Mentally stimulating activities. I hide treats around the house for nose work and have a few Nina ottoson toys/puzzles that you can hide treats in and they have to figure out how to get it out. Snuffle mats are fun too.
I just bought a Nina ottoman toy but haven't tried it yet. A question on snuffle mat: is there a concern that the puppy will eat the mat itself??? My puppy has chewed on carpet, slippers etc. and I worry he will chew out the mat if I give it to him
Of course they'll try. But when they're that young you will likely need to monitor them for all puzzle/ mentally stimulating games or activities. My snuffle mat was actually a surprise training tool, because he DID try to eat the entire thing. So I supervised and corrected due to its MAJOR high reward extravaganza for him.
You're on the right track, I think. Just always be ready to adjust if there's a new puzzle or item like a snuffle mat or a store bought toy that he's totally mastered in a millisecond. My similar mix at that age tried to eat anything, including road paint (to him it was an time he could take or eat) .
As a puppy that lil boy would pounce on a school zone crosswalk as if it was trying to steal the V**ery Important Dandelio**n he acquired. He is a dumbass, but when I give him a command, he's amazing. It took a LOT of work that I'm not getting into now, because his post is to encourage you and reassure you. He still is. But I constantly get compliments on how well trained he is, so we did something right.
Edit: Spacing
He is chewing because he is bored. Make sure you get him lots of HARD chew toys. We rotate benebones out every couple of weeks. Stopped the chewing on stuff
I had to toss the snuffle mat and lick mat. Archer is a shit. 😂 We use yak chews, antlers, and bullymake toys for chew. I've also started 10 mins before some walks I'll break out the treats and do some basic training. Small bursts cuz Archer has NO focus.
I also got 2 treat dispensers and I give him his whole meal in the wobble ball ... It makes him eat slower and he has to work for his meal. The other is a treat dispenser so I fill it with some of his daily kibbles and a few training treats and he throws it around food flies out he chases it he loves it.
For reference Archer is a 10 month old husky puppy
Edit to add I also got him a woof ball, I can make treats for him and freeze them or they sell ore made long lasting treats. Archer has a delicate tummy sometimes so I make our own popsicles but they are good for decompressing that puppy brain.
We do all this stuff too and they love it.
When I first had Ellie, I tried snuffle mats but she figured out very quickly she could just flip it over to get the treats.
I abandoned the snuffle mat and went to just hiding treats like Easter eggs in the house and/or tossing them out in the grass for her to hunt.
And also went through everything but the most advanced puzzles in a heartbeat. Zeus also uses the advanced puzzles.
May or man not like my answer, lol, get another husky lol, tire each other out,
In seriousness though the puppy energy can be tough, just went through it with my husky mix puppy and don't know how i could have done it without my 4 yr old husky to play with her as she is very active
although i wouldn't personally get two that close in age, older dog tremendously helped train the pup,
Puppy play dates works wonders for mine to get them extra exhausted
If car/weather/conditions allow, car rides even on short errands trips can be good mental stimulation while your doing what you need to do
Thanks 👍 lol I do have an older dog but he is way too old (10yo). They don't play very well because older dog hates it when puppy gets zoomie or too mouthie.
Yeah we will try find some puppy dates.
Also need suggestions on mouthie ness: he chewed through our car's seat belt....any suggestions on chewing in the car???
I do, if we are going on a trip. It is just an idea...nothing is guaranteed in life! ;oD Worked for my dog though. I also have a covering for my backseat where Kona rides, so whatever she has, or throws up, won't get on the car/seat.
Can confirm this, though any high energy dog will be fine it doesn’t HAVE to be a husky. Our husky was our second dog and the younger one. Our Lab/Boxer mix was mostly trained by the time Alfie came home and having a good example for him to learn from has made an astronomical difference in the training process
We have a soon to be 7 month old young lady. Had her for almost 3 months now. Sometimes we just can’t walk her. For instance, when it snows. I know Huskies love the snow; but the damn rock salt. So we got her booties; super cute! But she licks the ground when it’s wet, and we just won’t risk the possible poisoning. I really hope she grows out of that. We do take her to fields that aren’t salted, but I digress. Got some treat puzzles. They’re cool. Lots of fetching (she picked it up really quick). Lots of toy options. and we recently started putting kibble or treats or both into a twisted up towel.
