I have already posted for advice on housebreaking my puppy. We had to take our carpet and padding out of the two hallways, which he favored to make messes in. For about 5 days after cleaning out the old carpet he didn't make one mess in the house. We thought we were home free. He would make it known when he had to go out. Sadly, the day before yesterday it went all downhill. He made 5 messes in the house, coming up to us to go out, yet just eating the snow and never going potty. We are honestly at our whits end with our puppy. He is about 9 months old now and it's becoming nearly impossible to watch him. I heard of kennel training, and we wanted to start that. Is it too late to go with this approach??? An article my Dad read online stated that with kennel training a husky, you can successfully do this till they are around a year and 3 months....I just don't know anymore. It's become a daily stressful life with this pup and my fiance has almost had enough. The last thing we want to do is give him away. Please, any advice on this tactic is welcome!

Giving him away shouldnt be a option.. Im sorry to come off as a ass but thats wrong.. Most likely your not doing something right.. You said he gives you signals to go out then just plays in the snow.. You need to just stay out there till he goes... Just because your cold and he disnt go yet doesnt mean its his fault once you bring him back in the house he goes then.. Start potty training sll over again.. Take him outside every hour... He will start to figure it out.. How old was he when you guys got him? And did you rescue him or get h from a breeder?

I have to agree that even the fact you would say "The last thing we want to do is give him away" over house training issues concerns me. Yuki had torn up my baseboards, mattress box, drywall (literally chewed a hole in the wall), carpet in two rooms, chewed a laptop cord, roku player cord, chewed up a roku remote, chewed up family pictures, swallowed socks, chewed through the cord of a foreman grill, destroyed three pairs of shoes, destroyed Cloud's and her first harness, chewed up a retractable leash, and more I cannot think of at the moment. And you know why? Because it was my fault for not putting those things, or her, away. If you can't be committed to house training, it concerns me on what other things you won't be committed to?

Alright, enough of my bitching. Yes, you can start kennel training, but NO, you should not keep him in a cage all day just because he's going to pee on your floor. Also, this may seem weird, but try keeping him tethered to you on a leash so when he gives you the signs to go, you can take him out. Etc sniffing at the floor, circling, whatever his sign is. Also, Yuki used to whine just to get out whenever she wanted, but once she learned that I wasn't going to take her out if she didnt need to go to the bathroom, she learned pretty quickly just to go. Now I walk out, she goes, we walk back in.

And just wanted to add that yes, Yuki is 6 months old and I am still having issues potty training her. She is getting better all of a sudden which I am grateful for, but it is a common issue and you are not alone. It requires patience and commitment.

When we decided to get a husky, we knew they were special unique and extremely smart dogs. We both grew up with dogs, never giving them away. We got Buddy from a breeder. Only advice they gave us, was he was overstimulated at a young age...whatever that means. It isn't like we are some neglectful inhuman people who are lazy and don't want to be outside long because it's cold. I am sorry, but I didn't ask for criticism. I asked for advice on KENNEL TRAINING. Furthermore, our pup has torn the entire baseboard of our carpet, eaten at least 20 socks, electrical cords, underwear, blankets, grabbed glasses from inside the sink, on counters, tables and broken them and yes, it wasn't his fault. It was OURS for leaving them around and not keeping a close enough eye on him. What I am asking about is if anyone has kennel trained their husky, and if so HOW DID YOU DO IT. How long do I allow him to stay in his kennel. He goes in willingly, so he isn't afraid of it. I have noticed he paces back and forth when he needs to go outside. I have been successful as of today. He will do things such as, eat and then walk out of the kitchen and take a poop in the hallway. LITERALLY seconds after eating. I will be in the kitchen by the sink. He doesn't look at me, or give any signal whatsoever. This happens about 90% of the time. The other 10% is us not seeing the signs....So, therefore we are lost. Confused. I will be outside and he will eat the snow and then sit there and look at me. Then he will walk to the door and want to go inside. How am I suppose to know what he needs when he does that? I just assume he didn't have to go. Then he comes inside, leash off and bam, pees on the floor. Took him to the vet. He is healthy as an ox. I am not implying that my dog is not normal, or is a loss cause. I am just reaching out of advice. For help! Also, the only reason why we thought we would have to give him away is out of sheer loss as to what to do. Not because we don't want to deal with him, or train him. We have had him since he was 11 weeks old.

