Why does my husky bark at me?

If your husky has been barking at you, this post will show you a number of possible reasons why and what you can do about it.

So, why does my husky bark at me? Possible reasons are that it wants your attention, you have been inadvertently encouraging the behavior, it’s bored, it’s excited, it is being aggressive or that it is being possessive.

There are a number of things that you can consider when trying to figure out why your husky does it. Once you have a good idea of the cause, it will become much easier for you to get it to stop.

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Why your husky barks at you

Each of the different reasons that your husky does it will likely come with some clues.

Below, I will mention a number of possible causes and what would make them more likely.

It wants attention

The reason that your husky barks at you could be that it is looking for your attention. This would be more likely if it barks when you have not been giving it much attention and if you tend to give it more attention when it does bark.

Instead of rewarding it with attention when it barks, it would help to give it attention throughout the day in the form of training, exercise and play and to avoid giving it attention when it barks.

You have been encouraging it

It might be the case that you have inadvertently encouraged the behavior by giving it things that it wants when it barks.

Instead of giving it things such as attention, toys or treats when it barks, try to reward it when it is well behaved and to redirect its attention before it starts barking.

Boredom

Huskies are a breed that requires a lot of exercise on a daily basis to be properly stimulated. When they do not get enough exercise it can cause them to develop behavioral issues and to misbehave.

Generally, it is recommended for a husky to get an hour of exercise per day. If yours is not getting that much then it would help to make sure that it does.

Excitement

Sometimes, dogs will bark when they are excited. If your husky tends to bark in situations such as when you are about to walk it or when you come home then it would be more likely that it is barking to show its excitement.

Aggression

The reason that it barks could be that it is actually being aggressive and warning you not to go near it.

This would be more likely if it shows its teeth when it barks at you, it has its ears erect and it moves stiffly from side to side.

If it is the case that your husky seems to bark at you in an aggressive way then the best option for you would be to get the help of a dog behaviorist in your area.

Possessiveness

If your husky only barks when it is eating or protecting something that it considers as its own like its spot on its bed then it is likely to be resource guarding.

It would be important to be careful in these situations since dogs can become aggressive when they are resource guarding. If your husky is a puppy then it would be very important to train it out of this behavior now while it is still young.

You can watch the video for some advice on what to do about your husky resource guarding.

It is being dominating

It could be the case that it barks because it is being dominating. This would be more likely if it barks in situations such as when you sit where it would normally sit and if it is reluctant to follow your command.

In this case, it would be important to give it lots of training so that it sees you as the leader.

Things to consider

Below, are some things to consider that can help in figuring out why your husky might bark at you.

When it started barking

It would likely be helpful to think about when your husky first started barking since it could be the case that something triggered it to start doing it.

If it started barking suddenly then it would help to consider what else changed at around the same times that it started barking.

Things to consider would be:

If it might have gotten injured
If you moved home
If someone moved away
If someone was aggressive towards it

When and where it barks

It would also help to consider the timing and location of when and where it barks.

If it tends to bark when it is eating then it would be more likely that it is food aggressive. Whereas, if it barks more when you are about to take it for a walk then it would be more likely to be due to excitement.

If it barks at random times then it could be because it is trying to get you to do things for it, you have inadvertently trained it or because it is in pain.

The way that it barks

It would also help to consider the body language that it shows when barking .

If it seems to be doing it aggressively or you feel like it is warning you not to go near it then the best option would be to get the help of a dog behaviorist who will help you train it in a secure way.

How to get your husky stop barking at you

Below are some options that you have in getting your husky to stop barking at you.

Positive reinforcement training

One option that you have is to use positive reinforcement training. This is where you get your husky to behave the way that you want by rewarding it when it is well behaved and not rewarding it when it is not.

To use it to get your husky to stop barking you would do something such as:

Stop giving it attention when it starts barking at you
Give it attention when it stops barking at you
Stop giving it attention again if it starts to bark at you again
Repeat the above and reward it with treats when it does not bark at you when it normally would

Avoid negative reinforcement training

As mentioned above, it could be the case that you have been inadvertently training it to bark.

Instead of giving it things that it wants when it barks, try to stop rewarding it when it barks and to reward it when it does not bark.

Get help from a trainer

If you are unable to get your husky to stop barking then consider getting the help of a dog trainer in your area who will be able to show you how to get your exact husky to stop barking.

Be consistent

When training your husky it is important to be consistent. If you just train it once, it would be unlikely that you will see noticeable results. Whereas, if you train it consistently, over the course of weeks and months you will be able to see better results.