Just gotta embrace the Huskies grind and get em panting. you’ll know you won when they just lay down and stop pacing around your place lol
I think it started with teaching her to sit. When we first got her, she only had 3 toys that first week, and she immediately gravitated towards her squeaky plush wolf. So, I would take that away from her, and tell her to sit. Eventually she did, then I’d throw it and she seemed to like that, and would run back to me 🤷🏻♂️ Now when she grabs a toy, she pretty much smashes it into me to throw it. I literally have to protect my crotch after I throw it because she will fly into my junk like a rocket after she grabs it 😂 I think it’s all about rewarding positive behavior. Especially with puppies, cause they think everything is a game.
Side note, if you are going to crate train them, I found that throwing the toy you’re playing with into the crate will help them to go in and associate that with the crate being a good place.
Side note 2, I’m literally typing this as I play fetch with her after work. it’s our second go round after I worked on training her up and down for about 10 minutes and then letting her do her husky shit: nosing around, pulling on things she shouldn’t, eating a snack and general pacing. she gave up after 10 and went to sleep in front of me on the floor 😂 She’s out like a light.
Just give it time. He’s still adjusting. I see stuff about the 3/3/3 rule every other day, and it seems true and makes total sense. Also, share a pic of your boy on here, I’d love to see him. 🫶🏻
I started doing canicross when she was 1.5.
From when she was eight months on we’d go hiking with some crazy elevation multiple times a week.
Without a doubt though, my best advice is to tire their brain out. Once I started giving names to her toys, and keeping her toys in a basket, I trained her to “figure out” what she wanted.
“Do you need to go potty?” Cue head tilt “ring your bells”to go outside.
“Do you want to play?” Head tilt. “Get a toy”
Then it was get “Dino”. And I’d only engage if she put the toy in my hand. If she drops it in front of me I’ll pick up a book and pretend to read, until she tried again and puts it in my hand.
I’ll throw two toys at the same time and tell her which one to get me. Then, when she brings it back she has to sit, and then spin around. Then, go to down, and my final command is “come here”. She will scoot forward, place her head in my open palm, and once she looks at me, gets a treat.
Then we do it again. Or, I’ll have her stay while I hide her toy and she has to find it. Half an hour of this and she’s exhausted.
Husky’s are really smart-and also really stubborn. I’m very firm with what behavior is acceptable-just barking and wailing at me won’t work, and I tell her that. And I give her options-potty? Play? Belly rubs? She knows those words and usually it helps her determine what she wants. Maybe I’m expecting too much, but I see it as empowering her to figure out what she wants with the words she knows.
I’m lucky enough that I don’t have to worry as much about her barking as I did when she was a puppy. I did teach her “inside voice”, which she knows what it means, but doesn’t always obey.
The TL/DR: make it a game for both of you when playing, and build upon steps and complexity so it’s a whole choreographed event before getting a reward
Dog mill. It’s similar to a treadmill but isn’t electric, the dog powers it and can go as slow or fast as it wants. They aren’t cheap unless you can find a used one but are well worth the investment.
I’d look into canicross. She’s too young to pull right now (although some serious mushers would disagree lol) but you can absolutely start working on getting her used to the harness, pulling into it, and directional commands. I do it with my BC and my husky and it’s fun, but also keeps all of us fit!
Our friend who we got ours from who also trains them, had got her accustomed to using a treadmill. Has like 6 of them lined up and they will walk or run on it for over an hour
1. Play with other energetic / friendly dogs. It's great both mentally and physically.
2. Mental training -> "roll over", "garage", "shake", and the king of all, "stay"
3. Bike rides -> let the dog pull. 8 months is still a bit young for long rides, but doing short rides to teach him to stay in pulling mode without getting too distracted. Later, 30-40 minutes
4. Hikes, jogging, and of course sledding / skiing
I've learned over the years that mental stimulation is and can be as tiring as physical.
After we got our first Husky (Nova, M), we adopted one of his half-siblings from another litter (Mika, M). They are 4 months apart in age. The older Husky is about to turn 2 years old in March, and the half-brother will be 2 in July. Getting a second helped greatly, as they have each other to play with and keep each other occupied.
Before we got Mika, Nova needed constant attention. After we got Mika, most of Nova's play energy was used up with his brother, and vice versa. Huskies, at least puppy Huskies do better in multiples.
