New dog to be around DD

Buttonmoons

Hello everyone Hope you can help.

DD's dad has recently moved out and flatsharing with a friend from his work, who rehomed a husky about 3 months ago. We went round on Friday to visit and the dog is lovely, although badly trained I'd say but "cute" with it, like commando crawling along the floor to trrrrrrrrrrrrry and steal a prawn cracker

Main thing I'm concerned about is the dogs 'mouthing' it doesn't bite but when playing it gets a bit bitey, obviously just playing! But when it got tired and DD went near it tried to mouth at her face, I saw it happen and she was in the wrong for bugging it when tired and the dog had no intention of biting her face, was just a warning, but It's hard to gauge with the dog as sometimes it would go over to her face and start licking her. So I think she probably thought it wanted to lick her some more!

The dog was neglected before he rehomed it, left in a garden tied up with a walk every 3 days if it was lucky, it's 18months old so still a puppy really, but I think the dog thinks it's the "boss" as it doesn't listen!! I had to wrestle it off me when I was eating, like literally push it back off me and it was still trying to slabber all over my grub

So really what I'm asking for (and no she won't ever be left alone with it!! :eek:) is maybe advice? or suggestions on how to get the dog to know that my DD isn't lower in the chain than it and it can't just walk past and start trying to mouth at her or just knock her out of the way and nick her dinner :eek:

Although really the owner should try and sort it out! But I'll probably be over once a week and I'm not 100% comfortable with it's mouthing, as while I can read the signs that the dog isn't interested in wanting to play anymore, she can't, and we've never had a dog (just got 2 cats) so it's novelty to her so I admit she does wanna play with it constantly!

So......anything to stop a dog mouthing or knocking her over to get her rice? Plus because it was neglected before, and it's been rehomed, I'm not sure how far the dog will push it's boundaries.

Buttonmoons

Oh and the dog gets loads of exercise, 3 walks a day, and because the owner works all day, his friend or his ex come round every day and take it out at lunch time also and spend over an hour with it for company. So it's not under exercised or anything like that

rising_from_the_ashes

How old is your DD?

If she's really young then it's going to be hard for the "novelty" factor of a dog being around to wear off esp if she's there some times and not others.

TBH this is not anything abnormal in young dogs - most of them do it and will eventually grow out of it. However, it does require training so that the dog knows that it shouldn't do this.

I am sure that the owner will be investing time and effort into teaching the dog manners and am glad to hear he's found a new home after having such a bad start in life.

Re the pecking order, look at it from the dog's point of view - other people are coming into its territory and they will therefore not be considered as being below it in the pecking order.

With training the dog will become obedient however I know many people whose dogs will do anything they ask but won't if someone else asks (as they don't view that person as being boss).

It's going to need training of both the dog and your DD - he must be told not to mouth at inappropriate times/not to beg for food etc - however, your DD must also be taught when it's OK to play with the dog and when she must leave him alone.

As you say, never leave them alone (even for a second).

Good luck

Ilona

Hi. I am a dog walker, and this concerns me a bit. Someone who is out at work all day and living in a flat, shouldn't take a big dog like that on. If different people are turning up to take it out it isn't getting any discipline and will think it is the leader. It needs proper training at a dog training class. As for stealing food, it should have it's own dish and set meal times, it shouldn't be fed human food from peoples plates. Try putting it in another room while you have your meals. A dog should be fed last, after everyone else has eaten. It is a pack animal and in a house it is the bottom of the pack and needs to learn that.

Sorry, I don't know any more, maybe someone will come along with knowledge of dog behaviour. In the meantime, I would be very wary of leaving a child alone with it. You are right to be asking these questions.
Ilona

Buttonmoons

Hi, it's not a flat he lives in, its a 4 bedroom house (I just said flat lol) It has it's own garden and it's a big house.

Well it's 2 people that show up, his ex (which the dog knows) and his best friend (which the dog also knows) so I don't think that's an issue.

I think it's more that the dog does see her below him and probably doesn't help that she likes to pretend to be a dog and go on all fours and lot so puts herself below it a lot.

She is 4 (5 on monday) and animal obsessed!

It does have set meal times and it's own food bowls, I just the dog sees us as "easier" targets when we had food, as when her owner eats she goes and lies in her bed, but she just wasn't doing it when all our delicious chinese food aromas were floating around.

Lovely dog, just a bit mouthy like I said

Fang_3

A husky needs to run on lead for miles a day to tire it out. There's no way it should be cooped up in a flat all day and night with just a walk or two.

sarabe

This should be compulsory reading for everyone with dogs and children

http://dogsandbabies.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/helping-toddlers-not-be-magnetized-to-dogs-part-3/

Buttonmoons

Fang wrote: »

A husky needs to run on lead for miles a day to tire it out. There's no way it should be cooped up in a flat all day and night with just a walk or two.

A) It's not a flat
He takes it out on a walk 3 times a day (about 45 mins each)
C) Someone comes in and spends time with it in the afternoon + walk
D) It can't be let off the lead unless at the beach as like most huskys, they will just run off and not come back
E) You are right, he should of just left it in it's old abode getting a walk every 3 days and tied in the garden constantly. Yes so right, I'll tell him to return it because it's not good enough he has someone come in during the day and play and walk it.

gettingready

It is a HUSKY - 3 walks per day are not going to be enough.

It is a working bread of a dog... needs much more than just walks to tire him/her.

Buttonmoons

gettingready wrote: »

It is a HUSKY - 3 walks per day are not going to be enough.

It is a working bread of a dog... needs much more than just walks to tire him/her.

It gets to the beach and whatnot at weekends, but it doesn't seem UNhappy, it's fine, except it mouths, which is my concern, not weather you all feel like its in an unsuitable environment (It's not, It's happy, lots of attention and love, food, walks, toys etc etc)

gettingready

You need to look up breed specific things, huskys are hard work, and they do need WORK....



http://www.siberianhuskyclub.com/huskydamage