My husky is deaf!!!

M

Mbronze

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Ahh, recall has gone down the swany!!!

For the last two weeks for some reason my 'darling dog' has decided to totally ignore my calls for her to' come'.

I walk her every day on a long lead and usually play a game with her asking her to come to me, rewarding her and making a big fuss then sending her for a big run around me (on her long lead). The rewards range from different treats to toys etc to keep life interesting. But all of a sudden everything else is more interesting than me!!

I know huskies are renowned for 'deafness' but even my tried and tested running away from her (which she usually gets really excited about and runs towards you) isn't working.

She also locks on to dogs and strains on the end of the lead to get to them, I'm trying to teach her that she cannot go up to every dog as some owners obviously don't like a wild husky climbing all over their dogs. I check her and tell her to 'heel', but she till is straining,I don't want to have to keep pulling her neck off to get her to walk past another dog.

I'm sorry to post my woes of owning a 6mth old, but if anyone hasadvice, ideas I'd love to give them a try.

Thank you
 
Jake and Brig went through a rebellious teenage stage of ignoring recall, having been perfect for ages. We were stumped but just persisted and eventually they remembered and had fab recall again. Is she just being rebellious?
 
cinammontoast said:
Jake and Brig went through a rebellious teenage stage of ignoring recall, having been perfect for ages. We were stumped but just persisted and eventually they remembered and had fab recall again. Is she just being rebellious?
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I hope she is, its been so long since we have had a little one that I can't remember our other dogs testing us so much? aia know this is a long shot but do you think maybe if i have her spade her behaviour may change again?
 
Reminds me why I have rescue dogs - you get all your problems up front at the beginning instead of sneaking up on you when you least expect it ;) :D
 
Sorry, I dunno, I've never had a female dog or a neutered one but the pups (4 months) will be cut asap.

I have this rosy glow memory of how easy my first two puppies were compared to the current two, but the OH assures me I have fake memory syndrome and they were just as bad! I dunno, it strikes me that because I'm older, it's becoming harder, maybe, to garner the energy to deal with two high energy dogs.

Blackcob on here is the girl to ask-she has a female Sibe and has done wonders with her, I hear.
 
Welcome to ownership of a six month old husky. :p

Okay, more serious advice: it might be worth taking a small step back with regards working around distractions, maybe go back to training at home and in empty fields with few other dogs around for a while and steadily build it back up. If my experience is anything to go by it's all two steps forward, one step back and just meeting one really exciting dog in the park can regress them a step or three. :rolleyes: There were a couple of days where I took her out in the field and basically started from scratch, going over all of the old ground, whenever she was having a rebellious teenage day.

It would be really ideal if you could borrow a steady stooge dog or two once the recall is solid again, practicing in a controlled environment - have you a good training club nearby? I still haven't found a good husky-understanding one and rely on the generosity of a neighbour who doesn't mind me marching around her and her dogs in a field once a week.

CC will come and talk your ear off in a second about focus training for the lunging on the lead, 'tis good stuff (if bloody difficult with a husky) but in the meantime I'd say that I got over the worst of it with Dax by pre-empting the fixation, checking her if necessary (slip or choke lead, not sure if she's quite old enough yet for those?) and walking briskly on without a second's hesitation about the other dog. Abruptly change direction if needed (this may mean dragging your goggle-eyed dog behind you a few times until they take the hint and start watching you. :o)

She will still try and have a good look at a particularly reactive/exciting/noisy dog and I've yet to try her in a really busy new situation, but at home she's 99% walking on a slack lead around other dogs after consistently doing the above. :)

I must say I didn't notice any difference after spaying.
 
misterjay said:
Hate to say it, but she sounds like a fairly typical Husky to me.
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And that!

They will never be squirmingly obedient but that's why we love them. :)

ETA: Just noticed that you're only in Cheshire, there's a husky forum meet/camp/excuse to get drunk happening this Thursday-Monday just down the road from me in Shropshire, you could bring her and meet 84 other mad huskies. :D
 
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If she is already at the end of the lead, straining, you're too late - you have missed the opportunity to correct her, correcting her then is useless - she's already more interested in something else and if you are letting her get to the stage where she is straining at the lead obsessed with the other dog, then take a good step back to basics - as BC says, you need to pre-empt the situation and check on the LOOK and when she looks back at you to wonder what that pop on the neck was, you reward her.