If he's pooping right after eating, take him out right after he eats. If he's peeing right after coming in, take him right back out to finish peeing outside, then come back in. As for kennel training, if you're home, he shouldn't have to be in his crate. I only crate mine when I'm gone for work and when I'm sleeping.

Okay, so another question I have is about his signs to go potty. My dog doesn't really sign for going potty. He will sit and put his paw on you, for when he is hungry, wants water, wants a treat, wants to play....it's a hit or miss if it's to go potty. He doesn't have a sign to go out like most dogs do. I am sorry but this isn't me not paying attention, he absolutely does not scratch at the door, or sniff around, or pace in circles or whimper or go to his leash....he just sits and he sits for no reason at times as well. So I am lost when he has to go. Whenever he goes outside I immediately praise him and give him a treat. Also, I have been given so much advice that I feel frazzled. So many people who owns dogs(huskies primarily) say that I should keep him in his kennel, watching for signs to go potty. They say that he will put the two together that when he is released outside his kennel he goes outside and gets rewarded for peeing or pooping. I am now being told to not put him in the kennel at all when I am home, which I am all day except for running arons or doing laundry which I take to the basement. I am honestly lost. I am to the point where I just break down in tears from frustration. He is also very aggressive(although he has toned down significantly). He will run and hide after he makes a mess and we can't even get the leash on him to take him outside without him growling or biting us....NOW THAT I AM SHOCKED ABOUT. We haven't ever abused or hit him. It's like he knows what he did was wrong, but will literally stroll out of the room I am sitting in and when I see him walking off I will call him and he just looks and me and continues down the hall, so I stop what I am doing and follow him and he has already run down the other hall and peed. Then I see the mess and look at him and he just jets for under the bed or runs around the house playing catch me if you can. It turns into a game for him.

This goes back to my tethering idea. If you keep a leash on him, you can grab him easier. And if you keep the leash on you, he should give you a sign since he can't 'hide' anywhere to do his business, and then you can take him out. I honestly think this is your best solution. You can buy a 10ft training leash or use a regular 4 or 6 foot one. Either way I think it will help keep control on him. Also he's 9 months old, might be being a brat because he's a teen.

Welcome to the forum!

No, it is not too late to start crate training your puppy at 9 months of age. With a bunch of positive reinforcement and praise, he will begin to love his crate and sleep in it on his own from time to time. They're "den" animals, and the crate will be like a den to him.

It looks like you're having some potty issues in the house. We have many members that post here daily with most of the same questions.

Furthermore, there are quite a few stickies/topics on your two issues. These are just a few that I grabbed off the first page:

Sticky: Crate Training

Sticky: Potty Training

Huskies go through stages like humans. Child, teenager, and adult. Sometimes, they will feel rebellious and just "go" in the house to make it into a game (even though they know it's wrong). This is called regression a.k.a. teenage phase. It begins around ~6 months of age and can last til 1.5 years of age. It all depends on the dog and your training.
Suddenly going in the house - frustrating

As for teaching your husky to tell you the signs of when to go potty, I would start him on a schedule (like Mobezilla said).

I would start letting him outside every hour. When you let him out, say, "Let's go potty!" or whatever you say to make them excited to do their business. As he's waiting at the door for you to open, give her a treat. When he pees outside, give him another treat with lots of praise.

I would use really small treats. Maybe get a few raw hot dogs and cut them up into small pieces.

I think it is mainly up to the dog to tell you that they have to potty, but if you keep up with that method, he will possibly start going to the door to let you know that he wants out.

I'm using this method for my 10 month old foster husky that pees in the house. So far it's working and he hasn't gone pee in the house for a week.

Here's another topic with potty training: Fighting a losing Potty battle

https://www.itsahuskything.com/t7819-when-should-i-stop-the-potty-training

Hope this helps.

