IMO he just went through a pretty drastic change from being with his littermates and mom to...not being with them.

Give him a few days to adjust to things and get settled.

wpskier222 wrote:

I wouldn't worry too much about beginning to train at this point. Some pups take to training right away, and others don't. My first husky, Tasha, was really into training from the get go. Dizzy on the other hand, not so much. With him, I spent the first few weeks working on building trust and trying to get him not to act like a wild animal. Also, his tummy was so dang sensitive that at that age, I couldn't really give him treats. I could be wrong, but I think as young puppies, females are more tuned into their people and males are just kinda more ADD. Wanting to explore more, interested in every little thing, and kinda happy go lucky little devils. With Dizzy maturing, I actually think he's going to end up more mellow, and a total love bug. Tasha was the opposite and got more intense as she matured.

Hopefully what you said is true, I would prefer a more "mellow" husky. Right now Yukon really wants to explore everything and jumps around like crazy all the time, especially outside where there's plenty of tasty rocks and leaves! xD

I'm not too worried about training at the moment, but I would like him to know his name at least. ;-;

Niraya wrote:

IMO he just went through a pretty drastic change from being with his littermates and mom to...not being with them.

Give him a few days to adjust to things and get settled.

Yeah I still feel pretty bad about that... Although at the very least he has firm poop (yesterday it was soft-ish, but it's back to being firm again.) Also I thought that when people said training should start sooner rather than later they meant start the second you get home and don't stop ever or face eternal consequences (dun dun dun) I guess that's probably a slight exaggeration though based off what you guys are saying.

There's nothing to feel bad about It's just everything he has known is no more. So it's new/exciting/scary/stressful etc and he has to transition into a new life/routine.

Give him a few days/week whathaveyou to really get used to his new environment and people in his life. You want everything to be a positive experience - you don't want to stress him out by trying to start all of this training etc when he's not even sure what has just happened. Just let him explore and play with him. Make it fun!

Oh okay, he just woke up so I should probably take him out. I'll follow your advice and hold back on training him until he seems settled in, thanks!

Also on a side note Husker is available again, the breeder can't afford to keep him. :c

AMB wrote:

Oh okay, he just woke up so I should probably take him out. I'll follow your advice and hold back on training him until he seems settled in, thanks!

Also on a side note Husker is available again, the breeder can't afford to keep him. :c

Cry. Don't say that.

It's true. I'm soooo tempted to take him but have to resist with all my might! We don't plan to get our second until later next year and I promised myself it'd be a rescue ...

Sorry to be ate to the party but I was entertaining my parents and their 11-year-old beagle/Jack Russell mix, Maggie. Layla sure gave her a run for her money, but that's another story that I will recount in another thread.

As for crate training, please at least give it a try. You will thank yourself that you did. Do your best to ignore Yukon's cries unless you are SURE he is crying to go outside. I'm sure you've read all the crate-training threads on the forum; they were incredibly helpful for us when beginning with Layla. It's taken a while and we had some rough patches where she refused to go in the crate at all, even though she knew the command to go in, but now she goes in at night on her own; sometimes we don't even have to tell her to. When we get up in the middle of the night to let her out she will go back in her crate on her own because she knows the routine. She will go in the crate when we tell her during the day but is still more apt to cry, probably because we are not consistent with when we crate her during the day because we don't always leave the house at the same time every day.

That's the key: ROUTINE. Dogs live by routines, and that is especially true for going to bed in the crate and going outside to potty. If you create a routine for these two things, the dog will learn it and will be happier to oblige. It's when you don't instill a routine that the dog will become restless and be less apt to listen to you. Consistency is huge. And patience on your part is also very important. It took Layla a month before she was willingly going into her crate at night. In our fast-paced world where everything comes to us instantly, it's harder for us to understand how it could take an animal so long to become used to or learn something.