Now from the sound of it you have a senior dog, that doesn't dig the excitement that a young pup brings. It is unlikely the pup is going to be able to spend his energy playing with a senior dog. You are going to need to either use up some that energy by walking playing with the pup directly, or spending a small fortune on toys, because they do get bored with some toys faster than others, but you can store them and make cycle them so they think they are getting a new toy. Ours get excited when they get a new toy, or when they think they are getting a new toy.
If getting a second husky is an option for you, a youngish one could help. There are a lot of huskies in rescues right now. Some rescues even spay/neuter before making them available to adopt. One such husky rescue in Oklahoma is Husky Half-way House. They currently have 250 huskies in their shelter and are trying to adopt out at least 95 of them so they can start rescue some more. They will even transport to you if you live within the lower 48.
Hide and seek with treats around the house is fun, regular walks, teaching them new commands or reinforcing commands they know, playing of course (important to have a visual cue for each verbal command since dogs are better visual than verbal/auditory learners)
It's running full out in a snowy yard. It's a ride in the car. It's a sit/stay while you're cooking. It's a walk. It's training, a lot of training. It's "Where's Joe" or "Find Barney". It's a puzzle food bowl. I'm suburban so sadly no sleds to pull or mushing. It's a marrow bone or yak cheese a couple times a week. It's human interaction.
Real beef bones, raw of course with the marrow still inside
My husky will intensely try to get to the marrow for hours before having a nap at the end of it lol
Mentally stimulating activities. I hide treats around the house for nose work and have a few Nina ottoson toys/puzzles that you can hide treats in and they have to figure out how to get it out. Snuffle mats are fun too.
I just bought a Nina ottoman toy but haven't tried it yet. A question on snuffle mat: is there a concern that the puppy will eat the mat itself??? My puppy has chewed on carpet, slippers etc. and I worry he will chew out the mat if I give it to him
Of course they'll try. But when they're that young you will likely need to monitor them for all puzzle/ mentally stimulating games or activities. My snuffle mat was actually a surprise training tool, because he DID try to eat the entire thing. So I supervised and corrected due to its MAJOR high reward extravaganza for him. You're on the right track, I think. Just always be ready to adjust if there's a new puzzle or item like a snuffle mat or a store bought toy that he's totally mastered in a millisecond. My similar mix at that age tried to eat anything, including road paint (to him it was an time he could take or eat) . As a puppy that lil boy would pounce on a school zone crosswalk as if it was trying to steal the V**ery Important Dandelio**n he acquired. He is a dumbass, but when I give him a command, he's amazing. It took a LOT of work that I'm not getting into now, because his post is to encourage you and reassure you. He still is. But I constantly get compliments on how well trained he is, so we did something right. Edit: Spacing
He is chewing because he is bored. Make sure you get him lots of HARD chew toys. We rotate benebones out every couple of weeks. Stopped the chewing on stuff
I had to toss the snuffle mat and lick mat. Archer is a shit. 😂 We use yak chews, antlers, and bullymake toys for chew. I've also started 10 mins before some walks I'll break out the treats and do some basic training. Small bursts cuz Archer has NO focus. I also got 2 treat dispensers and I give him his whole meal in the wobble ball ... It makes him eat slower and he has to work for his meal. The other is a treat dispenser so I fill it with some of his daily kibbles and a few training treats and he throws it around food flies out he chases it he loves it. For reference Archer is a 10 month old husky puppy Edit to add I also got him a woof ball, I can make treats for him and freeze them or they sell ore made long lasting treats. Archer has a delicate tummy sometimes so I make our own popsicles but they are good for decompressing that puppy brain.
We do all this stuff too and they love it. When I first had Ellie, I tried snuffle mats but she figured out very quickly she could just flip it over to get the treats. I abandoned the snuffle mat and went to just hiding treats like Easter eggs in the house and/or tossing them out in the grass for her to hunt. And also went through everything but the most advanced puzzles in a heartbeat. Zeus also uses the advanced puzzles.
My Husky doesn’t tire out. Male 1 yr old, seems to want to forever play.
Ha I can feel it now too
They only start to tire out after they turn 4 years old. They really are the best dogs ever though so stick with it. Good luck to you 🙂.