Im sorry i came off strong it just bothered me that you said your last sentence in your OP.. I know it gets frustrating.. Your probably more frustrated with your pup than i am with mine cause you had him longer and he is older.. But we cant give up on them.. Maybe try and even feeding him outside if he poops right after.... Question.. Do you guys take him out on a leash when he goes to the bathroom? Or is there a leash tied to something outside for him and u put him on there?? If its the 2nd maybe try taking him out on a leash so you can supervise him and make sure he goes and doesnt play and praise him a bunch when he goes.. Again i sorry if i offended you.. I just dont want you giving up on your pup..

Utilize the search bar within the forum.


Crate Training

Crate Training Threads

[url=Potty Training ]https://www.itsahuskything.com/t920-potty-training[/url]

You can also try a bell.. Im about to start that wit koda.. Stick a bell by the door he goes out and make sure he can reach it.. Evry time u take him out ring the bell.. He will figure out ringing bell mean go to the potty and it should help give you a sign of when he needs to go. Does he know sit? Also make him sit at the door every time your about to take him out.. Dont let him up till leash is on him..

^^ Cloud and Yuki are bell trained. Well, Cloud is. He will ring the bell and I'll take both of them out lol. Yuki probably is too lazy to ring it because she knows Cloud will.

I feel your pain, Bella doesn't really have signs and since my ex yelled at her for peeing in the apartment she now hides when she has to pee. It's really fustrating but crating is great and getting her on a schedule of go times is also really important.
Not wanting to go out though is kind of odd. My dog goes nuts as soon as I open the drawer with her leash and harness in it. It's hard to get her to calm down enough to catch her and put it on but she is always calm after I manage to get her. Is there anything outside that might be scaring him? Most animals don't like to pee where they don't feel safe and it sounds like he doesn't like going out. Also, what do you use to walk him, harness? collar? does he get to run around? How often do you walk him?
I'll have to find it again but I had a great article about using crate training in tandem with housebreaking that worked like a charm with Bella. I'll pm you a copy when I find it.

We always take him outside on his leash. I have suspected he was going threw a teen faze and I intend on getting him a training leash and keeping him by my side and see how that goes. I am doing it now as I type and he isn't too fond of being kept close....he is like "what the heck. Where is my freedom". I think he is lost because he is use to going outside when I put the leash on him. Now he is jumping and whimpering because I am not allowing him to romp around the house. I also take him to the dog park about 3 or 4 times a week for a few hours. I have noticed when he comes home, he is well behaved and sleeps like a rock. Never making messes in the house. I suspect him romping free helps burn off excess energy and he is content inside and doesn't look for an outlet.

I understand you frustration with the potty training..

I think you have gotten some good suggestions here.

We got our 1st pup at 9 months old he was already trained. I notice he just about only went poop when we walked him twice a day.

How long has been biting and getting sassy? That may very well be contributed to his temperament or it could be a teenage phase. I wouldn't take that either way. I used a slip lead, so I'd just pull it over the snout and make him go out.

You would correct in assuming that after exercise he is tuckered out. Is there any way you can exercise him more? Or at least provide more mental stimulation? Does he have chews and puzzles?

As far as crate training, I would never recommend putting a dog in a crate all day and watching for signs of needing to eliminate. Often times, dogs poop in the house because they aren't give enough time outside. Stand out there until he's done - he will go. Even if it takes 30 minutes. That should help immensely.

Tethering is a great option, but try to stay active. Too much downtime can make them restless. This is just in my experience. Otherwise, stay diligent. Potty breaks after eating, sleeping, playing, drinking - virtually all the time. There is usually some kind of regression and thats okay.

Just remember, as hard as it is to potty train a puppy, its 1000x harder to potty train a human

I just remembered the main thing with the crate training. You established a schedule for them to potty and then if they didn't after 15 minutes outside you went back inside put them in the crate for 5 or 10 minutes and then tried again. Big praise for going when they did it.

