Keeping a husky dog happy in a small apartment

[Timmeh 828]

The general vibe I get from this thread is that people should trade their annoying babies for cute puppies, leave them in a crate all day and when they make noises call the dog cops and have them put to sleep.

As a thread summary, I give the above a solid 3/10.

Thanks

[Cookie 4]

I have learned that not all dogs like to fetch. Schnauzers also don't do it unless food is involved. Cookie (my dog) will only fetch certain toys and only a certain amount of times (I think 4 is the max). After that she either runs away to another room or into her crate and pretends to be tired. :rolleyes:

[fifib 3]

Your dog is crying and chewing things because he is bored out of its mind! There is no doubt that it is cruel to keep a dog in an apartment alone all day.

I know that in America putting a dog in a crate is acceptable but to me as a Brit it is not. Only when housetraining as a puppy is it acceptable for 2 or 3 hours as they will not soil their bed and so wait to go outside. Am I right in thinking you leave him in their all day while at work? This is your solution to stop him crying?? Unbelievable. How different is that to prison for the dog? Seriously that is just awful. The reason he is crying is because he is stuck inside the apartment. Stuck inside a crate must be 10 times worse, poor dog. Go and sit alone in a prison cell every day - see how you like it.

You, as I, have limited family and it would be difficult to find someone to take my dog should the need arise but you are making this dogs life a misery and sometimes we just have to admit that they may be happier elsewhere. Keeping him could be seen as selfish on your part. He is just not happy but you know you would be devestated to lose him. Think of him, not you.

As everyone says you need a dogsitter for 3 hours a day or more. If you cant do this you should not have the dog and I would say that to anyone in your situation.

Ditch the crate and get a sitter and move house if need be - otherwise find him an owner who can look after him the way he needs to be.

In my experience the Germans look after their dogs very well and I'm sure its not difficult to find aa caring person who can help you.

[Cookie 4]

 

Unbelievable. How different is that to prison for the dog?

Very different. Dogs are not humans. Dogs are den animals. When in danger, they will go to the den. Crate = den. Once again, not for 10 hours, but it's a safe place. For some dogs, especially with separation anxiety, it's very important to have a safe place. Upon advice from the many rescue contacts I made, I crate trained both of my rescue dogs. I did on-line research (which you can do as well) and I actually used to video tape Cookie when I left her alone. While in the crate, she would wimper for about 5-10 mins, then fall asleep, then maybe wake up for a bit, howl once or twice, back to sleep, rinse, repeat. When left out to roam the house, she would pace the whole house, back and forth, crying, in obvious stress for over 2 hours. I did this for over many months, experimenting with what she was more comfortable with, depending on time of day, energy level, etc. I should have saved the hundreds of hours of tape I made to show you (I actually just used one tape and recorded over it - I'm not that obsessed!). I didn't believe it until I saw it with my own dog.

 

P.S. - Before you all think I am a freak, I did this during grad school. It was MUCH more interesting than planning lessons!!

 

P.P.S. - Pffft. Who am I kidding. I am a freak . . . :ph34r:

[Cookie 4]

 

In my experience the Germans look after their dogs very well

P.S. - They do an OK job. Too many dogs are off-leash who shouldn't be. Too many owners don't pick up after their dogs, which not only can spread disease but also piss off a large majority of the population. The dog food selection and quality here is dreadful. The poop I see (and I see lots of it, unfortunately!) tends to be orange or red, indicating a high amount of food coloring and other unnecessary additives.

[BadDoggie 1,575]

 

I have learned that not all dogs like to fetch.

Hunting and related breeds do, others usually don't. I don't really need to explain that further, do I?

 

 

Dogs are not humans.

Huzzah! Some sense! The fires of Hell just got a bit cooler.

 

I even agree that many dogs need a crate in certain circumstances. Huskies are not in this category. Huskies are animals which were bred to be able to live in the Arctic and work their asses off. They run. That's pretty much all they know how to do. Well, that and curl up with backs to the wind and their tails over their muzzles to protect their eyes and noses from the cold.

 

There is no dog less suited to living in an apartment than a Husky. Huskies can drag their own weight over the snow up to 100km every day for weeks on end. They need room to run.

 

woof.

[fifib 3]

Cookie -In the wild a dog 'chooses' to go to the 'den' (crate) and it also chooses when it leaves the den - correct? Of course a dog likes a place to go to and its own space but that is totally different to being locked in and having no choice but sit there and wait till the human sets it free -I think you would find that would be called being trapped. There is nothing natural about a dog being locked in a crate.

