn again it's the clever mind bored with being asked to repeat something they already know.

[souriscath]

Oh I agree that she shouldn't be crated. Apparently previously when the owner would leave her alone in a room when she left, maina clawed/ bit the bottom of the bedroom door out! So since, the crate was a better option. I hope to see if she would be ok in the house alone soon. She should be exercised more too, but with work schedules it just may not be possible.

My friend and I just moved in with the owner, so we don't want to overstep her (lack of) training methods. She's cooperating well with us so far though, and seems to appreciate the help in training.....

Thanks for the help!

[growler~GateKeeper]

There's nothing wrong with crating but a young dog that has no release for her energy, she really does need to be either taken out for a break in the middle of the day or tuckered out before crating & given a filled Kong to amuse her self when no one is home.

When done right alot of dogs, Sibes especially, will consider their crate like a den - somewhere just for them to have a nice safe snooze or a bit of peace & quiet

[the gang]

i agree, my guys get frozen chez whiz congs, i have 1 that has to be crated even at age 7 -8 he still loves to mark hope this helps , and yes he is a min pin we give lots of excercise brenda and the pins

[Bailey_]

It would probably be of this dogs benefit to hire a dog walker or put her in daycare. As Growler mentioned, she's not getting enough excercise - this needs to be rectified or she will continue being stubborn and pushy.