Hello, we are getting our first husky puppy in 2 weeks he will be 8 weeks old...my fiancé and I work full time...what suggestions do you have for us about leaving him alone...we also have another dog, a 6 year old shih tzu named Maggie, she is so sweet and very gentle...our future huskies name will be Dallas...any advice would be helpful!! Thanks

Hi there!

We just got our puppy. He is also 8 weeks! (Or was when he came home, 8.5 now.)

I am "lucky", I get to work from home. The puppy needs to go out every 1.5 hours (although they say the normal is 1 hour--our Kouda goes out every 1.5 hours). Anything past that, he holds it and his bladder stretches--something that will hurt them and could cause UTIs.

We are crate training Kouda, our puppy. He alternates between 1 hour in the crate, and 1 hour playing / eating. This should help to teach him that sometimes he needs quiet time, and that he can take naps in his crate. A correctly sized crate will also deter your puppy from soiling, since he doesn't want to soil his living area. This is helpful to also potty train him.

I absolutely suggest crate training him. Huskies have horrible separation anxiety, and separation anxiety leads to digging and tearing up anything around them. (Including iPhones: take a look: https://youtu.be/Fp1xFwX8L7A ) S/he will destroy your home and everything in it that he can reach if he is not contained somehow, and they will also soil around your house.

As far as being able to take him out... I don't suggest "Potty Pads" because that teaches him that it is OK to go inside and thus, your actual "potty training phase" could last a year (or worse: longer!). I would suggest if you can, when you go on lunch, to come home and take him out. Also see if you could have a friend come over every day to take him out as well when you can't.

Maggie might be able to help him with his separation anxiety, but I wouldn't suggest containing Maggie with Dallas while you're not there. Huskies play VERY rough and he might hurt her when he thinks he's playing. He needs to learn how to restrain himself while playing, first.

Best of luck with Dallas!

Not to bring up a aging post. But I also have a 8 week old pup. Her name is Ivy. I have never crate trained a dog, but I have also never had a true puppy. Most "puppies" I have had were 6 months old. I had a German Shepard which was given to me and I obtained / rescued a small breed of dog, he's some french bulldog / pug mix. About 14 pounds. Amazingly great dog. His name is Twitch. The Shepard (His name is Skeeter) isn't with me anymore. He got along better with my mom when I moved out so I left him there.

So, to sum it up, I have Twitch and this Husky puppy, Ivy. So, Skeeter and Twitch were both trained on the sharp "NO!" or a loud bang of anything metal against anything else that was metal I could find nearby whenever they would pee or poop on my floor. And praise and treats when they pee/poop outside. Took about a week and next thing I know I have scratches on my door because they needed to go out. I don't care about the scratches. That's why I like metal doors, can really only damage the paint on them. Easy day, right?

When Twitch (who is now 5 years old) moved to my new house with me. I take him out whenever I wake up, take him out right when I get home from work (8.5 hours later), and then right before I go to bed. On weekends, this varies a lot because I'm 22 and I like to play PC games. This is not saying I cannot hold a set schedule regardless, just with Twitch, I know I don't have to so I don't bother.

Then the puppy comes, not a big deal. I know I have to set a schedule and live by it with this breed, once again, not a big deal.

But this puppy seems to do exactly what everyone says crate training is good for. Right now the crate is nothing more than a piss layered prison. I fell into this scheme of getting a crate for potty training because she is so young and bladder not quite working right so on and so forth. Right now she will nap, wake up at random times, pee and then yelp and bark and holler until I get her out (which is usually about 5-10 seconds after she starts is when I get to her crate). I get there, she's peed in it, she's standing in it and swirling it around, the white fur on her legs is yellow now and it's gross. I scrubbed it all white as best I could but she just does it again and again.

This has led to a cycle, which has happened in the time it's taken me to make this post. Outside for potty -> inside straight to crate (since it's late and we had a unexpected long walk in the woods, I got lost lol) -> I sit down at my computer to type for 3 minutes -> more yelping -> check crate, sees pee -> outside, doesn't pee -> bathtub for rinsing -> clean crate -> put Ivy back in crate

Basically I am hoping her hatred for laying in her own pee outweighs how much fun it is to go outside then come in and get a bath and get tossed around in the towel to get dried off. Something tells me this won't work. Her crate is for a medium dog but I have dividers in it just so she has room to spin around and lay down... eh... roadkill style? Like her walking posture but laying on her side (as opposed to curled up in a ball), so if she pees, she will be in it, no doubt about it. I have been doing this for 3 days now, nothing has been changing, it's not getting better. So for her sake I have actually been tying her up outside when I go to work so she doesn't end up in a puddle of her own pee all day. Which kind of puts the crate potty training thing on halt for 8.5 hours a day I'd imagine due to her being able to go whenever she needs to.

