If your husky has been biting its paws, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it.
This post will show you a number of reasons why it might bite its paws and what you can do to get it to stop.
So, why does my husky bite its paws? Possible causes are that it has fleas, allergies, something stuck there or a rash. It could also be that it does it compulsively, it has some separation anxiety or that it is injured.
There are a number of things that you can consider when trying to figure out why your husky has been doing it. Once you have a good idea of the cause, it should become a lot easier to get it to stop.
Why your husky bites its paws
Each of the different reasons that your husky bites its paws will likely come with a number of clues in the way that it does it.
Below, I will mention some reasons why it might be doing it and what would make them more likely.
Fleas
The reason that it has been biting its paw could be that it has fleas. This would be more likely if it has been biting other areas of its body, it has started doing it suddenly and if you have found fleas around the house.
It would help to eradicate fleas from your home by doing things such as:
- Washing the bedding with hot soapy water
- Vacuuming the carpets and throwing the bad
- Applying an environmental flee control
- Applying a spray, pellet or non-toxic treatment for the yard
- Treating your husky with a monthly preventative
Related: Why does my husky bite itself?
Allergies
Allergies or a rash could also be causing your husky to bite its paws. Allergies can be caused by things such as shampoo, other dogs, pollen or household chemicals (source).
It has something stuck there
The reason that it has been doing it could be that it has something stuck in one of its paws. This would be more likely if it has been biting one paw in particular and if it has started doing it suddenly.
Related: Why does my husky bite my feet?
Boredom
Huskies are a breed that are meant to get a lot of exercise on a daily basis. The reason that your husky has been biting its paws could be that it has not been getting enough exercise and it is looking for ways to stimulate itself.
Generally, it is recommended for them to get at least an hour of exercise per day. If your husky is not getting that much then it would help to make sure that it does.
Compulsive behavior
It might be the case that your husky has been biting its paws compulsively. This is where it feels an irresistible urge to do it and it cannot stop itself from doing it.
In this case, it would help to seek the guidance of a vet.
Look here for more information about compulsive behavior in dogs.
Injury
An injury could be causing your husky to bite its paws. This would be more likely if it has been biting one paw in particular and if it has been showing signs of being injured such as by limping.
Separation anxiety
It might be the case that your husky has separation anxiety. This is where it gets anxious when it is left alone and when it is about to be left alone. This would be more likely if your husky starts biting its paws when you are about to leave and if it shows other signs of anxiety when you are leaving.
In this case, it would help to avoid leaving it alone for long periods and to periodically check up on it if you can.
Also, it would help to train it to be less anxious when you are leaving and when you are away.
To do this you could do as follows:
- Make it seem like you are about to leave by doing something such as picking up your keys
- Reward your husky for not being anxious and repeat these two steps a few times
- Make more moves towards actually leaving such as by picking up the keys and putting your hand on the door handle
- Reward your husky for not being anxious and repeat the process a few times
- Actually open the door and go outside for a few moments then come back and reward your husky
- Repeat the above, each time staying outside for slightly longer
It was just playing
If your husky just did it once then it could be the case that it was just playing or that it was itchy at the time. However, this would be less likely if it has been doing it repeatedly over a short time period.
Things to consider
When it started doing it
It would help to consider the timing of when it first started biting its paws since it could be the case that an event-triggered it to start doing it.
If it did start doing it suddenly then it could be due to things such as using a different shampoo, changing its diet, fleas, allergies or a rash. It would help to consider what changed when it started doing it.
Whereas, if it has been biting its paws for a while then it would be more likely that it does it due to things such as separation anxiety, compulsive behavior or boredom. But, it could still be due to any of the other things mentioned above.
How much it bites its paws
It would also help to consider how frequently it does it.
If it has been biting its paws a lot then it would be more likely to be due to things such as fleas, a rash, allergies, something stuck in its fur or compulsive behavior.
Whereas, if it does it less frequently then it would be more likely to be due to the other things mentioned above.
When and where it bites its paws
The timing and location would be another thing to consider.
If it tends to do it when you are about to leave then it would be more likely to be due to separation anxiety. Whereas, if it seems to do it at random times then it would be more likely to be due to fleas, a rash, allergies or something being stuck in its fur.
What to do about your husky biting its paws
Below are some options that you have when getting your husky to stop biting its paws.
Take it to a vet
If you cannot figure out why your husky has been biting its paws, it has been doing it excessively or you cannot get it to stop, it would be best to take it to a vet. By doing so you will be able to get expert guidance tailored towards your particular husky.
Give it exercise
If you have not been giving it much exercise then it would help to start doing so. You can exercise it by walking it, playing fetch with it or getting a dog walker to do it for you.
Remove fleas
It would also help to eradicate fleas from your home by doing things such as:
- Washing the bedding with hot soapy water
- Vacuuming the carpets and throwing the bad
- Applying an environmental flee control
- Applying a spray, pellet or non-toxic treatment for the yard
- Treating your husky with a monthly preventative
Avoid negative reinforcement
Negative reinforcement is where you inadvertently reinforce bad behaviors by giving it what it wants when it displays them.
Instead of giving your husky things that it wants when it bites its paws, try to redirect its focus when it is about to do it and to reward it when it behaves the way that you want it to.