Spacey Posted July 12, 2019 Report Share Posted July 12, 2019 Help Me Please!! Hello I need some help with a 2 year old husky female named Jasmine. I have had her since she was 5 weeks old and here recently she is acting different then she has ever before. She seems scared of everything. I cant take her out to walk or anything. And she is also nipping at people when we are outside and she has never been aggresive before. I dont want to lose my babybut if she doesnt stop viting im afraid i will have to give her up. What do i do?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2Huskyfun Posted July 12, 2019 Report Share Posted July 12, 2019 Poor thing, sounds like a fear issue. Was there an incident while she was outside? Could someone have done something to her when you were not around? Have you had a change in location or people? You will need to figure out what triggered it. Until then just keep others away from her, work on obedience training, lots of high praise when she is being good. Once you can narrow down what is causing this then you can start addressing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachael_Astro Posted July 13, 2019 Report Share Posted July 13, 2019 Something has definitely happened for her to start acting like that, or she could be in pain. Have you taken her to the vet? If a vet can’t find anything I would get a behaviourist (not a dog trainer) Sent from my iPhone using Husky Owners Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted July 13, 2019 Report Share Posted July 13, 2019 First she needs a vet check to make sure shes not in pain or has something neurological going on Has anything happened on a walk or around any people lately that could have triggered it If all that doesnt clear anything up like Rachael said look into getting a behaviourist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elenamarie Posted July 13, 2019 Report Share Posted July 13, 2019 Are you certain she’s fearful? Sometimes body language can be vague. Nipping at others sounds more like very minor aggression or status games to me. As long as she’s healthy I agree that a professional behaviorist’s opinion will help. Just make sure the behaviorist is familiar with Siberians as their normal body language and behavior is different than most other breeds’. For example, Sarah snarls when playing. She sounds like a trained attack dog getting ready to work and is easily mistaken by others as dangerous but it’s normal play behavior for her and other Siberians I’ve met. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spacey Posted July 14, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2019 I have taken her to the vet she is healthy but still she is having a problem with EVERYTHING around her. She is afraid of the AC when it comes on. She is afraid of bikes or skates or wagons or people. I mean EVERYTHING!! I just took her out side to walk around and she saw someone pulling a wagon with kids in it and she flipped out. Started pulling on the leash and running away from it. Then there were some kids running by and as they ran past her she suddenly started to lunge at the and act like she was going to attack them. I dont have that much money and taking her to a behaviorist is expensive. I am truely lost and heart broken because she is my world but i almost cant control her anymore! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2Huskyfun Posted July 14, 2019 Report Share Posted July 14, 2019 Correct me if I am wrong: Your issue is outside the house only? When you are actively working with her she is responsive, it is when you back off? If this is correct, my thoughts are; you need to step up your leadership position outside the home. If she doesn’t trust you she will do what comes natural to protect herself. *Please do not do dominance down with her* it can be making it worse. Her behavior comes from insecurity. When she acts like that you are probably talking to her and or yelling at her to stop (I have been guilty of it) and yanking her back. Anything you say at the time of her reaction is reinforcing the behavior. Do not talk to her, do not yell at her. Just turn and walk away from the trigger. Calm yourself first. She can feel your frustration and anxiety. She takes it as being weak. To show leadership is to show her you would not allow anything to happen to her. Walk during times when people or other triggers are not around to start. If you spot another dog, place her in a sit ( preferably on the opposite side of the street) and give a special command. (Example; my male is highly reactive, I taught him the “move by” command. So when we walk and I feel him just about to react, I tell him in a calm voice “move by” and we keep moving) But to start I made him set while the other dog or whatever went by. Once he sat calmly he was rewarded with a yummy treat. Then I say walk and we continue the walk. Short commands don’t make it a conversation. I had a loose dog charge at my girl and I the other day. Thank God I had the girl and not the boy.... I stepped in front of her and blocked the other dog from getting to her. Luckily she trusted me enough to stay in position while the other dog and I danced until the owner got him. Do not allow strangers to come up to her at all. She is obviously telling you she is uncomfortable. This may not be a forever thing. It is with my male, he is very protective of me on walks. But If I place him in a sit, I stop the person from approaching within a foot or two, and I am perfectly calm, the person (if my male gives me the signal) is petting him within a few minutes. But if he is uncomfortable or does a low bark/grumble then it is an absolute no. I also use Pet Corrector. Only in extreme cases though. Best thing ever!!! Do not do it towards them or by the ears. It is the quickest way to snap them out of it and completely safe. Used it once at the vet office and ALL the dogs sat at the same time and just starred at me. Some owners were not happy with me but others laughed and said they were ordering it as soon as they got home. 🤣 Don't give up on her. Just listen to what she is telling you. And don’t force her to be social, some just don’t want to be. