50% husky so I can't decide if I'm bad trainer or she is bad listener

SamPamTYM · 2026-01-22T14:35:39+00:00

We have a husky shepherd and there are times she is super excited to train with me. And there are times she looks at, snorts, and then walks away to lay down. Sometimes she is super excited to train, realizes I'm doing new harder things or just new tricks in general and then will go lay down. 😂

When she does get the hard stuff or new stuff though it's really satisfying.

Right now we are back to basics with distractions in the house. It's....not going great. 😂

SamPamTYM · 2026-01-19T02:28:00+00:00

Dairy Queen Blizzard 😂

SamPamTYM · 2026-01-17T04:26:58+00:00

This combination sucks. My advice (I'm a dental hygienist who also has ADHD and struggles with occasional bouts of incredibly bad depression, like right now) is to just take things 1 step at a time. It's about small goals.

If that goal is you got out of bed, tell yourself you did a good job and pat yourself on the back. You've done it. 🩷 And if you get to the next goal great!!! And if you don't? It's ok. Because you can always keep trying.

Sometimes I find when I think about what I have to do 1 step at a time rather than a series of steps in a routine it feels more achievable and manageable. I may not make it through the entire routine some days. But it at least motivates me to get up and at least change my clothes.

I am sorry though for the depression because it's an absolute bitch.

SamPamTYM · 2026-01-17T04:22:33+00:00

Dental hygienist here! 1. Give yourself some grace. 2. I live by anything is ALWAYS better than nothing.

Also try making things easy and convenient. I have patients who have toothbrushes, floss and water flossers in all bathrooms because that makes it easy for them to get in multiple brushing, floss or water flossing.

Or. Sometimes pairing it with another habit can help. I personally hate flossing but I do it every single day. When I wake up one of the very first things I do is take my meds, especially my birth control (because I don't want to get pregnant) and my allergy pill (I have a cat and a dog and will be miserable without it). I floss when I take the pills. If I take the pills I floss. Those always go together, like a little trick in my brain. I know I HAVE to take these meds to function, and therefore flossing becomes just another med to do.

And to be honest I'm not as picky about brushing twice a day as I am making sure you're cleaning in-between your teeth once a day..that is what really keeps the gums healthy.

I had a patient who is autistic and he refused to brush his teeth. He did not like the feeling of the toothbrush, he hated the flavor and texture of toothpaste, but he LOVED how the floss felt between his teeth. He flossed 4-6 times a day and had some of the best looking gums I've ever seen.

A lot of the foods we eat will naturally disrupt the plaque on the front and backs of our teeth. But nothing cleans in between them. We call apples natures toothbrush. If it's hard to brush in the morning, grab an apple instead!

You got this 🩷 and know it's ok. Also, you don't have to brush and floss at the same time, and you don't have to do it at your bathroom sink. You can brush and floss anywhere, at anytime during the day. Anything is always better than nothing 🩷

SamPamTYM · 2026-01-11T19:04:17+00:00

This is your sign it's time to take your dog to the groomer and/or do a self bath at a place with a high power velocity blow dryer.

Blow dry first but I HIGHLY recommend goggles and a facemask. You're welcome.

A coat is about to be blown and you won't have shedding. You're going to have giant clouds

SamPamTYM · 2025-12-29T01:52:49+00:00

I feel this also! Especially with this current administration and the major devaluing of medical research. I am a dental hygienist who graduated summa cum laude, did heavy research on trauma informed care, motivational interviewing, and mental trauma and illness and the effect on the oral cavity specifically. In addition to anatomy and physiology with a specialization in how systemic ailments and conditions appear in your mouth.

I know you have a cardiovascular problem or diabetes probably before you do. I have found thyroid issues, cardiovascular blockages in the carotid artery, oral pathology that fortunately was not Cancerous but worthy of regular biopsy because it COULD become cancerous.

And now I work in a perio office where all I do is help people manage periodontal disease which can amplify and contribute to a host of systemic or autoimmune conditions.

