Help To Stop Howling Huskie

Question
Our Huskie is a perfect dog when we are home, however, while we are at work she constantly howls & we're getting complaints and soon to be fines.  I don't want to use the shock collar but we have tried all the other collars, crating, keeping indoors and nothing is working! PLEASE HELP, we love her and don't want to get rid of her.

Answer
Huskies, like several other breeds, have strong pack drives. They do not like to be left alone. Have you considered maybe getting another dog that can help keep her company? I wouldn't suggest another Husky, because then you may have TWO howling dogs to deal with, but another dog that's close to her size, age, and activity level might be something to consider. How long have you had your dog, and how old is she now?

Have you tried leaving a radio or TV on for her during the day? Does she have toys/chew bones/etc. to keep her occupied while you're gone? A Kong that has had peanut butter, cream cheese, plain yogurt, plain canned pumpkin, canned dog/cat food, etc. and frozen overnight is excellent for keeping a dog occupied for quite a while.


I know you don't want to, but you may just have to start putting a no-bark collar on her during the day. I assure you they are safe and effective. I've used them on dogs as small as Jack Russell terriers and as large as German shepherds with no negative results. I, personally, recommend Dogtra brand collars over all others. I have had, and still own, several of their collars and so far I have yet to be disappointed by them. For most dogs, the YS300 (which can be seen at http://dogtra.com/s_product/s_view.php?category=Nobark) works to curb annoying nuisance barking and howling, but if you have a very stubborn dog, Dogtra makes a stronger collar called the YS500. I have the YS300, and that is what I would recommend you try to start out with. It has a vibration-only mode that you can try at first, that only vibrates the collar when the dog barks. If that doesn't work, then you will have to dial up to the static correction levels until you find the one that your dog responds to. To find this level, you will have to put the collar on the dog and pretend to leave - ie: do everything as you normally do when you are going somewhere, but instead of leaving, stand outside so that you can hear when he starts barking/howling. If, after several barks/howls, he doesn't stop, then you know that that level might not be strong enough for him, and you'll have to dial up to the next level. Each level starts out on the low end and gradually increases to the high end of that level if the dog continues to bark/howl.

Bark collars must be fitted snug around the top of the dog's neck, just behind his ears, to be able to function properly. It has to be able to 'hear' and 'feel' the vibration of the dog's 'voice box' when he barks/howls. You should only be able to get one finger under the strap. The 'box' should be on the underside of the dog's 'chin,' and should not be easy to slide back and forth. If your dog shakes his head and the collar moves to the side of his neck, it's too loose. Because your dog has thick fur, you will have to rub the 'box' forward and back a couple of times when you put it on, so the probes part the fur and are able to come in contact with his skin better. You should put it on him last thing before you leave, and take it off first thing when you get home. If left on for too long, they can cause sores called 'pressure necrosis' where the probes are touching the dog's neck. These are not burn marks, which many people assume.


If you go to http://www.yahoo.com or http://www.google.com you can do a search for 'Dogtra YS300' to find where you can buy one the cheapest. They are actually cheaper, though, than some of the collars you can buy at the pet store, and they are much higher quality.