If your husky has been grunting or groaning you might be wondering why and what can be done about it.
In this post, I will show you a number of possible reasons why it might be doing it and what you can do about it.
So, why does my husky grunt and groan? Possible reasons are that it is excited, wants attention, is ill or injured, is warning you, is protecting resources or that it is actually being aggressive.
There are actually many reasons why your husky might do it. However, there are also a number of things that you can consider that will help you figure out the exact cause.
Why your husky grunts, moans and groans
Each of the different reasons that your husky has been grunting or groaning will likely come with some clues in the way that it does it.
Below, I will mention a number of reasons why it might grunt or moan and what would make them more likely.
Excitement
Sometimes, dogs will make noises when they are excited and it could be the reason why your husky does it. This would be more likely if your husky grunts or groans in situations such as when you come home or when you are about to walk it.
It wants your attention
The reason that it does it could be that it is looking for you to give it attention. This would be more likely if it groans when you have not been giving it much attention and if you tend to give it more attention when it does it.
It would help to give your husky attention throughout the day by training it, playing with it and exercising it. Avoiding rewarding it with attention when it makes noises at you would also likely be helpful.
Illness or injury
It could be the case that your husky is ill or injured. This would be more likely if your husky has started making noises suddenly and if it has been showing signs of being ill or injured such as by vomiting or being fatigued. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet.
Warning
It could be the case that your husky grunts as a warning. This would be more likely if it does it when people are trying to intimidate it or to enter its space. It would also be more likely if it shows signs of aggression (mentioned below) when doing it.
It’s protecting food or possessions
It could be the case that your husky moans and groans because it is protecting food or possessions. This would be more likely if it does it when it is eating or when you try to sit in the same spot that it sits in.
In this case, it would help to give it lots of training so that it learns how it is meant to behave and so that it sees you as the leader. If it seems to be doing it aggressively, getting the help of a certified dog trainer or behaviorist would likely be the safest option.
Boredom
The reason that it does it might be that it is bored. Huskies are a breed that is meant to get a lot of exercise on a daily basis in order to be properly stimulated. Generally, it is recommended for them to get at least an hour of exercise daily. If your husky is not getting that much exercise, it would help to start making sure that it does.
Fear
The reason that it does it could be that it is fearful. This would be more likely if it grumbles in situations such as when there are sirens or thunder and lightning.
In this case, it would help to try and reduce its exposure to the thing that makes it fearful or you could try desensitization training.
Aggression
It could be the case that your husky is making noises at you because it is being aggressive.
This would be more likely if it shows its teeth when it grumbles, it has its ears erect and it moves stiffly from side to side.
If it is the case that your husky seems to be doing it in an aggressive way, the best option for you would be to get the help of a dog behaviorist in your area.
Things to consider
The way that it grunts, moans or groans
It would help to consider the way that it makes the noises. If it shows its teeth, lunges towards you, stands more erect and moves stiffly then it would be a strong sign of aggression. In this case, it would be best to keep your distance from it and to get the help of a professional dog behaviorist.
If your husky does not show many signs of aggression when it makes noises, it could still be the case that it is doing it as a warning. So, it would still be important to be cautious when dealing with its groaning.
When it first started to grunt, groan and moan
It would also help to consider the timing of when it first started doing it since it could be the case that there was an event that caused it to start.
If it started doing it suddenly, it would make it more likely to be due to things such as illness, injury or something making it become fearful.
When it does it
It would also help to consider the timing of when it does it since it could give you some clues as to the cause.
If it only seems to do it at certain times it would help to consider what is different at that time. It could be that it is doing it due to excitement, boredom, wanting food or it could be warning you.
If it seems to be doing it at random times it would make it more likely that it does it for attention or that it is ill or injured.
How to stop your husky from grunting, groaning or moaning
Below are a number of options that you have in getting your husky to stop doing it.
Positive reinforcement training
Positive reinforcement training involves training your husky to behave in a certain way by rewarding it when it behaves that way and not rewarding it when it does not.
To use it to get it to stop grunting, groaning or moaning you would do something such as:
- Stop giving it attention when it starts to make the noise
- Give it attention when it stops making noises
- Stop giving it attention again if it starts to make noise
- Repeat the above and reward it with treats when it does not make noise when it normally would
Avoid negative reinforcement training
Negative reinforcement training is where you train your husky to behave in a bad way by inadvertently rewarding it when it behaves that way.
Instead of giving your husky things that it wants when it is noisy, try to use positive reinforcement training to get it to behave the way that you want.
Make sure it isn’t ill or injured
If you cannot figure out why your husky has been doing it or it has been showing signs of being ill or injured, the best option would be to take it to a vet and to get an expert opinion.
Give it attention throughout the day
In addition to the things mentioned above, it would also help to give your husky attention throughout the day so that it doesn’t feel the need to get attention from you. Ways to give it attention would be to walk it, play with it and to train it.
Get the help of a dog behaviorist
If your husky seems to be doing it aggressively or you cannot get it to stop, consider getting the help of a certified dog behaviorist or trainer in your area. By doing so you will be able to train your husky in a more secure way.