Firstly, I live across the river and I'd love to see Kaia sometime! Once she has her shots, maybe she and Cal can play at the dog park.

Now back on topic, I think you've already started building a positive relationship with the crate. Has she started going in to lay down at all without you physically moving her? I don't think you have to worry about the tiring out on days when you don't have time. Callie is a lab/boxer mix which pretty much equals never ending energy. There's been plenty of in and out days or not coming home til late days when I don't have time to tire her out. She doesn't necessarily like being put back in the crate when all she wants to do is play, but she cooperates if you bribe her with a treat.

I think most puppies are too nosy to go in the crate on their own unless you're sitting there in the same room and even then they might like to be closer to you instead. When you put her in at night, i'd introduce your crate command (we use "in"). Then you can work on it every time you catch her entering the crate, even if it is just to grab the treat and leave again. She'll still associate the command with having to be in the crate.

I've never had a dog that actually wanted to be in the crate, mostly because they're all spoiled brats. So it's understandable that sometimes you're going to have to leave and she's not going to be tired. I don't think she'll turn that over to not wanting to be in there at night because at that point, she's tired and just wants to sleep. Usually, when I have to put Callie in the crate so I can leave, I give her a stuffed kong or a toy covered with frozen peanut butter. This occupies her for a bit and gives her enough mental stimulation that she doesn't mind being caged up.

I agree that you have already taken the steps to make the crate a positive thing for her! With Nikko I would always give him a treat when I put him in the crate, and he usually does not mind going inside, and will even go in on his own. Like you I don’t have time to tire them out everytime I put them in the crate, so sometimes they are not happy about it. I haven’t worried too much about it and have not had any problems so far. It did take Nikko a several months before he would willingly go in his crate, even with treats.

Jason,

Thanks for the reassurance.

Hey guys, Im new to the forum and to being a Husky onwer.

Im going to pick out my pup in about a week, and then I have to wait another week or two until hes big enough for me to take home with me, since hes only 5 weeks old I think. Anyways, Im on the fence on what I should do about the crate training...

My dad doesnt want the dog in my room -_- I would LOVE for my husky to just sleep on my bed or his little bed, and I feel like that would save me from the midnight crate crying lol But since my dad is against haveing the dog in my room, he might have to be in the basement.

Note: Dont worry, the basement is brand new, and can easily be rented out because its like a small house.

Thats not what Im worried about. I had read in a book that on the first few days/night your puppy should be close enough to you so he doesnt worry. Thing is, if my puppy sleeps in the basement, it wont be anywhere near me because my room is in the attic. Do you think this will be a problem? ;_; Because when I wake up after 2-3 hours to let him outside to potty, i will have to put him in the crate again, shut the lights off, and go back to my room, and the whinning will start all over.

I read a few of what you guys had to say, and that having the tv on, or a small radio will soothe the puppy somewhat. Which is perfect if it was in my room, because I always leave my tv on and have it really low, because the noise soothes ME lol I know, I sound like a child.

Anyways, which do you guys think would be best? Just waiting for my dad to go to bed (He goes to bed really early) and then when I head to bed sneak him up with me? And do the routine I had planned out. Or should I just leave him in the basement? Or does either one work out well?

[Got to doggy proof my room and hope the pup decides not to piss in my room, wich was another reason why I was a bit nervous to put him up there] Hope my questions wernt to weird, dumb or confusing for you guys :/ I didnt know how to explain. I want my pup to be potty trained, and crate trained for when I have to go to wrok, but then for sleeping, I wanted him to be around me so he felt comfy and I wouldnt feel bad about the whinning lol

Puppies need to go out every 2-3 hours a night (i set my alarm every 2 1/2 hours when Kale was small to take him out). I don't recommend having your pup sleep in bed with you without a crate as he/she will be too young to be unattended in a room with so many things to get injured with while you sleep (even when you do puppy-proof, huskies are relentless in finding things to chew, swallow, and possibly choke on or cause an obstruction). I highly recommend crate training, as it keeps your pup in a safe place while you sleep/go on errands/go to work etc.

