Got my puppy.. Otto!
He's 8 weeks at a whopping 15lbs. I have a few concerns/questions.
- he is still peeing inside, despite training him. Most of the time he will go outside but sometimes goes inside.. Like last night and this morning (on my bed).
- he also is very vocal, if he ever does something wrong like that, I immediately discipline him and say no or grab the top of his neck firmly but not "hard" and he will cry very loud and screech.
I know husky are vocal but is this ok?
- he doesn't want to walk on a leash (collar or harness)
I have to lift him off the ground basically to walk him, he won't walk too much and if he does he wanders wherever he wants and doesn't go where I walk.
Are these typical husky puppy problems?
I'm thinking of doing a puppy class, is that a good idea or are they useless for huskies?
I have patience so it's ok, just wondering what you guys think or did.

1. He's adorable! Congratulations!
2. Potty training is hard. My Koda took a long time as well, but she got it eventually. The key is to catch them in the act and then discipline. I would make a loud noise and take her outside. She was a stubborn thing, but eventually she got it!
3. Leash walking takes training. Again, I'm not versed in training leash walking because my Koda has always naturally been excellent on a leash.
4. Training classes are fantastic. Just for puppy class, PetSmart isn't bad, but anything above kindergarten, I would start looking for an actual training facility.

This forum is CHOCKED full of useful information and inteligent people, so you came to the right place! I would also look into Shiba shake . They are great trainers who break down training a puppy. (One thing they do that i'm not on board with is the furminator.) Good Luck and start your boy a scrapbook so we can all admire how cute he is!

You should never discipline your dog for going potty inside. It can make them afraid to go in front of you at all and will start finding places to hide and pee. Just grab the dog and go out ASAP when they start.

Thanks!! I realized the first night I yelled at him and he screeched before I even touched him. He's just stubborn, I can already tell!
I'm gonna start with the news paper, if not I'll do something else loud to "scare" him straight

lepp1892 wrote:

You should never discipline your dog for going potty inside. It can make them afraid to go in front of you at all and will start finding places to hide and pee.  Just grab the dog and go out ASAP when they start.

Many people say to put their face in the pee and say no firmly to make them think it's not good to go inside of course if they just went not 4 hours later

I don't recommend the face in it. It's gross and humiliating. I really don't recommend the newspaper either, because it , as Kyle said, makes them think they have to do it elsewhere. I only put the newspaper thing because I was told to do it when I didn't know any better. The best way, I would say, is the no marker and then go directly outside.

An 8 week old puppy can only hold it for 2 hours. So every time your puppy wakes up, after he eats, after he plays, and every two hours you need to take him out. Start using "go potty" and reward when he does, this will instill the desire to go outside and not in house. Newspaper and puppy pads only encourage your puppy to go inside. Never scold or stick your pups face in their pee. It is not their fault they went inside it is your fault for not taking him out when he needs to go. If he is awake have him wear his leash indoors attached to you, so that way 1) he gets used to the leash and 2)you will be able to catch him faster when he starts to look for a place to potty. Puppy classes are very rewarding for your pup, but also helps you the owner to understand your pup better.

Congrats on your new puppy, he is gorgeous, and like Tyler said there is a ton of info here.

congratulations, he is adorable.
It took Leo a few months to stop peeing inside and i did use the news paper method. i eventually stated to shrink the paper area but it takes time dispense on the puppy and the consistence, and be patient. also i think playing inside kind of helped too.
keeping track of when they last when pee and try every 2 hours after; they can hold it for about an hour every month that they are old. also they tend to go number two right after they eat.
Yelling a them will not make them want to pee any where you are and they will sneak off to do it else were. if they do go outside to reward them with food and some play wail your out there and give them some free roaming time inside.
if he doesn't want to walk on the leash you can try to lour him with some treats as he walk and gets comfortable. i wouldn't worry about him saying right next to you just yet. that will come in time. for now its more about him getting use to being attached to you.

Congrats on the new pup, he's gorgeous and remind me of my boy Demon when he was that age.

