Advice--newly acquired almost-adult dog

[Anonymous]

How much total are you walking her? I think for a young breed like a husky or malamute she probably needs at least 4 miles a day of walks, or to be going someplace that she can run hard off leash. Watch the videos of the Denali sled dogs if you want to see high energy. It’s a breed that’s bred for long distance running.

[Anonymous]

I did the "$10,000 treat" thing. Cut up pieces of summer sausage and she gets one when she poops. It's been magical. Except--she does not ask to go out, I'm still making a point of getting her out every 4 hours. Early on her stools were really runny but they have firmed up and she pretty reliably poops 4x a day. But if for some reason I miss it she will poop in the house. She no longer has access to the places she was sneaking off to but she's had a couple of indoor accidents each week. So walks are now just walks.

But last night we went to my son's apt so his gf could meet her. She'd been there once before. We went out to eat, she had pooped not long before we went over there, but being left alone--gaa. Didn't think to look around for anything she might do. When we came back trash bin was knocked over and strewn everywhere, she'd pulled a vaporizer (DS has been trying to up the humidity in the apt) off the counter and broke it in the process of stealing 3 little dove chocolates from the counter, knocked over a plant that was on the counter, plus she'd left a pile smack in the middle of the living room floor. When I'd left her alone in the house to do errands, just a couple of times, I had crated her.

All in all she's less hyper than at the start.

She has only once pooped on a walk, she definitely prefers home territory for that. Is this a female dog thing? They're less likely to advertise?

[Anonymous]

She needs more exercise. When I had my husky we walked 5
miles every day. But he was happiest when my friend (an Olympian) came to visit and would run with him. These dogs have a need to run. Maybe hire a teenager to run with her. And do it let her off leash. She will bolt.

[Anonymous]

Have you started any training classes? Or working on training? Working on some training and “mental work” will also help tire your dog out. You can just add in some 5-10 minutes bursts throughout the day.

[Anonymous]

I had a dog like that - you could walk her for miles and she'd come home and pee in the house. She was just afraid/distracted by the entire outside world. What ultimately worked was buying a long lead with a tie-out stake and leaving her in the yard (supervised) for hours at a time. As soon as she peed or pooped we would give her wonderful treats like steak or turkey. She finally figured it out. Good luck!