Why does my husky pace or walk in circles?

If your husky has been pacing or walking in circles you might want to know why and what you can do about it.

In this post, I will show you a number of reasons why it might be doing it and what would make them more likely.

So, why does my husky pace or walk in circles? Possible reasons are that it is anxious, someone mistreated it, you might have inadvertently rewarded the behavior or it might be due to a medical condition.

There are actually a number of reasons why your husky might be doing it and it could be a combination of factors. However, there are also a number of things you can consider when trying to figure out the exact reason.

Why your husky walks in circles

There will likely be some clues that will help in figuring out why your husky does it.

Below, I will show you a number of reasons why your husky might walk in circles and what would make them more likely.

It’s anxious

The reason why it does it could be that something has been causing it to be anxious. This would be more likely if it started doing it more after a stressful event such as an owner leaving or another pet dying.

It would also be more likely if it does it in certain situations such as when a certain person is around or when you are about to leave which would suggest separation anxiety.

Obsessive-compulsive behavior

It might be the case that your husky has been doing it compulsively which is where it feels an irresistible urge to do it and it can’t stop doing it. This would be more likely if your husky has been doing it excessively over the course of weeks or months. You can look here for more information about compulsive behavior in dogs.

You have inadvertently rewarded the behavior

It might be the case that you have trained it to walk in circles or to pace by rewarding it when it does it. If you tend to give it things such as extra attention, toys or treats when it does it then 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 learn to recognize when it is likely to start doing it and to redirect its behavior.

Someone has mistreated it

The reason why it has been doing it could be that someone mistreated it.

This would be more likely if you recently adopted it from a shelter. If you did recently adopt it then it would be likely that it will begin to calm down as it gets comfortable. However, it would help to have a vet check on it and to give it lots of positive attention in the form of training, exercise and by playing with it.

It could also be the case that someone mistreated it recently which would be more likely if it has started doing it suddenly and if it tries to avoid a certain person.

It has a medical condition

There are some medical conditions that could be causing it such as dementia (source). This would be more likely if it started acting unusually in other ways as well such as by pulling to one side when on a leash.

If it does seem like your husky might have a medical condition then the best option would be to take it to a vet.

Things to consider

When it first started walking in circles or pacing

It would help to consider 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 walking in circles suddenly it would be more likely to be due to things such as being anxious, being mistreated or a medical condition. But, it would help to consider what else changed when it started doing it.

If it has always done walked in circles or paced it could be due to separation anxiety, getting rewarded when it does it or it could be an obsessive-compulsive behavior.

When it tends to walk in circles or pace

It would also help to consider the timing of when it does it.

If it tends to do it more when you are about to leave home it would make it more likely to be because it has separation anxiety. Whereas, if it does it more when a certain person is around it could be that it feels uncomfortable around that person for some reason.

How to get your husky to stop walking in circles

Below are some options you have when getting your husky to stop doing it.

Take it to a vet

If you can’t figure out why your husky has been doing it, your husky has been doing it excessively or it has been behaving unusually in other ways as well it would help to take it to a vet. By doing so you will be able to rule out the possibility of it being due to a medical condition and to get expert advice tailored towards your particular husky.

Avoid rewarding it

As mentioned above, it might be the case that you have been reinforcing the behavior by rewarding it when it does it. Instead, it would help to reward it when it behaves the way you want and to try to recognize when it is likely to start doing it and to redirect its focus on to something else.

Take it for annual checkups

It is also important to take your husky for checkups at the vet at least annually. By doing so you will be able to identify and treat diseases before they become problematic.