I just got a Siberian Husky/GSD mix from a rescue. She is 5 months old and spayed. The first day, she was fine sleeping in her crate - but the past few nights she has been barking and whining - we can't get any sleep at all. We've tried putting treats and toys in there, but she completely ignores them. The crate is big enough for her to stand up and turn around in, so space isn't the issue. We also give her exercise every day and take her out to potty every few hours.
She's also very aggressive to other dogs. When they pass by our house, she goes nuts - barking and growling at them. She also seems to be aggressive towards small children as well… She also sometimes humps legs… Help?
"We've tried putting treats and toys in there, but she completely ignores them."
- What kind of treats and toys? You want to make the crate a very positive place, so any old toys and treats may not work. Try giving her super-special things when she's in her crate, like stuffed Kongs, Nylabones and bully sticks. On that note, you also want to feed her her meals in her crate to help make it a good place.
"The crate is big enough for her to stand up and turn around in, so space isn't the issue."
- Space is a factor of comfort, but it's not the only one. Is it a comfortable temperature in her crate? Does she prefer sleeping on a cushy surface like a mattress or pillow, or a hard and cool surface like the crate tray? Make sure everything about the crate is comfy.
"We also give her exercise every day and take her out to potty every few hours."
- Exercise is, of course, exceedingly important. Do pay attention to when you're exercising her, though. Don't exercise her too close to bedtime, as exercise releases hormones like adrenaline that get the system pumped up and wakeful. Do keep her awake and reasonably active for a couple hours before bedtime; you want her to be kind of like a zombie by bedtime so that she's ready to go to sleep, but save the formal exercise for a little earlier.
"She's also very aggressive to other dogs. When they pass by our house, she goes nuts - barking and growling at them."
- Have you actually witnessed her behavior with other dogs, together, not just her seeing them from a distance? There is a difference.
For when she's just barking out the window, then promptly remove her every single time she starts barking. Don't say anything, just calmly remove her. (She should be leashed for this purpose, since you need to be able to manage the situation promptly and easily.) When she's been quiet for a couple seconds, she may return to the window. If she starts up again, repeat the process. Yes, you'll probably have to repeat it many, many times. However, with ruthless consistency and patience, she'll learn that the only way to look out the window is to play by your rules, and that pitching a fit results in her immediate isolation and removal from the window. Pair this with emphatically rewarding her for silence at the window. Don't be stingy with rewards; use stuff like chicken, hot dog, cheese, steak, liver, so on and so forth.
Be prepared for extinction bursts, about which you may learn more on this page:
http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm
Learn more about reactivity:
http://www.clickertraining.com/node/2327
http://www.amazon.com/Feisty-Fido-Help-Leash-Reactive-Dog/dp/1891767070
http://www.amazon.com/Click-Calm-Healing-Aggressive-Clicker/dp/1890948209/ref=pd_sim_b_6
http://www.amazon.com/Scaredy-Understanding-Rehabilitating-Your-Reactive/dp/0976641402/ref=pd_sim_b_3
http://www.amazon.com/Cautious-Canine-Patricia-McConnell-Ph-D/dp/1891767003/ref=pd_sim_b_6
How to properly introduce her to other dogs:
http://www.mastiffonlinecommunity.net/viewtopic.php?t=86
Look for a "Feisty Fido" training class in your area. They're designed for reactive dogs.
"She also seems to be aggressive towards small children as well…"
- "Seems to be?" What does that mean?
Safety is most important, so be careful.
"She also sometimes humps legs…"
- The instant she starts, the person should immediately, silently, firmly, calmly walk away and leave. Every time. They should also make a clear point of encouraging her not to hump by rewarding her whenever she doesn't. If anyone notices any signs that she's about to mount someone's leg, then they should immediately redirect her.