Remember, Yukon's still a baby and will be for quite a while. He's eager to learn but you have to teach him everything with baby steps. Build from the ground up in small increments when training. Make it easy for him to WIN the training games you play. That way he will learn even faster and be more able to retain the training. And, again, consistency is key.

Hope this helps! I'm so happy for you and can't wait to see pics and watch little Yukon grow. Congratulations!

I'd also add another important factor: TREATS and PRAISE! We still praise Layla and give her treats when she goes in the crate and after we close the door. Same goes for any other kind of training. I totally agree to use his dry food as low-value treats, especially if he won't take anything else. This is totally normal; he's in a brand-new situation and is probably (understandably) overwhelmed and will be less apt to eat even the yummiest treats. Trust me: Within a few days he will be loving his food and treats. I highly recommend getting some hot dogs and cutting them up into little tiny pieces (pea-size or smaller) to use for training. Dogs LOVE them and really respond well to these. It's amazing how focused Layla gets when I break out the hot dog!

Another great high-value treat is Red Barn. We used this a lot at the MSPCA adoption center, where I helped train the dogs. It's basically a big meat log that you can cut into little pieces (again, the size of a pea or smaller) to use for treats. You can even mix it in with dry food for especially picky eaters. Here's a link in case you're interested in checking it out. I usually get one that has liver in it because dogs LOVE liver. http://www.amazon.com/Redbarn-Pet-Products-Chicken-Liver/dp/B0006NLXL6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1384349185&sr=8-3&keywords=red+barn

Ah yeah we've been trying out the crate a bit, he has no problem going in there and just chilling out, if he's being fed in there or is occupied by a toy I can even close the door for a couple minutes without him crying. It's when I walk away that he starts crying, which we're slowly working on. I'll re-read a few of the crate training threads as I probably forgot about a few of them. My goal isn't exactly to get him to sleep at night in his crate though; it's to have him simply feel comfortable and safe in there to I can leave him alone for extended periods of time while I do important stuff like feeding myself. (which I suppose would be easier if I had him sleep in there...) I might have him sleep in there tonight, but if he cries his head off then my whole family will pretty much wake up and attack me... Routine is something that we have been doing, sort of. I take him out once every 3 hours at night and once every 60-90 minutes during the day; he's perfectly fine with that and it seems to work well. I'm still working on exact feeding times though (his first meal is between 6am and 7am while his second meal is between 2pm and 4pm depending on what time he wakes from from naps and stuff. :/ ) Treats are another matter entirely, I'll go check to see if we have any hotdogs, if we do then I'll cook one and cut it up later to try and use as treats. Although I have been praising his good behaviors, it's just not enough motivation for him at the moment.

Thanks for the advice and tips! ^_^

You don't even need to cook the hot dogs. You can just cut them up raw. Praise does work to an extent but you'll be amazed what adding some high-value treats to the mix can do to Yukon's focus and attention to you! Pairing praise and treats is awesome too.

I can understand how your family would be annoyed by Yukon crying in his crate at night, but if he's to sleep there through the night everyone will have to ignore his cries. Sounds like you're doing great with house training. Rachel told us we shouldn't have to get up in the middle of the night to let Layla out but we still do it anyway. My husband and I take shifts: She goes in the crate for the night around 9 p.m. and we take her out around midnight or before we go upstairs to bed. Then I get up around 3:30 or 4 a.m. to take her out, and my husband will get up at 6 a.m. to take her out and play with her a little bit before I get up and he gets ready for work. It's been working out pretty well. She's still only able to hold it for max. three hours at a time but we will probably keep up this routine for another couple months, when we're absolutely sure she can hold it through the night.

Another thing you might want to do is train Yukon with a bell to let you know he has to go out. I know there are threads around here that explain how to do that in more detail. We hadn't used the bell at first but then were noticing she was having accidents in the house because we didn't see her sitting by the door and she couldn't hold it any longer. So we got a bell and hung it by the door she usually uses to go out. It literally took a half-hour to teach her to touch the bell with her nose. You start with that and then later pair it with opening the door when the bell is rung. This isn't a method you absolutely have to use; just saying it was something that really helped us because now she can let us know in a more overt way that she has to go out.