My long term goal is to let her free roam the house while I am gone and be kind of a guard dog when I'm not around. I don't care if she's mean or not unwelcomed strangers in my house, any big dogs bark usually deters intruders but not if they are in a crate. So really this crate training is strictly for potty training purposes only. Once she is house broken then I will get her away from her crate gradually but I'd rather focus on my current pressing issue. No improvement of common potty training techniques.

Now this could be because she's 8 weeks? Lack of bladder control being really the only factor here?

Long post, sorry, just trying to be thorough so I don't look like I didn't read every related thread on the first 6 pages before and after I got this puppy. And so I could avoid things like "your crate is too big" or "are you giving her treats?" I'm waking up every hour and a half at night just to take her out. Which requires me to go to bed... well right now, just so I can get decent sleep with waking up every hour to be at work at 10am.

Also to add to my previous wall of text. What if I combined this crate training with umbilical training? (Sounds cool, especially with me being a Commercial Diver and all, I'm used to having what's basically a leash tied to me, but mine gives me air! lol). But like, put her in the crate when I sleep. But when she gets out and wanders around and plays with Twitch, I find random puddles of pee. Usually found with my sock. So if she's inside I could tie a leash to her, that gives Twitch a chance to get away when he gets tired of her and that gives me and her a chance to play. She tends to forget I exist during playtime when Twitch is actually willing to play.

Or should I stick 100% to one form of training? Pretty sure tying her up outside while I work is the best thing to do, at least for another month or so but I could be wrong. She has a stump to sit up on with the end of my flatbed trailer parked over it all near a huge oak tree. So plenty of shade and shelter from weather. It was raining when I got home and I found her on the stump under the trailer, bone dry. So she's obviously smart enough to figure that much out.

The problem with tying her up outside is she could get loose (this happened to my sister's pit this last weekend) and get out or someone could take her (its happened.) I would put her in the crate while you're gone, even if she does have an accident. Although, if you could get off at lunch to let her out or have someone come in halfway through the day to let her out that would help her a lot.

Tethering her to you is a great idea. Right now, at this age, she needs to go out at least once an hour until she's potty trained. Using the crate to potty train is great, IF you are taking her out every hour. You take her out, play with her for a bit, put her back in the crate, and then when you let her out again you take her right back out to potty. At 8 weeks, she can really only hold it for up to three hours and being a puppy, if she has to go, she's probably going to go. So if tethering her is easier, then go that route. Just make sure to take her out as often as possible.

I had her tethered to me nearly all day, no accidents. Took her out every hour or hour and a half. After she drinks I have to take her out every 10 minutes for 30 minutes. But then she's good for another hour and a half or so. So I figured she was well enough to be off her leash inside the house while being gated to my hallway / living room (small area really), while being under my supervision, (computer is in the living room and I can see down the hallway). So I have my webcam sitting in a spot that I can't normally see from where I am sitting. She goes back there, sniffs around, finds something to chew on, comes back into the hallway where I can fully see her and she pees. She started this while looking right at me too. I obviously corrected her but while she was on the leash, she had about 10 feet to play with, so she basically had the same range versus being off the leash. With no leash she could go behind the couch and 2 feet further down the hallway where my other dog had my bedroom door closed (I totally trained him to do that, he even slams it when he's mad or annoyed with the new puppy, it's hilarious). So the webcam for being off leash with gates up is setup so I can see behind my couch on my third monitor. I can quickly get up and correct her then.

So really her range isn't any different. Yet she never once peed while tethered and I accidentally kept her in for a hour right after she drank. Not tethered, she drank, I took her out 10 minutes later, she peed, comes back in and she's chasing her ball around and pushing it with her paws for about 3 minutes since we got inside, and she pees again. It makes it hard to correct her on the tethering method if she never does it while tethered.

