Training
Your Siberian sometimes KNOWS what you want, they just don't feel like doing it right now.
Consider this your reference point for some basic information on raising and training your Siberian Husky
Start Early
Allow your puppy to acclimate to its new home for the first day or so. It has been a member of our pack for 2 months and this new environment scares them, they are out of place in an unfamiliar pack. They will start to explore and learn their place, when they do it is time for you and your family to step up and become its new pack, with you as its Alpha.
Be Consistent and expect results
Your Siberian will learn, they are a very intelligent Breed, but if you keep changing the rules they will get fed up and stop listening to you. Contrary to some myths out there Siberians are very intelligent ,and can be properly trained. They will challenge you, especially between the ages of 6mo to 18mo, but if your consistent and firm , they can learn.
Crate Training
With a Siberian Husky I cannot stress the importance of crate training them. The crate serves a dual purpose. First it acts as a safe haven for your puppy. All our puppys are used to being crated at night and at times through out the day. The crate is a safe place for them where they can retreat to when they are tired or anxious. They are used to being in there with mom and think of the crate as their refuge. Additionally the crate assist you in keeping the puppy confined in a safe area so you do not have to worry about them having accidents or destroying property.
Size of crate is important, The best crates to get are the ones with an adjustable size. this is usually a separate piece of gating that can be inserted into the crate to adjust the size. The puppy needs to have enough room to stand, turn around and to sprawl out. Your Siberian will be about 24" at the shoulder when full grown, so you want a crate at least that high.
Introduce your puppy to its new crate when you bring them home. Leave the door open and allow them to go in and out freely under supervision. Encourage them to go into the crate by providing them with something of interest. Once your puppy is comfortable with the crate you can close the gate.
Note: Do not use the crate as punishment, you want your puppy to think of the crate in a positive manner, not negatively.
Your puppy has a small bladder, so do not expect it to go the entire night without having to relieve itself. You can anticipate maybe 4 hours at most at 8 weeks old.
When your puppy awakens, take it outside and let it go potty, it will most likely have to relieve both bowel and bladder. Let your puppy sniff around and relieve itself. Then you can bring your puppy in. Every time the puppy awakens, you want to immediately take them outside to go to bathroom. You can take this time to tie a bell to the door and ring it before opening the door, this will accustom them to hearing the wringing before going out, and start training them to ring the bell to go outside.
Watch for signs of the puppy having to go. They will start to wander with purpose, nose to the ground and seeking an "out of the way" place. When you see this behavior , make sure you take puppy outside. NEVER , EVER, EVER punish the puppy for making a mistake, its not their fault...it's yours for not picking up on the cues. If the puppy makes a mistake, clean it up and show puppy where to go. DO NOT RUB THEIR NOSE IN IT! This does NOT work.
When puppy is tired, encourage it to go to sleep in its crate, you can say "go to bed" or something similar and lead puppy to the crate. Or if your puppy simply decided to sleep somewhere else, place puppy in crate and let it get comfortable.
These basic steps will help you potty train your puppy, and get it used to sleeping in its crate. All our Siberians know "Go To Bed" is their signal to go to their crates, either because its bed time, or because we have to lock them up so we can go away. I strongly suggest to teach your puppy this as well. If you cannot keep an eye on them, you want them in a safe place so they cannot injure themselves or get into items you don't want them into. Siberians are curious by nature and will find ways to entertain themselves when you are away or asleep. What they find entertaining, may not be something you enjoy, so it is best to teach them to sleep in their crates when you are asleep or away.