[Aztrid13]

Hello. I have a 4 month old husky/malamute/Canadian Eskimo dog mix named Luna. I got her about two weeks ago from a breeder. She was born October 26th 2019. She is shy towards people, myself included. I don't think the breeders handled her much. The breeders are reputible. She is obsessed with my 15 year old border collie, ausie shepherd mix, Chaya. She is well fed and taken on walks three times a day. I also play with her often and do training sessions.She does not have a kennel.

When she demand barks, I tell her no and hold out my flat palm. Then I say quiet. When she is quiet, she gets a treat. She demand barks a lot and pesters Chaya. Then Chaya will bark a warning bark. In the last day or so when I put out my palm and say 'leave it' to get her to stop biting at my slippers or my pant leg she air snaps at my hand. Today she bit me. She didn't draw blood but I want to nip this in the bud. I do NOT want an agressive dog but I can't find many resources about aggression towards owners.

 

[3GSD4IPO]

First of all, if this is a mix of several breeds your breeder is not reputable UNLESS breeding for Sled dog racing in which case the mix may be acceptable but may never be a good pet.

You should separate the dogs and spend time with the puppy without the other dog present. Training, walking and so forth need to be one on one with the puppy. This builds a relationship. Of course the puppy is obsessed with the older dog.. dogs relate to each other better than to humans.

I do not know what this "palm" thing is you are doing. It sounds like the dog is training YOU. Dog has learned, "I bark. She shows me her palm. I shut up when I see the palm. Then she feeds me. I can initiate this process by barking." Yes. That is how the dog sees it. You have successfully trained this. The only way to untrain it is to ignore the barking and then the barking will escalate as the dog tries harder to make the thing you have trained to happen.

There is a slippery slope here. The dog is asking for interaction. I would take that and turn it into a short training session and teach the dog something.. make the dog use it's brain.. and tire the dog out that way (and at the same time build a relationship).

If you want a dog to leave something it wants (like your slippers) you need to redirect to something else more appropriate (such as a soft toy) and then put your slippers in a closet so that the puppy cannot get to them. Redirect is a valuable tool as is the "trade game." In the Trade Game if the dog has something you want, you trade something more valuable to the dog for what the dog has. So if the dog has your slipper, a piece of cheese my be more valuable to the dog than the slipper. You trade the cheese for the slipper.

I don't know how you are training your dog but you need to always make a big deal out of the dog doing the right thing. Often dog owners (and parents) are VERY good at telling the dog (or kid) what they have done wrong but are REALLY lousy at telling the dog, with exuberance, what they have done right when they have done something right.

Dogs will sometimes "climb the leash" (turn aggression toward a handler) when they have been unfairly corrected or the handler has been unclear or the dog is in a high state of arousal coupled with great frustration. You are not describing that. You are describing a puppy wanting something you do not want them to have and the puppy is telling you that what he has is his.. and his way of telling you that is with his teeth. Try the trade game instead.

 

[Aztrid13]

Hey!! Thanks so much for replying. I've read and re-read your message so many times! what you are saying makes total sense. Luna was bred by people who do a lot of sled dog racing and adopt a lot of their dogs out as family pets. The first thing I did when I got home was have my husband read your message and I started praising her for everything good. Would you mind if I message you in the future for any questions

 

[3GSD4IPO]

Hey!! Thanks so much for replying. I've read and re-read your message so many times! what you are saying makes total sense. Luna was bred by people who do a lot of sled dog racing and adopt a lot of their dogs out as family pets. The first thing I did when I got home was have my husband read your message and I started praising her for everything good. Would you mind if I message you in the future for any questions

You may message me. Praising and adding food it really good. Choose a marker word for when the dog does something right. I use "YES!" and then follow YES with food reward. You can teach a correlation between YES and food reward by saying YES then giving food.. do it about 20 times. Now you have "loaded" YES into the dog as an association with food.

Now.. say you want your dog to Sit. If you get the sit, you say YES the instant the dog's butt hits the ground and then give food.. make it FUN.

You can also use a clicker as the marker for the right behavior. I prefer YES because I always have that with me if I forget the clicker. Here is a site that can give you more information: https://www.clickertraining.com/shaping-success

 

[Aztrid13]

I've been doing the 'Yes' thing! she is responding really well.

 

[3GSD4IPO]

Sounds like you are on your way! Good Luck!