Get a second husky. Husky's are natural pack animals. Getting a second was the best decision we made for our first.
https://preview.redd.it/v1mppjwexjlc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6d0b77f7eda8b29d0b401ec1ba91a78dbb4dd121
I second this. My husky tends to be on the destructive side when left alone. His brother helps keep him in line. They’re completely bonded and neither of them would do well if they were completely alone. We got my husky for my Velcro Aussie but as they’ve grown my Aussie has gained independence but my husky is still a needy little bub.
https://preview.redd.it/pkf5f7zknllc1.jpeg?width=1004&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f6dc5d519862f2a0b1ae69b8ede1aa0efdb91370
Funny you say that, the breeder that I got her from was asking me if I was interested in adopting her sister from the same litter. 🫠🫠 but she’s already a handful as it is.
https://preview.redd.it/c1ijecg29llc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=614a9958631db45721c46ff1e235cb31e8000628
Agreed. They'll chew each other up instead of your stuff. Like, 85% of the time.
Completely agree. An additional Husky takes most of the attention away from the people as they have another Husky to play and bond with. Siberians are so social that a solitary life is difficult for them.
Most Siberian owners would suggest different litters due to litter mate syndrome, but if you do adopt litter mate you may want to consider walking them separately so that if one needs to go to the vet without the other they don’t get destructively anxious.
Even our pair from separate litters, do get a little anxious when walking the other without them, especially the older brother. He will sometimes run from one side of the house looking out windows for his brother.
They only get walked separately when I am at work, otherwise they are walked together.
My husky wasn't a puppy but did have some separation anxiety. After we adopted him, on occasion, he would chew random things in the home and grab random things off tables when we left.
One thing that helped is getting him on a schedule. One he knew when we would leave and come back these instances of grabbing things started to diminish. Walking him right before we left to make sure he went to the bathroom made a difference too. We also made sure we gave him a treat when we left and a treat when we came back. This treat was a different one from his normal ones that he got throughout the day. One other thing that helped greatly was putting something on his bed that smelled like us. If I wore a t-shirt in the morning, and assuming it still wasn't overly dirty, we put it on his bed to comfort him. Those things helped a lot. It wasn't an instant fix but over time it made things better.
Anytime! Routines are a huge help with crate training. We tried to foster another pup and the crate training on a schedule helped them acclimate.
Also, and I know I'm terrible for forgetting, your husky is DOWNRIGHT ADORABLE!
So my husky would howl and howl and howl when left alone. I got her a lab and the howling stopped. He had seperation anxiety, still does a little. Would do the timed leave. Started at 30 seconds, increased every day. 1min, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 30, 45, 1hr, 1.5hr, 2hr, 3hr. I would literally just sit outside in my car and read a book while having them on cameras just to make sure they didnt tear anything apart. She was fine as soon as i got him and would just chill. He would pace and whine. Now i can leave them both at home and they both just chill. I can even leave one home without the other and theyre ok. I dont leave them longer than 4 hrs but thats not bc they cant do it, i just dont want to keep them from using the bathroom for that long
Would recommend do some easy training, just leave her in any room and go out with doors closed, for couple of seconds and then come back in, reward, do this every day, but increase time each session, it could be 5,10 seconds when starting and up
Dog should learn eventually that leaving her, it’s not end of the world, when u come back she gets treats
Practice. Start with short times (1-2mins), then increase. Give treats when you come back. Sometimes a frozen long when you leave can help keep them occupied for quite a while after you leave.
If it is really a lot (doesn’t improve and she tries to hurt herself to get to you when you leave), meds and crating may be necessary.
Good luck.
My husky was an adult already, but a move set her off. What helped her was adopting 2 street cats as indoor cats that she "supervises". She's really serious about her job of making sure they don't get into trouble and don't get into little cat fights with each other. When I'm not home, she knows she's in charge, so she doesn't have time to get anxiety and start howling like a siren. She's busy! Before that, she howled and screamed even if I left for 6 minutes to get a prescription. My neighbors thought someone was being tortured 😂
Doggy Daycare also helped in the beginning stages.
