Husky Dog Training
Husky dog training is important because dogs don’t think like humans do – which is why we have to train our huskies. In the wild huskies would normally be part of a pack and there’s always the alpha dog. Similarly, to your husky, your household is considered to be the pack, and if nobody is the alpha dog your husky assumes that’s his role. Survival in the wild has proven that one leader making decisions is more effective than everyone making decisions.
There are 2 levels of ranks that your husky knows of:
- 1) The alpha dog, whom he unquestionably obeys after submitting to
- 2) Everyone else who the husky doesn’t have to listen to
So if you are the alpha dog and you properly gain your position then you will be respected and your husky will obey your commands.
So what do you do to become the alpha dog? Provide food, shelter, protection, make and enforce rules, avoid abuse and wrongly punishments, obedience train, and spend lots of time together. Those are some of the things required to become the alpha dog.
In the wild, a husky would follow a set of rules:
- The pack leader eats first.
- The pack leader “leads”.
- The pack leader makes the rules.
- The pack leader owns everything.
- The pack leader tells everyone what to do.
So when it’s feeding time for your husky, feed yourself and your family first.
When you’re in the hall and your husky blocking the way, don’t go around or step over him. He will think that he’s in charge. Instead, move him out of the way.
Don’t let your husky sleep on the bed with you, as you’re putting him equal to the alpha dog. At least not until a firm understanding has been established that you’re the alpha dog.
Restrict your husky from entering certain rooms and give him a space of his own. If you let the husky go anywhere he wants and do anything he wants to he will think he’s the alpha dog!
When you want to pet your husky don’t come to him! Call him to you and then you can pet him. You have to think like a dog and think what the alpha dog would do in the wild.
When it comes to punishments, remember that your husky puppy doesn’t think like humans do. If you don’t catch your puppy in the act, yelling or hitting (which you should never do) will only confuse her and complicate further training.
Punishments should almost never be given out; instead, use the most proper method of dog training – the positive reinforcement method. Just like you could catch your puppy in the act (which you rarely can) and try to teach her what is wrong, you should teach her what is right and reward her for it.
Imagine a scenario where your puppy is crying and yelping because it wants attention (and not to go to the bathroom, because that’s different). You, as a smart puppy trainer, should know that you shouldn’t give your puppy attention when she yelps and cries because it will ultimately associate crying or howling with getting attention. So next time your puppy wants attention, she will start howling or yelping, knowing you will come running. Instead, ignore her until she stops completely – only then you can give her attention, treats, and praise.
You can eliminate the howling/barking problem altogether by training her to do it on command. When you reward she will understand that it’s only good to howl or bark when you say so – ultimately preventing her from doing it almost altogether. Of course, howling and barking are means of communication and you should never try to eliminate it ENTIRELY.
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