Hi, I'm new here, and it's actually the first time that I write a post. I just registered.

I have a problem with my 9 month husky, I was hoping somebody could give me tips.

My husky is full of energy (as any other husky) and we take him for walks 3 or 4 times a day (cause we live in an apartment and we know that we have to compensate that).
He goes out in the morning for at least one hour and a half. My father takes him to the beach and takes off the leash so he can run. He goest out in the afternoon and at night after he eats, around 11 pm or midnight. He even plays with other dogs alot of times, and we let them play without leash so they can run, jump and all that stuff.
My problem is, every night around the same time (10 p.m.) is goes to the living room, and he starts barking and making those noises that huskies do, to whoever is in the couch. The problem is the barking... since we live in an apartment, we can't allow that at night. We have realized that he does that to tease us, cause everytime we get up from the couch, he starts running... then he runs around the dinning table in circles. If we go around him telling him "shhh" he barks more so that we go after him. I realise that he wants to play, and I go and grab his toys and start going around with them and he starts chasing me and catching the toys, and then runs so I'll chase him, but everytime we stop, he starts again (sometimes I do this for an hour). We already tried to ignore it, but he just doesn't shut up... Sometime I come home with him, and he's been playing with other dogs, running like crazy, and seems tire, cause I pratically have to drag him home, while he want to lay on the sidewalk and rest, but as soon as he gets home, the same thing restarts.
I understand that he may now do that over and over cause he knows that by doing it, we will start playing with him, so he gest what he wants, but we can't do otherwise or he won't shut up. If we punish him by putting him outside the room and close the door, he just runs to other room, to whoever is there and does the same thing.
I know huskies are pack animals (we research information about the breed before having one), but he's never alone! There's always someone at home, and if it isn't, it would be just for 30m. My parents are unemployd, I work for only 3 hours, and my brother works shifts. He can't possible feel lonely. Sometimes my brother even rollerblades with him.
Does anybody have tips? This behaviour is starting to become more frequent, and sometime it's not just at night. Now he is starting to do it at the afternoon too. He can't see nobody in the couch that, here we go again... I can't rest for 30m in peace!

P.S. Sorry for my english, but I'm portuguese. I think I'm a little rusty...

Has he had any formal training? It seems like he gets plenty of exercise! My dogs get 4 walks per day for a total of about an hour (3 miles), and play time inside. But they do tend to get a little rambunctious and loud at times as well. Sometimes they will start running back and forth my townhome and then run up and down the stairs for about 10-15 minutes, then just plop down on the floor.

I think maybe if you did some regular training and structure he might behave a little better for you. I took both mine to PetSmart for training so they know the basic commands.

Lately we haven't been training him so much as we used to, but just the other day I went for a walk with him and was training him to learn the command "here".
He gives a hi5 and the paw, he also changes paws. Besides that, he knows to lay down, and "up". I also taught him the command "leave it", but he only responds sometimes and it's normally when we're walking outside and he sees a tissue or something (he's crazy for tissues and napkins, I don't know why). Sometimes he "talks". When he's very excited I tease him and say "Ghost talk!" and he starts making those commons huskies' sounds.

Nikko also goes crazy for tissues and napkins! He will go so far as to take it from the tissue box too!

Sounds like he is pretty well trained, so I am not sure other than you have a very hyper husky!! Nikko is pretty hyper too, and does many of the same things. When he wants to play he will run up to you and start barking and run away. Nikko did get better at it since I got Yukon though ;-)

BTW he is a beautiful husky! I love the white ones...People always say how cute Yukon is.

Your english is fine, I understood you well.

It looks like he gets enough exercise, so we can cross that out. Although personally I would never ever let Juneau off leash (except a fenced in area). Huskies are prone to run and run... and run. To each their own.

So you're saying that he's 'wooing' at the person on the couch, trying to get their attention?

I haven't personally tried this product, but read the reviews and see what you think:
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11751275

It's a Sonic Egg. It emits a pitch tone in the room when the dog barks (we can't hear it due to the high pitch). It should make your husky stop barking. You can probably find it on amazon. Can't beat it for $20.