Now, down the road, when your pup can hold it through the night and he is trained and more reliable, then you can introduce your room as a place to spend the night. I let Kale start sleeping in my room when he was 5 months. This forum has lots of threads and information on crate training. I'd do a search and read what others have done and their experiences with it

^^ Thanks so much Alright, so it looks like the best thing to do is crate train him in the basemnet, and when hes old enough, ill let him sleep on my bed with me. I know that when they are puppies, they go ever like 2 hours. Man, thats going to be fun lol Ill have an alarm on my phone ready, let him out in the back yard and then do it all over.

When did your puppies start to be more relaxed in the crate? As in, when did they stop crying and panicing? My last dog (not a husky) took about a month or so to finally be able to sleep in the basement with no trouble. Though I felt horrible everytime I heard him cry ;_;

Brooke has a point, but I do not crate mine at night and never have. When I got Cato he was designated his own bed and stayed there ( I am lucky, I suppose) most of the time I even had to wake him up to take him out.

Awww, and your huskies are adorable <33

Hmm, see I would love to do that, Im a little skeptical though if my pup will behave so well on the first couple of days. I think I may just crate train him for the first 3 months, then see if he can handle a night in my room. If it goes bad, then Ill continue to have him sleep in the basement in his crate.

I hope my husky will be a cuddler, maybe thats why I wanted him to start off in my room so early? To have him get use to the idea. But I heard that a lot of the times Huskies dont really like cuddling or seek attention. Though I know every husky is different XD

Tika stayed in our bedroom with us in her crate for the first few months. She threw the biggest fit if we left her in another room. We got up to let her out once during the night (chris goes to bed late and we wake up early so it wasnt too bad for timing)
After a while we left the crate door open and had her teathered to the bed to make sure she didnt chase a cat, then we moved to loose in the room with the door closed, then she just had the run of the house! She was 3.5 months when we first got her, and I think about by 6 months she was loose. it went really well. Ripley simply curls up on her bed, or on the floor between my side of the bed and the wall.
It will really depend on the dog. but if he/she is all alone all night, expect a few LOUD nights. Tika shut up as soon as we brought her into our room. after that, peice of cake.

Just my 2 cents, hope that helps,
Kelly

Oh! Thanks Kelly, it does help See, I was thinking of that as well. Having the crate in my room too, either right across from my bed or right next to it, but the crate door stays shut. Maybe I will try it that way, and when he gets potty trained, then Ill let him have more than the crate to sleep.

Im mainly worried about how well he will do when its time for me to go off to work. My work hours arnt any more than 5 hours, so Im wondering if the pup will be okay in the crate for 5 hours? I have heard of trainers leaving their dog in for longer periodes of time. I was hoping to feed him and let him go pee/poop before I put him in the crate and run to work. Then come back home and let him out to go again since I know their bladders dont hold that long when they are puppies.

Just remember the age of the puppy when you get him. Rule of thumb in many of the housetraining books is 2 hours at most for a puppy 6-8 weeks. And only 3-4 hours for one 8-10 weeks. At such a young age, he won't be used to sleeping by himself and may cry for companionship. One thing that helped me was sleeping on an air mattress next to the crate for the first few days. This may be especially helpful since he will be in the basement all by himself. Also consider some sort of (safe chew) stuffed animal or toy that gives him something to cuddle up to. I have also seen recommendations of sounds (i.e. heartbeat, clock tick-tock, or other white noise) being played during the night -- that didn't work well for me, he HATED the stimulation.

Think about feeding him in the crate the first few days as well. Creating that positive association will be very helpful in the long-run. After a couple of days, you could switch to feeding in the normal designated area and start leaving treats in the crate for him to find on his own. After just 3 weeks, my puppy will walk into his crate and fall asleep on his own. I can leave the door open and he goes in and out several times throughout the day.