So your dog cries while in the crate then goes to sleep then cries and sleeps - not a very happy dog then? All you have done is stop her walking around - correct? My dog does not suffer from anxiety because as a puppy he was left alone for 1 hour, then 2 and so on so they know you are coming back yet are not afraid to be alone. What else can your dog do but sleep and cry a bit asking to get out of the crate - what exactly is there to do? Routine is what dogs need along with exercise, food, water and companionship - not locking in a crate as a humans answer to 'curing' anxiety that humans have caused. A crate is for housetraining - and i didnt even use one for my dog.

Germans do look after their dogs well in general (the being off lead on roads is not right but a minority). I did live in Spain for three years before here and there are stray dogs everywhere (most of which have to be found good homes in Germany and Sweden).

[Tue 3]

To phoenix-rose, I have had my husky for 10 years, previous to this another, if you want some REAL advice then please PM me. I take on board all the comments here bit unless you have really lived with one then you have no idea want you are up against. Not all Huskies like to run or race, they will only do so if trained from a pup, some are quite happy being a couch potato. They are however a pack animal and do not like being alone, hence the singing or howling, this is a problem that will just not go away unless he or she is stimulated or entertained.

[fifib 3]

Yes get advice from someone who has actually owned the breed you have - all are so different.

[don_riina 7,405]

 

Dogs speak: affection, exercise, food, play

And discipline.

 

 

Routine is what dogs need along with exercise, food, water and companionship

And discipline.

 

Dogs like discipline man.

 

 

Your dog is crying and chewing things because he is bored out of its mind!

Word up. Dog has too much energy. Just needs more exercise, especially focussed exercise. You know what I mean? Going for a walk, and it just so happens that the dog is walking with you is one thing - walking where you are engaging the dog, keeping him focussed on you, working the dog, thats another thing altogether. I'm not going to shit on your and bitch about you keeping a dog in a small place, you already know that, and wanna change it, but for now, you could maximise exercise sessions by better working the dog. A husky is a natural breed, likes to be out and about, but they're actually not that active when indoors, so actually a small aprtment is not so much of a big deal, but the exercise is.

 

 

The dog food selection and quality here is dreadful.

Good god yes. Mind you, dog food is crap everywhere in fairness. Canned dog food makes your dog smell seriously bad. Go for the cheapest crap that the butcher has. Stinky meat is good in the dog world. Forgive my spelling, I detest the krout lingo, but get shit like kronfleisch, knorpelfleisch and its well cheap. Boil an load of chopped veg at high heat for 15 mins, mash it up a bit, lob in some meat and some wholemeal rice, cook ´covered for a a bit, then uncovered to get rid of excess liquid, and you have cheap dog food.

[crouchjay 0]

 

I know that in America putting a dog in a crate is acceptable

Putting a dog of that size, much less any dog, in a crate for that long is by no means acceptable, by any standards, in the states. Grow up.

 

It is plainly obvious this girl is narrow minded and will not accept any answer that does not support her, thus, her repeated attempts to try to make her self look pro-active.

 

A jobless red-neck reading the help wanted pages does not justify as pro-actively finding a job.

 

Man I wish I could wake up in the morning drink a beer, read the help wanted pages and tell my girl "Welps babe, Ims by no means perfekt, butt atleast eyes tris to make it better and looks for a good job".

 

Ahhhh, to be 18 again, or atleast get to act as one.

[profundo 42]

Dog in a crate?

 

 

Seems cruel to me.

 

Dogs and citys don't mix unless the pup can fit into a bike basket wearing a puppy sweater and enjoys lapping water from the doggy dish inside the Starbucks cafe. Tiny dogs seem to enjoy the city life - at least to me.

[Cookie 4]

 

My dog does not suffer from anxiety because as a puppy he was left alone for 1 hour, then 2 and so on so they know you are coming back yet are not afraid to be alone.

Please re-read my post. All of my dogs have been from rescue situations and needed an additional level of training. I'm glad it worked for your puppy. I take old "throw aways" because they need homes - and extra attention that I can provide. Of course we started with 1 min, then 2 mins, then 5 mins in the crate (praising when quiet) all the way up to 2 hours. I thought that was clear, as anyone who has ever properly crate trained knows. After the training is complete (months into years), then we decide if free roaming is possible, based on the individual dog. Once again, this information has come from people who have been rescuing dogs for many (over 25) years. If you have contrary evidence, I would be happy to see it (please provide links).

