Hey there!

I've had my new pup Kira for 1 week and she's ever so beautiful and i've officially fell in love.
We took her to the vets for her first vaccinations and told them we had her 4 days early without us realising until we got her KC papers. The vet said it was young but she will be fine as she was probably wiened off her mom by then.


We chose not to crate her as we have a space under our stairs that big enough for a bed, toys, food bowls and blankets.  (think small box bedroom) Trouble is in the day she is happy to go in and play and sleep but at night when we all go to bed she cries and wines and fights to get out. I know you're supposed to let them cry it out but we are scared she's going to harm herself. so we go down and reassure her through the baby gate but that only lasts an hour and shes up again. Any ideas for her to feel safe downtairs on her own at night?

She's also a biter of the face and arms (in a playful way). How can i stop her doing this as her teeth are quite sharp when she nips. Ive already  tried firmly saying no and getting up and ignoring her. but that doesn't work.

She also cries in the day and we don't know why, we put food down for her (cooked chicken) some times she eats, sometimes she doesn't. The only time she stops crying is when we play with her, touch her or if shes outside.

Sorry for the long post but i'm in desperate need for sleep and i want her settle in and learn she can trust us

She's young, she's been displaced, she's lonely. She hasn't had time to bond with anyone yet, and she doesn't understand who you new people are.

Give her time, she will come around.

In the meantime, I wouldn't worry about her hurting herself at night. You HAVE to stand firm. If you are worried, remove EVERYTHING from the room except a blanket, and a single indestructable toy. She shouldn't have any food or water overnight until she is completely house trained anyway.

Then just let her cry.

Even during the day, if she starts crying, she goes to her room. This is still essentially crate training (which needs to be done anyway - if anything, it will make overnight vet stays much less nerve wrecking for her). Leave her in her room with a stuffed kong. Come back and get her after a few minutes. If you stand by the door and she starts crying, walk away. Return 2 minutes later, and try it again. The moment she notices you and chooses not to cry immediately, let her out. This will show her that she gets out when she's quiet.

Do this a few times, then after a few days, require a few extra seconds of quiet before she is out. Every day, add a few more seconds.

At night, do not even approach the area. Stay in your bed. It will take a while, but she will learn.

Yes that's what the vet said and i tried this but the baby gate has bars and she constantly trying to put her head through and im petrified shes going to get her head stuck even though i kinda know her head isnt going to fit through there.
It's heartbreaking but she cried an hour last night and we slept through it and eventually she went quiet so im hoping it will work soon

I realise is patience and i have got plently so i will see how we get on, and i'm thinking about getting a crate to help calm her down
Thank you for your reply

I swear I'm going to out this in a thread all by it lonesome so I can point to it when I need to. < /vent >

You have a beautiful young lady there, btw.  Looks like she's bi-eyed, yes??

Abby, what you're seeing is a puppy who was taken from her family (her pack) where she had everyone in the world (well, her world of siblings) and brought to a world she knows nothing about.  She's lonely for her playmates and as long as you're playing she's fine but when you stop she's wondering what to do with herself.

The nipping is a result of a puppy not learning - for all sorts of reason - bite inhibition.  Puppies generally learn that from their litter mates but if they're taken too early (or if their litter mates are), they don't get the opportunity to learn not to bite hard when they're playing.   You're on the right track with that by just stepping back and stopping all play - hard bite means no play.  They learn but it may take a while for it to sink in. Huskies are notorious, even as older dogs, for using their mouth to get things and to get your attention - with most of us that's okay because they've learned that our skin isn't as thick as their sibling playmates.

As for the howling at night, again it's because she's lonely. As a breed, Huskies were raised with their people. In the original breeders, the Chuckchi, they were the bedwarmers for the kids (and probably some of the adults, too); they were the playmates and, of course, the waste disposal system. She wants to be with her pack, she expects to be with her pack, she's lonely when she isn't. The best solution, once you're comfortable she's housebroken, is to let her have the run of the place so she can be with the people she loves. Until she's house trained, the best solution is a crate in your room that she's been trained to know and love as her den.

And before you ask, she's a Husky, you're going to have hair in everything - just get used to it!

Yes, i do realise as i wouldn't be impressed if i were taken away from my parents and siblings.
It's heartbreaking to watch her cry but i know in my head that i need to let her cry it out and almost be cruel to be kind.

and yes!! I'm already used to the hair so i can only imagine when her coat first sheds! i have to take my work clothes with me and get changed at work haha.
She's worth it, in a few months i will look back and think she's stunning and we got through it

Kohdi and Mishka's breeder was strongly for leaving the puppy alone and letting it cry it out, and everything you read says the same thing. However, I did not do that. For the first week, I made myself a bed near the crate, and when I put them in the crate for the night, I went to my lil "bed" and layed down. There would usually be a little fussing at first, but I'd stick my finger thru one of the little crate openings, Kohdi would paw at it, then lay down and go to sleep right next to it. And they both would sleep throughout the night without a peep, only moving around when they needed to go pee, which I would promptly get up and get them out and rush them outside. After a week, when I put them in the crate, I'd go to my own room and go to sleep...there was the initial few minutes of them moving around in the crate, but then it'd go quiet. While I do understand the concept of letting them cry it out, I never really believed in it and since I've noticed no ill effects in any of my dogs from doing it this way, I don't think it's a negative thing to be close to them when in the crate, for the first week or so of them coming to live with you. Doesn't have to be on the floor right next to them like I did, lol, just the crate being within the same room you are in should suffice, that's how I did it with one of my past huskies, his crate was smaller than Kohdi and Mishka's so I could carry it from room to room if necessary.

