Am I doing this right?

[AllRoadsLeadBackToRadley]

Matilda (Tilly) is 16 weeks old today...and I've basically had the bolloxking of my life of the TIL'S (Turd In Laws) because of "overworking", "dog cruelty" etc!

She:

Sits
Tries to open rhe back door to go outside
Shakes hands
Stays/waits
Lies down
Rolls over
Crawls

She has playtime (walk included) for a good solid hour, because she's batshit/full of energy!

Apparantly all this is too much??? I'm overworking her ans causing aggressiveness!!! She's the softest, stupidest little thing ever! (I say little...she's 29lb already!). She plays with my equally batshit 6yo- who is about her height- and, although she went through the nipping thing, that's done now. If licking to death is aggressive...😂😂😂 but seriously...she seems fine!

The TILs say she's repressed, overtrained, overworked...I could go on!

Rant over.

I would suggest they have far too much time on their hands to be nagging you over your decisions regarding your own ddog!!
Tell them to woof off!!

The only thing I would say is that an hours exercise is quite a lot for a 16 week old puppy. Is that an hour in one go or is it broken up?

Dog cruelty? I'm guessing you are using positive and reward based training and not beating your dog into sitting? They're bonkers. An under stimulated puppy is a chewing bitey monster. I'm guessing this is a bright and high energy breed? You'd be mad not to try and harness that. Training builds not just good behaviour but a strong relationship.

Doesn't sound even slightly cruel to me so long as the dog is enjoying it - and training sessions are best broken up into several sessions under 5 mins long.

My DF will happily admit that he's never had to train a dog before, and in the next sentence he will be giving out dog training advice You're not alone!

Oh, absolutely about the short training sessions! Five minutes a time, if that.

She's a husky-Staffy cross, so high energy. I do use positive reinforcement- either with treats, or, with things like "roll over", "slow dance" she gets an extra cuddle

She's outside atm...I had to put her there as my dangerous, aggressive dog is scared of the mop! 😂

Avocado I hear you! My FIL drew himself up to his gigantic 5'6" (actually, I'm under 5', so it really is gigantic to me!) and said, ""as soon as you got that thing, I read a BOOK on it!". I can't keep a straight face at the best of times...but this!

I may have suggested the next one he reads is about good manners

As a husky owner I would be interested in seeing your ddog!!

That thing? Perhaps make training him your next project?!
And yes an hour actual lead or off lead exercise is an awful lot at that age. I think about 5 minutes a month is recommended. Too much exercise can cause joint issues and over stimulation.
Can't help with the mop issue. Mines scared too. And of Hoovers. And bins. And cars.

missy it's loosly wake, eat, rest, pee, ball/rope/bone/whatever, cuddle, sleep, rinse and repeat...then DH takes her around the block when he gets home at 6.

While I'm here... (I feel stupid starting another thread about her while I have one active) any tips on walking her so that she doesn't go after my cane? She's a bloody good girl- waits at the kerb without having to be asked!- but a long white thing scraping and sweeping from side to side would tempt a saint! (Bernard 😂).

Bitter apple thingy? Or resign myself to the fact that DH will have to do the walking until she learns?

She does "leave" it when I ask her to for three seconds

Here's Tillybop! A photographer I'm not...😂

Now she seems ok with cars- but a police car blue-lighted past us the other day and she had a complete bird!

So introduce more "down play" instead of chasing balls etc. That I can do.

Ah gorgeous!! The husky part will be extremely clever!! Never forget that =cunning and conniving!!

Cunning and clever? Ok...so this may be one of those things, like being convinced your baby is smiling at 3 weeks just before they fart- but...

She'll sometimes do the "pretend pee" when DH takes her out- especially in the rain!

She does it to DD and to DS...

But not me!!!

AIBU to think that the clever little shit knows there's no point, as I can't see it properly anyway?????

(PS, in case you're wondering how I know she's peed/shat, I can hear pee and smell shit! 😂)

Good rule of thumb for exercise is 5 minutes per month of age. Your call but this is the recommendation to protect their soft growing bones etc..

Other than that it all sounds good OP.

IMO it's never too early to teach skills. Other really useful ones to encourage from the start are paws on the floor (minimises jumping up), settle and leave it.

Re your cane. I would avoid bitter apple or any other aversion like that.

Work in rewarding her for moving focus off your cane. As per the leave it type training. Huskies are bright, so handled well she would catch one

So for example, if she likes food use it to treat and reward her for looking away from the cane. Every time she removes focus from the cane reward her. Practise in the house to start with.

At all costs avoid rewarding her for engaging with cane- be that by attention or whatever.

I taught my Puppy to leave the cat alone in this way and it worked!

I will take on board the exercise recommendations- thank you. It just seemed logical that lots of energy=lots of excercise.

She just wants to play with our cats- drives them batshit!

“It just seemed logical that lots of energy=lots of exercice”

You need to watch their joints when they’re little though so you build it up gradually, which is why 5 minutes per month of age works.

Also, lots of energy + lots of exercise = very fit but still energetic dog.

The usually zoomie little mare, who I'd be trying to tire out right now, is fast asleep!!! Calmer without her exercise! Go figure!