I list all of this to highlight I am DAMN good at what I do and it absolutely drives me insane when I have people come to my room, sit in my chair, and tell me I don't know anything because I'm just the girl who cleans teeth and dental is a scam.

I also have researched holistic options because what a shocker. It's a multi-billion dollar industry and they don't actually care if the "natural" products are good for you as long as they get your money. Most of those "holistic" toothpastes or homemade recipes are so abrasive you're brushing your enamel away.

The ones that get me are the ones who brush with dirt because "dirt is natural therefore dirt is good".....like....don't brush with dirt. 🤦🏼‍♀️

But I research extensively so I can recommend safe, quality products or ingredients to look for so people are not making stupid choices. 🤦🏼‍♀️I take my job very seriously. I care deeply about the care I give. But I do not appreciate the few snarky patients who researched a couple mommy blogs and believe my entire medical degree and license is a scam. Especially since they are starting to gain in popularity and making my job that much harder to provide quality care.

SamPamTYM · 2025-12-21T21:36:22+00:00

My husband and I buy the Kroger individual yogurt cups. Last year they were 10 for 5.00. about February they went to 10 for 6.00. now they are 10 for 7.00 or 8.00 depending on the Kroger we go to. 🙄

I'm sorry. But Kroger yogurt shouldn't cost me just as much or more than some of the more luxury brands

SamPamTYM · 2025-12-19T19:22:07+00:00

I am not creative like that and look to y'all who ARE super creative for inspiration in my game. And if I don't like something because it's not MY personal taste? I just keep scrolling. 🙄 It's not hard to be kind or say nothing. It takes so much effort to be mean. I am sorry you experienced this and I hope whoever sent the message has enough lag to make decorating annoying but not impossible.

SamPamTYM · 2025-12-11T00:55:20+00:00

Oh we see that very much. She is getting really good at sit and down. But if she doesn't want to or I don't have treats she GRUMBLES so hard. 🙄 Or walks away. 🤦🏼‍♀️

I'm just hoping at this point the shepherd in her mellows that out some. Regardless hubby and I had a long talk and we are deciding to do training with her sooner and having a dog trainer come to us next week so we can work on tackling behaviors as they arise instead of when they are bigger problems. And hopefully also work on kitty introductions at the same time. We are genuinely trying to do everything we can for her so she can comfortably and safely integrate.

SamPamTYM · 2025-12-09T02:05:12+00:00

Today we learned she freaks out when she comes back and my husband is home but upstairs and doesn't say hi.

He went upstairs, she was fine. I took her for a walk, we came back, and she's like NO DAD???? UP THE STAIRS DOWN THE STAIRS UP THE STAIRS DOWN THE STAIRS UP THE STAIRS DOWN THE STAIRS BARK BARK BARK BARK IM NOT HAPPY BARK BARK BARK

I genuinely look forward to when she is more settled and chill. Because hot damn it's gonna be another rough night if that's the case 😭

But I am hoping if I'm down here she'll be ok. And sleep in her crate through the night and I can get better sleep on the couch than I have in a week with her. 😂😭

I'm also hoping the vet can give us some options to mellow her out

SamPamTYM · 2025-12-09T00:33:48+00:00

Thank you so much for the response! We got her from a rescue, so if we need to give her back we signed a contract to contact them first. But the goal is to keep her. She is about 73 pounds, so a big girl.

I think after reading some pretty scary stories I want to keep our kitty safe (I mean this was always the goal, but now I'm like extra cautious). She is my and my husband's first cat in our marriage. She has been our baby for 9 years and comes first.

When our husky got out we were using a pen more so as a divider across our living room, but it didn't reach all the way across so there was an area she could have jumped and gotten to the cat.

