Siberian Huskies are powerful dogs with a wolf-like appearance. As with any large breed, there should always be concerns about their potential to be a danger.
On the whole, Huskies are not dangerous dogs. They were bred as working animals and are not genetically programmed to attack. Huskies are rarely dangerous when they are treated and trained correctly. However, there are always exceptions to be prepared for as there are a variety of factors that can influence a husky’s behavior.
Huskies should not be labeled as a dangerous breed. With proper training and socialization, a Siberian Husky can be a wonderfully rewarding dog
Siberian Husky Puppy Training
Husky training should start from the moment their paws enter your house. The Husky can be a stubborn breed and you will see signs of this throughout its life.
You will find a husky can be frustrating at times but it is part of their personality and whatever you do, you won’t be able to change it. This stubborn behavior is evident in several situations. For instance:
- When they are comfy and don’t want to move – yet you need them somewhere else.
- When they are playing outside in your garden and don’t want to come back in yet.
- When you are outside exercising them and you turn around to go home – they will know exactly what you’re up to and don’t be surprised when they just decide to sit down and howl in frustration.
There’s another time when you will see this stubborn behavior – when you are trying to train them! So, you’re going to find this a frustrating process but you need to be patient. In fact, patience, perseverance, and commitment to the cause are key to this being a success.
You know from the outset what you’re going to get from the Husky. They’re going to be mischievous, downright naughty and will test your levels of endurance.
Dogs (in general) will assume the alpha role unless they are told otherwise. To be able to incorporate a Husky into a family – they can’t be the alpha, you must be. So, you need to assert yourself. Being strict and firm with your dog isn’t a bad thing and it’s not going to make them think any worse of you. In fact, you will see that just the opposite happens.
The dog is a pack-animal and
Endeavor to be consistent in your training. Don’t allow unruly behavior once and then tell them off for doing the same thing the next time around. The Husky won’t know what’s going on and without consistent training, their anxiety levels can rise which can cause a whole load of other problems for you.
Breeding Siberian Huskies Responsibly
Breeding Siberian Huskies is a big responsibility. There is a good reason why many people choose to buy this special breed of dog through an approved Husky breeder.
You see, if your Husky’s parents are free from genetic diseases and have a good personality then there’s a good chance your puppy will too.
There are many, many good reasons for buying a dog from a rescue center. My usual advice is to look at this initially. The very first option should be via a rescue center and only after look somewhere else.
However, the Siberian Husky is a specialized breed of dog and takes a special type of person to look after them. What you don’t want is something to make living with the Husky any harder than it already is.
Ensuring the parents have a clean bill of health and ensuring they are of good nature will potentially save you a lot of hardship in the years to come. If you buy your Husky through a decent breeder, you will get this peace of mind. If you don’t buy through a breeder, it is unlikely you will know.
The downside to buying through a breeder is the price though, expect to pay up to $1500 for a well-documented Husky puppy from a good line.
There are things you can do to check the DNA of your Husky if this hasn’t been performed – like perform them yourself! Take a look at the link if you’d like to try this, I have an article about it that opens in a new tab.
It’s only recently that the general public has been able to provide samples without using blood to get DNA results for canines and these days it’s very easy as you can just send in a swab from their mouth.
The DNA tests will tell you if your dog has inherited any genetic diseases or indeed whether it has been crossed in the recent past. It might be a bit too late to do much about it if the results aren’t positive but at least you’ll be able to prepare for any future problems.
These genetic problems are quite rare though and a lot of them can be dealt with anyway so this is not something you should worry about.
Adult Training of a Husky
Just because your Husky is no longer a puppy, doesn’t mean the training should stop. Training of a Husky should continue throughout their life. Like a child growing up always testing our limits, the Husky will do this also.
They will constantly test you and you will constantly need to answer that test. Consistency is the key. It’s easy to become a bit softer after a few years and for some things that’s fine.
You can change your mind for instance. Maybe when they were a puppy you didn’t want them on the couch but over the years you’re not so bothered – so they don’t get told off for jumping onto the couch any more.
For other things though, you need to be firm. When you say ‘Stay’, they need to do just that and the same goes for ‘Down’ and other such commands. They have to know you mean business so you must continue to command in a confident, authoritative manner.
Don’t Train A Husky As A Guard Dog
Trying to train a Siberian Husky to be a guard dog would be about as much use as a chocolate teapot. The Husky was not meant to be a guard dog, it is not capable of being a guard dog so they should not be considered as one. They simply don’t have the right personality for it.