Everyone's been offering great advice. I'm sure none of us (myself included) is trying to tell you how to raise your pup. That's up to you, after all ... and I know you'll do an awesome job!

Yeah I just put Yukon in his crate and he's crying, I'll just ignore him, drink some tea, and play pokemon or something. I also put a blanket from my bed over the crate so it's a bit darker and stuff. Although I don't know if I should walk out of sight or not... Anyways bell training sounds great! Although at the moment I don't give him free reign of the house so he can't sneak off and do his business in here, but I'll definitely try that out. I also didn't know that you didn't have to cook pig products for dogs, that's good to know! (Although I probably still cook it as my own fingers will come into contact with the meat and they're also kind of frozen right now. I don't mind you guys trying to help out at all! Yukon is my first dog  so any help is greatly appreciated, I'm not an expert by any means!

Edit: By the way how long do you guys suppose it'll be until he calms down, I had no idea he'd be this loud. >_<

Just to clarify, I'm not too sure about cooking pig products for dogs either (I'm sure there are folks here who can school us on this!) but I believe hot dogs are already at least partially cooked before they are packaged and sold? I just know you don't have to cook them before giving them to a dog. That's just for hot dogs, though. I'd have to do some more research for any other pork product. If anyone is following this thread who knows, please educate us!

And if the hot dogs are partially frozen, even better! They're easier to cut and your pup can enjoy them for a little longer. In fact, I just cut up some hot dog and mixed it with some of Layla's dry food and put it in a Kong with peanut butter covering either end and threw it in the freezer for later. There are a lot of great ideas out there both on this forum and elsewhere for high-value treats and things to stuff in Kongs. I have a feeling Yukon's going to be a very happy little pup with all the love and treats he will be getting!

Oh okay, yeah I would like to be educated on pig based products as well, but for now I'll just use frozen ones.

I thought I had desensitized myself to almost all forms of violence, torture, and gore thanks to popular culture; but crying puppies is something new on the radar. Hopefully he'll stop crying soon so I can let him out and not feel like a horrible human being anymore. D:

Liz, you're right about the hotdog thing. They are cooked when you buy them (the commercially packaged ones in the refrigerator sections anyway.) Not sure about the ones you buy in natural casing from the meat counter. Caoimhe loves hot dogs too, but then again there's not much she wont eat...minus peanut butter (what??!!!)! We buy the natural turkey ones from Oscar meyer and they work just fine.

As far as pork goes, you can absolutely feed raw pork to dogs. It's a great source of protein for them. Just limit or exclude the cured/added salt meats.

Aidan sounds like you're doing a great job so far. As I mentioned before Caoimhe does sleep in bed with us, and has since the first night I brought her home. So far I have no issue with it. Listen to your gut and make the best decision for you and your dog. Currently she sleeps through the night without potty breaks and has not had an accident over night at all. I do take her out around 4:30 am because that's when I get up for work. She is crated at various points throughout the day and has been on Fridays for about 6 hours or so. She cries when she goes in but by the time we come home, she's quietly laying there. As many have said, patience and consistency.

You were prepared before Yukon came and he will be fine, just stick to what you know and feel is right! MORE PICTURES TOO!

Sweet, it's nice to know more about those hotdogs! Yukon finally calmed down after crying for about and hour, so I took him outside to go potty and ran around with him for a good 20-30 minutes (don't worry, I didn't force him to run and he sat down whenever he needed a break) then I put him back in his crate and he started to cry again, although he had a brief pause in crying after about 2 minutes and a capitalized on that as a chance to let him out and praise him. Currently he's napping on my bed, although we do need to work on crating more as on Sunday I'll be gone for almost 2 hours.