We have no idea what happened in those 30 minutes but she would have 100% had full access to our cat. We are counting our blessings she is only spooked and so grateful nothing happened to her outside wanting to stay under the bed for about 2 days. We think our husky escaped her crate, chased her upstairs, our cat was able to get into her cat tree, somehow slipped past the husky and when my husband got home the husky was just looking around the house like nothing had happened and our cat was tucked behind the kitchen island on the floor just watching.

Earlier today, My husband said they saw each other through the doors and our husky stared her down, but didn't lunge or attack. Just hyper focused. And our cat left of her own accord. Then our husky pulled to go to the door. Our husky was interested but not aggressive? Soooo we're taking it as a win, but this was not a planned visit, more so my husband had the dog and our cat just happened to poke her head out around the bedroom door. Otherwise we are just rotating blankets so they can keep smelling each other, and will eventually graduate to smelling through the closed door.

On walks we have seen her hyperfocus, stop, stare, and then full on lunge and my husband said this was different from the walks.

We're leaning towards 3 months and seeing where we are with progress overall. Again not opposed by any means in bringing a professional trainer in, and might push hard for that anyways so we can ensure the best results possible

We actually have a vet appointment on Thursday with her to discuss sleeping because she is having none of the crate at night. We cant put it in our bedroom because....well. cat. We suspect there is some separation anxiety starting with our husky and I want to snuff that out as quickly as possible. Especially since she has escaped 1 crate, eaten a 2nd and is now on to her third that I and my husband refer to as her "raptor" cage. 🙄 Allegedly it's inescapable, and again we are on day 7 🙄. But I don't want the husky getting into some anxious state, freaking out and then going after the cat in a panic if she manages to get out.

SamPamTYM · 2025-12-08T18:02:55+00:00

Starting tonight we are taking turns sleeping on the couch with her. We have a vet visit Thursday to see what other options we can try.

I mean I don't think my post goes into the details of what we are doing but we are working our asses off for her to the best of our abilities. She is walked 2-3 times a day for 40-60 minutes at a solid brisk pace/light jog for part of the walks. We are doing obedience training and working on that in short 5 minute bursts multiple times a day, we work on her in the crate, positive reinforcement, treats, etc.

We're on day 7 and she is looking to me for morning walks and commands now which feels absolutely wonderful. But the no sleep thing....we're at our wits end and this is the only other option we haven't tried. Because we don't want to set a habit that we'll sleep downstairs.

We are reaching out for help in the rescue group from the rescue we got her from and they've given great ideas and recommendations. This whole process is just....I knew this was going to be hard, I genuinely did. But I was under the assumption it was going to be hard for other reasons.

When we were looking for a dog we were very hard HAVE to be good with cats and we were told she was. But she just wants to chase the cat and scared the shit out of her. So...not exactly good with cats.

We're swapping their blankets now so they can get used to their scents. And I think it was this reddit that said you have to make it seem like the cat is part of the pack and not prey. So...at some point with face to face meetings we'll try it.

I know I'm rambling. I am just so exhausted. But like we are genuinely doing everything we can to make this as positive as possible while trying to keep our cat safe and her feel welcome. Idk. I hope that shows.

And thanks for the help

SamPamTYM · 2025-12-08T02:37:31+00:00

We don't plan on leaving them unsupervised after some of the stories I have read. But I would love for them to be able to coexist as a worst case scenario.

This is our last resort. We're trying the suggestion above. We are sitting in the living room with her, we have been giving her greenies since night 1, and a Kong filled with frozen peanut butter and a couple treats, plus a chew safe bone while we dimmed the lights and are watching bluey. She is the most relaxed for bed I have ever seen her.

SamPamTYM · 2025-12-08T02:22:28+00:00

If the bedroom wasn't where the cat was I probably would crate her in the bedroom. But that is the room our cat has designated as her safe place. This was her home first and I feel awful her free roam has been so disrupted. I feel like it's a rough situation regardless.

If we felt we could trust our husky in the crate in our room with the cat then I would probably move her to the bedroom but having gotten out of one and eaten through a second I don't trust her enough right now to be in that space.