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shepsky5 Posted July 14, 2019 Report Share Posted July 14, 2019 I might try baby steps... go out in yard. Play tug or chase for a little bit. Go back in. Go out in yard. Eat some treats.Come back in. Go out of yard and out into street. Play or eat treats. Come back in. I think you have to make it like it's not a big deal to go outside, and keep walks short and fun, work up to a 1/4 mile or 1/2 mile gradually... And as 2Huskyfun said...don't even let her have the chance to get close enough to nip anybody! Just keep away from other people - don't let people approach her, pet her, stare at her, etc. Cross the street if you need to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachael_Astro Posted July 14, 2019 Report Share Posted July 14, 2019 I have taken her to the vet she is healthy but still she is having a problem with EVERYTHING around her. She is afraid of the AC when it comes on. She is afraid of bikes or skates or wagons or people. I mean EVERYTHING!! I just took her out side to walk around and she saw someone pulling a wagon with kids in it and she flipped out. Started pulling on the leash and running away from it. Then there were some kids running by and as they ran past her she suddenly started to lunge at the and act like she was going to attack them. I dont have that much money and taking her to a behaviorist is expensive. I am truely lost and heart broken because she is my world but i almost cant control her anymore! A behaviourist comes to your house I paid £30 Sent from my iPhone using Husky Owners mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elenamarie Posted July 14, 2019 Report Share Posted July 14, 2019 12 hours ago, Spacey said: I have taken her to the vet she is healthy but still she is having a problem with EVERYTHING around her. She is afraid of the AC when it comes on. She is afraid of bikes or skates or wagons or people. I mean EVERYTHING!! I just took her out side to walk around and she saw someone pulling a wagon with kids in it and she flipped out. Started pulling on the leash and running away from it. Then there were some kids running by and as they ran past her she suddenly started to lunge at the and act like she was going to attack them. I dont have that much money and taking her to a behaviorist is expensive. I am truely lost and heart broken because she is my world but i almost cant control her anymore! <url=“https://positively.com/contributors/5-things-i-want-anyone-with-a-fearful-dog-to-know/“> Fearful Dogs</url> Maybe this article will help you. As professional dog trainer who specializes in helping dogs with fear-based behavior challenges, the conversations I have with owners too often go something like this: Owner: I have a fresh water fish, can you help me get it to live in a salt water tank? Me: I’m happy to help you and am so glad you asked. Can you get another tank? Owner: No. There’s no room for it. Me: Can you replace the water? Owner: No, there are salt water fish already in it. I’m a decent trainer, and I know a fair bit about helping scared dogs, but there’s only so much anyone may be able to do if we are unable or unwilling to address the environment the dog has to live in. If a dog is constantly or repeatedly afraid of what is going on around them, it’s going to be difficult for them to feel safe. We can no more force a dog to feel safe then we can force a fresh water fish to survive in salt water. If we cannot or will not create an environment in which a dog is not constantly startled or scared by things, it’s going to difficult if not impossible to help them learn to feel safe around those things. Imagine teaching a baby to walk by strapping roller skates on their feet and forcing them to try to stand up on a slope. If it’s difficult enough or they fall and hurt themselves badly enough, they may be inclined to stop trying. And they may not be very happy when they see you coming to put the skates on them. Step number one for helping dogs who are fearful, shy, anxious or reactive is to figure out how to help them feel safe in their world. This may mean not: going to the dog park; for walks around the neighborhood; being left alone; letting children or strangers try to pet them. Owners need to put on their thinking caps to come up with ways to manage their dogs so the dog is not constantly being scared by objects or events, or has to worry about being scared by them. https://positively.com/contributors/the-first-step-to-take-to-help-a-fearful-dog/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elenamarie Posted July 14, 2019 Report Share Posted July 14, 2019 I took pics from my go-to training book, The Power of Positive Dog Training by Pat Miller, about your issue. Hope this’ll help. Make sure Jasmine has a safe place in the house to which she can retreat when she’s overwhelmed. Both of you sound overwhelmed and you have to break that cycle. Let her relax in her safe space while you figure out her triggers If you’re committed to helping Jasmine overcome her problem you two can do it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete the Brit Posted July 22, 2019 Report Share Posted July 22, 2019 I don't have much money either, so I've always had to find the cheap ways to do stuff, DIY or do without. What you're looking for are dog lovers, so, my first port of call would be a vet charity (PDSA in the UK) or I'd google for specialist forums like this like you've done or the nearest dog rescue centre. Now a rescue centre isn't a vet, but it will have dog lovers as carers with experience of all sorts of dog problems so if you phone them, explain the money issue and dog issue, they might be able to take a look or send you somewhere better. BTW some vets might cost cut drastically if the dog is desperate and you are broke as I was cited 160 ukp by a vet to put my last dog to sleep etc then when I said that's more than I get to live on for a fortnight the price dropped to 60. I ended up getting help for free at the PDSA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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