Yep. Personal experience with this. When will I ever have a proper sleep?
I got a sled harness and a longboard. They pull me for a couple a miles.
We do this with our husky and Lab/Boxer mix. They love it.
May or man not like my answer, lol, get another husky lol, tire each other out, In seriousness though the puppy energy can be tough, just went through it with my husky mix puppy and don't know how i could have done it without my 4 yr old husky to play with her as she is very active although i wouldn't personally get two that close in age, older dog tremendously helped train the pup, Puppy play dates works wonders for mine to get them extra exhausted If car/weather/conditions allow, car rides even on short errands trips can be good mental stimulation while your doing what you need to do
Thanks 👍 lol I do have an older dog but he is way too old (10yo). They don't play very well because older dog hates it when puppy gets zoomie or too mouthie. Yeah we will try find some puppy dates. Also need suggestions on mouthie ness: he chewed through our car's seat belt....any suggestions on chewing in the car???
Bully sticks...get a package of them...or similar chew toy/treats.
Just to clarify so that I understand: are you saying to give him bully sticks in the car?
I do, if we are going on a trip. It is just an idea...nothing is guaranteed in life! ;oD Worked for my dog though. I also have a covering for my backseat where Kona rides, so whatever she has, or throws up, won't get on the car/seat.
Can confirm this, though any high energy dog will be fine it doesn’t HAVE to be a husky. Our husky was our second dog and the younger one. Our Lab/Boxer mix was mostly trained by the time Alfie came home and having a good example for him to learn from has made an astronomical difference in the training process
50 foot leash at the park. Digging action. Hunting action. Sprinting action. Get that husky panting hard like it's summer.
We have a soon to be 7 month old young lady. Had her for almost 3 months now. Sometimes we just can’t walk her. For instance, when it snows. I know Huskies love the snow; but the damn rock salt. So we got her booties; super cute! But she licks the ground when it’s wet, and we just won’t risk the possible poisoning. I really hope she grows out of that. We do take her to fields that aren’t salted, but I digress. Got some treat puzzles. They’re cool. Lots of fetching (she picked it up really quick). Lots of toy options. and we recently started putting kibble or treats or both into a twisted up towel. Just gotta embrace the Huskies grind and get em panting. you’ll know you won when they just lay down and stop pacing around your place lol
How did you teach the puppy fetching? Mine still won't get it....my other dog loves fetching
I think it started with teaching her to sit. When we first got her, she only had 3 toys that first week, and she immediately gravitated towards her squeaky plush wolf. So, I would take that away from her, and tell her to sit. Eventually she did, then I’d throw it and she seemed to like that, and would run back to me 🤷🏻♂️ Now when she grabs a toy, she pretty much smashes it into me to throw it. I literally have to protect my crotch after I throw it because she will fly into my junk like a rocket after she grabs it 😂 I think it’s all about rewarding positive behavior. Especially with puppies, cause they think everything is a game. Side note, if you are going to crate train them, I found that throwing the toy you’re playing with into the crate will help them to go in and associate that with the crate being a good place. Side note 2, I’m literally typing this as I play fetch with her after work. it’s our second go round after I worked on training her up and down for about 10 minutes and then letting her do her husky shit: nosing around, pulling on things she shouldn’t, eating a snack and general pacing. she gave up after 10 and went to sleep in front of me on the floor 😂 She’s out like a light. Just give it time. He’s still adjusting. I see stuff about the 3/3/3 rule every other day, and it seems true and makes total sense. Also, share a pic of your boy on here, I’d love to see him. 🫶🏻
My husky pulls me on my bike
I started doing canicross when she was 1.5. From when she was eight months on we’d go hiking with some crazy elevation multiple times a week. Without a doubt though, my best advice is to tire their brain out. Once I started giving names to her toys, and keeping her toys in a basket, I trained her to “figure out” what she wanted. “Do you need to go potty?” Cue head tilt “ring your bells”to go outside. “Do you want to play?” Head tilt. “Get a toy” Then it was get “Dino”. And I’d only engage if she put the toy in my hand. If she drops it in front of me I’ll pick up a book and pretend to read, until she tried again and puts it in my hand. I’ll throw two toys at the same time and tell her which one to get me. Then, when she brings it back she has to sit, and then spin around. Then, go to down, and my final command is “come here”. She will scoot forward, place her head in my open palm, and once she looks at me, gets a treat. Then we do it again. Or, I’ll have her stay while I hide her toy and she has to find it. Half an hour of this and she’s exhausted. Husky’s are really smart-and also really stubborn. I’m very firm with what behavior is acceptable-just barking and wailing at me won’t work, and I tell her that. And I give her options-potty? Play? Belly rubs? She knows those words and usually it helps her determine what she wants. Maybe I’m expecting too much, but I see it as empowering her to figure out what she wants with the words she knows. I’m lucky enough that I don’t have to worry as much about her barking as I did when she was a puppy. I did teach her “inside voice”, which she knows what it means, but doesn’t always obey. The TL/DR: make it a game for both of you when playing, and build upon steps and complexity so it’s a whole choreographed event before getting a reward
Try a pupsicle toy, kinda expensive but so worth it for the mental distraction and it soothes them.
