My husky is just over 2 years and is well behaved apart from two things he still pulls slightly but we are working on it with a dogmatic head collar and he is doing well. The other is food stealing. I'm not sure how best to discipline him about it.

My husky doesn't guard his bowl and lets the cat in it even while he's eating with no trouble. I can put my hand in, take it away, ask him to wait with no issue etc. He doesn't get defensive of treats either. He has also always been very gentle when taking food. But he recently stole a bit of chicken off a plate and when I tried to take it off of him he clenched his jaw shut and was growling I tried to be gentle as possible when I took it off of him (I knew he wouldn't bite). I know huskies can be very food oriented but I want to know if I did the right thing, taking it out of his mouth, telling him no and then isolating him in another room?
(Well since it was chicken with bone this time I HAD to take it off him however he has stolen boneless pork before but we never got there in time.)

He has stolen food out of the oven before but since the incidents are too few and far between I'm thinking of leaving a plate with some food on it next to me. Like aljones suggested in another topic, telling "No!" when his nose gets too close. Is there anything else I can do? What if he doesn't listen to 'no', should I put him by himself. Can I reward him for lying down? Or should i teach him to distance himself from the food?

Any advice would really be appreciated! Thanks in advance.

I would definitely work on the "leave it" cue. That way when you see him moving closer towards any object he isn't allowed to have, you give him the leave it cue, he moves away and you reward. When taking something away from them I find that if you replace it with something they are allowed to have like a toy or a treat then you are showing them that this is acceptable and what I take away is not. Putting him in another room doesn't really teach him anything because he doesn't understand things like humans do, especially when it comes to be put into another room or crate because of bad behaviour. Make sure you control your surroundings. If there is something that he isn't allowed to have, make sure it isn't within his reach so he can't be tempted to take it. As you trust him to leave things that he isn't allowed to have, and he will learn what he can and cannot have with consistent training, then you can start to relax on leaving things within his reach and trusting that he will not take it.
Don't get frustrated if it takes a while for him to catch on, every dog is different. Heck, what I said might not help him, but something someone else said might be exactly what he needs. Trail and error, as long as you are trying, you will figure out what works for him and you will succeed.

Ok i'll try the leave it cue, and not let him beg for food. Have things at the ready to 'trade' and reward for the disinterest I guess. Thank you for the advice! I'm happy to try anything that's fair.

15min time outs worked really well with our old German Shepard but its a different breed so no idea how a husky would take it. But I think I'm over the worst of it haha so it'll be hard to get frustrated as long as I've got something to try out. Thanks again and I'm grateful for any other input. I'll report on his progress!

Yes, please let us know how that works for you. If you find some things do work and others don't then i'm sure if we all put our heads together we will find a solution that works.

Gena gave you the advice I would give. For this type of issue time outs are meaningless to a husky, they don't connect the dots, same goes with using the crate, crate is never a punishment to a husky, gsds are different in that aspect. Some extra things to work on is to make your dog work for his meals. Both of my girls must sit and wait, I verbally say both, I may also make them do something else like lat down, speak, some other command, when I am ready for them to eat I tell them to get it, or you can use take, whatever, but some command to let them know they can now eat their meal. I feed their dinner when I eat mine, so I get a few minutes before they are done. Typically they will both lay down, but my youngest will try and beg, then I tell them to lay down and stay, if one gets up and comes near us, I then give a eheh I said lay down and stay. Sofie my youngest is a licker vs a stealer, Miya my older girl stole once from my husband, and it was a yelling match between the too, she has a sass mouth, enforcing lay down and stay was it. When I am by myself neither has ever attempted to steal, I ignore them both and they just lay down and they leave me alone, if I eat in peace they both know they will get a treat. My husband is a sucker and caves and gives them bites and has asked why they don't bother me, simple I ignore them, lol. Hope all of this helps.

Completely agree with Renee. Make your huskies work for food, even treats. I also say that you have to "out stubborn" your husky.

GenaG wrote:

Completely agree with Renee.  Make your huskies work for food, even treats.  I also say that you have to "out stubborn" your husky.

Oi...had to do that this morning with foster,Z'ev. He needs to take kibble from my hand as the first step in controlling food aggression. Yesterday, my son (not a baby, he's 27) met Z'ev in the crate and wanted to feed him - I had his dinner with me but I did not want Z'ev out of the crate with a new person feeding him the first time (he's a timid, reactive dog) So Josh fed him through the crate, piece by piece, making him sit and holding the piece slightly through the wires. Z'ev loved it, loved my son and lay down in the crate more relaxed and comfortable than I have ever seen him.

This morning? After our walk, when he routinely gets his handfed kibble? Turned his nose up...sniffed at the crate, turned his head aside when I offered the kibble. So after 3 offerings, in the crate and out I go. Broke my heart, but if I don't turn this boy around, he is a goner. He positively wailed as I left the shop. Now my only conundrum is...offer the food after his mid-afternoon walk or wait until his normal early evening feeding time...

amymeme wrote:

Now my only conundrum is...offer the food after his mid-afternoon walk or wait until his normal early evening feeding time...

Maybe offer half of what you usually would after his mid-afternoon walk and then the rest at this normal evening feeding time?  That way you know he isn't going hungry?

Good idea, probably what I'll do...its much colder today than it has been and Z'ev is crate only and in the garage...he's Mr. Destructo even through the crate. And...I think he needs the lack of stimulation for the moment.

There are times where I put my guys away because I need the lack of stimulation for a while. Lol.
Its tough hearing how some people neglect dogs and don't work with them properly and then they end up having to be in a crate because their owners had failed them. I applaud you for taking him in and giving him a second shot at a better life. We are all rooting for you!!

Well guys I've very pleased to report good progress already!

He still comes up to the food but after a couple of Leave it,s and No,s he goes and lies down. He has been doing so quicker each time as well. He still come backs to nose sometimes but after a command he is quick to give up.

I know right now he'd still be willing to steal but if we keep this up it'll be less likely.

And he does work for his dinner and unless he is getting something special added he will lay down 'til I beckon him over. HIS dinner etiquette is perfect just not ours

I've had to retrain myself after I added Sky to my pack. Avalanche has never been an opportunistic snacker, I could literally leave food anywhere and unless told him it was okay, he left it alone. Sasha came into the picture with her obsession with food and it took a while to get her to understand "mine!" but even at that she never counter surfed. Now comes Sky, who's been a real challenge since it seems as if she's never had any training - counter surfs, skarfs anything that I don't have my hand on and forbid I should drop something edible because it's an argument between Sasha and Sky as to who gets it!

It's getting better again, I haven't seen her nosing the counter for a while but like any work in progress it's going to be a while before I can trust her.

aljones wrote:

It's getting better again, I haven't seen her nosing the counter for a while but like any work in progress it's going to be a while before I can trust her.

Haha exactly, I wouldn't put it pass them. Mine was also grumbling at me while he laid down. They have such character