Everyone told me that this breed is super energetic and so on and so forth. I've been stuck inside for a week now. I want to go outside and do stuff but I can't because I have to train this thing. Several people have told me that this is the breed I should have that matches my lifestyle. Sure I'm busy and I need to work on cars and fix my house up and go to work. But I always find time for a run or a bike ride nearly everyday. I tried taking her on my bike just up to the connecting road (connects my road to the parallel road), it's maybe 35 yards down the road, not far at all. Figured I'd get her used to it since when she is older she will be doing it often. She's great on a leash. Yeah, I nearly ran her over several times, I wanted to go fast enough where I could balance, so 4-5 mph, nah, it was a slower than walking pace.

You shouldn't be running an 8 week old puppy like that, you could do some serious joint damage. She'll learn quick enough when she's older, but please stop biking with her until she's a year old. That includes any sort of structured running, she won't know to stop when she needs it and will hurt herself. Romps around the yard are fine, she'll stop and rest when she needs.

What's the difference between walking or riding a bike slowly? Oh right, nothing. Especially when it's only one side of a regular city block size. (blocks usually have 4 sides, this is basically doing one side down and back, except not really the entire side). Far more entertaining to ride it. I can unhook my homemade springer that works better than one you buy at the store, and lighter weight, put her in the house and go for a trail ride right away.

Or, I could walk, at the same speed, except not as efficient as I would have to do the same trip on the same road again while I mechanically check my bike.

Well. For starters the difference between you walking or riding a bike slowly by yourself is minimal if any. But since you brought a PUPPY who is still structurally developing with you - there is a huge difference.

An 8 week old puppy should be limited to your house/yard until a full series of vaccines has been given first off. Second - the forced exercise everyday on such a hard surface is going to destroy that dogs joints before adulthood. Puppies should really be kept on grass surfaces as much as possible and a walking guideline is 5 minutes of structured exercise for every month the dog is old.

It also doesn't matter if it is "far more entertaining to ride" the block or however far you went - it is your job to ensure the health and safety of your dog. Do it right and walk the dog or place the dog in an environment that isn't going to destroy her structure and make her lame and give her arthritis by the time she's an adult.

The breed is energetic as adults...8 week old puppies are not so much.

Lastspark, where is this puppy from?

Niraya wrote:

. An 8 week old puppy should be limited to your house/yard until a full series of vaccines has been given first off. Second - the forced exercise everyday on such a hard surface is going to destroy that dogs joints before adulthood. Puppies should really be kept on grass surfaces as much as possible and a walking guideline is 5 minutes of structured exercise for every month the dog is old.

Cool, I can shoot your arguments out of the water with what you just said.

1. I live on a dirt road
2. The ride is less than 5 minutes as long as she doesn't try to walk between the bike tires all the time or get distracted. Which the past couple times she hasn't.

So far this falls within your guidelines.


And mheath0429, I got her in northern Michigan. Way up tippy top. I was actually there to buy a 57 Ford Fairlane Skyliner. Girlfriend found Husky puppies just another 10 minutes away. So we bought both.

Welcome to the forum. Cut the attitude when people are trying to help. You're making yourself look stupid for no reason and you're breaking two forum rules in your first six posts. Show some respect for the staff and all forum members please, or your tenure here will be short-lived.

Lastspark wrote:

What's the difference between walking or riding a bike slowly? Oh right, nothing. Especially when it's only one side of a regular city block size. (blocks usually have 4 sides, this is basically doing one side down and back, except not really the entire side). Far more entertaining to ride it. I can unhook my homemade springer that works better than one you buy at the store, and lighter weight, put her in the house and go for a trail ride right away.

Or, I could walk, at the same speed, except not as efficient as I would have to do the same trip on the same road again while I mechanically check my bike.

Yup no reason to be persnickety.

The people of this forum really are here to advocate what is best for your puppy first and foremost. It isn't uncommon for a new owner to expect the sky when getting a puppy and accidentally hurting it, as is the fear here.

That being said there is a huge difference between biking beside a puppy and walking. First and foremost ideally you want your 8 week old puppy on the softest ground possible.

Their joints just aren't solid at that age and, even if an accident doesn't happen to force your puppy to run between or in front of the wheels, just jumping or any type of activity on a hard service can cause joint problems now or later in life.