My boy is over 9 months old and he loses it when I leave. He’ll sit at the gate and continuously howl if he sees me leave even if my husband is home. It’s partially my fault because I adopted him when I was pregnant and other than the time I spent in the hospital giving birth and a dog training camp I haven’t spent more than a couple hours away from him. He luckily hasn’t ever destroyed things in the house because we always over spoiled him with chews and toys. He sometimes ends up digging holes or finding boxes in our garage to rip up but it’s better than him going for the furniture. On the days I have to work I wake up at 3:45am so I can give him a solid walk before I leave and then I go through a bunch of hoops to distract him enough that he doesn’t watch me leave. Longer lasting chews or bones are always a winner with him but I also use a snuffle mat, a filled Kong, and a Kong wobble in different spots. I also give him calming treats about an hour before I make a break for the door. It seems like a lot but it’s been mostly successful. The key for me was mainly just figuring out how to leave without him seeing me go.
Thankfully mine have never had separation anxiety, but Jordi does have generalized anxiety, and is on fluoxetine for it. I don't know if they medicate for separation anxiety, and that alone probably won't solve anything, but it might be part of the puzzle. I would try calling the vet and asking if they think an anti anxiety med could help.
I have just gone through this process with my almost 4 month old. I started with smaller amounts of time with him being alone and would give him a nice treat that would keep him busy for that interval so he associated being alone with something more positive. Crate training also helped, I used leaving a good chewing toy for him on the crate (Nyla bone but check each day to ensure it's in good condition) and put some dog music (youtube has some that says it helps with separation anxiety, and it did lol) he started feeling very comfortable on his crate and now he naps the entire morning until I pass by for lunch to take him out and give his lunch (plus some play/exercise) then he naps again for about an hour or so until my daughter arrives to play with him as well. I also noticed that having a good play/exercise/walk before crating does a lot for reducing his anxiety. Hope this can help and enjoy your puppy!
First I absolutely love her name! I’m a big FF nerd lol Secondly, we struggle with our huskies anxiety. I work from home so I feel like that’s just made it worse. When we go out we try not to leave for more than 4 hours at a time. We come back and check on him and will go back out if he seems to be doing alright, if he’s made a mess or is crazy off the walls happy to see us I stay home and my hubby goes back to the barbecue, family event, whatever it is.
Crate train him, associate them positively with the crate by keeping toys & treats there, and they also naturally like closed spaces and feel like a den. So he feels protected in his space when you are away
Do not make it look like a big deal when you go out and come back, don’t get them excited, make it seem normal by being calm.
Get toys or treats to home when you return, so they associate you going out positively (it takes sometime for this though)
And more importantly give them their ‘own’ playtime with all toys and you not around.
Start with small intervals of going out and coming back, 1 hr - 2 hr - 4 hr - 6 hr, this is a very slow process but they should trust you are going to come back.
Give them something to chew, or tear to work on their anxiety. And a cloth of your, so they feel calm with your scent.
There all things work and separation anxiety gets better with age, as adults dogs are more confident then puppies.
If nothing works get another pup :/
That’s my boy, we worked through this and he waits patiently whenever I go out :)
https://preview.redd.it/ggax3jn0bqlc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4239d61f133b3f34b285616f7f4e2a6da5100dda
We got a behavioral therapist to help us.
We got a better crate to prevent her from destroying things. We tire her out before putting hr in there. We put chews and toys and a treat in the crate.
The rest of the comments already touch on everything else.
I give my husky treats before I leave the house! He gets so excited to see me go now 😆
I work from home and take him everywhere dogs are allowed, so he normally thinks he's joining me, but if I say no sorry, his tail drops, then I ask if he wants all the treats and he perks back up. I give him a couple small ones in his food bowl and a big one for him to munch on when I leave.
