My Husky has Issues

Question
To the Expert.

I've got a female husky, Maya, who's just about 6 months old. She is extremely intelligent and lovable, but she always bites me when i want to put on her harnass when i want to take her for walks. She greets me with a few bites as well. I'd like to know if she'll ever stop doing this? Is it just a puppy phase?

Second problem is that she digs up our garden and when i close holes, she just opens them again. How can i teach her not to do this? Will it blow over or should i prepare myself for a "Holy" garden?

Third question is this, do huskies become more calm after a litter of puppies?

Thankyou so much for taking the time to read this.

Kindest regards

Charlotte

Answer
First of all, welcome to the club :)  All huskies have issues, and most of us love them exactly for their issues.

As for the first issue - nipping.  It doesn't sound like she is biting out of aggression, but a lot of Sibes love walks and get very playful and rambunctious.  With that being the case, nips often happen when putting harnesses on, and also as a welcome greeting.  Here's how I dealt with it and an excerpt from feedback I sent to another questioner.  This should help on issue #1:

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First, it is important to understand that dogs bite for two reasons: play and defense/aggression.  Nipping and leaving red marks (and possibly breaking the skin now and then) is a normal sign of play.  Siberians are well known for being an extremely playful breed, and also are well known for being very rambunctious when they play.  This nipping is typical.

So, now that you understand that the dog is "playing" it should help you redirect the behavior.  You also mention that your father doesn't have this problem, and this is most likely because the dog has a deeper respect for his authority and doesn't consider him a "playmate".  I personally encourage the playful interaction.  Since dogs associate with their world through their mouths, and is the main way that they play, I think it shows a strong bond that the dog wants to play with an owner.  So, rather than stop it, you have to set-up rules around the play.  Once those rules are established, dogs generally have pretty quick time understanding and following the rules.  Here's what I suggest:

First, get a pair of thick leather gloves.  Ray Allen Manufacturing makes some, but you can also go to a hardware store and look for some really thick ones.  I've also had luck finding leather welding gloves.  They aren't cheap, but they last a long time and it's worth it for the dog.  Next, put the gloves on and wrestle and play with your dog.  The bites won't go through the gloves, and if the dog bites too hard and the pressure hurts, correct the dog.  When play time is over (your decision), take the gloves off and put them away.  If the dog tries to continue to bite/play, correct the dog.  Soon, the dog will understand that gloves on equals playtime, gloves off means no.

As for the correction, it's a simple strong "NO!" and removing yourself from the situation.  If the dog persists, a quick grab of the neck can also be effective.  For the first few weeks, if the dog nips at you, immediately go get the gloves.  This will also help teach the dog that means play.  To this day, my dog (at 3 years old, and we started this method with her at 11 weeks old) will come up and bite my hand gently.  I then go get the gloves and we wrestle.
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Issue #2 - Digging
  Sorry to tell you here, I have no answer.  Actually, Siberians have an inherent need to dig as a survival technique.  They were bred to be able to dig in the snow and make beds to keep warm.  Add to that natural curiosity, hunting and prey drive, and they'll dig for fun too.  Every method I've heard of teaching a dog not to dig I have considered cruel and not worth the trouble, or simply found to be ineffective with the persistence of a Siberian.  So, as a compromise, we prevent our dogs from digging out, but they are free to dig holes in the back yard.  And as for a garden . . . well, that has to rest on the side of the house where there are no huskies . . .

As for how we prevent the dogs from digging out of the fence, that is an electric hot wire that is installed around the base of the 6' wood privacy fence.  I have more information on that if containment is an issue for the dog.  Methods I have heard of deterring the dog from digging include putting feces in the hole and covering it back up, but that I've found only to work until the smell is gone . . .  Unfortunately, I don't expect this behavior to "blow-over" although some dogs do it less, and some dogs only while bored.  So, if you can wear your dog out, that might help some too.

Issue #3 - Calming

Realize that your dog was bred to run.  The Iditarod is 1100 miles, and these dogs will run that in 9 days while pulling a sled.  They don't switch dogs out, and they don't get too much of a break.  Average that out, and you have a dog that was bred to run 110+ miles per day.  They weren't bred to be calm dogs . . . :)

Actually, the more training you do with the dog (mental and physical) and the more exercise it has, the better the dog will behave.  The saying around Sibe owners is "A tired husky is a good husky," couldn't be any closer to the truth.  As for having a litter, I've heard this argument and find it to be basically false.  Some dogs become more aggressive (in defending their pups) and even get a case "cabin-fever" after rearing a littler.  Some dogs simply relax a little more as they age.  Our dogs are both about 3 1/2 years old now and are still nuts, but have calmed down quite a bit and know the "house rules" by now.  Neither of them have ever bred.  So unless you are planning on showing and carefully breeding your dog, I would just go for the route of fixing your dog and bide your time until adulthood sets in . . . Actually, spaying and neutering your dog can also have some calming influences.

Hope that helps and feel free to write back with any more questions.