Best ways to off-leash train a stubborn Siberian Husky puppy?

As someone who has had Siberians for over forty years, I can assure you that he is not being bad. But you are correct in saying that you have to be smarter than he is. You must be very consistent with your commands, and enforce them every time. DO not give in to him if he wants to play and you don't. You ned to decidee right now, today, who is going to be the boss in your house . . . Atlas or you. I would advise that you take him to a good obedience school right away, so you can learn how to handle him. If any instructor tells you his is a problem, find a different school. Many trainers own easy dogs like Golden Retrievers, Border Collies, etc. and do not understand the SIberian temperament. Someone familiar with the Northern breed dogs would be your best bet. For more help with this, just click on the prompt to initiate a consult.

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!

Oh Eska - she's doing what she was bred to do: pull! I am a fellow husky owner and can relate :-) I recommend teaching her to wear a "Gentle Leader" collar - these can work wonders with dogs who are leash pullers. The collar comes with a little instructional DVD, and it is definitely worth watching to make sure you have a good fit and train her to use it appropriately, as there is a little bit of technique to it. Here's their website: http://www.petsafe.net/gentleleader If you're interested, it may also be beneficial to harness her desire to pull and help tire her out. Huskies have amazing amounts of energy, and her love of pulling can be used to your advantage in getting her exercise. She can be taught to pull a sled, or a scooter, or a person on rollerblades or skis... if you can get her to work off some of that excessive energy, she may be less inclined to pull you on a leash! Of course, if you are going to encourage her to pull sometimes, you need to make it very clear to her when she is to pull and when she is not. When she is asked to pull, she should be wearing an appropriate sled dog harness such as this one: http://kondosoutdoors.com/shop/dog-harnesses/ And here's a great beginner book for sled dog training basics: https://www.amazon.com/Ski-Spot-Run-Enchanting-Dog-Powered/dp/0974801100 We want it to be clear to her that when she's wearing the sled dog harness, she can pull, and when she's wearing the Gentle Leader, she should not. Hope this helps!

In my experience training is an on going process. If you stop training the desired behaviors tend to wane over time. It may only take a few minutes a day to reinforce the desired behaviors and continue to train. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Unfortunately it sounds like your dog needs some structured training. I'm sure it was a horrible experience for you when she escaped. As owners we are totally responsible for our dogs and anything that they do, so she needs some help as next time you might not be so lucky in terms if the consqequences of her being loose and uncontrollable. In this instance I would encourage you to employ the help of a local and well regarded dog trainer. Huskies require strong and direct leadership so I recommend getting a trainer to help you deliver this. They will not only train the dog, but will train you in the best way to react to her and channel her energy. In the mean time I would invest in a collar or another harness as a fail safe in case she gets loose again.

Ideally, a dog should work for your praise rather than a treat or toy. The fact that she walks away when you try a recall tells me that you are working her off-lead before she has become reliable on-lead. And when you go after her, it turns into a game of "catch me if you can" for her.If possible, enroll her in a basic obedience class. Do all of her training with her on the leash until she performs well every time. Keep practice sessions short--about ten minutes--but always end on a positive note. If you need more info, you can click on the prompt to initiate a consult. By the way . . . I have Suomenpystykorva, FInland's National Dog! Good luck with your training.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like you've got yourself a pretty picky Husky! As long as she does not have any food sensitivities or allergies, I would recommend boiling some chicken or ground turkey to use as a tasty treat that is low in fat. This is what I have to do for my own dog. She will likely consider this a much more rewarding treat than plain kibble, and hopefully motivate her to be trained into a sitting or laying down position. I hope this helps!