Rehoming or PTS??

RE: Rehoming or PTS??

corinne chennell — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 13:19:08 GMT

Definately not cause to PTS, but does need very strict management.. Don't forget if he is collie/husky mix then not surpised he has a very strong chase instinct, as thats what he's bred to do, coupled with if he has bullbreed in him you will get the pulldown behaviour also.. but then unfortunately takes it to far.. A behaviorist would be your very best bet.. Any behaviour modication programme will take at least 6-12 months to start seeing results, although he would never ever be trust worthly with any sheep/cat etc as the chase instinct is very strong! So you will always have to manage this for the rest of his life.

Definately dog proof your garden, Husky's are excellant jumpers,and no off lead exercise until seen behaviourist etc and then only in safe areas. I would also consider muzzle so if a accident did happen then he physically cannot use his teeth

consider other ways you can allow him to use he's chase instinct, but safely with activities that are allowed, such as fetch etc

Are you giving him enough exercise?? Husky's demend huge amounts of exercise, and lots of Husky people often run them using bikes/scooters etc as they generally cant let them off lead safely. Don't forget if there is Collie in there also they need heaps of exercise also, but huge amounts of mental stimulation to prevent unwanted behaviour traits appearing just out of shear boredom, and both breeds are very high strung working dogs, and not for the faint hearted.

As you said i'm sure he is a fab dog, but a very demanding one, and is going to need huge amounts of time, and training, so would definately consider a new home for him if you are not able to give him what he needs in order to prevent the unwanted behaviours that he is currently starting to show. If he is mentally and physically exhausted then all he should want to do is sleep!

I hope behaviorist helps, and totally know how you feel.. My very demanding dog is ten now, and did every bad behaviour in the book.. It took 3-4 years of consistent training and bloody hard work, but she is fab now and I wouldnt change her for the world:-)

RE: Rehoming or PTS??

jojofruits — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 12:38:18 GMT

I'm assuming he is neutered?

I think definately the best bet is a behaviourist who is properly registered, They will quickly see any changes you can do to help in this situation

worrying sheep is not acceptable

RE: Rehoming or PTS??

suz85 — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 21:40:44 GMT

Huskies are renowned for being able to jump VERY high and get over most fences, so the first thing I would be doing is looking at making sure your garden is 100% escape proof.

My ridgeback would chase sheep given half a chance, so we make sure he never, ever gets one. Ever. We keep him on lead when we go hillwalking so he doesn't get an opportunity to chase them. He does get daily off lead exercise, but we choose our walks carefully (a lot of forestry commission land lol). He is 7years old and I have accepted it is part of him, so I choose to manage it.

With regards to chasing and killing cats, again, I would make sure he never gets an opportunity to do so, keep him on lead around peoples gardens etc, and only gets off lead in safe areas.

How were you trying to get him to lie down? If you were using force, he may just have been resenting it. Chances are he was just wound up and excited as he was playing with another dog, I'd personally have used a toy or treat to lure him away from other dog and distract him, then asked him to go into a sit then a down to give him a time out, but if you simply interrupted play to get him to lie down, he was just not for having it, as he would be having too much fun. By grumbling and lifting his lip, he was letting you know he wasn't happy, so I'd be looking at why he wasn't and working from there.

I personally wouldn't be putting him to sleep because of these reasons, I'd be working with him to improve his behaviours. Has he been to any classes? Might be an idea, as would give you a chance to work on his distraction techniques etc.

Good luck!