How to Get Huskies to Calm Down (Answered!)

Anyone who has ever owned a husky knows how wild this breed can get, so how do you calm down a hyperactive husky? With a little persistence and a lot of patience, you will be calming your husky like a pro in no time at all!

How Do You Get Huskies to Calm Down?

To calm down your husky, make sure that you exercise them frequently. It may also help if your husky participates in group play with other dogs. Huskies are active dogs and go wild when they have extra energy.

Huskies are pack animals and crave group activities. Make sure your dog is spending plenty of time, not only with his human family, but with other dogs as well.

What Should I Do With My Hyperactive Husky?

All dogs get hyper at times, but there is something in a husky that makes them go bonkers with energy. No matter how many times you beg your dog to be quiet, the barking and whining never stop. You’re at the end of your leash, so what the heck are you doing wrong?

Huskies are naturally energetic and their outgoing personality makes them the quite the avid talkers. Anyone with husky experience will tell you that they aren’t shy about sharing their feelings.

Huskies are pack animals. Originally bred to pull sleds across the harsh frozen landscape of the Arctic, huskies thrive when performing strenuous exercise with other dogs.

If they don’t get the exercise they need, well… they can be a little testy.

So, I imagine that you aren’t an avid sledder, nor do you own 20 other husky puppies for your little troublemaker to romp around with, so what can you do?

There are 3 things that most greatly influence how hyper your husky is. These are:

1. Amount of exercise
2. Diet, and
3. Training

Let’s take a closer look at these 3 aspects of your husky’s life so you can calm your little fur-ball more effectively.

How Exercise Can Calm Down Your Husky

Even as little as 100 years ago the life of an average husky was very different from what it is today. Huskies would run for miles all day on the rugged ice, hauling heavy sleds for huge distances at brisk speeds.

Today the popular breed can be found in almost any neighborhood throughout America. And with this new household, a new lifestyle.

How often do you take your husky out for a walk? Once a day? Once a week? How long are these walks? 30 minutes or so, or maybe just a quick lap around the block?

Huskies are working dogs, bred for laborious activity. If they don’t get enough exercise, they tend to get a bit antsy.

The American Kennel Club describes Siberian Huskies as “active, athletic dogs who need a lot of exercise.” It is advised that you give your Siberian at least an hour of exercise a day, although more is preferable.

If you are scratching your head thinking of exercises that you can do with your Siberian Husky, don’t worry about it. There are a ton of fun things that you can do!

Here are some of the top ideas that owners love to do with their husky pups to calm them down.

• Rally. Rally is a sport that tests the obedience of your dog. It’s a great sport for huskies because it demands teamwork between owner and dog and teamwork is one of the Huskies’ best qualities. Navigate a course with 10-20 signs that provide instruction as to what skill will be tested.
• Agility. A giant doggy obstacle course. Help your husky navigate over teetering bridges and narrow tunnels. This sport involves strength, speed, and agility. Nothing will tire out your energetic husky more than a challenging obstacle course.
• Obedience. Also called trials, this most storied dog sporting event will not only challenge your husky’s physical prowess but his mental capabilities as well. Test how well your husky can follow orders and behave around other dogs. If you have a well-behaved Siberian, might as well kick it up to the next level and try out obedience!

If these dog sports seem too time-consuming and out of reach, don’t worry. Huskies are very adaptable and can thrive off of any physical activity. A game of frisbee or stroll through the park can be just as effective as long as your husky burns enough energy.

*Pro Tip! Not Enough time to play with your pup? Consider getting another dog! Huskies are great at playing with other dogs and will be able to burn off more energy if he has someone to pal around with.

A Quick Word of Caution

Huskies are famous for their curious adventurous spirits. If left unattended for too long, huskies are liable to break out and do some exploring on their own.

If you plan on owning a husky, make sure you have a fence at least 6 feet high to prevent any daring escape on the part of your Siberian friend. These dogs are expert diggers as well, so make sure they can’t tunnel under your fence either.

How a Healthy Diet Can Calm Down Your Husky

Have you ever watched a 5 year-old pound down a bucket of candy? It can be a terrifying sight. They bounce off the walls so hard it seems the room may collapse. They run faster than Usain Bolt on a good day, and the screaming never seems to stop.

Just like a bag of sweets can cause a human child to go crazy, so too can an unhealthy diet cause chaotic energy in your husky as well.

The American Kennel Club recommends that you keep a sharp eye on the amount of protein your husky eats. Protein is important to keep your dog’s coat shiny and healthy, but too much could create annoyingly high amounts of energy.

In the summer, when your dog is less active, consider a diet that is 20% protein. If your husky works harder in the winter, consider a diet that is at least 30% protein.

It’s hard to fix exact numbers because every husky’s metabolism and activity levels are different. Monitor your Siberian’s energy levels and make the appropriate changes to his diet.

*Beware! I have seen many online ads for so-called “dog nutritional supplements”. These are usually snake oil pills that add no real nutritional value to your dog’s diet. Do your research before you buy and don’t get ripped off.

How Proper Training Can Calm Down Your Husky

Huskies really like to be around people and I mean that they really like it. A husky that isn’t trained properly will go bonkers anytime someone walks past the door. The best medicine to combat a hyper husky is good training.

To properly train your husky, start young. Husky puppies need to become properly acquainted with strange people and strange animals while they are young or they may bark around them for the entirety of their adult lives.

This process of socializing your animal is called (who would have guessed it?) “socializing”.

Once socialized, there are a lot of other things you can do to train your husky to be calm.

Dr. Ian Dunbar, an animal behavior expert, suggests having your husky sit down every 25 yards or so on a walk. Huskies are less troublesome with their hindquarters firmly on the ground and need to learn how to drop at a moments notice.

Encourage your husky by offering praise for calm behavior. The Marin Humane Society suggests putting your husky on a short leash and sitting in a chair.

Your husky will grow bored quickly and will begin to whine for attention. Ignore their attention-seeking behavior and gently pull them down with the leash if they jump up on you.

Eventually, your husky will sit or lay down. Wait three seconds and reward them for being calm.

Always reward good behavior and withhold attention for negative action.

Related Questions

Why do I stop my husky from biting so much? Huskies never seem to outgrow their “biting phase” and may continue the bad puppy habit if they’re not trained properly. Like with any training, withhold all attention immediately.

A sharp “No” is usually enough to stop a dog from chewing. Be persistent in your training and your husky will stop eventually.

Are huskies easy to train? Huskies are very energetic and can be difficult to train. Be persistent and patient and your husky will learn eventually.