Why does my husky snap at me?

If your husky has recently snapped at you this post will show you why and what you can do about it.

So, why does my husky snap at me? Possible reasons are that it is injured, it feels threatened, mistreatment, a lack of training or possessiveness.

There are actually many reasons why your husky might be doing it and it could be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some considerations you can make which will help in figuring out the exact cause or causes. Once you have a good idea of why it does it you will have an easier time in getting it to stop.

Why your husky snaps at you

Each of the different reasons why your husky does it will likely come with a number of clues.

Below, I will show you a number of possible reasons and what would make them more likely.

Injury

It might be the case that an injury is what caused it to snap at you. This would be more likely if it has been showing other signs of being injured such as being fatigued or limping. If it does seem like an injury could be the cause the best option would be to take it to a vet.

Feeling threatened

It could be the case that it snapped at you because it was feeling threatened. This would be more likely if you approached it in a threatening way by doing things such as make large movements, shout or by trapping it in a corner.

Mistreatment

It might also be the case that your husky snapped at you because it felt like you were mistreating it. This would be more likely if it did it when you were being aggressive towards it or you were neglecting it in some way such as by not feeding it.

It would help to consider if your own actions could have made it feel like it was being mistreated in some way.

A lack of training

If you have not been giving your husky much training then it will behave the way that it wants to which is unlikely to be the way that you would like. This is why it is important to give it lots of training regularly so that it learns how it is meant to behave.

Dominating behavior

It could be the case that it did it because it was being dominating. This would be more likely if it did it in a situation such as when you were trying to sit in the spot that it normally sits in or to get it to move. It would also be more likely if it does dominating things such as sit in higher spots than you or be unresponsive to your command.

Possessiveness

Sometimes dogs will snap out when they are protecting things that they think belong to them. This will commonly happen when someone tries to take something such as a bone away from them or when going near them while they are eating. If your Siberian husky snapped out when it was interacting with something then it would likely be due to possessiveness.

In this case, it would help to do lots of leave it training. But, if it is aggressive, getting the help of a dog trainer or behaviorist would likely help the most.

Frustration

Being frustrated could also be why it did it. This would be more likely if it did it after you had been telling it to do something repeatedly or after you had been touching it in a way that it did not like.

Things to consider

Below are some considerations you can make which will help you in figuring out exactly why your Siberian husky might snap at you.

When it started lashing out

It would help to consider when it first started lashing out since it is likely that there was an event that caused it to start doing it.

If it started doing it suddenly it would be more likely to be due to things such as being mistreated, getting injured or feeling threatened. It would help to consider what else changed when it started doing it.

What is different when it snaps at you

It would also help to consider what else is different when it snaps at you.

If it snaps at you when you are shouting it would make it more likely that it feels threatened. Whereas, if it does it when it is eating it would make it more likely that it is resource guarding.

How many times it has done it

It would also help to consider how many times it has done it.

If it only snapped at you once then it would make it more likely to be because it was feeling threatened or because it was in pain at the time. However, it could still have been due to one of the other reasons mentioned above.

How to get your husky to stop snapping at you

Below are a number of options you have when getting your Siberian husky to stop snapping at you. Using a combination of them will likely be the best approach.

Make sure that it is not ill or injured

If it seems like it might be ill or injured the best option would be to take it to a vet. By doing so you will be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular husky.

Get help

If you think that your husky is likely to bite you or be aggressive in certain situations such as when it is eating it would be best for you to get the help of an expert in your area. Experts could include certified dog trainers or certified dog behaviorists.

By doing so you will be able to get expert guidance tailored to your particular husky and they will be able to show you the most appropriate course of action to take in a safe manner.

Make sure that you are feeding it correctly

It would also help to make sure that you have been feeding it the right foods and in the right amounts. It would help to consult with your local vet on what you have been feeding them when you see them next. You can also look here to see what you should and should not be feeding your husky.

Avoid punishing it

It might be tempting for you to punish your husky when it misbehaves but you should avoid doing so. If you punish it your husky might not know why and it could lead to it having feelings of resentment. Instead, it would help to give it lots of positive reinforcement training as discussed below.

Use positive reinforcement training

Positive reinforcement training is where you reward your husky for behaving the way that you want it to and avoid rewarding it when it does not.

If you have not trained your husky to behave the way that you want it to then it would help to start doing so. I have written about how you can use positive reinforcement training to get it to lay down here and to come on command here.

Avoid negative reinforcement

Negative reinforcement is where you encourage bad behaviors by giving your husky things it wants when it displays them.

Instead of giving your husky things that it wants when it snaps out try to use positive reinforcement training to get it to behave the way that you want.

It is likely that you will be able to find an example of how you can use positive reinforcement training in a specific situation by searching it on Google or Youtube.