Not sure if this has been posted already, but I couldn't find anything on it. Just curious what ways you find most effective to discipline your doggy when it's been bad. I've tried a few ways, such as putting them in their kennel for a time out, scruff shake with a firm "NO", just a firm "NO", making them lay down and then a NO etc etc. So far I have found that making them lay totally down with a firm "NO" has been the most effective for me. But not all that effective, just more than the others lol. Reiko thinks it's play time and seems to just get more hyper once I'm scolding him.

Depends on the undesired behavior. But those tactics will go nowhere fast (as you've seen already). Every Husky I've encountered responds very well to body language like sideways upright stances and slow low vocal tones. Could you go more in depth about the things he's being punished for? Aside from fights and goose poop, I've never had to physically do anything to my Husky.

Examples I guess would be when he does chase the cat, or if he jumps up on the counter to see if there is any food. Could you go into more detail with the up right stance?

We use a firm, loud, and annoying "Eeh eh" mid-behavior (marking furniture), then tell him "NO" very calmly and either redirect him to a better behavior or ignore him, depending on what he does. For things we don't bust him in the act for, we talk to him while we're cleaning up (he's a counter surfer, scattered a bag of coffee beans all over my living room while we were out once), but we've never done anything physical or done anything more "harsh." The couple of times he's snapped at me (because I tried to remove him from the dining room/kitchen when there was food), I've yelped like it really hurt - surprised the heck out of him, then ignored him for a couple of minutes. It got the message across. If he's in places he shouldn't be, or chasing the cat, get up in between him and body block him so he has to stop the behavior.

I've tried the yelping thing. It's worked with every other dog I've used it on. I don't think Reiko has ever snapped at me, but when he plays with me, he is sooo rough! He will grab a hold of my arm or hand ( when wearing gloves) and just shake it silly. I will yelp and he'll look at me like " nahhh that doesn't hurt!) and then will continue. Soo I don't play with him now lol.

i use a firm no, or uh-uh and then put whoever was naughty in a different room for a few minutes

It really depends on the dog and the situation, certain things work on certain dogs that don't work on others which is why training and corrections really are tailored to the individual to get the best use out of them. I never physically correct my dogs, all corrections are vocal in nature and will sometimes involve body blocking and/or removal.

j.gabriel wrote:

He will grab a hold of my arm or hand ( when wearing gloves) and just shake it silly. I will yelp and he'll look at me like " nahhh that doesn't hurt!) and then will continue. Soo I don't play with him now lol.

For something like that I would issue a verbal correction and immediately stop play, stand up and turn my back to him if he starts grabbing body parts. When he stops, then play resumes. If he starts grabbing body parts again then he gets another verbal correction and you turn around and ignore him, and so on. I would not completely stop playing with him anymore because that doesn't teach him what he's doing wrong. By ignoring him for undesirable behavior and rewarding him (with continued play and attention) for desirable behavior you are teaching him what is acceptable and what is not.

Huskyluv wrote:

j.gabriel wrote:

He will grab a hold of my arm or hand ( when wearing gloves) and just shake it silly. I will yelp and he'll look at me like " nahhh that doesn't hurt!) and then will continue. Soo I don't play with him now lol.

For something like that I would issue a verbal correction and immediately stop play, stand up and turn my back to him if he starts grabbing body parts. When he stops, then play resumes. If he starts grabbing body parts again then he gets another verbal correction and you turn around and ignore him, and so on. I would not completely stop playing with him anymore because that doesn't teach him what he's doing wrong. By ignoring him for undesirable behavior and rewarding him (with continued play and attention) for desirable behavior you are teaching him what is acceptable and what is not.

I absolutely agree, but want to add to this. Koda sounds like Reiko: he saw the back turning as a challenge and time for more play. Instead of taking it as punishment, he would jump/bite more to get me to engage and it HURT. To the point where I wouldn't have the patience for it. Thus, I had to step it up a notch. Turning my back wouldn't work, so I had to turn my back and walk away, putting a PHYSICAL barrier between us. So, for instance, he'd bite, I'd correct, stop play, and walk into the bedroom and shut the door behind me for a minute. He'd get sad, confused, and either lie down at the door or walk away. When he stopped engaging (either lay down or walk away), I would come back out and act like all was normal.

Koda needed more than just a back turn. He was a bit TOO intense for that.

Hope this helps.

Haha yes sounds like Koda does the exact same thing Reiko does. I have tried turning my back to him but he just jumps all over my back trying to get me to continue playing. I have tried walking away and then trying play again but he just gets bitey again. If I did it enough times I'm sure he would get the point, I was just taking the lazy mans way out

I find that verbal discipline really doesn't do anything for Reiko. He just looks at me like I'm a crazy lady and will sometimes bark ( to engage in play ) and then go bounce around. The only way that I have found to be sort of effective is to grab him the the scruff and make him lay down. Do you think thats too rough? I don't want to "abuse" him or anything, I just find verbal discipline doesn't do anything for him.

Verbal discipline is not going to stop a behavior from happening, the point of it is to distract them from what they are doing and get their attention on you so that you can then take steps to prevent or modify the behavior. Of course a simple sound is not going to be effective if that's all that is done and not paired with something else. Besides walking away and removing yourself as a stimulus when he bites and jumps, another option is to remove him from the situation such as putting him in another room instead of yourself because simply removing yourself could in certain situations cause him to redirect his bad behavior toward someone or something else in the room.

