Husky

Are Huskies Easy To Train?

The way we invest our time, money, and energy in bringing up our own children in the best possible atmosphere. Same way, when including a pet into the family as a new member; one must do the homework well. Huskies are trained to be a sledge dog, guard dog, service dog, house pet, and even for hunting.

Huskies were used for hunting and sledging since the 10th century in the Polar Regions. They were trained in batches of 10-14 dogs tied together. For an adventurous sledging experience, some people use them in the snow-clad areas of the Arctic region. Mostly used as work dogs in the gone by years, with adequate training it can be kept as a pet. They are strong-willed and respond better to an influential person. It makes the husky believe that he/ she wants to be in the good books of the leader.

So, training a husky is often believed to be a difficult task by many. They are known to become destructive if not trained properly. 

Training Huskies is not difficult, but it comes with certain challenges. They are pack dogs who must be trained to obey the leader. If not disciplined at an early training stage, they might get destructive in their behavior. It is wise enough to calm the husky before starting any kind of training. It is advisable to remain consistent and stern (not angry) in giving your orders to the husky. They tend to obey a strong leader rather than an angry owner. 

What are the effective ways to train a Husky?

Establish a strong leadership bond

Huskies are known for their notorious behavior, hence, the training period must be about leaders giving the orders and rewarding good conduct. Getting angry will only leave them more frustrated rather than obedient. Once the dog is aware that you are the one giving him/ her food, safety, and rewards, it will show a better response to the training orders.

See also  Can Huskies Live In Apartments?

While you have successfully made them obey your commands, make sure to assess whether they behave the same in all kinds of situations. E.g., a alpha position taught to the husky in a home environment might be ignored while at a park. So, keep the training process thorough and uninterrupted.

A break in the training period might make them less disciplined. Let them know that bad behavior will not be tolerated and good ones will be rewarded. As a leader, instill 24×7 disciplined behavior in them to avoid unwanted trouble by the husky for other dogs and people. 

Make Strict Rules and Routine

When you get a husky home, make sure all the family members are aware of his freedom to enter certain places. Some common rules must be shared with people living in the house other than the trainer. This will help in avoiding a situation of breaking the rule when the trainer is not around. 

Follow Non-violent method

Huskies are popular for their notoriously independent nature, often making people leave training halfway. This is just another challenge that can be overcome with patience and determination. However, make sure to follow a non-violent method of training. This exceptional breed respects a strong leader who rewards good behavior. Bad behaviors must be warned, not punished. This embarks a sense of trust in them for their master. 

Understand the character 

Siberian huskies are more athletic and are not comfortable if kept in a confined environment. 

They have an outgoing and friendly temperament. They are usually friendly with other pets if they are raised together. Their predator nature might be dangerous if they are left with other small pets. Huskies are born athletes, which means they are not the cute lap dogs. There must be enough activity for them in the training period as well as on a daily basis. Huskies want an active and energetic trainer who will keep them occupied with a task. Otherwise, they might become bored and try to escape. 

See also  Are Siberian Huskies Intelligent? How Smart Can You Expect Them To Be

How to avoid a husky escape during training

Huskies are quite intelligent and strong enough to escape a six-feet fence if they are not trained well. 

Make them dependent on you

During the training, give away rewards in between for good behavior. Also, keep their meal time consistent. This will assure them you are the food provider so they will come to you when hungry.

Keep the fences high enough

Once they realize they cannot jump over to escape, they will give up trying to go outside.

Keep them occupied

One of the reasons they resort to escaping might be out of boredom. So, arrange toys and games to play with them. You can also set up a treasure hunt kind of pastime for them.

Walk routine

Set up a morning and night walk with the leash. So, after the walk, they will know it is time to go home.

Leash and Crate Training

Train them to walk with a leash on whenever you take them out. If they tend to pull you over by walking ahead, stop and calm them down first, and then proceed again. Doing this a few times will make them understand that there is no need to run when on a leash. 

Crate Training must be done in such a way that the husky looks at it as a place where he is safe always. Do not put them on the crate as a punishment act that will make them hate the crate. Include crate practice as part of the training if you wish to take your furry companion along with you on holidays. They must be made aware that the crate is the cozy and safe place to be in once outside the house. 

See also  How Much Sleep Should A Husky Have?

Common Problems and Solutions 

Training a husky will not be an open and shut process, but it must be conducted on a regular basis. However, everything will be taught to the intelligent dog, there might be situations where it will create a nuisance. But, we can be prepared with the solutions.

Siberian Huskies always need a company

Solution: If possible, raise them with other pets or keep them occupied with other family members or else they will develop anxiety and misbehave. 

Huskies get along with strangers too

Solution: Though being a friendly dog is excellent. However, huskies are lousy watchdogs. They will not inform the owner about any suspicious person, so better keep them in your company while heading out. 

Huskies howl often

Solution: To avoid the complaint from neighbors, it would be better to train the husky to howl less or rather not howl. Since they have the wolf-like characteristics, howling comes naturally to them but is irritating for humans. 

Their paws crave to dig

Solution: You cannot predict their digging time or place, so just be alert about where they are digging. Prevent them from digging near the fence as they might try to escape.

Though not all huskies may show similar behavior, in general, they must be trained with patience and determination. They are an intelligent lot who demands respect in turn of respect. Your husky will grow up into a well-behaved dog with stringent rules, adequate exercise, and consistent training. If you think this dreamy-eyed, furry friend should be part of your family, give your heart out in the training process, and you will never regret it. Good luck with that! 

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *