Why does my husky attack me?

If your husky attacked you this post will show you a number of possible causes and what you can do about it.

So, why does my husky attack me? Possible reasons are that you mistreated it, injury, it has been trained to be aggressive, resource guarding or that it felt threatened.

There are actually multiple reasons why it might have done it and it could be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider when trying to figure out the exact reason. Once you have a good idea of the cause it will become a lot easier to get it to stop.

Why your husky attacks you

Below are a number of possible reasons why your husky might do it and what would make them more likely.

Mistreatment

The reason why it does it might be that it feels like it has been mistreated. It could be that you mistreated it yourself but it could also be the case that someone mistreated it in the past and it has caused behavioral issues.

Instead of being aggressive towards your husky, it would help to be calm around your husky and to use positive reinforcement training to get it to behave the way that you want it to.

Injury

The cause could be that an injury has been causing it to be in pain and to become easily frustrated. This would be more likely if it has started acting aggressively suddenly and if it has been showing signs of being injured such as by limping. If it does seem like injury could be the cause it would help to take it to the vet for a checkup.

You have inadvertently trained it to be aggressive

The reason could be that you have actually trained it to be that way by giving it rewards when it does it. If you tend to give it things such as extra attention, treats or toys when it becomes aggressive, it might have learned to do it more in order to get those things.

Instead, it would help to reward it when it is being well behaved and to give it lots of positive reinforcement training so that it learns how to behave.

Resource guarding

It could be the case that it became aggressive because it was protecting something that it believed belonged to it such as a spot on the sofa if it did it when it was eating.

In this case, it would help to avoid putting yourself in situations where it might become aggressive and to get the help of a certified dog trainer to deal with the aggression in certain situations.

It felt threatened

The reason why it did it could be that it felt threatened. This would be more likely if it did it when you approached it in an aggressive way or if it did it when it was stuck in a corner.

A lack of training

Huskies were bred to work alongside their owners for hours daily. As a result, they will often look to their owners for direction.

If your husky has not received much training it will behave the way it wants to and it will likely lost some respect for you. This is why it is important to give it lots of positive reinforcement training so that it learns how to behave and to respect you as the leader.

Things to consider

When it started doing it

If would help to consider when your husky first did it since it could be the case that it started doing it due to an event that occurred.

If it started becoming aggressive suddenly it would be more likely to be due to things such as being injured, mistreated or feeling threatened. But, it would help to consider what else happened at around the same time that it started doing it.

If it has always been that way it would make it more likely to be due to things such as a lack of training or reinforcing the behavior. But, it could still be due to one of the other reasons mentioned above.

What is different when it becomes more aggressive

It would also help to consider the timing of when it does it since it could be the case that the timing has something to do with it.

For example, if it is only aggressive when it is eating then it would be more likely that it is resource guarding.

Whereas, if it is aggressive in multiple situations it would be due to things such as being inadvertently trained to be that way, injury, mistreatment or a lack of training.

What to do about your husky attacking you

Below are a number of options you have when getting your Siberian husky to stop doing it.

Get help from a dog behaviorist

Instead of training your husky not to attack you yourself, it would be best to get the help of a professional dog behaviorist or trainer. By doing so you will be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular husky. They will also be able to show you how to train it in a safe way minimizing the risk of you getting hurt.

Take it to a vet

If you can’t figure out why it has been doing it or it has started doing it suddenly it would also help to take it to a vet. By doing so you will be able to rule out the possibility of it being injured.

Avoid putting yourself in situations where it might become aggressive

If your husky becomes aggressive in certain situations it would be helpful to avoid those situations and to seek the guidance of a professional dog trainer so that you can stop the behavior safely.