He's 8 weeks old, you just got him so he's separated from his momma, littermates and everything he's ever known. It takes some time for pups to adjust to their new homes and packs. Like Miya's mom said, at that age they can only hold their pee for a couple of hours.

What we did with our 2 as puppies was each time we took them outside and they did their business we praised them lavishly, gave them love and acted overall excited. If they did it in the house due to us not reading the signals or not being quite fast enough, we just cleaned it up and waited for the next time. Postive reinforcement works wonders with this breed.

When it comes to walking on a leash, again, he's only 8 weeks old. They are born loving to run and pull, but not necessarily knowing how to walk on a leash. It takes training. Some wind up being great on a leash, others never lose their love of pulling and wandering.

I'm not sure where you are located, but if it is hot out, and the sun has been out all day, the sidewalk or surface you're trying to walk him on might be too hot for his tender paws. Try walking him on a grassy surface and not for very long. At 8 weeks they don't have the stamina or endurance for really long walks. 5 - 10 minutes is about all they can handle that young. You can do multiple walks per day, however.

Huskies are very vocal and can be drama queens. His screeching when you grab his neck could be him 'punking' you so you won't do it again, thinking it hurts him. OR it could actually be that he's very tender in the neck area...Diablo used to yelp when grabbed on the neck to hold him back when we first got him. He still hates being grabbed on the neck, but no longer yelps.

This forum is full of great advice, suggestions and experiences from other husky owners. I know it's helped me tremendously and now I have 3 huskies.

Just remember patience and consisitency. You'll get there.

Thanks for The responses. So last night he pooped in his crate and bed, this morning I attempted to bathe him and he screamed bloody murder. He already is very vocal, especially when he wants to get something.. It was unbearable hearing him and he was trying to squirm out of the bath. How can I overcome this with him?

turn the bath in to play time, i got lucky and Leo was usually tired when it was bath time . but he too creamed during his fist bath .
you can use treats to lure him in there and lots of  praise. I usually would not only take to him bath just for a bath but to rinse him off as well and even more praise and rewards. a few times a week just to rinse off with water. even if you just take him to the tub without any water and put some of his favorite toys in there even a Kong let him play in there and work you way up to turning on the water an closing it, make it fun.

Quick question guys. I'm giving Otto Stella and chewy chicken frozen raw. I have some lamb and goose left from other bags (other dog), can I mix these two meats or swap them everyday? Is that not healthy for the dog? It's the same brand just different meat and protein.
Thanks

Yes, you can feed them either way.

Really? Some people say don't mix proteins some do. I don't wanna make his stomach upset at a young age

Wait, why do they need to be mixed and swapped? Can you just use one bag up at a time?

Those are just raw food patties, right? Since it's raw food I would recommend this thread: https://www.itsahuskything.com/t1256-considering-a-raw-diet Valerie really knows her stuff.

Even though yours are prepackaged, I imagine the same principles apply in that you want to keep it simple when you're first starting. I would not mix it so early on.

If it were regular old kibble, I would say whatevs, go for it.

Also make sure your old bag wasn't part of the recall: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-recall/stella-chewys-dog-food-recall-2015/

Jordanm3195 wrote:

Quick question guys. I'm giving Otto Stella and chewy chicken frozen raw. I have some lamb and goose left from other bags (other dog), can I mix these two meats or swap them everyday? Is that not healthy for the dog? It's the same brand just different meat and protein.
Thanks

Er, you might want to check out this link about Stella and Chewy's

Uh, sorry, I seemed to have stopped at Stella and Chewy's and didn't read on to see that Danielle posted the same note - different link, but the same recall.

Gonna check the bag when I get home.
If not Stella and chewy, would primal be the next best?

I heard that Primal is good. I do suggest reading the thread Danielle posted.

