Siberian husky breed info

Question
I love the breed they are so beautiful and so wolf like.There are lots of things that I have heard about the breed that I love such as the howl but a few things worry me and I would like to hear from Siberian husky owners please. The things that worry me are the fact that they are not a one man dog and will treat everybody with a great amount of love I guess it's probably a good thing but I'm kinda looking for a dog that I could have a deep bond with and I was just wondering do they have a great love for their owner or an equal love for everyone? Also I heard that they are very stubborn when it comes to training and will not listen to you unless you are stronger minded than them and this worries me a bit because I want an obedient dog. I watch the dog whisperer and have read lots of articles online and I plan to be the pack leader and I have two German shepherds who are very obedient so I was wondering how stubborn they are with training and would they be much harder to train than a German shepherd? Also i know about the shedding and the escape instinct and the love to run etc it us just the two issues i have mentioned that worry me. If it sounds like I am not cut out for the breed could you please suggest a breed that you think would suit me? Thank you.

Answer
I would stick to Shepherds or another guard breed (Dobermans ect). I am a dog trainer and I won Siberians, and used to own Shepherds.

 It is true that Siberians are stubborn, the stubbornness is born out of the fact you have to prove themselves to them for them to listen to you. They must be kept on a leash, in a fenced in yard or contained somehow 24/7.  They form a deeper bond of sorts with you then other people, but don't expect to get much more then their respect out of it. Owning a Siberian is a partnership, if you give them respect and love they generally will return it if you add it to rules guidelines and such. They are more like a 5 year old child stuck in a dogs body then a dog. They will  listen when they feel their is a proper point to it (they won't do it just to make you happy, they have to feel it will make them happy to do it to). They will not guard your home, you or any of your possessions. Their wolf like appearance may startle someone into thinking they are mean... but that is just an illusion. They are friendly, but can decide to be aloof at times, usually when you tell someone how good they are and want to show off the tricks they know. I think they get a kick out of making their owner look like a fool some days. They are very, very intelligent. They can fool you into letting your guard down so they can sneak out the door, leave food in counter surfing reach or being good a few times when you leave them out on accident and then come home one day (when you say I can leave them out because they are good) to a stripped out couch because they got bored, or garbage all over the house because they wanted to make sure each fast food wrapper was thoughtfully inspected for crumbs. They are fun loving and do anything in the name of a good time. They are free spirits that love to run and see, smell and hear new things. All the things I have listed because I LOVE these things about them. I used to own shepherds and then I got 1 Siberian and it was all over I was in love with this naughty dog I had to reaffirm my relationship with every day.

 Cesar's techniques might or might not work to varying degrees on this breed. If you physically correct them they have a habit of doing the exact opposite of what you want. These dogs seem to respond best to classic conditioning*1, negative punishment**2 and positive reinforcement*** 3(try to avoid positive punishment****4!) but you have to keep giving them treats, a ball or whatever they value in training. They get bored quickly with training even when they are older. About 15 mins a day is all they really seem to need. If you do more then this they start misbehaving because they are bored. Again this is because they are problem solving smart. Once they get what you want in training only do it one or 2 more times. Also outsmarting them in part of training. Crate training is a must.

DEFINITIONS COME FROM
http://www.wagntrain.com/OC/index.htm#Operant

*1C lassical conditioning is used by trainers for two purposes: To condition (train) autonomic responses, such as the drooling, producing adrenaline, or reducing adrenaline (calming) without using the stimuli that would naturally create such a response; and, to create an association between a stimulus that normally would not have any effect on the animal and a stimulus that would.

**2 Negative punishment is reducing behavior by taking away Something Good. If the animal was enjoying or depending on Something Good she will work to avoid it getting taken away. They are less likely to repeat a behavior that results in the loss of a Good Thing. This type of consequence is a little harder to control.

***3 Positive reinforcement means starting or adding Something Good, something the animal likes or enjoys. Because the animal wants to gain that Good Thing again, it will repeat the behavior that seems to cause that consequence.

****4  Positive punishment is something that is applied to reduce a behavior. The term "positive" often confuses people, because in common terms "positive" means something good, upbeat, happy, pleasant, rewarding. Remember, this is technical terminology we're using, though, so here "positive" means "added" or "started". Also keep in mind that in these terms, it is not the animal that is "punished" (treated badly to pay for some moral wrong), but the behavior that is "punished" (in other words, reduced). Positive punishment, when applied correctly, is the most effective way to stop unwanted behaviors. Its main flaw is that it does not teach specific alternative behaviors.

Any more Questions Please ask!
-Michelle B