Focus training happens all day, every day. If she wants something, she has to be looking at you to get it, is the basic principle. If she is food orientated, walk her hungry and take her food with you and reward her with it when she gives you any attention at all.
I see so many people miss the opportunity to praise their dogs when they are paying attention, but then wonder why the dog never looks at them :p watch your dog at all times and pre-empt what she might do, never worry about anyone else.

Even at training, we are told 'listen to me, but WATCH YOUR DOG'.

If you stick in 'focus training' in the search bar and you will see me slabbering on about it, ad nauseum :p

You need to work on it now if you want it - I didn't start until my dog was 12 months old - he heels and recalls 99% but never gives me the attention I would like because I never gave him enough incentive at a young age.

Unfortunately with a husky it is a million times more difficult, they don't appear to be people pleasers as a rule.

As mentioned, with other dogs, keep moving, keep it brisk, don't cause a Mexican stand-off.
 
Thanks BC, yes misterjay she does sound like a typical husky!!

I have a lovely old reliable gsdxhusky of my mums who is the quietest, most obedient dog i have ever known (obviously got the obedience from his gsd side!) I take her out quite alot with him, she makes a fuss of him to begin with but if she gets too much for him he growls at her, which is fine because i feel he really should be the alpha of the pack as far as she is concerned. Little madam!!!

I haven't used choke leads or anything, just standard leather collar and long lead. I have thought about those chains you can get with the big links, but she only has a little neck. As for dog training, we keep going every week, and have scraped by on most of the puppy certificates, but to be honest they aren't that useful, i suppose for socialisation purposes they were great, but am yet to find a great husky trainer :)
 
Maybe a nylon sliplead? Ours were appalling on the lead last week, loads better this week with slipleads, although I'm being super careful to ensure I don't pull them and that the collar bit is where it should be and doesn't slide back too far. I'd rather not use the chain links on a puppy. My slipleads are JRT size.
 
You could try a half-check collar if you don't like the idea of a full check, it can only close a certain length and the collar part is either leather or webbing as opposed to chain.

Hauling on a flat collar slap bang in the middle of her neck, she will never realise the difference between a tight line (bad) and a slack one (good)

PS I've used large link chokes on youngsters, actually, the larger the link the less severe the action, slip leads in a high position are actually more severe as a check because they run through the top ring quicker and are finer. You often find the noise of the large links travelling though the top ring is enough of a deterrent after the first few checks and the dog is happier to walk on a loose line.
 
CaveCanem said:
If she is already at the end of the lead, straining, you're too late - you have missed the opportunity to correct her, correcting her then is useless - she's already more interested in something else and if you are letting her get to the stage where she is straining at the lead obsessed with the other dog, then take a good step back to basics - as BC says, you need to pre-empt the situation and check on the LOOK and when she looks back at you to wonder what that pop on the neck was, you reward her.
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I am always focussed on her when on our walks, this is essentially what I'm talking about.I usually see the distraction before her and when she pricks her ears up at whatever the distraction may be i start to call her to 'come' with a nice reward in my pocket, in the past it has worked and she has always ran back to me, but just recently she has ignored the 'come' command even with warm chicken :o. And ended up on the end of her lea before you know it with me having to reel her in to switch her back on to me again.

I'll have a look at your focus training posts CC, i knew it was going to be hard just fooled myself into thinking I could do it ,feeling abit miserable about it and sorry for myself.
 
cinammontoast said:
Maybe a nylon sliplead? Ours were appalling on the lead last week, loads better this week with slipleads, although I'm being super careful to ensure I don't pull them and that the collar bit is where it should be and doesn't slide back too far. I'd rather not use the chain links on a puppy. My slipleads are JRT size.
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Thanks cinnammontoast I'll have a look at slipleads. And I'll also take a look at the half check collar that CC refers to, I don't really want to go all guns blazing and slap an electric collar on her like a man suggested to me today eeeekkk I'd be scared to put it in my hand never mind put it on her neck (no offence to anyone that uses them, I just don't know how to use them!)
 
