mixed breed weight/height/actions

Question
QUESTION: I just got a dog from my local humane society. She is a husky/shepherd mix. They said she is 10 months old. I was just wondering about how tall will she get, how much will she weigh, and about when will she stop growing? They said there that she won't get much bigger. From the look of her paws, I don't think she will. But when everyone asks what type she is they reply with wow she's going to be a big dog!! But I dont think she will be.

Another thing.. I've noticed some weird behaviors from her. I've had her all but a few days so she still has some getting used to the house to do but these have caught my eye. First off, she's jumpy but more so in the morning (like an hour or so after she has woke up) and then the evening. It's obvious she's been trained. But she won't let us know when she needs to pee. What are some signs? But to be on the safe side I've been taking her out every 1-2 hours for about 15-20 mins. Sometimes (not every time) after I bring her in she'll pee inside. Now I read that huskies do that to manipulate you in to putting them back outside. So to get a crate and put the dog in there instead so they learn that they cant get their way. Is this true? I got a crate today to place her in when no one is home for long periods of time. (very, very rare) I don't understand some of her actions. When we go to bed, she goes to bed. She does not leave the bed till I wake up. That whole time over night she is fine. No accidents what so ever. But during the day its opposite. She has between 1 & 3 pee's in the house a day (8am-11pm) I put food out once a day at 8am. I make sure there's enough to last her till 8/8:30pm and she has water all day long too till she goes to bed. But she doesn't eat that much. And poops once a day, in the house. I cant get her to poop outside. What do I do?! Other then that she's loving, well mannered, protective, playful, doesn't bark and is no where near being aggressive. If anything she can be shy and will hide behind and under things. Is this ok for her to be doing??

Please help!!!! : ]

ANSWER: Hi Ashley,

Congratulations on getting a dog!

At 10 months old, your dog shouldn't grow a whole lot longer, but what she will do is "fill out", and take on an adult dog appearance by the time she's a year, to two years old. Depending on how large her parents were, your dog may end up being 24-26" at the shoulder.

Your dog's morning and evening jumpiness might be nothing more than the excitement of the moment. Maybe she's anticipating being fed, or going out, or just is excited because people are awake and moving around. It's hard to say.

Some of your dog's house training issues could be due to the fact you've only recently got her, and she's still adapting to your home. When a dog is new to a home, you can pretty much expect accidents. Be sure to clean the areas where your dog has had accidents with an enzymatic cleaner, such as Nature's Miracle, so she won't be inclined to go back these areas, and go to the bathroom there again.
Another possiblity is that she isn't as house trained as you think she is. Not every dog will tell you when she needs to go outside. This is especially true if she isn't fully house trained yet.

Whether your dog isn't fully house trained or just adapting to being in your home, the solution is the same. By giving your dog frequent opportunities to go outside, you will prevent her from having accidents in your home. After a week or two of frequent walks, you can try cutting back to see if she's had that "light bulb over her head" moment, and understand what walks are for. If not, keep walking her on schedule.

Don't yell at your dog (or punish her) for accidents in your home. If you don't catch her "in the act", she's not going to associate the puddle with why your yelling. When accidents occur,the fault is yours, for not supervising her.

You need to take her on leashed walks, and not just let her go outside by herself in a fenced in area. It's only when you walk your dog on the leash that you can offer encouragement and reward when she goes to the bathroom during the walk. If your dog doesn't do everything that's expected of her during a walk, when you take her back to the house, put her right in her crate. After about 15 minutes take her out for another try.

Crates are not for punishment, or teaching her that she can't have her way. A dog has a natural denning instinct, they feel secure in a small enclosed space, and will not soil in the space since they sleep there. That is the concept behind crating. You can read more about crating here:

http://www.inch.com/~dogs/cratetraining.html

http://www.perfectpaws.com/crt.html

You didn't say what sort of location you're walking your dog in. Some dogs can be very particular about where they'll relieve themselves. Some feel very vulnerable, and prefer some "cover" such as shrubs or trees, instead of walking out in a street.

Don't wait for your dog to tell you she needs to go outside. Have her on a feeding schedule, and walk schedule. What goes in at a certain time, will come out at a certain time. Dogs thrive on routine, so having the feeding and walk schedule will also make your dog feel more at home and at ease, if she's still adjusting to moving in.

What you shouldn't do, is give your dog the run of your house if you're not around to supervise her. This includes times when you're home. If you can't be supervising you dog, she needs to be crated.

The fact your dog is able to "hold it" all night makes me wonder if your dog isn't have some separation anxiety. Your dog may miss you or is lonely, she gets bored and he becomes frustrated.
You didn't say how many hours a day your dog is left alone, or if you are leaving her with something to do during the day, such as having a treat filled Kong toy. Your dog should not ever be crated or left alone for longer than 6 hours.

Best of luck,
Patti






---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The accidents I figured were due to my house being new to her. And she is usually caught in the act. But there have been times where she has been sneaky. And I don't even say anything to her. I just clean it up. I'm trying to get her on a routine but I'm not sure as to how long after she eats or drinks should I put her out/walk her. Also how much food should she be eating a day? And I walk her in the back yard and also around my neighbor hood. I've noticed she doesn't have a problem peeing anywhere haha. It's just the pooping we need to work on. (Today there were no pooping accidents). As far as her being alone through out the day, she's not. I'm home all day long and if I need to leave, either someone else is here or I'm only gone for an hour-two which may happen once or twice a week. And we got her bones to chew and toys to play with when we can't give her our full attention. Also she doesn't sleep in her crate. She sleeps in my bed. Is her constant hiding ok? Should I just let that go? The animal shelter told me she enjoys hiding under things. She doesn't seem to be actually scared when doing this, she'll just up and hide.

Ashley

Answer
Hi Ashley,

If your dog is being "sneaky" and is having accidents in your home, you're not supervising her closely enough. She should not be given the opportunity to be out of your sight to have accidents. When you can't be watching her, she needs to be in her crate. Another way of keeping watch over your dog is to have her wear a leash in your home, and attach the leash to your belt loop or pocket.

Put your dog on a feeding schedule, so you'll know exactly when she's eating, and then take her outside about 20 minutes after her meal. Most people feed twice daily, once in the morning, after a quick trip outside to pee, and in the late afternoon, or early evening. After your dog has been house trained, you can go back to the "free-range" style feeding, if you prefer.

Whatever dog food you're feeding your dog will have feeding guidelines on the package. This is usually calculated by the dog's weight, size and activity level. Feeding guidelines will vary from brand to brand, as nutritional values vary, depending on the quality of dog food.

The constant hiding sounds like she's fearful, insecure or shy. That can develop into a problem as fearful dogs can bite out of fear. Hiding isn't a "normal" behavior, even though you say you don't think she's scared, something is compelling her to run and hide. It's hard to say how much of the behavior is because she's new to your home.

It would be a REALLY good thing if you would enroll in an obedience class with your dog. Not only will she learn to follow commands (which may or may not interest you), but in your dog's case, she would gain confidence and it can help her feel secure. Depending on your dog's personality, she might never get over being a little shy, but you shouldn't just ignore the behavior, especially if it's fear based.

Things like being on a feeding schedule and having scheduled walks can help an insecure dog feel more confidant. Structured schedules, helps a dog learn to count on things and learn what to expect.

I hope I've been a help!

Patti