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Ask Alecia: My Husky Nips My Child!

By: Author Paris Permenter

Dear Alecia,

My husband and I just adopted a 3-year-old husky named Dante. He is very lovable and gentle, and, although he is stubborn, we are working on his basic training, and he is doing much better.

We adopted him because of how good he was with our two-year-old son, but since bringing him home, he has nipped our son twice while exhibiting possessive behavior.

The first time was with one of my son’s toys that Dante wanted to play with. The other time was when I was snuggling with my son on the couch. He doesn’t seem to be acting out of aggression necessarily, but seems very possessive of me and I am concerned for our son. Why would he be doing this? And how can I stop it? — Liberty

Dear Liberty,

Anytime I am dealing with a rescue dog nipping issue and a child, I always recommend bringing in a positive reinforcement trainer in your area to work with you and the dog and the child directly.  My #1 rule is always Safety First and in the case I have a child involved the child’s safety comes first.

Now I will share with you some helpful information but in this case as I am not certain how it will be translated from writing. I am going to recommend  that you contact www.APDT.com and locate a trainer in your area that can come and work with you to ensure the releasing of that behavior.

Huskies are an interesting breed.  Highly driven by their high energy levels and bred to run, they are independent by nature and definitely have clear opinions of what they like and what they don’t. They are great dogs but not that into pleasing people once they get past a year old. They are loyal to their people and love their humans but can be a little touchy around little kids if they are establishing themselves in the pack.

Since Dante is a rescue and we are not sure of his background, and he could be establishing himself as next in line to his leader (you), it is important to make sure he understands his role is as protector of the baby not boss.

If I can be of any further assistance in locating a trainer in your area please let me know.

Paws Up! Alecia Evans, HDT, Inventor

Alecia Evans is the inventor of The Walk In Sync™ Humane Dog Walking and Training System with her exclusive 5 Minute Manners Makeovers using the Walk In Sync™ Harness and Accu-Grip Leash, along with her Walk In Sync™ 3 Easy Steps to teach any human/dog duos to Walk In Sync in just minutes.

The former host of the award-winning GrassRoots Aspen TV Series, The Whole Animal-An Alternative Approach to Animal Care, Alecia takes a natural approach to dog training and health care. Her work has been featured on Fox and Friends, The Sandra Glosser Show, NY 1, and in Aspen Magazine, DogTipper.com, The New York Daily News and Woof Report.

Paris Permenter
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This post originally appeared on DogTipper.com and is the sole property of DogTipper.com.