I have a black nylon half-check sitting unused in the cupboard if you'd like to try one, incidentally, to fit a six month old. Probably wouldn't go over madam's head any more now she's grown a big ruff. :p

ETA: Yeah, wasn't it only a few months ago that I was still posting pretty much the exact same and panicking that I'd never get her sorted? It does get easier, I promise.
 
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Well if she is ignoring positive, don't feel bad about giving her a pop to get her attention back before she leaves you and reintroduce and remind her of the positive.

Don't be downhearted, you've achieved a lot already for a young husky and these things do not happen overnight with some dogs, especially with so much inbuilt drive and instinct.

She's at a good age, keep up the good work.
 
blackcob said:
I have a black nylon half-check sitting unused in the cupboard if you'd like to try one, incidentally, to fit a six month old. Probably wouldn't go over madam's head any more now she's grown a big ruff. :p
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BC thats very kind of you, I have just been talking to my mum about it on the phone and she thinks that she has a half check at her house, so will go and see whether it fits, apparantly its too small for our larger dog so with any luck it may fit? But I'll PM you if it doesn't. Thank you.
 
CaveCanem said:
Well if she is ignoring positive, don't feel bad about giving her a pop to get her attention back before she leaves you and reintroduce and remind her of the positive.

Don't be downhearted, you've achieved a lot already for a young husky and these things do not happen overnight with some dogs, especially with so much inbuilt drive and instinct.

She's at a good age, keep up the good work.
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The funny thing is she makes me feel terrible for giving her a pop on her neck (she pees herself!) Its quite funny thinking about it but probably a ploy to stop me doing it. I'll give this half check a try and hopefully report back with better news, I;ll keep going, thanks for the support, it means alot!
 
Ahh will let you in on their secret, they are not actually deaf at all, they just change their names and neglect to tell you!!!

Took sis’s lead dog from her sled team Dog Training last week for a laugh! My trainer is game and understands they are very different. She did quite well for a Husky but will only do things once, then it’s done that bored now time to do something else I’m on strike!

They are very different to the “Born to please you” domestic breeds and have that “ Up Yours” waiting in the wings the whole time

I think it’s just a case of keeping your cool and understanding that at their whim you will have to go from stage 10 back to 1 just because they feel like it without loosing your dignity. Show you are riled or frustrated and they find that very funny and chalk it up as another victory!!
 
No worries, I am a compulsive buyer of collars and leads and have already passed some on because I have multiples of them, I've probably got at least one spare of anything else you wanted to try too... :o :p
 
She wees herself if you lead check her? Sensitive spud...hmmm...I'd be tempted to find a good trainer of working breeds in that case...let me do some ferreting and I will send you a PM.
 
CaveCanem said:
She wees herself if you lead check her? Sensitive spud...hmmm...I'd be tempted to find a good trainer of working breeds in that case...let me do some ferreting and I will send you a PM.
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Yes, rather sensitive for such a hardy kind of breed. If you say 'no' sternly she wees herself, if you check her she sits and wees like she is expecting a wallop (which has and never would happen) Its like she is saying 'mum you were so nice to me before, whats wrong?'

I have tried to find some decent trainers but have failed, so if you could find one that would be really great.
 
I wont attempt to give you any advice, there are lots of people way more experienced on here than me for that!
If you have seen any of my post recently they are all about me being a useless owner and not being able to train my, now 11 month old, terriewho went from being 'perfect pup' to 'deaf dog'.......BUT this week has seen breakthroughs - monday i was able to recall him off sheep (whilst he was in full flight - he spotted them before me), recall from joining in with horses hooning around field and even managed to recall him off a dead rabbit!!
So hang in there...teenage years dont last forever!!!
 
Have you tried keeping her on a shorter lead and working with a clicker to praise her when she ignores something, we use the command "on by" and am not afraid to raise my voice with them when I need to?
We have done this with all three of ours letting them on a longer and longer lead as our confidence in them grows, i walk all three on a walkybelt and need to know if a cat runs across our path or we come across an off lead dog that they wont drag me off after them.
All three run in harness and having my lead dog 5 foot in front of me I need to trust that he will pass anything I ask him too , he showed me how much he has came on when the other morning he passed two horses/riders we came across on the trail (we of course slowed down and the lovely ladies took their horses off the track until we passed)
 
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