Dear Dog Talk: I am at the end of my leash and considering giving up my beloved dog. I adopted Lakota, a 4-month-old male husky mix 7 years ago. I had him neutered soon afterward. Lakota is a wonderfully sweet-tempered, affectionate loyal boy with me. Here is my concern. I am 54 years old with arthritis in my back, and it is increasingly difficult to control this strong dog outside of the house. Additionally, Lakota is aggressive to other dogs. I am fearful that one time when he pulls me off my feet (he has done this three times) and attacks a passing dog, someone other than me will be hurt. When I first got Lakota, we attended two obedience classes before we were asked to leave. He would not stop growling, barking and attacking the other pups. I wasn’t able to afford private training at the time, so I taught him to sit and shake hands, but he never has learned “Stay” or “Down-stay.” He never learned to walk on a leash without pulling. Lakota must lead me to any room where I am going. Lakota doesn’t follow, he leads, which I have been told is typical husky behavior. For the most part, inside the house Lakota respects my authority, but any man who enters the house is instantly his pack leader, and I am forgotten. Outside the house another story. Lakota gets only dog food. He is healthy and weighs about 70 pounds. He sleeps in his crate in the kitchen with the door open. He considers the crate his “house,” and if I say “go in your house,” he does so. Lakota never has been off-leash, because I understand huskies have no “homing” instinct. I have taken to walking him with a halter, which solves the pulling, but it doesn’t solve the underlying problem of aggression and disobedience. I have been told that I make mistakes when I allow this alpha dog to enter a room or the house ahead of me and when I allow him to pull on the leash. Can huskies be broken of this habit• Any advice you could offer would be great. Dear Call of the Wild: I think that Siberian huskies and Alaskan malamutes are two of the most difficult breeds to train. They are wolf-like. I think that of all of the domestic breeds, huskies and malamutes are most like their wolf ancestors. People who work with wolves have told me that wolves are easy to tame but difficult to train. I’ve been told that by socializing wolves properly at the right age, they can become safe, trustworthy animals. But getting a wolf to want to follow direction and please a human is another story. They don’t seem to be breeds that are willing to please. However, that does not necessarily mean that Lakota’s behavior cannot be improved. If I owned Lakota, I would try teaching him “Controlled Walking.” I would use a small-linked “pinch collar” and a 6-foot leash. I’m surprised that the harness you use has curbed Lakota’s pulling. A harness is designed for pulling. A harness is used for dogs to pull a sled or a cart. I would think that on a harness, Lakota would pull you like a sled. The advice that you have been given about allowing Lakota to lead you is right. With a husky, you have to be thinking “alpha” at all times. You don’t need to be mean-spirited, but you do have to be pack leader at all times. Because Lakota is 7, I don’t know how good the prognosis is for you to change your relationship with him and, in turn, his behavior. In order to do so, you need a trainer who has husky experience and the ability to teach you how to be pack leader. I would hate to see you give up on Lakota, because no one is going to care about him more than you. Good luck, and please keep in touch.

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