My husky stamps her paws. Is she playing or seeking attention?

This is a very common behavior, and usually is endearing, though occasionally annoying. ;) Generally the thought is that dogs just want to confirm that they approve of your petting them or reaffirm that they don’t want you to move the hand that’s petting them. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Congratulations on your new puppy! This behavior is pretty normal for puppies. There are some theories regarding what causes it, but it does take puppies a little while to be self aware and determine which body parts belong to them. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

Having had Siberians for over 40 years, I can attest to the fact that they can be pretty determined when it comes to doing what they want. That is not to say, however, that they are untrainable. I would suggest that you stop two of your interventions right away. All dogs live in the present. They can't guess the future, nor can they remember the past. So a time out is absolutely worthless as a training tool. Further, offering a toy when a dog is misbehaving is actually offering a reward! Also, you need to be very judicious with hand-feeding, or she may dome to expect to be fed that way, and you'll have to break her of the habit. I can help with your problem, but would need more information. You can click on the prompt to initiate a consult, where we can talk back-and-forth about this issue.

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. From your description, I suspect this is more likely play-related, although it's impossible to say for sure without observing the behaviors in person. Huskies are very high energy dogs, and it's common for them to get extra excited & wound-up when they get to play outside. Sometimes their playfulness can get carried away, especially with smaller children who don't have the same degree of authority or confidence around the dog. I would be very careful with your 2-year-old around her, as she could work herself up and hurt your daughter, even if she doesn't mean to. Of course, if you're concerned that these might be moments of aggression rather than rough play, it's absolutely worth getting input from a reputable trainer or behaviorist. Your vet should be able to recommend someone in your area. Alternatively, if you are planning to see your primary vet soon, you can try to catch any of Luna's moments of excitement on video, and show those short videos to your vet next time you're in to get their input on her behavior. I hope this helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Pip. From the pictures, her behavior appears playful. Puppies will commonly nip and mouth around the necks and muzzles of adult dogs. As long as her tail is wagging and she is not forcefully growly, then I suspect this is normal play behavior. You can always enroll her in puppy classes as this will help her socialization and to learn how to appropriately play with other dogs. I hope this information helps!

Huskies can be very smart and stubborn. It sounds like Nebula may be testing the waters and also potentially showing some resource guarding or play aggression. The best thing you can do for her is to take her to obedience classes. It will help with her socialization as well as getting her to listen to you. You can also hire a trainer to help you work with her. Proper training is super important at this age so that bad behavior does not become a permanent habit as an adult. Also making sure she has plenty of exercise is important. Going for regular walks, dog parks, and even agility centers are great! Just make sure she stays as cool as possible with the summer heat!

Having had Siberians for more than forty years, I know just what you mean about training. Many people try to train their dogs by "making" them do something and then rewarding them for it . . . such as saying "give me your paw," grabbing it and raising it, and then praising. Instead, try to catch Troy doing what you want, name the behavior, and then reward him for it. For example, if he puts his paw on your knee, say "Shake (or whatever comand you want to use), good dog!" and reward. This is a different kind of conditioning and can be very useful with stubborn, hard-to-train breeds. If you would like additional information about this, just click on the prompt to initiate a consult and I can help you further with specific tricks. Good luck!