Female and Male Dog Woes

Hiya guys I have a 5 Year Old Staff/Boxer Cross Female thats been brilliant, we had her for 3 years and never a problem, she is fully trained rescue dog, excellent with all aspects of family life. She has also been spayed.

Last week we got a Siberian Husky Male, 1 year old. The Staff has accepted him and her behaviour has not changed, problem is the Husky is CONSTANTLY trying to hump her when they are together. So we have had to seperate them. This is not just something that happens for 5 mins then passes, first day we got him, this went on for 8 hours!!!

She is fine when near him, but when he tries to hump her, she goes aggresive and bares her teeth, growls, and even goes to bite. Something she has never done before. Our Vet suggested getting him Neutered as it may help, so we did, now his stiches have dissolved and he got his energy back and he is carrying on where he left off, the guy has some sheer stamina lol.

So where do I go from here? Do I keep them seperated or do I throw them together and pray lol.

In general the Husky is brilliant, but he has food aggresion with not just the other dog, but us as well, he is also very destructive, any help with these problems will also be appreciated. By destructive, I mean if we walk out the room, as soon as he is alone, he causes chaos.

Huskies are a very high energy breed from what I understand; is he getting enough exercise?
I'd think he'd almost certainly need more than your staffie, especially since he is a teenager.
If he can't be let off lead outdoors, it might be worth asking riding centres (if you have any near by) if you could use their indoor rings for him to let off some steam

Tiring him out may help to diffuse some of the humping and destruction.
Distracting and rewarding him when he stops may also work for the humping.
Do you have a crate for him? Maybe give him a lovely stuffed kong before you leave the room?
...but then I guess you've got the issue of trying to get it back off him lol

Good luck!

Can I just add, the neutering will not take effect yet either, it will be a couple of months or more before you will notice a difference.....if I read right you have only had him a week or so ... is that right? so he needs time to settle and some training maybe and the right exercise for his breed

Definitely more excersice lol. You could also try getting him to wear a doggie pack while out walking. My malamute wears one sometimes and it knackers him out. He loves it. A friend of mine has a huskyxlurcher, she has to walk him 5 miles in the morning and evening but he's calmed down so much.

Train him, don't allow him to aggravate and bully your other dog. Don't leave it up to her to tell him off, it's up to you to teach him what is and isn't acceptable and his current behaviour is far from acceptable. Yes he's a teenager but his behaviour won't just magically improve with age, and castration isn't the answer to all humping issues. Not all humping is sexual, it can be for many reasons over excitement being the main one and him not knowing how else to deal with it. Tell him "No" "Oi" " Pack it in " use your phase of choice and then give him something else to do.
The food aggression isn't something I'd tolerate either, I wouldn't give him a bowl full of food but give him a little at a time, adding a bit more only when he was sitting and calm, I'd get him used to the idea that all food comes from my hands and my hands need to be treated gently if he wants what's in my hands. If he's fed on dry use it to train him, use it as treats and only reward his good behaviour. Teach him " wait " and "leave it" the boy needs to learn a bit of self control. I'd also have him on a house line and every time I left the room he'd have to come with me. I wouldn't leave him alone in a room just yet as he can't be trusted. Do you have a crate? or possibly a room with a dog gate where he can do little damage? I'd use my utility room.

You need to give it time fir the testosterone to leave his body..I think it can take 6-8 weeks. I wouldn't keep them separate all the time but maybe keep him on a harness and lead when both dogs are together and given them both something to do, or do some clicker training with him, initially just clicking for looking at you and then sitting, lying down etc and gradually shaping to a settle. Hopefully he'll get the idea that when he is with your staff it's more rewarding to settle down than it is to hump her. Hopefully that with the testosterone gradually disappearing he'll settle down.

Also, presume you are not stopping your staff from telling the humper off?

Thanks, my first step is longer walks, we normally do 2 laps of a huge field, tomorrow Ill try 3. My Staff gets told off when she snaps, as one thing I wont tolerate is a nasty Staff, something she has never been, I know Staffs can be a nightmare once they turn nasty. Some great advice here. I'll take a bit of everything and try order some routine.

good idea to upset exercise, i would say though that its her snapping doesnt really deserve being told of,
at the end of the day she shouldnt have to be put up with being humped ect if you havnt stopped him in time,
she as the resident and older dog needs to be allowed to tell him what she will and wont let him do to her but she will need and want your help to back her up

It's really not fair to tell your staffie off for telling a young male pup off for repeatedly humping her!! She isn't being nasty she is being a dog telling another one to back off! Her breed doesn't come into it but her being a bitch older than the new male youngster brought into her home does! If you continue to tell her off when she snaps then it is really going to add to her stress and give her and the new comer the impression that she is in the wrong and not him. If you are going to continue telling her off for snapping when he tries to hump her then its not fair to let him anywhere near her off lead.

Oh and as for staffs being a nightmare when they turn nasty?!.....they aren't jeckle and Hyde dogs who suddenly turn nasty and that's it they've had a full personality change!