Or we can talk about possible diseases your puppy can pick up simply by going somewhere another dog or animal has traveled past years before. Parvo stays around for a VERY VERY VERY long time. Rabies is a possible lick away.


In short, talking down to and addressing people like they are stupid, when all they want is to educate you as to why you could possibly and inadvertently hurt your pup isn't the best thing to do.

Your puppy, your life, your adventure sir.
The forum just really loves all dogs, obviously, and erring on the side of caution is what we advise, that way the least amount of accidents happen.

~Chris~

Perhaps the best option for your puppy is to return her back to the breeder or rehome her to someone who has the patience and means to train her adequately. I apologize if that's not something you want to hear, but your dog is the main priority in this discussin - at least, to me.

If the breeder is half decent, which I don't know of any in northern michigan, then it shouldn't be an issue.

I will say this, if you live in lower michigan there has been a rise in of theft from yards. Just an FYI.

Lastspark wrote:

Everyone told me that this breed is super energetic and so on and so forth. I've been stuck inside for a week now. I want to go outside and do stuff but I can't because I have to train this thing. Several people have told me that this is the breed I should have that matches my lifestyle. Sure I'm busy and I need to work on cars and fix my house up and go to work. But I always find time for a run or a bike ride nearly everyday. I tried taking her on my bike just up to the connecting road (connects my road to the parallel road), it's maybe 35 yards down the road, not far at all. Figured I'd get her used to it since when she is older she will be doing it often. She's great on a leash. Yeah, I nearly ran her over several times, I wanted to go fast enough where I could balance, so 4-5 mph, nah, it was a slower than walking pace.

I can see this dog ending up at a shelter or some idiot like you just releasing her and not care what happens.. Seems like you bought the dog spur of the moment. Since u just happened to be somewhere close to selling a husky pup. Didnt do research on the breeder. And the breedee couldnt of been to great ether since you probably showed up at the house and said can i buy a puppy.. But i dont know the whole story here so ill stop there.. However the part that bothers me is. How you said your stuck in your house. And its suppose to be a energtic dog.. Dude its a PUPPY!!! If you didnt think you would have to train it and keep a eye on it then you shouldnt have got one!!!

Quote :

Everyone told me that this breed is super energetic and so on and so forth. I've been stuck inside for a week now. I want to go outside and do stuff but I can't because I have to train this thing. Several people have told me that this is the breed I should have that matches my lifestyle. Sure I'm busy and I need to work on cars and fix my house up and go to work. But I always find time for a run or a bike ride nearly everyday. I tried taking her on my bike just up to the connecting road (connects my road to the parallel road), it's maybe 35 yards down the road, not far at all. Figured I'd get her used to it since when she is older she will be doing it often. She's great on a leash. Yeah, I nearly ran her over several times, I wanted to go fast enough where I could balance, so 4-5 mph, nah, it was a slower than walking pace.

Take a step back and think about this. If you crate trained her, you could leave her in the crate while you go for a run or bike ride. It wont hurt her. Dogs don't normally (and I say normally because I have a friend whose dog goes in his crate anyways) go potty where they sleep, so if you trained her in a crate, she would be fine in there for an hour by herself. If your ultimate goal is to have her sleep in bed with you, that's great, work up to it. Otherwise, she may pee in your bed.

To the exercising, with puppies keep it to the grass. And keep it to grass that other dogs don't normally walk or pee on because there are diseases out there that can last a while outside the body. Being a puppy, she doesn't have leash manners yet, she doesn't understand verbal commands (i.e. right/left, stop/go), and she's not fully vaccinated. Yes, this is an energetic breed. My energetic puppy would play hard core for half an hour and then pass out for an hour. There's your time to get out!!! Place her in her crate OR in a blocked off room (the bathroom is a great place to do this) and go do what you gotta do. You may come home to an accident, but its easily cleaned up in the bathroom and corrected. Puppies are not easy and husky puppies even more so. She's going to test you as she gets older, so its never ending training. Please read through the stickies, they're there to help you out.

I know this is a heated topic that many people feel strongly about but name calling is unproductive and unnecessary. Eric, try to rise above stooping down to the use of referring to people as you did in your last post. We are adults, let's act like it.