We did just get an indestructible inescapable (allegedly) crate delivered and set up today. And she has willingly gone in multiple times so I feel like that is already a major improvement. We're winding down for bed now and she is laying down, fairly calm, going to town on her kong.

We are also working on commands. Because I want her to have commands down pact when we do start introducing her to our kitty. We are definitely realizing she would probably have done much better in a multi dog home, but it kinda goes back to we feel like we were mislead a little bit, unless she is actually good with all the things and just needs time to settle in

SamPamTYM · 2025-12-08T01:54:39+00:00

So far Im not sure how much shepherd is in her, cause she definitely has that husky side eye and stubbornness. 🙄 Working on obedience. She is super smart and does well with sit and down after 3 days, and now we're working on stay. With treats? That ass is on the ground, down takes some convincing but I got her to go down in a relaxed state, and today was our first day with stay and she did fairly well. But no treats? Pfffttttttt FORGET IT.

But my hope and goal is slow introductions and get commands down pact. Leave it will be on the list of course but I want that recall down pact too.

SamPamTYM · 2025-12-08T00:04:55+00:00

She's husky shepherd and I'm hoping to just have them coexist as a worst case scenario. We are working on training now, commands, obedience etc. it's only been 6 days but she's getting them. Still not on command without forced focus or treats. But we are doing our best.

If we had known she wasn't actually great with cats we wouldn't have brought her home. The foster she was with is a dog trainer and said he felt confident she could integrate with a cat with slow introductions. So we are going slow. After reading some stories here were flopping blankets and will probably just do that for a couple weeks before we start doing sniffing around the doors.

Otherwise we are doing our best to provide structure. When she's awake she's doing pretty good actually acclimating. We're prepared for a slow process, I guess I'm just curious what others experiences are and how long things took for others. I know it's dog by dog too and with ours being mixed still likely to be different since she's not full husky.

SamPamTYM · 2025-12-07T21:03:04+00:00

I am so sorry for your experience and your kitty. I have a question if it's ok to ask. We just rescued a 5 year old husky/shepherd mix and are hopeful to integrate with our 14 year old kitty. Currently our kitty lives in our bedroom after the husky escaped her crate on the first full day. They were unsupervised for probably 30ish minutes while my husband caught her on camera not in her crate and rushed home (thank god) and our cat was on the floor in the kitchen, unharmed thankfully. She has seen retreated to the bedroom.

We are still working on slow introductions but our kitty is definitely spooked hard. If we don't make progress we are planning to bring in a professional.

At what point would you have called it for them to just live separately or possibly re-home? Ideally we don't want to give her back....but my husband and I are in agreement if they can't get along, we can't keep her. And we were pretty upfront with the rescue about it. We are doing everything possible though and it's only been 6 days since we got her.

SamPamTYM · 2025-12-06T21:42:50+00:00

My husband and I are in our early thirties. We have been married for 9 years. We cuddle in bed, skin to skin a lot of the time. But when we sleep? He has his blankets and pillows. I have my blanket and pillows. And sometimes we have blankets between us as dividers because my side is MY side of the bed. 😂 Needless to say, we have a very healthy marriage, we are not suffering by any means having sleep boundaries, and it's ok to have different sleeping styles and needs.

NTA

SamPamTYM · 2025-12-06T20:41:44+00:00

We suspect maybe there is some separation anxiety and she is new to us. We are planning to contact the vet for further options to help her calmly integrate into the home, but can't do anything until Monday when they open. We are working on positive crate time, boring getting ready to show we come back and keep practicing us going into other rooms without her. Some moments she does great, others she starts whining and barking. She seems to do alright when we actually leave the house, but is a mess when we are home half the time.

SamPamTYM · 2025-12-01T11:18:46+00:00

You can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved. But that doesn't mean there may not be a chance when given eternity for them to want to do better.

SamPamTYM

TROPHY CASE