If you’ve ever seen a Siberian Husky take off running and just ignore their owner yelling furiously for them to come back, you might be wondering are Huskies easy to train. Huskies are known for being playful and energetic but they are also known for independent and willful. How do those traits influence the training of a Husky?
So, are Huskies easy to train? No. The general consensus among Husky owners and breed experts is that the Husky is one of the more difficult breeds to train. The Husky is considered to have average intelligence but is known to be particularly stubborn and independent. Most experts caution that Husky owners need to have a lot of patience and proceed with training in a persistent and consistent manner.
After researching what different breed experts and Husky owners have to say, one thing is clear – the Husky is difficult to train because of its stubbornness, which many find to be proof a higher level of intelligence than the Husky is given credit for. Working with and around this stubbornness, certain tactics and methods will allow you to achieve great results with your dog.
Why are Huskies so Stubborn?
It’s hard to say exactly why a Husky is so stubborn and willful. Genetic science has yet to pinpoint a genetic marker for this tendency but ask any Husky owner and they will tell you that these are two of the defining traits of this breed.
Some dogs, like the Golden Retriever, are hard-wired to be people pleasers. The Husky mostly just does not seem to care and will willfully ignore you and your commands.
It could be said that the Husky has one mission
To run.
When it is not running and pulling a sled, it wants to run and explore. Basically, you have to compete with these stubborn natural instincts to maintain your dog’s attention and inspire his cooperation with training.
Huskies are VERY Intelligent
According to Coren’s list of dog breeds by their intelligence level, the Husky ranks right around the middle at 74th out of 138 breeds.
According to the report, the Husky will only obey a known command the first time it is given about half of the time. They also can take up to 40 repetitions to learn a new command. These statistics might make it seem like the Husky is of only average intelligence, but if you talk to most Husky owners, they will tell you otherwise.
Huskies have an uncanny capability to understand you perfectly when you give a command. They know perfectly well what ‘stay’, or ‘sit’, or ‘come’ means yet they willfully choose to ignore you at least half of the time to do what they want.
Huskies will also famously push their limits constantly.
The Husky is famous for being willful and for looking for any inconsistency in your expectations and training. When they find any weakness in your command over them, they will exploit it to their own benefit.
Some might say that these traits are an indication of a level of intelligence that Coren didn’t quite figure out how to measure.
The simple fact is that you have to figure out how to work with your Huskies’ natural instincts to harness this intelligence and energy and these personality traits to your advantage. Only by doing so can you hope to achieve good results in the training of your Husky.
The Most Important Step: Establish Dominance
Before you start a training routine with your Husky pup, and particularly if you have adopted an adult Husky, the most important step is to establish dominance over your dog. This should happen at the moment of adoption.
Remember, Huskies are animals that have a very strong pack instinct. They look to establish social order and suffer less anxiety when the social order of their pack (your family) is very clearly established.
This means that before any successful training can happen, you must become “the alpha”. This means that you have to be the leader of the pack.
Establishing dominance and becoming the leader of your Huskies pack is fundamental for future training.
Establishing dominance does not mean that you need to be physically aggressive toward your dog. Think of it more as a social and emotional leadership role that you must assume for your dog to respect you and follow your commands.
How to Establish Dominance
Becoming the leader of your pack is not about physical domination. Becoming the leader is a mentality and a constant demeanor that you have in your interactions with your Husky from the moment you bring them into your home.
Keep in mind that this is a fairly in-depth topic and countless articles have been written about it. Here are just some pointers to get you started in the right direction.
- Establish Dominant Body Language and Physical Contact. This can include, but is not limited to: looking at your dog directly in the eyes until they look away, handling his muzzle during petting and play, rolling your dog belly up during petting and play, standing (not kneeling or squatting) when you give them their food or treats, speaking in an authoritative and strong tone of voice.
- Demand Respect for Your Space. This could also be described as being territorial. Your space must be respected. This means setting limits and consistently enforcing them, right from the start. Your bed, the kitchen, the sofa or whatever areas of the house you may consider off-limits should be declared off-limits and be enforced as off-limits consistently. This also includes entering into your home. Make sure that you always enter first and then invite your dog in.
- Do Not Tolerate Growling or Disrespect Towards Family Members. If your puppy or new Husky tries to growl at you or other family members, respond with a firm no. It is also a good idea to withhold attention for a while. Work with every member of your family so that they can also establish dominance over the dog and command his respect.
- Lead the Leash. Make sure to leash train your Husky as soon as possible, and make sure that you are the leader. Remember, the alpha is the leader of the pack and should lead by walking in front. Your Husky should walk at your side and should never be allowed to pull you along.
Establishing yourself as the leader of your Husky’s pack directly works with his instinct to inspire his attention and soften his stubbornness toward your will.
Pack survival depends on respecting and deferring to the commands of the leader. When you assume that role, your Husky will be much more likely to respond positively to your training.
A Well-Trained Husky is Possible
If potty training a Husky is any evidence, it is possible to have a well-trained dog, despite his stubbornness.
Once you establish your dominant role, you will have an easier job of training your Husky.
Be sure to maintain your dominant role and consistently reinforce the boundaries that your Husky will constantly be trying to push.
Many Husky experts recommend that you immediately focus on teaching your dog to “sit” and to “stay”.
Making sure your Husky knows these commands and responds to them consistently will help you move on to training them for more complex tasks, i.e., not bolting from the house when the door is opened.
Make sure to be consistent and endlessly patient with your Husky.
NEVER hit your dog or physically abuse him in any way, despite your frustrations. The best punishment is to ignore your dog and withhold attention. And following up with positive reinforcement when they do something right.
For example, reward-based training your Husky with small dog food treats and/or toys.
Create a training routine and stick to it.
Your Husky Needs A LOT of Exercise
This is probably the part of training that most owners overlook. Your dog’s training sessions should include a lot of exercise.
Huskies have a lot of energy and if they do not burn through it, they will not respond well to their training and may have other, more serious, behavioral issues in the home.
Make sure your Husky receives a minimum of 30 minutes of high-intensity exercise a day to ensure the best training results.
Related Questions
A Husky, most of the time, is not actually running away. Your Husky is just running. Why? Because that’s what they do. Huskies have been bred for thousands of years to run, a lot. As a Husky owner, you have to be prepared for this reality.
You can take the following precautions to minimize your Husky’s wanderlust:
1. Exercise your dog. A lot. This is the most important thing you can do!
2. Never let your dog off the leash when out and about. Even at the dog park, keep your Husky on a leash. Practice training your dog to come back to you through games of fetch, etc. in an enclosed area that your dog cannot escape out of.
3. Build a great fence or invest in a dog run.
Yes. Huskies are generally considered to be great family dogs and can generally be trusted with young children. However, never leave a young child unsupervised with your Husky. Never let children pull, poke or climb on your Husky (or any dog, for that matter)