If there is no difference between biking and walking prove it. Time yourself biking that lap with the puppy, then time yourself walking that lap with the puppy. I have never met anyone who considers a slow walking pace 5 mph for most people its a trot or jog. 4 mph is even brisk for walking, 5 mph is really only possible to walk if you're really tall. Your puppy is not really tall.

What i can use the word idiot? That sucks..but i wont anymore.. Didnt think it was against rules to say idiot.. There were a few other words i was thinking instead

People can use the word idiot, but not when referring to another member. That is neither respectful or constructive. Name calling is childish and immature and has no place here.

mheath0429 wrote:

Perhaps the best option for your puppy is to return her back to the breeder or rehome her to someone who has the patience and means to train her adequately. I apologize if that's not something you want to hear, but your dog is the main priority in this discussin - at least, to me.

If the breeder is half decent, which I don't know of any in northern michigan, then it shouldn't be an issue.

I will say this, if you live in lower michigan there has been a rise in of theft from yards. Just an FYI.

I'd agree that the best option is to return the puppy to the breeder. It does not seem like the poster did any homework on the breed, and Huskies are not for everyone. I can see this puppy ending up in a shelter or worse.

I really think that before a puppy is sold to someone you need to take a test or have some sort of application process. The rescue group I just got Kodiak from sees situations like this all the time. The impulse buying of huskies because of how cute they are.

If you think the puppy is hyper now, and hard to deal with, just wait a few months.

I didn't read half of the replies, I skimmed over them. Whether you are walking on a dirt road or riding a bike slowly, it's the same speed, same effect. Shocking, I know.

I have had dogs for years. Had one for 13 years, died due to several health issues at once, had another for 8 and he passed due to cancer. I have one who is currently 5. I was raised with dogs my entire life, all living to be respectable ages. It's great that you people think I bought mine from a breeder, and it's even better that you think I wasn't already planning on having a dog. Next you will tell me that a American Eskimo cannot be a herding dog because you once read on the internet that it's not possible. Well, neighbor has one that works with the German Shepard to herd 40 head of cattle. Works great, every time.

I'm reading a lot of posts on the forums, a lot of which most of you guys that replied to this one have replied on others, and you tend to think sooooo many things are breed specific. Like "Huskys are known to wander off". I have read that a time or seven. Did you know that all dogs do that? Especially if you haven't strictly trained them to remain on your property and come when called. There isn't even a method to "call back" your dog. You do it in the house, you move a room, you call her. This is where your method of "umbilical" training comes into play. After a couple weeks she follows you. Then take her to a fenced in area or big barn and do it, eventually she will listen all the time. Shit, I've done that with every dog I've owned. It's not a specific training, it's something you do.

The crate is a bad idea. She hasn't peed in my bed yet, and I'm not a nice person when she pees on the floor, and she doesn't do it in the house anymore when I'm home. Why have a dog that is "this energetic" when you people leave them in a crate all the time? Don't get a energetic breed if you can't take them to work. My pug mix comes with me and he stays up front in the A/C, Ivy follows me around all day now.

The elitists on here are hilarious, go support breeders who treat their dogs like sex slaves all you want. I don't support breeders. I took her off the hands of some asshole that supported breeders. Also told him I wasn't going to give him 1200 bucks for the dog and that AKC papers didn't mean a damn thing to me and doesn't make the dog any better or worse than any other Husky in the world.

And no, my puppy isn't hyper at all, because I actually take her out and take her to work with me. Weekends is the short ride, you all seem to think you are special or something. And it's great to see "I hope your dog ends up in a shelter". I'm guessing you have no idea what dirt roads are. Rich upper class people tend to not know, they probably also have never driven on one in their 2013 Sedan with heated seats. When you actually put in a honest days work where you actually sweat and go home tired, let me know.

If you're going to come in here, make statements like you "haven't left your house in a week because you have to train this thing" and then crap all over people who are trying to keep your dog from becoming sick or injured, feel free to leave.

Lol hahahahahahahaha.. Love it.. Ok you came here for advice buddy... And i didnt say i hope ur dog ends up in a shelter. Learn to read. And if you think you have the answers to everything then why the hell do you need us? And dont judge anyone on this site.. U dont know any of our stories.. And to say we are not hard workers and rich people and whatever.. Dude ur sooooo wrong lol.. I hope for the sake of ur puppy u brightin up a bit. But goodluck! And im just going to leave it at that