[brookejohanna 0]

i have three dogs of different sizes and at one time or another they have been left alone in the house. ive never had much of a problem my self with crying or chewing since i took my brothers advice,,,, he always left a tv or radio on. he always said the sound of the voices are comforting to the dogs and they wont be as lonely while you are gone... im still in the states but my mother in-law lives in waibstadt and she does the same with her white shepard and she does just fine...

[don_riina 7,405]

 

pro-active

 

pro-active

Sorry, using the word "pro-active" renders every single one of your opinions null and void forever. Using it twice in one post should quite frankly get you banned from the entire internet. Go and be synergistic with yourself somewhere.

[Yeti 276]

 

Routine is what dogs need along with exercise, food, water and companionship

 

And discipline.

 

Dogs like discipline man.

Routine in discipline is probably the single most ignored factor when training dogs. If you want to train a dog properly (and a well trained dog is a happy dog mostly because you are not pissed off at him all the time) make sure you know beforehand exactly what you are planning on doing; changing your mind about what you are trying to acheive in the middle of the training is guranteed to reinforce the dogs mpression that you are a less hairy, less valuable member of the canine race, as well as your obvious problems regarding your missing tail and forelegs.

[fifib 3]

To Crouchjay -

 

Putting a dog in a crate is acceptable in America, I never said it was acceptable in America to leave it in there for that amount of time. Hope thats clear to you now.

[potterstreet 8]

hi there. i totally sympathize with your dilemma, having had a similar problem when i moved to munich a few years ago. my dog (now sadly departed, sweet boy) really had major separation anxiety and initially could not be left for more than 2 minutes without freaking out. i had no wish to cause my neighbors any distress so i took him with me everywhere i went, which unfortunately is not an option for everyone. he was a lovely labrador with the most winning personality and people were wonderful to him. he finally calmed down just as we were moving out of germany and what really helped him was a ton of daily exercise - into the english garden from schwabing west nearly every day, or down to the city center. we also heaped a ton of love on him and i like to think that helped. i was going out of my wits, but once i accepted the reality of the situation and dealt with it, i was okay. he became a fixture in bars, cafes and restaurants, so much so that people still ask our friends about him!

 

give him love, exercise and time. this will pass.

 

good luck.

 

jane

 

p.s. the strangest thing was that he never experienced any problem of that sort prior to the overseas move and was fine when we moved back to the states. a friend of mine who is really into dogs told me that it probably had a lot to do with all of the different smells. no clue, but it was a huge relief when we moved back here and didn't have to deal with it as america is NOT nearly as dog friendly as germany was!

[phoenix-rose 32]

Hi Pottersstreet,

 

Thanks for the vote of confidence - I'm hoping he settles down - I've never had this problem with him before - and he's a great dog.

 

I'm looking into the walking services - we'll see how that goes and if it helps. Hopefully it will.

 

I will note that I added an extra walk (we're now up to 45 minutes per walk/run 4 times a day), and alot more attention over Friday-Monday (4 day weekend) - but after leaving for 10 minutes (No, he wasn't in the crate) apparently he was doing it again. (So says the neighbor.)

 

I am also looking into an anti-bark collar that squirts lemon scented spray (Non harmful for the dog) in front of his face. I don't know if it will help, but maybe if all else fails...

 

If nothing else, then I will consider finding another place for him, but really, that's the last resort...

 

~Rose

[Cookie 4]

 

I will note that I added an extra walk (we're now up to 45 minutes per walk/run 4 times a day), and alot more attention over Friday-Monday (4 day weekend) - but after leaving for 10 minutes (No, he wasn't in the crate) apparently he was doing it again. (So says the neighbor.)

 

A couple of things:

1. Be careful with too much "attention" - too much and he'll really will miss you when you leave. Make sure you do things in moderation. I'm not saying ignore him, but don't make him the center of the universe. The advice I was given for my situation was to limit how long I petted my dog to 3 seconds. That was because I used to sit with Cookie on my lap, pet her and talk to her for a half hour. According to the trainers, I was making things worse. I don't know what your situation is, but it's something to think about.

 

2. If he's going nuts after 10 minutes, then you have to back up. I would start with 1 minute, then 2 minutes, etc. then build. As soon as he starts up again, go back to the last time interval and stay there until he's perfect, then move on.

 

3. I also would get a tape/video recorder to make sure the neighbor is telling the truth.

 

Hang in there!! Everything will work out. :D