I bought a husky puppy yesterday and hes perfect! He is 10 weeks old and was still in the kennel with his mum and brothers when we got him. I understand that Huskys are pack dogs and he probably misses his mum too but hes so timid.
If you go near him he sort of cowers. he wont walk on the lead either, he keeps pulling away and will just sit there. only today have i managed to get him to just about walk with me and follow me while off the lead.
When we are outside he livens up and gets playful with me but is weary of other people and noises – very jumpy – but as soon as we go in again he just sits in a corner and basically hides.
He is eating fine and drinking plenty – although very reluctant to take food from your hand.
Is this normal behaviour because he is missing his mum or should I be worried? What can I do to encourage him to walk and to not be scared of his new home? Any tips would be great.
17 Answers
You need to think of it from his point of view. He’s small, and scared. You’re some big rather large… thing that took him from his family. He has no clue where he is, and then, you try and put him on this.. large rope thing.
That’s basically what you’re huskies thinking. What the hell is going on is his instinct. I got mine when he was about ten weeks old, and the dog, I love him to death. He’ll be a year old in A month and seven days.
The dog will cling to one person overall. They’ll love everyone else, because they just love people, but it will cling to one person. Mine clings to me. The first day I had to leave for school, the dog sat in the living room, and howled the entire time I was gone. My neighbors were calling me, asking what was going on.
Try getting the Siberian Huskies for Dummies. That works wonders. It helps you introduce your puppy around.
I had this habbit of carrying mine. It ended where he was full grown, and to this day, will try and climb up to me if he’s tired, so I carry him to bed.
The husky will be very jumpy, curious, and all around, you just need to play with him, pet him. Try cuddling the little guy. He was probably curling up with other puppies at night, and now he has no one small and furry to call a sibling.
Your husky will be fine, he’s just afraid right now. Good luck, they are a handful though!
There are many factors to consider here. Let’s start with your German Shepherd. Based on past experiences with other dogs and how well she was socialized when younger, do you think your dog will hurt the puppy? If you got the Shepherd as a rescue and was already an adult, its hard to say. Some dogs are very territorial and can harm pups. I would say that since they are opposite gender there really shouldn’t be any problems of dominance. Moving on to the puppy, ANY puppy should not be overly stimulated the first few days it is brought home. Give it a day or two to adjust to its new environment and family. I don’t blame it for being a little timid. As you suggest, I did have to gradually let my Siberian pup spend time with my adult Golden Retriever. Let them spend small amounts of time together and make the experience enjoyable for both dogs! Also, I cannot emphasize enough the value of a puppy kindergarten for socialization and the foundations of obedience.
If you only got him yesterday then this is probably to be expected. He will be experiencing all new sites and smells and a completely different environment. When you first bring a dog into a new home it is best to leave them alone for a while to let them get more adjusted to their surroundings.
You should also avoid any sudden movements and loud noises near them if possible. However you should also stay relaxed and calm, because if you are tense in any way the dog will sense it. Once they seem to be more comfortable in their home then start to introduce them to new things and people.
You say that he is more playful outside, when you are introducing him to new people, make this introduction outside as he is obviously more comfortable out there. Just make sure that he cannot bolt anywhere.
So really there is little you can do in the first few days other than leaving him to get settled in his own good time. It is certainly nothing to worry about in such a short time frame. Just give him some space and quiet time and he should warm up to his surroundings fine.
Oh bless him, its all new and strange and yes you’re right, he is missing his mum and siblings. You need to encourage him to play with you so that he gets to know you and that, under all those clothes ha ha you’re an ok person and quite fun to be with, make set times each day thats solely for play – get a tennis ball, some raggy doll toys, some rope toys and just play with him. You can set times aside too for his training, do the easy ones first – sit, stay, lay down and heel ( for when he’s on his lead ) He’s not used to a lead, thats why he’s acting that way and he’s frightened of the big outside world! Put the lead on him whilst your sitting watching tv and let it trail behind him – he’ll soon know that its nothing to be afraid of. When your on the walks with him always tug the lead gently back so that he’s walking at your heel, don’t allow him to run ahead of you or pull you down the road. If you check his behaviour now it will save you a lot of trouble later on! He’ll come into his own by the end of the week you’ll see, its just all too new ha ha. Best of luck with everything.
That sounds normal. Think from his point of view – taken him his mother, brothers and sisters, home and dropped in a new place, new smells and sounds, and is pretty upset. Yes, he’s upset but give him time. Take him to one of the puppy training classes. Once he gets used to his new surroundings, he’ll feel a lot better. Make sure he gets socialized with other people and dogs. Plus, he’s still a “baby” and needs a bit more confidence. He’ll grow into that in the next couple of months. Good luck!
There are many books available for leash training. It’s normal that he doesn’t understand what something around his neck is. It is a natural reaction to protect his neck.
Of course he is missing his mum. He’ll bond with you, but he’s just scared of his new environment. Crate training can really help, because he learns it is his safe spot. And you can cover it with a blanket to block the scary world out.
Just think about it, this is all new to him, so if he doesn’t adjust in a few weeks, then start thinking about a behavioralist.
Hi, I understand that you are looking for some advice or resources to help fully train your dog or fix behavior problems. If a professional dog trainer is not an option at this time, or if you want to trt training your dog on your own (a great way to bond), I’d suggest you https://tr.im/NzvHv
A friend recommened it to me a few years ago, and I was amazed how quickly it worked, which is why I recommend it to others. The dog training academy also has as an excellent home training course.
It will take time & patience to get him to come out his shell,so give him some time.
Let him get used to his new home,try to not have lot of visitors around smothering him.
Try sitting on the floor with a tennis ball roll it back & forth see if he gets interested tell him hes a good boy,he will probably want to join in after a while.
With the lead training clip the lead to his collar then make a fuss then unclip keep repeating,then take step at a time.
Try not to do too much at once just take you time.
Good luck.
your Puppy does miss his mum like humans, but give him a week or so you will see how he changes. He wont be scared and he will love you too bits. I rescued my Latoya and she was scared of everything, leads, people, and going for walks. I got her at 9 months old in 2006 , you should see her now ,She is a you tube dog. not scared at all, and such a beautiful doggy. Give your puppy a week show him love good food and biolac puppy milk, you wont go wrong.
It always takes 2-3 days for a Puppy to adjust to his new home and routine and being without his siblings or Mother.
In a few days, he’ll have more puppy energy than you know what to do with!