Abby, what an adorable pup you have. I did the same as Jimmy. it is something that my husband and I have done for every animal we have had over the years, we take turns sleeping with the new baby the first week home. With our gsd pup we got last October it was my turn, when we got our husky almost 4 years ago it was his turn. I personally feel it relieves anxiety for the young pup and helps start the bonding process. It is scary being alone for the first time in their short lives. I also feel a crate for now anyways would be more suitable for your pup, that way you could bring it into your room.

I am however a little concerned by one statement you made, and that was you are feeding her cooked chicken. Please tell me that was a snack or a treat, which if so perfectly fine if not it is not a balanced meal and in this stage of life a balanced meal is extremely important. How old is your pup? And are you feeding her kibble? A wonderful way to start building a bond and trust is to hand feed meal. Get on the ground with the pup and talk with her, and use your hands to feed her. you can work with her on being gentle, take a piece of food and place in the palm of your hand and say Kira be gentle take, if she does praise say good girl yes. If not say uh uh Kira be gentle, right now it is more important to teach these commands and just get cozy with her, in time she will get what you are asking by repetition. This will also help in her puppy mouthing. Which leads me to my next question what type of exercise and training are you doing with her?

I've thought about a crate for the room, but then I'm scared she will get used to being in my room. Cooked chicken for the main meal mixed in with a bit of dry and vegetables. I can't really do much excersize as she has only had 1 set of needles. Her first walk will be in 3 weeks when she can safely go out. Atm we run her around the garden and rough play in the day with her toys. We had success last night, she slept through until 5.30am!!

Abby, you can start training in house, and since your garden is safe there as well. Practice leash walking, start teaching a recall and stay. Puppies do not need a ton of exercise, nor do they have a good attention span for training. So 15 minutes of training, which you can do several times a day will also help tire out Kira. As far as the crate, most of us have our dogs sleep in our rooms, that is one thing with a husky they want to be with their people. Typically when puppies are very mouthy it is for a few reasons, they want something, maybe they need to potty, or they want to play, walking away is a good way to teach her that the hard biting isn't tolerated. She may also be starting to teeth, so that is something to keep in mind. The hand feeding that I mentioned above, will help you two form a bond and for her to trust you, but it also teaches her to be gentle with you. If you reward her for being gentle she will get the point that good things come to her from you when she is calm and gentle.

I received a negative treat for my post and I'd like it explained. Unless the person has had actual experience and is not going by what is read in books or online, then they really have no reason to say my advice is bad. Kohdi and Mishka are huskies 6 and 7 for me and they are as well adjusted, if not more, than any husky in here. I also think rather than anonymously handing out bad treats instead of a counter post as to why my post was "bad", would have been a much better alternative since we are all here to share and learn.

Easy Jimmy, you've hit a few yourself on your phone!  Maybe they just didn't notice it when whoever hit it ... ???

But, Jimmy, really, sleeping on the floor - at my age, that doesn't happen much....

@abbywhitehouse What, you're going to deprive yourself of your dogs company overnight? << laughing >> Seriously, mine sleep in the same room I do; they're on the floor while I'm in bed (and yes, trips to the loo sometimes get hazardous) but they're where they're happiest - anywhere that dad is.

Haha Al, I've hit it more than a few. I considered it actually, I just didn't think it was likely considering the post already had a treat. I don't think my post necessarily deserved a treat, however I can't think of one reason, given my actual experience, that it deserves a bad treat either. Someone doing a search that comes across this thread sees a red mark on my post and thinks it's bad advice, I don't feel it deserves that.

I'm thinking about a crate in my room until she can trust that were not going to leave her room forever. She stayed quiet for 4 and half hours last night so I can already see progress. I'm going to try putting the lead on around the house so she gets used to it Ready for her walking sessions when she's ready. Also going to try and train recall. Any tips on recall as she don't respond to her name just yet

For learning her name - I would just have her in front of you and say her name, Whenever she looks at you give her a treat. At least for a starting point.

One thing to keep in mind about Huskies. They tend to be more headstrong and independent thinkers than many other breeds.
Other dogs I've raised or have been around are always eager to please owners and other people. They are easy to train and can easily be coaxed into doing stuff with a treat or just some affection. Huskies will know what they should do, know what you want, and even understand the reward they can get by doing it....but they'll ignore it all if it isn't what they want to do.
They tend to take more work and effort to get the same results due to their special personalities. Don't get frustrated by it, just keep working with them and get creative with your solutions.

http://www.clickertraining.com/taxonomy/term/28

My clicker came yesterday so I can start using it, I think she likes the clicker haha.

Thank you everyone she went to sleep at 2 last night and didn't cry until 8 this morning