I don't use physical corrections of any kind with my dogs because I train with positive reinforcement rather than negative reinforcement. Another reason is because physically correcting a dog like grabbing the scruff can sometimes elicit more negative behavior like if the dog decides to challenge you. I'm the kind of person that prefers to challenge them mentally rather than physically force them to do anything. I'd rather my dog respect and work for me than fear me. I also prefer methods that I would be comfortable having anyone do. I would gladly tell an 8 year old to ignore and walk away from a jumping, mouthy husky but I would never advise an 8 year old to grab them by the scruff and and force him to lay down. You can think of me as more in the Victoria Stillwell camp and completely against the Cesar Milan camp. No disrespect meant to those that use negative reinforcement or physical correction, it's just something that I personally do not agree with but I respect those who do use such methods.

That all makes a lot of sense! Thanks! The obedience class we signed up to uses positive reinforcement. Even though it's just the basics like sit, stay etc, I signed up to learn how to basically use positive reinforcement, it will hopefully work better for Reiko. I totally agree on what you said with an 8 yr old, no way would I get them to grab his scruff!! Lol!!

When it comes down to the cats their lives come before the Huskies. I will do whatever it takes to get the point across that the cats aren't to be touched. Mickey and Cheyenne were always fine with them but Mishka always wanted to bite them. Super loud and bellowing NO's were all it took for her. I kept her on a leash around the cats initially and give a leash correction for over-interest in them.

Odin was different. He was interested in them and would often times nose punch them. He doesn't respond to much verbal stuff (I really think he's at least partially deaf) so the pinch collar came out. He respects the cats now and will come into their area and simply lay there and ignore them. It took about 3 months.

Corrections and discipline really depend on the scenario and the individual dog. Sometimes all they need is their name said in a not nice voice and sometimes i have to sneak up behind them and pinch their but cheeks (that's a Mickey correction lol) But most of the time I use body blocking, "the look," and verbal corrections to get what I want.

How do I discipline my puppy once he picks up things (socks, paper, gloves act) and starts chewing them to pieces? He loves to play "catch me if you can" once he gets something he knows he's not supposed to have. I can't chase him and ignoring him only works when I don't care if he destroys what he has if it doesn't work. He wont come to me at all when he's got something.

I've tried giving him his favorite toys but he knows he's got something he's not supposed to have so it doesn't work.

I've tried getting him a treat and that works great but that's not a very good way to deal with it, is it?

But giving the treat for him dropping the item is

Usually they're running off because they want some interaction and fun or you've inadvertently conditioned them to relate taking items off the floor with a fun game of chase. So turning around by rewarding them for dropping the item (have the treat be a nice high value) is a good way to still have fun, interact with them, and teach a good skill all at once. Try calling them to you in a more fun voice bent down with your hands between your legs like you're holding something usually that's all it takes for most dogs to at least investigate what you have. On e they come reward them with some lovies, ask for a drop and reward when they do. If they don't know drop it- show the treat and as long as its a nice value treat the majority will drop it. Mark that and reward them. While sticking the cookie in their mouth pick up your dropped item.

Yea he tends to do it while I'm busy working and isn't feeling love. But I will keep trying the treat thing. He loves ice cubes so maybe I can use those a lot.

He's been way spoiled since I started working from home. Sometime's it's busy and sometimes it's not so I play with him and walk him when things are slow because I get bored too.

I just hope it's not messing him up when I do have to start going to work. Or we'll have a whole new set of problems. I might start leaving more and going to places with free wifi so he doesn't just freak out when I start leaving for 8 ish hours a day and he's in his crate.

As stated earlier body language and positioning can be very effective. For the dogs I have owned most of the time I don't need to say anything, my "look" and stance tell them what they need to know. Say your dog gets something he shouldn't you could approach standing tall (back straight, relaxed but confident, etc.) instead of slouched over and anxiously trying to grab it. For him, getting lower and yelling or just saying no or drop it a hundred times can be initiating play and chases. Instead, be firm and start to claim the space he is in. For my husky whenever she did do something I wouldn't allow her to run away and waited for her to drop something, I never tried to grab it out of her mouth, she learned by my body language she was wrong. Dogs need a leader with rules and when they break them you have to be their to enforce, otherwise your position in the "pack" just got lower. Huskies/Mals, being similar to the wolf in a lot of respects also learn in similar ways, you wouldn't ever see a wolf vocally telling another off, it is all body language and posturing.

i can't help myself...

How do you discipline your pup?

answer - i take away his nintendo


ohhhhh you mean the dog???!!! lol

ramoscl wrote:

answer - i take away his nintendo

Love It! Made me laugh!

But in all seriousness . . . When it comes to discipline I have found that yelling just makes things worse. So with Saphire, when its something like teeth on skin or being mouthy. . . we yelp like a hurt puppy and stop play if necessary. Usually a yelp is all that is needed. In fact when you yelp at Saphire she will look at you with the sad eyes and then lick the area she thinks she hurt as if to say sorry.

As for other correction, yelling NO makes Saphire wanna play. . . So instead I use a low, deep, grumbly voice (My daughter says it sounds like I am growling at her) to issue all corrections. She responds very well to this and from the very first time I used it she knew it wasn't play.