Good luck!!! How much longer until you get him/her?

^ Thanks so much. I think Im going to have him sleep in my room ((him being in the crate)) and see how that works out. Ill try the little noise so he wont get scared, since I usually have a fan or the tv on low during the night. If it still doesnt work, then I might bring him to the basement and camp it out there for a few days. The sofa down there pulls out into a bed, so It wouldnt be much of a problem

Alright let me try and explain this whole situation about me picking him up because its kinda complicated to understand unless I explain everything XD So I emailed the breeder asking when the next litter was due, she said that she JUST had a litter of puppies like two days ago. I asked what color and she told me they were a peachy color, and that was the only color. She then said she would have another littler in about a week and they would be all gray. So THIS friday, is when the gray litter will be born. So this Sunday or possibly the next Sunday or Saterday, Im going to go and check out both litters to pick a puppy out. Im reserving it, since neither litter will be old enough to be taken away from the mother. So offically, I wont be a owner until....2 more weeks after I pick out the puppy. So like 3 weeks if I pick a peach colored husky, and a little longer than 4 weeks if I pick the gray one LoL

So it will be about a month if I pick gray. And about an additional 2 weeks if I pick the peachy ones. I dont mind waiting ((okay I actually do)) but since I dont have the cage and the bed, and some chew toys, Im not exactly 100% ready. I got everything else XD

So the pup will only be 4-5 weeks old when you bring him or her home from the breeder? I know you're excited about getting the pup and you don't want to wait, but that's WAY too early to be bringing a puppy home. They learn a lot of crucial socialization from their mom and sibs between about 6-8 weeks, and it's really important for their development for them to stay with their pack during this time. It's not impossible, but it will be significantly harder to raise a puppy taken that early and you will have some serious bite inhibition issues on your hands. I would strongly recommend you talk to this breeder and see if you can wait until the puppy is a little older before you actually take it home.

^^^

What Meredith said. I personally prefer even requesting to allow my dog to stay with it's breeder until the 3 month mark.

waiting 2 or 3 extra weeks to hit the 8 week mark will pay off ten fold in the end when training time comes around.


If you commit to buying the pup, leaving a deposit, and offering to pay for it's food during the extra time it would stay with it's pack most, if not all, reputable breeders will accept.

It's just something to think over. I would rather have as well adjusted a puppy as I can.... The puppy year is hard enough as it is....

~Chris~

Seconding the above advice from Meredith and Chris.

6 weeks is really early for a sibe. If this breeder is reputable, you said it came on recommendation from a friend, then they should have a minimum age requirement before releasing the pups. They need a lot of socialisation when they are that young, 8 weeks is a minimum IMO.
If the breeder pushes you to take it at 6 weeks, maybe start asking questions about their practices and look into reseaching other breeders or adoption.

Please strongly consider this before bringing it home. It will ease in the training and social aspects later on if your dog is given enough time with the mother.

Kelly

Oopse, no he will be 8 weeks when I get him ^^; That was my fault, I dont even nkow why I said I would get him in an additonal 2 weeks 0.o No worries guys, Im sure this Breeder is legit. I second checked with my friend ((Who got his husky from the same breeder)) and he told me he wasnt allowed to take his pup until he was 8 weeks.

Sorry to worry you guys XD I read the "How to find a good Breeder" thread, and I was told that if a breeder is willing to part with a pup earlier than 8 weeks, dont get the pup from him or her. But, Im going to email her, and ask just in case! Ill ask how old the pups are from one litter. Im not sure exactly how old the peach colored ones are, I just know that when I had asked, she said that she had a litter already. So Im gunna check OFFICALLY how old they are, instead of making assumptions ^^;

Again, sorry to worry you guys Lol Though Im happy to see a lot of you being really strong about this and letting me know whats up. So thanks again

Thanks for the clarification! We just want to make sure you're going to get a great dog (not to say that great dogs *don't* come from lousy breeding, just higher risk of issues), and it really sounds like you've done your homework. Best of luck, and can't wait to see the puppy pics

Haha yeah, sorry for the mix up XD I just emailed the breeder with a few questions! I asked how old the other littler of puppies are, and then what is the age she is willing to part with her pups. If she tells me anything lower than 8 weeks, then it looks like Im back to looking for new breeders close by ;_;

Yeah, I know this breed is a lot of work, so I need to get a lot of research done. Well, I got about a month or a little more until I can offically take one home with me. Plus I got lots of people now to ask for any advice, which again, is awesome.