A guard dog needs to have
A possessive canine will not want to share. It will potentially show signs of aggression when eating and protecting its things, such as toys.
Now, let’s look at what the Husky does in these situations. Firstly, it doesn’t eat that much and isn’t particularly bothered about it. The Husky is one of the few breeds that won’t continue to eat until it falls over, it will only eat until it is full.
Regarding its toys, it will want to share them. In fact, the Husky will want to share everything, including you!
So, the Siberian Husky is not capable of being a guard dog, however much you’d like them to do this – honestly, just don’t bother 🙂
Exercise and the Siberian Husky
In the unlikely event that the Siberian Husky does show a sign of aggression (very unlikely as I said) then you will need to consider why it is happening. It is not natural for them to show these traits so it will typically because something has triggered it.
The Husky should be exercised at least twice a day and at least for an hour each time they go out. Ideally, this will be at a good speed too. Obviously, the conditions that you’ll be exercising them in aren’t the same as they were in Siberia, so you’ll need to be careful they don’t overheat.
If you can’t get them all the exercise they need outside (maybe you have a long term injury for instance) then consider getting them exercised inside? How do you do this you ask? Well, maybe consider a doggy treadmill!
This might sound odd and indeed when I first heard about it a couple of years ago, I raised my eyebrows also. However, this can really work and they will get used to it in no time. The treadmill though shouldn’t replace exercise outside but it can certainly complement it.
So, you need to burn some of that energy somehow. They have a lot of it, a lot more than we can possibly take care of being honest but you must give them more than most breeds.
This is one of the reasons that owners that haven’t done their research end up returning the Husky – they just can’t give them what they need.
Children and Siberian Huskies
The Siberian Husky makes a fabulous pet for children. The fact that they are not possessive, as we discussed earlier and not aggressive means they make one of the best dogs for the family environment. It is incredibly rare that a Husky will lash out and become vicious towards children.
However, they are an animal after all and care does need to be taken. You’ve gone to a lot of effort training your Husky, you need to also put in some effort with your children, too. They need to learn how to behave around dogs, even ones they trust and love dearly.
A child must be taught that your Husky is not a toy. It can not be man-handled, prodded and teased. It should be treated with the utmost respect and the child should never put its face too close to the
It would be easy for me to suggest that children should never be left alone with a dog but in reality, this isn’t possible. There will be times, probably many times, when the child will be interacting with the Husky without adult supervision. Only the parent or carer can judge how safe this is.
Entertaining a Husky
This helps with bonding and will help use up some of that excess energy that we mentioned earlier. Perhaps buy them some more toys as, like us, they can get bored with the same old things all the time. I’ve gone through a fair share myself and most have been a waste of money.
Unacceptable Behavior
If you have children, what do you do when they do something wrong? Do you just leave it and hope they don’t do it again? No, of course not, you correct their behavior immediately end ensure they know it was wrong for them to do it.
How you do this is by telling them off in a commanding, confident voice – they will know. Don’t make it sound like you’re pleading with the Husky to stop (although this is what you might be thinking) – you’re not asking them to do something, you’re telling them that this behavior is unacceptable in your home.
It perhaps doesn’t need me saying here that you should never strike your Husky. It doesn’t work and will only break any bond you ever had with them. The only thing it will demonstrate is that you’re physically bigger for them and you’ll end up regretting it in the years to come. Just don’t consider it, there’s really no need.
Strangers Approaching the Husky
If your Husky has been properly socialized then it will be perfectly happy with strangers. In fact, the Husky is such a sociable, friendly dog that it will most likely be absolutely fine even if it hasn’t.
However, sometimes dogs can take a particular dislike to certain types of strangers for no apparent reason. With the Husky this is unlikely.
However, if you’re outside then the leash should be on (it must always be attached to the Husky when you’re outside) so if you see someone approaching (believe me, this will happen a lot) then just ensure you have the Husky close by (bring in the leash if it’s extended) and ensure that any children don’t get too close. It’s just common sense really.
Summary
Hopefully, after reading this article you’ll agree that the Siberian Husky is not, by nature, an aggressive breed of dog. If you do run into problems then there will be reasons,
The Siberian Husky makes for a fantastic, cuddly family dog but you need to make sure you will be able to cater to all its needs for the duration of its long life.
Finally, if you’d like to find out more about the Siberian Husky, then check out my Complete Guide.