Danielle, I am not all that sure I know what you were meaning about what Jordan is doing wrong according to the raw feeding thread you mentioned. I agree Val knows her stuff, and I agree that Jordan would do better at feeding raw by reading it, but unclear as to what you were thinking is wrong? I have been feeding raw for a solid 2 years maybe longer. For now I do recommend feeding the prepackage raw, until Otto is a little older. I also feel giving different proteins is ok, maybe not the same day, but switching from chicken one day to beef the next, once the dog has been eating raw for a few weeks is fine. Most issues, even with kibble, is when people switch brands, not flavors. Imho, people run into trouble when feeding the same food all the time, then cold turkey switch to a different brand. As a pup, as long as there are no poop issues, as in pudding poop, I think switching proteins in the long run will make for a dog who will not be a picky eater, and more importantly will not have protein issues as a dog. The rotation diet whether kibble, or raw, will give your adult dog a better "constitution". So as long as Otto is used to eating raw, I see no problem rotating proteins on a daily basis, keeping to same brand. I don't recall Val's thread saying anything about daily switching of proteins.

As far as feeding prepackage raw, I also agree with Val, Jordan, you do not want to feed this way forever. It is costly for one, you can home feed raw, far cheaper. You also run the risk of recalls, as in the Stella and Chewy's recall. My biggest concern, and why prepackage is not the best way to feed raw, is that the dog does not get the benefit of pulling, chewing, tearing and crunching. Prepackage is really intended for puppies and older dogs, who have issues with their teeth. Feeding home made raw gives benefit of raw meaty bones, to keep teeth clean, healthy, and strong. The also get the benefit of pulling and eating sinew, cartilage, and various other chewy delights that raw provides for your dog.

So Jordan, my question goes back to you....did you want to feed 2 different proteins on the same day? If so, no I would not do that. Also how old is Otto, and how long have you been feeding raw?

And Danielle, I hope you did not think I was picking on you, I am asking for clarity, in what you meant.

MiyasMomma wrote:

I heard that Primal is good. I do suggest reading the thread Danielle posted.

Danielle, I am not all that sure I know what you were meaning about what Jordan is doing wrong according to the raw feeding thread you mentioned. I agree Val knows her stuff, and I agree that Jordan would do better at feeding raw by reading it, but unclear as to what you were thinking is wrong? I have been feeding raw for a solid 2 years maybe longer. For now I do recommend feeding the prepackage raw, until Otto is a little older. I also feel giving different proteins is ok, maybe not the same day, but switching from chicken one day to beef the next, once the dog has been eating raw for a few weeks is fine. Most issues, even with kibble, is when people switch brands, not flavors. Imho, people run into trouble when feeding the same food all the time, then cold turkey switch to a different brand. As a pup, as long as there are no poop issues, as in pudding poop, I think switching proteins in the long run will make for a dog who will not be a picky eater, and more importantly will not have protein issues as a dog. The rotation diet whether kibble, or raw, will give your adult dog a better "constitution". So as long as Otto is used to eating raw, I see no problem rotating proteins on a daily basis, keeping to same brand. I don't recall Val's thread saying anything about daily switching of proteins.

As far as feeding prepackage raw, I also agree with Val, Jordan, you do not want to feed this way forever. It is costly for one, you can home feed raw, far cheaper. You also run the risk of recalls, as in the Stella and Chewy's recall. My biggest concern, and why prepackage is not the best way to feed raw, is that the dog does not get the benefit of pulling, chewing, tearing and crunching. Prepackage is really intended for puppies and older dogs, who have issues with their teeth. Feeding home made raw gives benefit of raw meaty bones, to keep teeth clean, healthy, and strong. The also get the benefit of pulling and eating sinew, cartilage, and various other chewy delights that raw provides for your dog.

So Jordan, my question goes back to you....did you want to feed 2 different proteins on the same day? If so, no I would not do that. Also how old is Otto, and how long have you been feeding raw?

And Danielle, I hope you did not think I was picking on you, I am asking for clarity, in what you meant.

No; it's fine! I think we are actually agreeing here, my wording just wasn't very clear, lol. The intro to raw feeding recommends you start off slow the first few weeks, then introduce new meats one at a time.

"You must stay with chicken (or another single protein if your dog cannot have chicken) only for the first few weeks. "

He appeared to have gotten Mr. dog less than a week ago. I think it might be too soon to start mixing.

handsome pup! congrats!