How to Train a Husky to Not Run Away

Hello Chloe, Isla is probably acting on her natural instinct to wander and explore. Huskies are known for being wanderers so it is likely genetic and not because she does not love you. There are two ways to prevent her wandering. The first is to build a six foot fence to contain her. The other is to hire a local trainer with experience using electric collars to teach firm boundary training. For some dogs, the boundary training will be enough and they will respect staying within that area after the training without any form of additional fence. For others, they will need the additional step of an electric boundary system, such as an electric fence, to enforce that training. I highly recommend hiring a trainer to teach the boundaries with a manual remote collar first though. Rather than going straight to the electric fence. Because high quality remote collars have a minimum of 60 stimulation levels and can be specifically tailored to your dog's own level, the lowest possible level that will get a response can be safely used. This level is typically not even painful but simply uncomfortable and odd feeling to the dog. A good trainer will take the time to find the correct level for your dog and to properly fit the collar high on the neck so that the stimulation is consistent and more fair. When you teach a dog using a remote collar instead of just electric fending you can also use your body language and commands to teach the dog where the boundary is, so that the dog only receives a correction for doing something that it knows not to do, and not just correction that seem random until she learns what to avoid. This is much more fair and gentle to the dog. The dog can control whether or not she gets corrected. Good electric collar brands are: Sports Dog, E-Collar technologies, Garmin, and Dogtra. Do not buy a cheap, poor quality electric collar because they can be dangerous and the levels far too high. Only use the collar under the direction of a trained professional also, because the collars are a powerful tool that can be abused when used wrongly. They are quite effective when paired with clear communication and great technique though, and are one of the only effective means for dealing with strong wandering instincts. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Kamy, At four month of age most puppies do not have the attention span, mental ability, or amount of practice to be able to perform those commands well yet. Some breeds, like Retrievers and Herding breeds will pick obedience up sooner than other more independent breeds like Huskys. Huskys tend to want to think for themselves more. I suggest joining a puppy class and practicing the commands around distractions once she knows what the commands mean. Start slow and gradually work up to harder distractions as she improves. If you have already been through a puppy class, the next step is an intermediate obedience class - where you will get to practice around more distractions. For the come, check out the article that I have linked below and follow the "Reel In" method. Some Huskys are very independent and need extra practice with come. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-whippet-to-recall For the whining check out the article that I have linked below and follow the "Quiet" method. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark Also, work on commands that teach her self-control to help with the whining (anxiousness and excitement). Place is a great command to work on. https://youtu.be/omg5DVPWIWo For the Heel, check out the Turns method from the article that I have linked below. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Virona, Every time Hachi leaves the yard he is rewarded with dropped food and fun new smells and locations. The more you reward a behavior, the more the behavior will increase. You cannot expect him to stay in the yard until he has been through complete off-leash training, unless you are there to supervise him and enforce commands 100%. He needs to be taught boundaries using a long leash, then there needs to be rewards for staying in the yard around distractions, like the bus pulling up, and be given very consistent consequence for disobeying and leaving the yard, and no rewards for disobedience - no bus food. To remove rewards for disobedience, he needs to be prevented from getting to the bus stop - this means using a long 20-ft, 30-ft, or 40-ft leash with him and testing his boundary training on the long leash, once you have taught him where the yard boundaries are. When he tries to go across boundary lines when he feels like he is free (the leash is loose so he doesn't feel it very much), then you can give him a command like "Out" - which means get out of an area, and if he disobeys and keeps moving out of the yard, you can reel him in with the long leash that's attached to him. He needs to create a habit of staying in the yard -meaning he is never able to leave it and is never rewarded for bolting out of it, is rewarded for staying in the yard, and this is done over a long period of time - months. If you do all that, then by the time he is fully off-leashed trained, you can take the leash off and he may not even consider leaving the yard as an option. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Cary, You need to hire a professional trainer who is very experienced with fear and uses methods other than just treats to train. You need someone who can evaluate exactly what's going on here and help you learn how to best manage him by being able to try different things with you and him. A combination of confidence building exercises, a lot of positive reinforcement - using real life rewards not just treats (incorporating the things he already likes, like walks, toys, meals, ect...), and a lot of structure - working him through things that make him nervous to calmly build his respect and trust for you - which can mean more structure not less - but done in a calm, consistent way. Look for a trainer who specializes in behavior issues, uses positive reinforcement, structure, focuses on building relationship and respect, is willing to tell a dog no, but also tells dogs when they are doing something right a lot! Dogs with anxiety often need fair consequences and to be told when not to do something, but they need even more emphasis on rewards, walking them through how to do something, calmness, and being told when they are doing something correctly. Avoid an angry trainer, one who has little experience with behavior issues, or who can't tell a dog no, or doesn't often tell a dog yes or good - when they get something right. For teaching come, check out the reel in method and the premack principle from the article linked below. You will probably need a lot more help in general before I would trust pup off leash, but that's a good place to start. https://www.petful.com/behaviors/train-dog-to-come-when-called/ Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Lori, Because she has killed the chickens I would not depend on the electric fence alone. What you can do is physically fence in a section of your yard (such as an acre) with a wood or similar fence, and bury your electrical fence wire one foot inside your physical fence. Putting the electrical fence inside the physical fence keeps a dog from approaching the wooden fence to even attempt an escape. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden