If your husky seems to hate you this post will show you why it might be the case and what you can do about it.
So, why does my husky hate me? It is likely that it does not hate you and that it shows affection in ways that you are not aware of. It could also be that a lack of exercise, illness, injury, fear or depression are causing it to behave differently.
There are actually many different reasons why it might seem like your husky hates you. Fortunately, there are also a number of things that you can consider that will help you figure out the exact cause.
Why your husky hates you
The different reasons that your husky seems to hate you will likely come with some clues. Below, I will show you a number of possible reasons why it might be acting the way it is and what would make them more likely.
It doesn’t actually hate you
It might be the case that it does not actually hate you. Some dogs will like being petted and hugged but others will not. If your husky doesn’t like it when you try to pet it but you try to pet it a lot, it could be causing it to avoid you (source).
Previous owners
The reason that your husky seems to hate you might be that it was mistreated by previous owners and it is now not so trusting of people and it tries to avoid them. This would be more likely if you recently adopted your husky from a shelter.
In this case, it would be likely that it will begin to be more engaging over the course of weeks and months. However, you could help by giving it lots of training, exercise and by playing with it. If it doesn’t improve over the course of a few months, consider getting the help of a dog behaviorist.
Illness or injury
If your husky has started avoiding you suddenly, it might be due to illness or injury. This would be more likely if it has also been showing signs of being ill or injured such as by being fatigued or vomiting. If it seems like illness or injury could be the cause, the best option would be to take it to a vet.
Fear
The reason it does it could be that something is causing it to be fearful. It could be that you or someone else interacts with it too aggressively, it gets afraid of things such as sirens or that there is something else in its environment that it does not like.
Boredom
Huskies are a breed that is meant to get a lot of exercise on a daily basis. When huskies don’t get enough exercise it can cause them to behave abnormally. The reason that your husky seems to hate you could be that it is not getting enough exercise.
Generally, it is recommended to give huskies an hour of exercise per day. If your husky is not getting that much exercise, it would help to make sure that it does.
The reason that it does it might be that it was not able to socialize much as a puppy. When huskies are puppies they develope many of their characteristics. If a Husky puppy does not get many opportunities to interact with people, it will not have as many chances to learn to be interested in them.
Depression
The reason that it has been acting that way might be that it is depressed. This would be more likely if it has started acting that way suddenly and if it started after something happened that might have caused it to start being depressed.
In this case, it might begin to improve over the course of a few weeks or months. You can help by giving it positive attention in the form of exercise, training and by playing with it. If it does not improve over the course of a few months, getting the advice of your local vet would likely be the best option.
Things to consider
If it is aggressive
It would help to consider whether or not your husky hates you in an aggressive way. If your husky acts aggressively and it seems like it might become violent, the best option would be to seek the guidance of a professional dog trainer or behaviorist in your area.
When it first started hating you
It would also help to consider when it first started behaving that way. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be the case that there was an event that caused it to start doing it.
If it has only recently started to behave that way then it would make it more likely that it is due to things such as:
- Being mistreated by someone
- Being mistreated by another dog
- Being ill or injured
- Being depressed perhaps due to another dog or family member not being around anymore
- Being in a new location
When and where it seems to do it
It would also help to consider whether or not there is a certain time that your husky tends to do it.
If it tends to act differently at a certain time, it would make it more likely to be due to things such as something causing it to be fearful, wanting exercise or a problem with its diet.
Whereas, if it seems to do it at random times or it always does it then things such as depression, illness, injury or being aggressive towards it could all be causes.
How to get your husky to like you more
Below are some things that you can do to get your husky to be more affectionate.
Give it lots of exercise
As mentioned above, it is important to make sure that your husky gets lots of exercise on a daily basis. If your husky is not getting much exercise at the moment, it would help to make sure it does either by exercising it yourself or by getting a dog walker to do it for you.
A particularly good way to wear it out would be to train it to play fetch.
Positive reinforcement
Positive reinforcement training is where you get your husky to behave a certain way by rewarding it when it shows signs of acting that way and not rewarding it when it does not.
If you want to get it to like you more then you would reward it with a treat when it does things that show signs of being nicer to you. For example, you might reward it with a treat for coming and sitting with you.
Avoid negative reinforcement
Negative reinforcement training is where you inadvertently train your husky to behave in an undesirable way by giving it things it wants when it does it.
If you tend to give your husky things such as toys, treats or attention when it acts like it hates you, it could be causing it to behave that way even more.
Instead of rewarding it when it does it, try to recognize when it is about to start behaving that way and to redirect its behavior.
Avoid punishing it
It might be tempting to punish your husky when it does not act the way that you want it to but you should avoid doing so. The reason for this is that it is unlikely to know why you’re punishing it and it could cause it to develop feelings of resentment.
Instead, it would help to interact with your husky in a calm manner and to use positive reinforcement training to get it to behave the way that you want it to.
Get expert help
If you cannot figure out why your husky seems to hate you it would help to get the guidance of a vet or a certified dog behaviorist. By doing so you will be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular husky.