My aunts dog got hit by a truck last night

[vicky2200]

(This is a question on behavior, but a background story first)

The dog died instantly. It was a very small dog, so if she didn't die instantly, she would have died eventually. Words cannot express how upset I am about this. This dog came to parties. I saw it and pet it all the time. It was a good time. The accident could have been avoided. Sadly it was purely the owners fault. As much as I am sad for the dog and the owners (especially their young son,) it also makes me even more concerned for my dog Daisy than I was before.

Daisy is an Alaskan husky who comes from a LONG line of Iditarod leaders (head dog.) So it is an UNDERSTATEMENT to say she needs a lot of exercise. These dogs are bred to be able to do over 1000 miles in 10-15 days. There is no way I can get her the kind of exercise she is bred for but her lack of (enough) exercise is creating a dangerous situation.

She wants to run. All the time. If she sees a way to get out, she goes. Recently she got out and nearly got hit by a car and almost jumped in the Detroit river. She knows her commands. She knows what "come" means She will do it every time when she is on her tie out. She will come MOST of the time inside (the breed is soooo stubborn.) I don't know how to get her to come EVERY time, regardless of if she is inside or outside or if she is on a tie out or not. I've never had a dog that couldn't learn to come when called but daisy is 2.5 years old and she still refuses to listen. She has improved in the sense that she doesn't jump on the door to open it and escape, but she still runs! Im going to do my best to get her more exercise and I am thinking about getting a treadmill (I have no idea how I will afford it) but what do I do to get her to have better recall?

[ShenzisMom]

Im going to go ahead and say that you probably won't. There are others here who know way more about the husky breed than me but it stands that they are KNOWN to be stubborn...with no reliable recall.

Are you good on skis/willing to learn? Access to fields or trails?
Skijoring - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This would be perfect for you! The most expensive part is the skis...which would need to be cross country skis. You could go to second hand sport stores, pawn shops, contact ski resorts to ask what they do with old pairs, heck check ebay/craigslist!

With a husky you could do weight pull, carting, anything. No limits, think outside the box!

[Stevenzachsmom]

I am so sorry for the loss of your aunt's dog. That is very sad.

As for you - Yes, the northern breeds are tough. They are very smart, but it is an entirely different intellect. They have excellent problem solving skills. That helps them get into plenty of trouble. I think part of their "smart" is saying "I don't want to do what you tell me to do." I have no doubt they understand the commands. They simply choose to not obey. I don't think the recall will ever be solid enough that you can trust your dog off a leash. You will always need to keep your dog in a controlled environment, or on a leash.

[Lauri & The Gang]

Originally Posted by vicky2200

Daisy is an Alaskan husky who comes from a LONG line of Iditarod leaders (head dog.) ... the breed is soooo stubborn.

No, they are NOT stubborn.

They have been bred over the years to make their OWN decisions. When the dog is at the head of the line it's up to THEM to make split second decisions that will affect their life and the lives of the other dogs and riders.

Look on Craigslist for a treadmill. See if you can find a neighbor that loves to run and pay them to take your dog with them.

[Wild Wolf]

Originally Posted by Lauri & The Gang

No, they are NOT stubborn.

They have been bred over the years to make their OWN decisions. When the dog is at the head of the line it's up to THEM to make split second decisions that will affect their life and the lives of the other dogs and riders.

Look on Craigslist for a treadmill. See if you can find a neighbor that loves to run and pay them to take your dog with them.

Yes, yes, yes. Total support for what Lauri wrote.

In my opinion, the general public should not own these types of dogs - they usually have no way of fulfilling their needs (realistically). These dogs from the pure sled dog lines should be sled dogs only, because that is were they thrive.

[Anastasia]

I wonder if you call your local high school if they would help you to get in contact with a couple kids from the cross country track team. They run every day, you could pay them to take the dog with them a couple days a week. Seems like a great job for a responsible teenager and your pup would get his exercise!

[vicky2200]

There is no way I would trust anyone else to run her. I'm looking into a treadmill and continuing to work on her recall. I'm going to attempt to run her outside a total of 400 miles this year. It's not a lot but its a start.

[RebelGSD]

You should be able to get reliable recall with the e-collar if you are willing to use it.