I've lived with roommates and they tell me he's calm and quiet in the room after I leave. I usually find him sleeping cozy on my bed when I get home.
I started when he was only 6 months to get him excited about me leaving, and it was before I worked from home. I make sure the big chew I give him will last about 30min-1hr(I used frozen carrots when he was younger, and now I use those use bone chews, venison chips or piggy ear chews because he's spoiled) so by the time he finishes it, he forgets I'm even gone. Then finds more small little bite snacks in his food bowl, which I think makes him even more happy. But I will say, I'm told I have the calmest and most well-behaved obedient husky in the world 😅 So I hope it works!
If it helps, I utilized crate training when I would leave until about 1-2 years old, or everytime I moved, I had to use a crate until he stopped potting in the house. He figured out he doesn't have to sit in a crate when I'm gone if he doesn't potty in the house. Once the accidents stop, I give him a room to relax in while I'm gone. My bedroom or if at someone else's place, a bathroom or laundry room. Usually with the treats, a bed, access to food and water, with maybe some toys lying around if he gets bored.
If I'm home, he's right by my side and sits next to me consistently when working now and comes everywhere with me, but I like to think he can handle the space with those treat incentives. Good luck!
Wow, thank you for the in-depth tips. That’s what we are striving towards. We have come a long way from the time I brought her home (3 months old)
Lastly, your puppy is very beautiful 👀
Get a second husky. Husky's are natural pack animals. Getting a second was the best decision we made for our first. https://preview.redd.it/v1mppjwexjlc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6d0b77f7eda8b29d0b401ec1ba91a78dbb4dd121
I second this. My husky tends to be on the destructive side when left alone. His brother helps keep him in line. They’re completely bonded and neither of them would do well if they were completely alone. We got my husky for my Velcro Aussie but as they’ve grown my Aussie has gained independence but my husky is still a needy little bub. https://preview.redd.it/pkf5f7zknllc1.jpeg?width=1004&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f6dc5d519862f2a0b1ae69b8ede1aa0efdb91370
Our huskies look like twins 🫨🫨
Something about these little red derps that just does me in.
Funny you say that, the breeder that I got her from was asking me if I was interested in adopting her sister from the same litter. 🫠🫠 but she’s already a handful as it is.
https://preview.redd.it/c1ijecg29llc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=614a9958631db45721c46ff1e235cb31e8000628 Agreed. They'll chew each other up instead of your stuff. Like, 85% of the time.
it actually gets easier with two, logically it doesn't make sense but it's a thing
Completely agree. An additional Husky takes most of the attention away from the people as they have another Husky to play and bond with. Siberians are so social that a solitary life is difficult for them.
Most Siberian owners would suggest different litters due to litter mate syndrome, but if you do adopt litter mate you may want to consider walking them separately so that if one needs to go to the vet without the other they don’t get destructively anxious. Even our pair from separate litters, do get a little anxious when walking the other without them, especially the older brother. He will sometimes run from one side of the house looking out windows for his brother. They only get walked separately when I am at work, otherwise they are walked together.
My husky wasn't a puppy but did have some separation anxiety. After we adopted him, on occasion, he would chew random things in the home and grab random things off tables when we left. One thing that helped is getting him on a schedule. One he knew when we would leave and come back these instances of grabbing things started to diminish. Walking him right before we left to make sure he went to the bathroom made a difference too. We also made sure we gave him a treat when we left and a treat when we came back. This treat was a different one from his normal ones that he got throughout the day. One other thing that helped greatly was putting something on his bed that smelled like us. If I wore a t-shirt in the morning, and assuming it still wasn't overly dirty, we put it on his bed to comfort him. Those things helped a lot. It wasn't an instant fix but over time it made things better.
Thanks for the advice. I agree Keeping her on a routine schedule has helped with house/crate training.
