The Siberian Husky’s joyous energy and unconditional friendliness make them one of the most delightful dogs to own, but any pet parent can tell you how challenging they can be to train. Huskies were born to run, boasting an intellect, strong will, and independent spirit that are tricky to manage in the home with approaches that work for other breeds.
Does that mean Huskies are impossible to train? While you may have to lower your expectations (these dogs are rarely obedience champions), a few areas of focus and some savvy moves will make life exponentially easier. Create a better routine today with these tips and tricks to train a Husky.
The 7 Vet-Approved Tips and Tricks to Train a Husky
1. Find an Amazing Motivator
Huskies are goal-oriented. While we often find them stubborn or unruly, they make decisions to get what they want in a way that works for them. Knowing this, we can find what motivates our Huskies the most, letting us use their intelligence and knack for independent decision-making to guide them toward what we need them to do.
Many Huskies are picky eaters, but if your dog is food-motivated, find the treats that get them excited and easier to lead. You can discover the most high-value rewards by putting a few options together, letting your dog loose, and seeing which one they go for first.
Test Your Rewards
Get creative! Huskies have unique tastes, and as long as it’s dog-friendly (e.g., no chocolate), anything from bits of cheese to raw vegetables is worth testing out on your pup. A treat often isn’t the best reward for a Husky, though.
They are excitable, fun-loving, and prey-driven, so sometimes a toy or the anticipation of playing their favorite game motivates them the most. Once you find that irresistible treat, item, or activity, you have a solid goal to give them as motivation for following your training direction.
2. Make Positive Reinforcement Training Fun
For many dogs, the command-action-treat chain of events is a straightforward way to train. You ask your dog to sit, they comply, and you mark the behavior before offering a food reward.
Unfortunately, this simple method has a few limitations when used to train a Husky. This breed is usually less food-driven than most other dogs and has a limited tolerance for training when it gets boring.
Bring energy and excitement to your training sessions. Always use positive reinforcement rather than punishment, and be unwaveringly upbeat and lively with your Husky. They have endless energy, and if you match that during training, you’ll keep their focus more effectively.
3. Use Your Husky’s Prey Drive for Training
Your rewards should be as exciting as your verbal and body language. A treat may not keep your Husky motivated to train, but the prospect of play is often more than enough to get them to cooperate.
Consider how you might teach a recall. Instead of rewarding your dog with treats when they return, engage them in a fun activity that taps into their prey drive to make recall rewarding and enjoyable.
For example, you can toss a treat in your dog’s line of sight and tell them to find it. Then, present another treat and call their name or issue a recall cue. When they return to you, reward them by tossing the treat away for them to find again. By repeating this, your Husky will learn that returning to you gets them a treat and a fun game to play.
Alternatively, you can use a prey-like furry toy intermittently with food treats as a reinforcer for desired behaviors. This will increase reinforcement opportunities while keeping your Husky on a healthy calorie limit. Make sure the toy is safe for your pup and supervise their interactions, using it only as a reinforcer to maintain its high value.
By using the Premack Principle, you can reinforce low-probability behaviors with high-probability behaviors that tap into your Husky’s natural drives. Rewarding your dog with activities they love, such as chasing a squeaky toy, can help reinforce desired behaviors like sitting or staying.
Training impulse control is also important for your Husky. You can reward calm and compliant behavior with things your dog is excited to receive, such as going for a walk or being let out of their crate. By using positive reinforcement and negative punishment, you can help your dog learn to control their impulses and follow your lead.
Incorporating play into your training sessions can help bond with and reward your Husky. By making play a part of the training process, you can shape behaviors as they happen and reinforce them at the end. This can help make training more efficient and enjoyable for both you and your dog.
7. Be Consistent in Your Routine, Boundaries, and Rewards
It is important to maintain consistency in your routine, boundaries, and rewards when training your Husky. Ignoring unwanted behaviors and reinforcing positive ones is key. Do not allow your dog to find satisfaction in breaking rules. Use gentle corrections, such as a simple “no,” and reward calm behavior with treats and playtime.
Look for opportunities to reward your Husky throughout the day and ensure that everyone in the household is on the same page when it comes to promoting desired behaviors.
Final Thoughts
Training a Husky requires intuition, awareness, and creativity. This breed thrives when given independence to make decisions, which may not always align with typical household rules. By tapping into your Husky’s instincts and allowing them a sense of agency, you can strengthen your bond and find fulfillment in training, despite any challenges that may arise.
Featured Image Credit: Edalin Photography, Shutterstock
following sentence:
Original: The cat quickly climbed up the tree to escape the barking dog.
Rewritten: To avoid the barking dog, the cat swiftly ascended the tree.