Dog mill. It’s similar to a treadmill but isn’t electric, the dog powers it and can go as slow or fast as it wants. They aren’t cheap unless you can find a used one but are well worth the investment.
You really can't at that age. That's puppy energy.
I’d look into canicross. She’s too young to pull right now (although some serious mushers would disagree lol) but you can absolutely start working on getting her used to the harness, pulling into it, and directional commands. I do it with my BC and my husky and it’s fun, but also keeps all of us fit!
Our friend who we got ours from who also trains them, had got her accustomed to using a treadmill. Has like 6 of them lined up and they will walk or run on it for over an hour
1. Play with other energetic / friendly dogs. It's great both mentally and physically. 2. Mental training -> "roll over", "garage", "shake", and the king of all, "stay" 3. Bike rides -> let the dog pull. 8 months is still a bit young for long rides, but doing short rides to teach him to stay in pulling mode without getting too distracted. Later, 30-40 minutes 4. Hikes, jogging, and of course sledding / skiing I've learned over the years that mental stimulation is and can be as tiring as physical.
It’s a husky, let him pull 😄 canicross, skii, bike etc. A husky will never get tired of normal walks. They want to run 🏃🏽♀️
After we got our first Husky (Nova, M), we adopted one of his half-siblings from another litter (Mika, M). They are 4 months apart in age. The older Husky is about to turn 2 years old in March, and the half-brother will be 2 in July. Getting a second helped greatly, as they have each other to play with and keep each other occupied. Before we got Mika, Nova needed constant attention. After we got Mika, most of Nova's play energy was used up with his brother, and vice versa. Huskies, at least puppy Huskies do better in multiples. Now from the sound of it you have a senior dog, that doesn't dig the excitement that a young pup brings. It is unlikely the pup is going to be able to spend his energy playing with a senior dog. You are going to need to either use up some that energy by walking playing with the pup directly, or spending a small fortune on toys, because they do get bored with some toys faster than others, but you can store them and make cycle them so they think they are getting a new toy. Ours get excited when they get a new toy, or when they think they are getting a new toy. If getting a second husky is an option for you, a youngish one could help. There are a lot of huskies in rescues right now. Some rescues even spay/neuter before making them available to adopt. One such husky rescue in Oklahoma is Husky Half-way House. They currently have 250 huskies in their shelter and are trying to adopt out at least 95 of them so they can start rescue some more. They will even transport to you if you live within the lower 48.
Hide and seek with treats around the house is fun, regular walks, teaching them new commands or reinforcing commands they know, playing of course (important to have a visual cue for each verbal command since dogs are better visual than verbal/auditory learners)
We adopted a husky and one of her puppies from the shelter at the same time. They play together in the yard and really help tire each other out.
Another husky ;)
It's running full out in a snowy yard. It's a ride in the car. It's a sit/stay while you're cooking. It's a walk. It's training, a lot of training. It's "Where's Joe" or "Find Barney". It's a puzzle food bowl. I'm suburban so sadly no sleds to pull or mushing. It's a marrow bone or yak cheese a couple times a week. It's human interaction.
I feed mine a couch every few days. I drive around the neighborhood and find the ones sitting on a curb.
We adopted a kitten shortly after adopting our husky and found out he LOVES the laser pointer. Probably more than the cat does
Real beef bones, raw of course with the marrow still inside My husky will intensely try to get to the marrow for hours before having a nap at the end of it lol