I know you said that you don't want to ignore him because he will continue to bark and piss off your neighbors, but once he learns that he doesn't get attention from barking, he should calm down. Now if you wait a half hour with ignoring him and he's still barking, then maybe he's just really stubborn lol.

Another thing to factor is the people in your house. Everyone treats a dog differently (manners-wise). Some people let the dog play bite, and others don't like it when the dog bites their hand to get their attention. Some allow the dog to rough house, and some don't. You should make sure that EVERYONE follows the same rules when around your husky. If he gets away with it ONE time, he'll definitely think that it's okay to do it again! So make sure everyone is enforcing the 'calm' technique that I'm about to type below.

When he's barking at you (or whomever on the couch), try getting him to lay down. Once he lays down, give him a treat and praise him. Then try to keep him 'calm' and say 'calm' in a positive and firm voice. If he obeys, give him more treats and continue. I know it's easier said than done. We're dealing with a very independent breed here lol. It works for Juneau when we tell her to calm down from the zoomies.

I would invest in the egg and see how that goes.

Poke around the forum, I'm sure there are other topics that have this discussion as well.

Good luck.

I agree your English is fine , And Welcome to the forum.

Quote :

I know you said that you don't want to ignore him because he will continue to bark and piss off your neighbors, but once he learns that he doesn't get attention from barking, he should calm down. Now if you wait a half hour with ignoring him and he's still barking, then maybe he's just really stubborn lol.

Very well put, and is indeed how I would handle it. Ignoring the situation sounds like the best way to deal with this, as he has turned this into a game.... One he seems to VERY much enjoy!

Go talk to your neighbors and explain you know how the barking must drive them crazy but you are working on it and it will get better if they give you some time. When he barks or Whoos for attention you have to totally ignore it, even to the point you make no eye contact.

Or use the calm technique described above. Another very good tip.




That being said you MIGHT have a resource you're not using.

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When he's very excited I tease him and say "Ghost talk!" and he starts making those commons huskies' sounds.

You've taught Ghost to Whoo or Speak on command. This is something you can build off of with enough time.

Teaching a pup to speak or talk on command is the first step to teaching them to stop or quiet.
I would reinforce the vocalization and attach it to a hand symbol... Mine is opening my hand as a mouth, like you would for a puppet, and using my command word. Reward for doing it.

Once I could get a vocalization on command I would request it, and then alter my hand signal and issue a quiet command both verbally and semantically. Normally, if you aren't egging them on, just saying anything in a commanding voice should stop the vocalization. Praise and reward when quiet.


If you can truly trigger a bark, howl, or whoo, you can begin to work on commands that limit or stop it all together. This has the added benefit of mental stimulation and could tire out your boy a little more in the process.


Best of luck to you and welcome again, Hopefully something you find here works for Ghost
~Chris~

There seem to be lots of Ghosts these days! Your Ghost is gorgeous

At the moment he is getting a wonderful reward for barking because it makes you get up and play a great game with him. That will have to stop! Ignore him when he makes the noise. When you get a brief moment's silence, reward him. (This will be easiest with a clicker, if you're doing clicker training; click and treat for a second of silence, then slowly build up the time, and eventually put a command to it).

Also it can help to teach dogs a settle down command. Here's Ian Dunbar talking about how to teach a jazz up and settle down: http://www.dogstardaily.com/videos/jazz-and-settle-down

Thanks everybody, you're all very friendly. I'm going to start using the tips and see if we achieve a solution.

"When he wants to play he will run up to you and start barking and run away." Mine does that too :S

Mine is called Ghost, because when we had him, we were watching Game Of Thrones and he is all white, like the albine wolf that appears in the show Some people ask me if he is albine, and I have to explain them that no, some huskies can be all white.

I have no advice, but only to say, I read your post with a big grin!!! Gotta love that crazy, zoomie behavior~

Sorry, I know this is bothering you, but from where I sit, it seems adorable! Might get better with age???

I think is adorable too, but after a while you stop thinking that way and just want peace. Lol. Let's hope he'll come down with age x)