We are looking for any advice or input to help us with a 3 year old Husky that is a fence jumper.   I am a dog walk at a retirement community in San Antonio, Texas.   I walk a 3 year old Husky a mile a day for an elderly resident.  Maya is excellent on leash but I’m concerned that she needs more exercise and mental stimulation.  The problem we have is the area on property has a 4 foot fence that she can clear.  She has also started jumping her fence as soon as they let her outside.  She just wants to run!  We talked about invisible fencing for the yard but I think she will blow through it.  She is very strong willed, I don’t think it will detour her.  I have visited ideas of Doggie Daycare for more activity or maybe putting her on a treadmill.  Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated. 

fence jumping is a serious thing my Bindi could do a 6 foot fence from standing next to it…  I have no experience with an invisible fence but no doubt a husky with strong will power to run will ignore it totally...

a mile a day is is nothing what so ever there were times, and i think a lot of owners will say the same, when i used to run mine for 45 mins to an hour after 30 mins they were up and ready to go again…  a treadmill could work out i have not used one myself… mental training can also make them tired, for example hand touch training is something i did...

The other thing to do is obviously to change the 4ft fence for at least a 6ft fence.    Better that than a severely hurt dog (or worse).      Got to admit I am not a fan of the invisible fencing  - not a fan of anything that will hurt an animal.

Does she jump the fence even if someone is in the area with her? My Tyler was an escape artist and would pace out the distance needed to go over and under fences, but he never tried to escape if I was in the yard with him. The second I went to the door, he was right there ready to slip out if I didn't get him leashed. Supervision is a must.

Are there nearby off leash dog parks? Also, if you're not physically able to walk her for several miles, can you afford to hire a dogwalker? Or, is there a Siberian club in your area that you can join that has play meetings or where you might find someone willing to invite you and Maya to interact with their huskies? Adopting a husky who isn't a runner, they do exist although rare, would slow her down. Also, you could harness them, attach them together at the harness and attach a lead to connection. They can work together to pull you, you can even wear a lead around your waist, and they help each other walk more quickly.

Oh I'm sorry. You are the dog walker not the owner. She definitely needs to walk more than a mile. My huskies and I would walk almost 5 miles to a dog park; they would play for about an hour; and we would walk home. That tired them out because one was 9 and the other had a bad hip. An elderly owner and a three year old husky aren't a good fit. She's going to keep jumping that fence unless someone is out there with her. They're lucky she hasn't already run off exploring or chasing another animal.

Maya isn't strong willed. She's a husky. They are bred to run. And to run far and fast. It's hardwired into their brains. They're also bred to make decisions for themselves. It's what keeps a sled team and its human safe when a human makes a wrong turn and is taking the sled into danger. The pack leader stops. She's a working breed. She NÈEDS exercise even if they need to put her on a run for an hour or so.

If there's an off leash dog park there and you're willing to take her there and they're willing to pay you, that seems like the quickest, best solution. She will still try to jump a fence even at 6 feet, but a 4ft fence is nothing to a husky. They will climb it if they can't clear it. Good luck and please keep asking for help.

Edited June 7Jun 7 by KathyP
I forgot something very important.