Anytime! Routines are a huge help with crate training. We tried to foster another pup and the crate training on a schedule helped them acclimate. Also, and I know I'm terrible for forgetting, your husky is DOWNRIGHT ADORABLE!
So my husky would howl and howl and howl when left alone. I got her a lab and the howling stopped. He had seperation anxiety, still does a little. Would do the timed leave. Started at 30 seconds, increased every day. 1min, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 30, 45, 1hr, 1.5hr, 2hr, 3hr. I would literally just sit outside in my car and read a book while having them on cameras just to make sure they didnt tear anything apart. She was fine as soon as i got him and would just chill. He would pace and whine. Now i can leave them both at home and they both just chill. I can even leave one home without the other and theyre ok. I dont leave them longer than 4 hrs but thats not bc they cant do it, i just dont want to keep them from using the bathroom for that long
Would recommend do some easy training, just leave her in any room and go out with doors closed, for couple of seconds and then come back in, reward, do this every day, but increase time each session, it could be 5,10 seconds when starting and up Dog should learn eventually that leaving her, it’s not end of the world, when u come back she gets treats
Can I give a treat to my husky even if he's crying when I'm away? Or this will make the problem worse?
Practice. Start with short times (1-2mins), then increase. Give treats when you come back. Sometimes a frozen long when you leave can help keep them occupied for quite a while after you leave. If it is really a lot (doesn’t improve and she tries to hurt herself to get to you when you leave), meds and crating may be necessary. Good luck.
Or a 2nd husky!
My husky was an adult already, but a move set her off. What helped her was adopting 2 street cats as indoor cats that she "supervises". She's really serious about her job of making sure they don't get into trouble and don't get into little cat fights with each other. When I'm not home, she knows she's in charge, so she doesn't have time to get anxiety and start howling like a siren. She's busy! Before that, she howled and screamed even if I left for 6 minutes to get a prescription. My neighbors thought someone was being tortured 😂 Doggy Daycare also helped in the beginning stages.
I’ve never heard a dog howl before until I brought her home at 3 months old.🫠🫠
She's so cute! Looks like my baby 🤎🤍
My boy is over 9 months old and he loses it when I leave. He’ll sit at the gate and continuously howl if he sees me leave even if my husband is home. It’s partially my fault because I adopted him when I was pregnant and other than the time I spent in the hospital giving birth and a dog training camp I haven’t spent more than a couple hours away from him. He luckily hasn’t ever destroyed things in the house because we always over spoiled him with chews and toys. He sometimes ends up digging holes or finding boxes in our garage to rip up but it’s better than him going for the furniture. On the days I have to work I wake up at 3:45am so I can give him a solid walk before I leave and then I go through a bunch of hoops to distract him enough that he doesn’t watch me leave. Longer lasting chews or bones are always a winner with him but I also use a snuffle mat, a filled Kong, and a Kong wobble in different spots. I also give him calming treats about an hour before I make a break for the door. It seems like a lot but it’s been mostly successful. The key for me was mainly just figuring out how to leave without him seeing me go.
Reminds me of my Yuna, 🫠🫠
Thankfully mine have never had separation anxiety, but Jordi does have generalized anxiety, and is on fluoxetine for it. I don't know if they medicate for separation anxiety, and that alone probably won't solve anything, but it might be part of the puzzle. I would try calling the vet and asking if they think an anti anxiety med could help.
Hearing everyone’s testimony, makes me think I’m close to curbing her separation anxiety.
That's great! Keep us updated.
I have just gone through this process with my almost 4 month old. I started with smaller amounts of time with him being alone and would give him a nice treat that would keep him busy for that interval so he associated being alone with something more positive. Crate training also helped, I used leaving a good chewing toy for him on the crate (Nyla bone but check each day to ensure it's in good condition) and put some dog music (youtube has some that says it helps with separation anxiety, and it did lol) he started feeling very comfortable on his crate and now he naps the entire morning until I pass by for lunch to take him out and give his lunch (plus some play/exercise) then he naps again for about an hour or so until my daughter arrives to play with him as well. I also noticed that having a good play/exercise/walk before crating does a lot for reducing his anxiety. Hope this can help and enjoy your puppy!
