So we have our new gorgeous girl Brandi. We adopted her 2 weeks ago. We are totally in love with her.

Lexi and Brandi are getting along great. They are pretty much inseparable. They have had a couple spats, but that was expected.

Brandi was a rescue. She is about 2.5 years old. Looks like she has probably had a litter... She was an outdoor dog, and seems like she may have been chained (she is sensitive about her neck). We also think she may have been abused.

So here is the problem... she is great with Sara. Sara can discipline her, or pretty much do anything to her. But if I even look at her the wrong way, she will pee on the floor. No reason, sometimes even when I am saying 'hi' to her. If I am disciplining her, there is even more pee! *sigh*
Seems she is scared of me because I am the alpha. :S

And just if that wasn't enough of a pain in the butt, she is very particular about when and where she will pee outside. We live in a newly built house and have no yard yet. We take her/them for walks to make up for it (6-8 times a day)... and not every walk will yield a pee. But she may come in side and pee.
AND she is not very motivated by praise or treats. Most treats, she will spit out (including cheese) So we are trying to reward her for peeing outside, but it doesn't seem to help her very much.

Anyone have any suggestions? Any help at all, would be great!

Thanks
Scott + Sara + Lexi + Brandi

A few questions:
1. Sounds like you are trying to make her an indoor dog correct? Keep in mind this is all new to her, not having to be outdoor all time. In a way you are training a puppy even thou she is 2.5 years.

2. What all treats have you treated? Sometimes you have to think outside the norm box. Sounds like you have to find a treat that does motive her. Every dog has one - it can range from cheese to peanut butter to apple slices. Have you tried cantaloupe? In small amounts its good. Our Nova will do just about anything for a small slice.

I have to agree with the above statement. Try several different treats until you find something that she really likes. It may take a while, but there is usually something that they're each crazy about.

To me it sounds like she was abused or scared by a male before, and that's why she's scared of you. Not necessarily because you're the alpha. She has probably had nothing but bad experiences with men in her lifetime.

Try to find that one treat she likes and try to gain her trust with it.

A treat that never fails for us is rotisserie chicken breast and fresh deli meat (especially roast beef!).

Just give her some time to get adjusted to being an indoor dog, I'm sure she will get the hang of it soon.

Okami goes bonkers for hot dog slices. Or link sausage. Just try different selects of meat pieces...

From the research I have been compiling from interacting with dog owners that adopt a possibly abused dog, it will take time for her to accept that you are not going to hurt her. Don't get discouraged. Just keep a chipper attitude all the time, baby her with kisses and hugs. Within reason you don't want her to think peeing on the floor is cute to you. As said by William and Monique, you are taking some steps back and training a "puppy". When she pees inside, a quick "No" or light stomp on the floor and go immediately outside to your designated "business area". Huskies, no matter what state of mind they are at, will want you to let them know what they are allowed to do. They will constantly test you every single day for the rest of their life, for their dominance, so asserting the rules (even if it is over and over again) is recommended.

Yes we want her to be an indoor dog.

We have tried a variety of store bought treats that Lexi LOVES. Milk bones, BBW Wild Bites chicken, BBW Trail Treats Salmon, Pet Botanics chicken, and a whole bunch of others. She may eat them, but spits most of them out. Cheese (from block), PB, Deli slices (ham). She ate cheese for a bit, then started spitting it out. PB she will have, but hard to do as a treat, and she doesn't go crazy for it. Ham is okay... she doesn't spit it out, but she doesn't go crazy for it.

We will try some of the other suggestions and see if any of it works.
Anyone else have anything to try?

Also I guess I will just keep working with Brandi to try to get her trust and get her to consistently go outside.

Thanks!
Scott

Have you tried Zuke's or Primal Pet Foods' treats? We have one husky that will eat pretty much anything, but our recent rescue, Rico, has proven to be very picky and he likes both of these. As far as potty training, good luck! We've had 6 huskies over the years and some are just more difficult than others and from my experience females tend to be the difficult ones. Time and patience are a valuable trait with huskies, especially a rescue.

I would also suggest that even though you don't have a yard yet, try to figure out where she will be let out to potty and begin your walks where you would like her to toilet. Don't continue your walk, until she goes to the bathroom. And use commands. Say "Go pee, or go potty", whatever it may be and if she goes, you go crazy with the treats and praise. They do learn quick what those words mean and eventually you can almost get them to go on command once they catch on. When we first got Evie, we were in a newly built home as well surrounded by dirt, but it really helped to designate her area right off the bat. We can walk miles with her and she will not go to the bathroom on a walk EVER. As soon as we get home to her spot, she goes.

Been a while since I have posted... We have made some progress, but not a totally solved yet.

Brandi has started to regularly go to the bathroom outside. It just sort of happened one day, and she has been very consistent; she will go outside and pee right away and then pee one or more times on the walk. This is great! She will also take a poop whenever she needs on the walk (usually part way through the walk).
This is a great improvement and has helped a lot with the peeing in the house.

Having said that, she still will do a nervous pee with me in the house. It is much more rare, but it does happen. It still really only happens with me, Sara could do anything and Brandi won't pee.

As a bonus, Brandi has really started to play, especially with toys. When we got her, she didn't know how to play at all, with toys or with other dogs. So to try and gain some trust with her, I have been trying to get down to her level and play with her toys with her. This seems to help, but is still a work in progress. Right now it is only certain toys that she likes, but it at least is a start.

In respect to treats... She still isn't the biggest fan of any treats. Roast beef seems to be her favorite, but sometimes she will still leave it. I'm really hoping to find something to drive her crazy with, but so far, she is doing pretty well without having a must-have treat.

I can't wait until I don't have to clean up any more pee!

Scott

Koda still does the exciting pee as well. What i try to do is if someone new came into the house that he wants to see i make him go outside and pee first before he is allowed to play with them. Sometimes i do forget and it happens but he is getting better. My sisters dog does it a lot when they first come home. Vet suggested to come in the house and kind of just brush the dog off until they calm down to avoid the excited accident. Or when you walk in the door just do a calm pet instead of a high pitched voice "hello" and belly rub like i love to do with koda lol!