St Johns Wort???

[Glacier]

Just wondering, does your husky get up on the kitchen counters? I can't seem to get thor broke of stealing the bread off the counter. It doesn't matter where I put it.

It's called counter surfing and it's a breed trait. In my house anything edible on the counters is stored in the "food safe", which before huskies was known as the Microwave! I also have a Sssssssssscat cannister on the counter at night. It's a canned of compressed air with a motion detector in it. Movement sends out a beep and a blast of harmless air. Supposed to keep cats off the counters, but works for counter surfing huskies.

Seperation anxiety can be difficult to deal with, can occur in any breed, but is not a typical husky trait. The breed standard calls for an aloof, independant nature! I have 24 dogs, one has seperation anxiety. He's a shelter dog and I attribute it to insecurity.

The hardest part is not reinforcing the behavior. In Anvik's case, if it's not between 11pm and 7am, I let him howl(the noise by-law here only applies during those hours!). My father in law and my neighbors both say he quits within 30 minutes after I leave for work and doesn't start again until I get home. I do let him screech for awhile before I go get him when I get home. He has to stop screaming before he gets any attention, even if it's just for a few seconds, he has to shut up! He's crated at night so he doesn't annoy the neighbors. I get up once a night with him. He pretends he needs to pee, but I think he's really making sure I'm still around.

Check out Patricia McConnell's booklet, "I'll be home soon"--short, easy to read, highly effective strategies for dealing with seperation anxiety.

I've never used St.John's Wort with an animal. (Note to women if you are taking it yourself, it does decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills). I have used Rescue Remedy in cats, dogs and myself with some success.

[husky_lover]

Thank you soooooo much Glacier!! I'm going to try the Sssssssssscat cannister. I've started putting everything either on the top of the fridge and in the microwave when I can't keep an I on him. I've never owned Huskies before and I'll have to say that my two are teaching me alot!!!!!

[wolfsoul]

I also have a Sssssssssscat cannister on the counter at night.

Ever tried the Sssssscat mat? My friends use them for their counter surfing dogs. It uses static electricity to zap the dog when it touches it. Most of my friends would also die without mouse traps. I'm going to try them on the garbage can.

[cali]

Most of my friends would also die without mouse traps. I'm going to try them on the garbage can.

lol careful, I know someone who put a mousetrap to keep her BC from getting the the garbage, the first day the dog got snapped the second day the dog didnt try and the third day that dog put his least fav toy in the mousetrap to snap it, pulled off the trap and ripped into the garbage

[Glacier]

Ever tried the Sssssscat mat? My friends use them for their counter surfing dogs. It uses static electricity to zap the dog when it touches it. Most of my friends would also die without mouse traps. I'm going to try them on the garbage can.

Scatmats die when a cat pees on them! I had one. It worked great until Onyx peed on it!

We had mousetraps at one point on the garbage cans before. Earle kept setting them off. I swear he thought it was fun. Now I keep a case of Diet Coke on the lid. At least I can hear it if they knock that off in the night!