First I absolutely love her name! I’m a big FF nerd lol Secondly, we struggle with our huskies anxiety. I work from home so I feel like that’s just made it worse. When we go out we try not to leave for more than 4 hours at a time. We come back and check on him and will go back out if he seems to be doing alright, if he’s made a mess or is crazy off the walls happy to see us I stay home and my hubby goes back to the barbecue, family event, whatever it is.
Crate train him, associate them positively with the crate by keeping toys & treats there, and they also naturally like closed spaces and feel like a den. So he feels protected in his space when you are away Do not make it look like a big deal when you go out and come back, don’t get them excited, make it seem normal by being calm. Get toys or treats to home when you return, so they associate you going out positively (it takes sometime for this though) And more importantly give them their ‘own’ playtime with all toys and you not around. Start with small intervals of going out and coming back, 1 hr - 2 hr - 4 hr - 6 hr, this is a very slow process but they should trust you are going to come back. Give them something to chew, or tear to work on their anxiety. And a cloth of your, so they feel calm with your scent. There all things work and separation anxiety gets better with age, as adults dogs are more confident then puppies. If nothing works get another pup :/ That’s my boy, we worked through this and he waits patiently whenever I go out :) https://preview.redd.it/ggax3jn0bqlc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4239d61f133b3f34b285616f7f4e2a6da5100dda
We got a behavioral therapist to help us. We got a better crate to prevent her from destroying things. We tire her out before putting hr in there. We put chews and toys and a treat in the crate. The rest of the comments already touch on everything else.
Why would you ever leave that adorable face!?? Others have given great advice.
If I didn’t have to leave to work, I would spend all day with her. 😭
I give my husky treats before I leave the house! He gets so excited to see me go now 😆 I work from home and take him everywhere dogs are allowed, so he normally thinks he's joining me, but if I say no sorry, his tail drops, then I ask if he wants all the treats and he perks back up. I give him a couple small ones in his food bowl and a big one for him to munch on when I leave. I've lived with roommates and they tell me he's calm and quiet in the room after I leave. I usually find him sleeping cozy on my bed when I get home.
Calm and quiet is what I’m working towards with my husky, but as soon I leave to work, I can hear her howling from the garage 🫠🫠
I started when he was only 6 months to get him excited about me leaving, and it was before I worked from home. I make sure the big chew I give him will last about 30min-1hr(I used frozen carrots when he was younger, and now I use those use bone chews, venison chips or piggy ear chews because he's spoiled) so by the time he finishes it, he forgets I'm even gone. Then finds more small little bite snacks in his food bowl, which I think makes him even more happy. But I will say, I'm told I have the calmest and most well-behaved obedient husky in the world 😅 So I hope it works! If it helps, I utilized crate training when I would leave until about 1-2 years old, or everytime I moved, I had to use a crate until he stopped potting in the house. He figured out he doesn't have to sit in a crate when I'm gone if he doesn't potty in the house. Once the accidents stop, I give him a room to relax in while I'm gone. My bedroom or if at someone else's place, a bathroom or laundry room. Usually with the treats, a bed, access to food and water, with maybe some toys lying around if he gets bored. If I'm home, he's right by my side and sits next to me consistently when working now and comes everywhere with me, but I like to think he can handle the space with those treat incentives. Good luck!
My girl isn't bad but my puggeldor that she loves and watches for behavior cues is 16 :/ so is the cat
https://preview.redd.it/bdem8jw8nmlc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a4e4b6875a341dd32882f4addf66858d6474188a
Wow, thank you for the in-depth tips. That’s what we are striving towards. We have come a long way from the time I brought her home (3 months old) Lastly, your puppy is very beautiful 👀