He has always been an aggressive pup, however over the months, he has gotten worse. He is so bad that he will bit the backs of my legs, arms and hands. I have bruises all over my body from him biting so hard. I have tried turning my back and ignoring him; that worked for a short while, but now he gets more loud and aggressive. I honestly don't know what else to do with that problem. My fiance can't stand when he does this to me, and naturally his first instinct is to say BUDDY NO!!! Very loud, all Buddy does is look at him and then me and then continue his aggressive behavior. I have tried distracting him with toys, going for walks, or treats and sometimes the toys work and when he comes back from his walk, within a half hour or so he is at it again. He will do this randomly. I am really hoping he will grow out of this because it's getting to be a serious problem.

That was exactly what Bella did to me for about two or three months. I think it was the teenage thing with her but I spent those months trying to figure it out and then it just kinda stopped. Have you tried any physical corrections? Whenever Bella bites me now when we aren't wrestling I'll turn my hand sideways and shove it all the way down her throat till it hits the back of her jaw. He won't be able to bite you because no teeth back there and it's uncomfortable so he'll want it to stop. Also try grabbing his snout with two fingers on top and your thumb on the bottom (roof of his mouth) when he gets real bad, they can't do more than touch their teeth to you and you can hold thier head in that position till they try to get you off and then release them. Took a few times to get it through her thick head but those worked. Bella only tends to respond to physical corrections when she gets really excited, it's something I'm working on because I don't like using them at all but I also didn't like being chewed on.

I would not reccomend shoving your hand down his throat!

Honestly it sounds like he needs for exercise and combined with teenage phase he's just acting up. Try a lot of mental stimulation, which can tire out a dog just as much as running around. Has he been de-sexed?

Ours are about 6months old and we are still working on the toilet training, but it's getting there slowly. You have to be patient and just keep going, trust me I know it's tough and frustrating, but giving away your dog is not the solution.

I second not doing physical corrections.. I know some people swear by it but I believe that it will teach your dog to fear you, not respect you. I also second that he may just need more exercise. You've been given some great advice, let us know how it goes.

Making your dog uncomfortable for trying to bite you isn't going to make him fear you.
Now if you smack him or kick him or squeeze his muzzle till it hurts, then yes he will probably become afraid to bite you.

If you're not into physical corrections then you could teach him to do a trick for you really well on command. (best one for me is DOWN which means lay down and STAY down until I say OK or give you another command) If he starts mouthing your skin or being a pain, just tell him to drop to the ground and wait for further instruction.

6-18 months can be one of the most difficult times raising your dog, he's pretty much a rebellious teenager that's testing everything he knows. Crating him for a few hours a day while you're at home isn't a bad thing, especially if he's in training.

I would agree that he needs more exercise and I think more obedience training. Have you ever had him in a training class? It sounds like he is being an unruly teenager and you need to put him and his mind to work. How much exercise is he getting? Going to the dog park is not enough exercise for a husky pup around his age. You should also be walking him, probably doing some light jogging as well. Also he can learn bad manners at the dog park if you aren't watching him like a hawk.

I know I asked already, but how much obedience training have you given him? To me it kind of sounds like he's been allowed to do a lot of things he shouldn't of been allowed to do when he was younger. Are you afraid of him? If you are afraid of him biting you, he will sense your tension. I think you should bring a professional trainer to help in my opinion. He shouldn't be allowed to be biting you. If he has been allowed to for months now, you may need the help of a trainer. I suggest you get a positive trainer. He sounds like he has a thick head on his shoulders, and using force would only make him react even worse, at least that's what I think.

I agree with what Sheba said. We're not in the home with you, we can't see whats going on, but from what it sounds like to me if he is getting away with that much in your house he definitely need some tough love NILF and a trainer to get you back on the right path Again, good luck.

Dragonfly wrote:

Making your dog uncomfortable for trying to bite you isn't going to make him fear you.
Now if you smack him or kick him or squeeze his muzzle till it hurts, then yes he will probably become afraid to bite you.

If you're not into physical corrections then you could teach him to do a trick for you really well on command. (best one for me is DOWN which means lay down and STAY down until I say OK or give you another command) If he starts mouthing your skin or being a pain, just tell him to drop to the ground and wait for further instruction.

6-18 months can be one of the most difficult times raising your dog, he's pretty much a rebellious teenager that's testing everything he knows. Crating him for a few hours a day while you're at home isn't a bad thing, especially if he's in training.

Your dog shouldn't fear you, they should respect you!