I agree with you both. Before you adopt a nordic breed (and trust me, I should have done this as well, and I didn't) you really need to look into the basic characteristic
s of the dog and their temperment before you decide on adopting one. I genuinely and naively thought that Nanook would be like all the other dogs I've owned in the past. Huge mistake. Huskies and Mals require ALOT of physical exercise - they get bored very quickly. For the most part, they enjoy being in the house in short intervals...re
alize, its in their blood to run, and run, and run some more...being cooped up in the house, even for a little while, isn't their idea of fun. So, in response, its not surprising that your Mal releases his energy on your furniture.
Obedience classes would be a good start. Remember though, you'll need ALOT of working with him, because with any Nordic breed, you have to be consistent with the teaching. I've heard people say they're "untrainable" - no dog is untrainable - you just need a little more patience with these guys.
What John said was absolutely right. They're very independent...
Nanook thinks he doesn't need me at all...he just does his own thing really, he's perfectly content on his own, doing his own thing, and he doesn't need me to entertain him. Of course, he's like a 2 year old and ends up getting into mounds of trouble if I don't watch him.
Also, if you have a yard (which I'm hoping you do) you really need to puppyproof the fence. They're master escape artists, and like I said before, they get bored...and when they get bored, they might try to figure out a way to get out.
Don't give up on him. These are some of the most magnificent and rewarding dogs to have. And they have such big hearts too
Just alot of energy to go along with it!