I have a two year old husky that I recently adopted. The breeder I got him from said he is crate trained. Unfortunately, I don't think he was. I put him in the crate only twice: in the morning when I go to school (only Monday and Wednesday) and at night for sleep. He is very good at night, the crate is in my bedroom and he sleeps peacefully without a sound. However in the morning when I leave him alone at home, he wines, howls and cries the moment I close the door.

The people I live with are complaining. He is way too loud and wakes my roommates. What should I do?

Have you tried all the suggestions in the initial post?

Yeah I've done everything I can find on the internet. I play movies and music for him but nothing can keep him quiet. He has a giant bone that he normally loves but he doesn't even care about the bone when I leave him alone.

You should start desensitizing him to your leaving. I think somewhere in here, there's a post that explains what I mean. Let me see if I can find it.

Here it is from another post:

Quote :

Unfortunately, what you are experiencing is the result of trying to crate train a husky during the "teenage rebellion" time and right in the heart of it. Just judging by her "I love my crate during the day but hate it when you are gone," it's pretty easy to tell. Sucks....

However, like Sam said, it's the anxiety making the anxiety. So, I would take a weekend day and start working on the separation anxiety (this WILL take almost a whole day). Start by figuring out what sets her off. Is it picking up your keys? Leaving the house? And go from there. It sounds like it might be the leaving part that does the trick, so here goes....The trick is to be CALM about this entire process. Almost as if she wasn't there. Don't react to her.

1. Put her in the crate (give her a treat just like you were leaving-- whatever it is that you do).
2. Walk to the door. Pause.
3. Turn around, take her out and do what you do for five minutes.
4. Put her in the crate (same with the treat).
5. Walk to the door. Open it. Pause.
6. Turn around and let her out, relax for 5.
7. Put her in the crate (treat).
8. Walk to the door. Open it. Walk through. Close behind you. Pause.
9. Turn around, let her out, and relax for 5 mins.
10. Put her in the crate (treat).
11. Go through the door. Shut it behind you. Pause for 5 mins.
12. Turn around, let her out, and relax for 5 mins.

I'm hoping you get the point. This should continue until you are out the door/house for 10 mins. 20 mins. 30 mins. 1 hour. So on and so forth.

It's a huge commitment, but doing this once, sometimes even a couple of times should help desensitize her.

The trick is that she's good going in because you are there. She's good coming out... because you are there. It's the in between that she's freaking out (like you said) and the problem is: you aren't there. So you need to show her that it doesn't matter HOW long you are gone... you are her people and you are coming back. You will ALWAYS come back.

Not to guilt you or anything, but if your husband is still thinking of giving her up, that's the absolute WORST thing you can do. A dog with separation anxiety is petrified that it's going to be abandoned. And well, giving her up would completely play into her fears.

So take a few days, take a weekend, to really work with her on this. I think you'll see some results fairly quickly if you do.

Tori,

Thank you so much for finding that. I want to make sure Juno doesn't mind her crate. The adoption agency says she is fully crate trained but she becomes a nervous wreck as soon as I close the door to leave. Oddly enough, even the bathroom door.

Ok well first thing is first... If you live in your parents house you have to follow their rules... I recommend that for the first few nights maybe sleep in the basement with your puppy. Sleep on the floor next to him but leave him in his cage. Maybe down the road when your pup is older and well behaves your dad will let him up with you.. I assume your dads reasoning is he doesnt want to wake up to whining all night.