Husky/wolf Mix Behavior Problems?
Filed under Care & Training Q&As
Me and my fiance acquired a husky/arctic wolf mix (from good people who know how to handle their dogs) a couple months ago. He’s just turning 4 months in may and we’re already having problems. He is mostly potty trained but when we leave for even 5 minutes he pees in the same area every time. How do you fix a marking issue like that? Also, he has always played with the cats (running around, barking. not chasing or biting) but the other day he went ahead and grabbed the cat like a chew toy. (The cat wasn’t hurt!) I will not stand for that going on in my house. He goes for walks all the time, whether its a short 10 minute walk ever couple hours or an hour in the park. He has also been introduced to my papillon and was scared of him at first, but then decided to play and pounced at (not on) the papillon and scared him to death. Now the papillon climbs onto the top of the couch like a cat to stay away from him like hes the plague. I’m not sure where to start anymore! We tried a suggested method of holding the cat that he attacked and making the puppy lay on his side/back next to me and make sure he wasn’t paying attention to the cat, but this was like a yo-yo affect and he kept going from not paying attention to the cat to trying to eat it. Where’s a dog whisperer when I need one??
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You know that both wolves and huskies have high prey drives,don’t you? And yet you went and bought one anyway? The best thing you can do for that pup is to find it a wolf – dog sanctuary and let it live it’s life out as a wolf. It will end up killing your cats and your Papillon and it won’t be anyone’s fault but yours.Behavioral problems come with wolf – dogs.http://www.angelfire.com/nv/tmyst/facts/…
This isn’t a dog and obviously you’re learning that already, just like I did. My Naomi is now two years old and 165 pounds. She outweighs me and she’s a foot taller than I am on hind legs. Needless to say, in terms of human carnage, it could be catastrophic if she turned on me.
They’re nothing like dogs and can’t be trained like one. Owning this animal will be demanding, constantly, and maintaining control over him will always be an uphill battle if you’re not mentally prepared for that level of commitment to a “dog.”
My mothers boyfriend purchased this hybrid of mine for my mother. She forbid him to bring Naomi in the house after she went after my mothers papillon, so I inherited a $1,500 “dog” and I was thrilled! I was already hooked when he told me that she was USAWA registered at 92%. So I took her home and in the beginning I treated her like my other two dogs. That worked fine until what you’re describing start
Wow… I’m terrified at all the stupid people giving advice on here.
First off, you know your dog better than we do. You need to be honest about whether his behavior is prey-driven or simply rough play and then treat it accordingly. If it is rough play, teaching him a simple command like “No bites on the babies!” to remind him to pull his punches will protect your cats just fine. If it is prey related the best thing to do is to set up the “safe zone” for the cats right away and forbid him to interact with the cats at all. Never leave him alone with the cats if it’s prey driven trouble. Same thing for the Papillon. Put your puppy on a leash while interacting with your smaller pets until you feel comfortable letting him roam free.
Crating him while your out is not “cruel” it’s a good way of teaching the pup not to mark and when done properly will help him adjust to being a well behaved indoor dog. Crates can even comfort dogs by becoming dens, or safe spots.
Hybrids are always a mental crap shoot of whether they will lean more toward the dog, or more toward the wolf. Socializing your dog is vitally important toward helping him adjust to a non-wild life. I would also advise hiring a trainer if you really feel you are losing control. Hybrids need stability and structure or they feel lost and uncomfortable. What would be ok for a dog will not be ok for them in terms of “dominance challenge.” They MUST be under control at all times because they don’t live in a world that is kind to them and they MUST listen to and obey you to protect themselves.
to put such an animal in a cage, is the most disgusting thing I’ve ever heard.
the person that said that should be locked in a small closet for a week or 10. this is not a tom cat it is an animal that will weigh over 150lbs one day. if you force the two animals to like and play with each other it will not work, one deadly game you are playing. what you are doing is teaching your dog to hate the cat, just sit back and let the animals decide if they want to play or chase or what ever,don’t force the issue. good luck cat, i hope you are smart and fast.
castrating him will not help any thing, as far as changing his personality goes.
not to sound mean but if its truely a WOLF hybrid then its gonig to have these tendancies…in nature wolves are not friends with cats and/or other small creatures they eat and or kill them. You add to this the fact that he is a puppy & well…that about sums it up. Just about ANY site Ive ever read on wolf hybrids repetedly says that they are NOT ideal for raising with other smaller animals & they are prone to certain behavioral problems, chewing, destructive behaviors such as digging, & are not as tempermentally stable as a domesticated breed. It doesnt matter if they people you got him from know how to handle their dogs, he is still part wolf/part wild animal…wild animals can NOT truely be domesticated. They are wild & have natural instincts that they canoot ignore. I highly suggest you talk to the peopl you got him from to see if they have any suggestions or do some research & get a breed taht suits your family less you end up in a situation you are unable to control which to me it sounds like you have already started.
Wolves are also territorial, the marking “may” lessen if you get him neutered and it may not…..as Ive said wolf hybrids can be wonderful dogs but are known for certain behavioral difficulties that the people who truely love them just learn to live with…its part of the breed just like a Border Collie owner deasl w hearding instincts & extremely HIGH energy, its the kind of dog it is & you can tchange nature sorry.
Papillions and Cats are Wolf snacks and Husky snacks. I doubt you’re going to be able to train the prey drive out of this wolfdog.
I would build a secure warm backyard enclosure NOW and adopt another dog that will be of a similar size to the wolfdog- something hardy, playful, friendly, but larger- like a shepherd mix, Lab mix, etc. and put him/her in the enclosure wtih your poor confused little “hybrid”
Wolfdogs are RARELY able to be housebroken and ALWAYS have the capacity to be destructive inside. Give up your dreams of a well-trained indoor wolfdog and accept the pup for what it is, or give it to sanctuary or put it to sleep. These are your options.
You stated that you’ve had these animals before and they were always outside animals. What makes you think you could change that just because it’s a pup? And knowing that they were outside animals, why would you want another one??? What’s wrong with a real dog???
Just my opinion….
The dog whisperer uses out dated training.Forcing this dog to “alpha roll” to YOUR CAT is going to get the cat killed or you severely bitten. Positive reinforcement, classical conditioning, and desensitization work much better and I suggest you hurry up and start learning those methods or contact a wolf hybrid rescue right away to take this dog. One day he is going to hurt another person. You were very ill prepared to take on such a dog and I hope you act responsible now.
ADD: “Ill prepared” does not mean dumb. But I think you know this was a mistake and that’s why you’re attacking. Of course no dog should be tied up outside all day long. A rescue group will take the dog even if he’s not old enough to be neutered.
My huskies play with my cats fairly roughly sometimes. Cats are better at holding their own than we give them credit for. My cat will let the dog know when it has had enough. I let my cats have a ‘safe zone’ in my room if they need to get away, the dogs are under no circumstances allowed in the room and when the cats run away they stop at the door. It’s not to hard to teach them this either, they catch on quick. As for the peeing part, I would highly suggest crate training him, this was the best thing I ever did for my dogs as they get quite destructive when bored. Good luck!