More pictures will be coming, don't worry... >:]

Sounds like you've got a great method down for crating. You're right, take any opportunity when he is not crying to come to him, praise praise praise, and let him out. I've read that you shouldn't praise when he is exiting the crate, only when he enters, but if you praise and treat while he is in the crate and quiet he will eventually get the message.

Like we've said, it will take time but he will get used to it. It's great that you're practicing putting him in and letting him out throughout the day, too, for 20 to 30 minutes at a time.

I'm not sure if Layla will ever be the type of dog to go in her crate for solitude (she LOVES being with people and can't stand to be away from other beings, human or otherwise) but we are getting to a place now where she will go in the crate when we tell her and will be quiet and calm all through the night and for the most part during the day.

Cortnie, thanks for the info on the raw pork. And what's up with Caoimhe not liking peanut butter?! Layla loves it. In fact, I don't think she's met a treat or food for dogs that she doesn't like. These days she licks her breakfast and dinner plates clean and looks at us like she wants more! When I took her to the vet today for her rabies shot (she did awesome, by the way, the vet said) she weighed in at only 12.6 pounds?! The vet wasn't concerned about it at all, but since I know Caoimhe weighed around 14 pounds at her last weigh-in and Layla has grown so much I was a bit skeptical. Maybe it's time to get a bathroom scale and do it the old-fashioned way!

haha no idea about the peanut butter. That's seriously the only thing she's snubbed. Although I haven't given it to her in her kong yet so who knows. Which reminds me, that I wanted to try it today.

Caoimhe has gotten really tall all of a sudden. I want to take her to weigh her again and see. Maybe Layla will be like her dad and Caoimhe is gonna be big like Roxanne. When I weigh her again I will let you know what she's at.

Sweet, we're going to try the crate again in a couple hours, as soon as his kong re-freezes. On another note, he's eating his Turkey treats now, and really goes crazy for them too. He'll also eat his Pumpkin-Apple treats, although they're a bit harder for him to chew. Oddly enough he wont eat his peanut butter treats, but he'll still eat normal peanut butter. >_<

What's with these dogs not liking peanut butter?! Haha. Glad to hear Yukon's loving his treats already.

He likes normal peanut butter, just not a Zuke's treats, it's really weird and I'm hoping he's just still getting used to things because those were going to be a my go-to training treats. -_-

Yukon is back in his crate again after I took the blanket off, it seemed like he was scared by it. Anyways he's been in there for about 25 minutes now and he hasn't made a noise at all! he kind of jut moved around a bit and then fell asleep (even after just taking an hour long nap ) I do have a question though, how much space should I cut off with the divider right now he has access to about 1/3 of his crate. If he lies down horizontally then it's enough space for him to stretch out; but he can't lie down vertically (kind of like he will when he's an adult without the divider) Should I increase his space to 1/2 of the crate or just leave it the way it is?

Aww, he's so cute! He's probably a little scared of the cover over the crate because he's going through a fear period right now where he'll be scared of most things. Everything around him is new, so it's understandable he'll be a little timid. In another three or four weeks you'll notice him being bolder and less afraid of everyday things.

That's great he's getting used to his crate and is willing to take naps in it. He will sleep a lot in the first couple weeks. In the first few days it's sometimes because they're exhausted by the completely new situation. Also, puppies that young just sleep ... a lot ... sometimes up to 22 hours a day! They need that sleep to retain what they're learning and to regenerate their little bodies and recoup that puppy energy!

Oh, of course, I was going to answer the crate-divider question. I think from the photo it looks to be just the right size. You may want to move it in a few weeks, as he will be growing rapidly. I divided Layla's crate about halfway and have not moved it yet. She has never had an accident in her crate, luckily. As long as he has enough room to walk in and turn around comfortably, it's fine.

Nice, he woke up so I decided to take him out of his crate instead of chancing my luck by leaving him in there. I wont change the crate size until he grows some more either. You're also right about them sleeping a lot, he's sleeping right now again. Although when he's not sleeping he's running around and jumping all the time, or chewing on something, it's hilarious.