Why Does My Husky Stare?

If your husky has a habit of staring then you might be wondering why it does it. This post will give you a number of reasons that huskies stare and it will give you some things that you can do about it.

So, why does your husky stare? There are a number of reasons that your husky might have a habit of staring. One of the most likely reasons is that it wants something from you examples would be food, a toy or to go outside. Other reasons include wanting attention, waiting for a command, confusion, fear, aggression or having just misbehaved.

And, what should you do about it? If you want to stop the staring then you can try ignoring it when it stares and then rewarding it when it’s not staring, giving it exercise and attention throughout the day, not rewarding it when it stares and getting help from a dog behaviorist.

Figuring out exactly why your husky is staring can actually be quite challenging. But, it’s important to consider why it might be so that you can figure out if there is something wrong with your husky that needs to be fixed.

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Reasons why your husky might stare

There are a number of things that can cause your husky to stare that I will mention below.

Attention

Huskies were bred to pull sleighs for hours in freezing temperatures daily. With that being the case, it can take a lot to keep them properly stimulated. If your husky hasn’t been getting enough attention or exercise for its liking then the staring could be because it wants attention from you. If you think that this might be the cause then you should make sure to give it lots of exercise and to give it attention throughout the day.

To get something

A likely cause of why it has a habit of staring is that it’s hungry or you’re eating and it’s hoping that you will give it something that it wants. This tactic is commonly used by dogs and if you have caved and given it something when it stares in the past then it might have learned that doing so can get it what it wants. To correct this you can try ignoring it when it stares and then rewarding it when it doesn’t stare at you when it normally would.

Related: why does my husky smell?

Fear

It could be that your husky is scared that it is going to be punished for something so it is watching you so that it can anticipate your actions. To prevent this you should avoid punishing your husky and to try to reward good behavior instead.

Love

A 2015 study found that when people and their dogs look into each other’s eyes the oxytocin levels (a hormone that promotes social bonding) increases in both. This could be the reason as to why your husky has a habit of staring at you.

But, don’t stare if your dog has signs of aggression since staring at a dogs eyes can be perceived as an act of aggression and cause it to become defensive.

Aggression

One possible reason for the staring is due to aggression. If your husky has been showing other signs of aggression such as growling, disobedience or biting then the staring could be a sign that it is feeling aggressive in that moment. This is especially the case if it’s two dogs staring at each other as this will normally occur when they are about to fight.

Anticipation

If the staring comes at a time when it is about to get something that it wants then the staring could be because it’s waiting to see when you’ll actually do what it’s waiting for. For example, if you normally walk your husky at a certain time then it might be staring because it knows that you normally walk it at that time and it’s waiting for its walk.

It has misbehaved

The staring could be because it has misbehaved and it’s waiting to see how you’re going to react to it. If you normally punish your husky in these circumstances then you should consider changing your approach to one that is focused on reinforcing positive behavior.

It’s pooping

If your husky stares at you when it poops then it wants to see that you are looking out for it. When dogs poo they are in a vulnerable position which other predators might try to capitalize on. This is why they want to see if you are watching over it.

It needs to pee

The cause of the staring could be because it needs to pee and it wants you to let it outside.

Waiting for command

If you have given your husky lots of training then the staring could be because it is waiting for you to tell it to do something. It could also be that you have been giving it conflicting commands and it is confused as to exactly what you want from it.

How to get your husky to stop staring

If you want to get your husky to stop staring then there are a number of things that you can try.

Ignore it

If the cause of your husky’s staring is because it wants to get something from you then you should ignore it and give attention when it stops. By doing this you will be able to teach it that trying to make you give it attention won’t work but behaving well will. When ignoring it the best thing to do is not to interact with it at all not even in a negative way. It’s also important to note that the ignoring doesn’t need to be for long it just needs to be long enough for it to stop and then you can give it attention.

Don’t reward the staring

Another thing that you should do is to avoid giving it food when it stares at you. By giving it food when it stares you will be reinforcing the behavior and encouraging it to continue.

Give it attention and exercise

Another effective thing to do is to give it lots of exercise, attention and training. By doing so you’ll be able to keep your husky properly stimulated and to reduce its attention seeking behavior.

Get help from a dog behaviorist

If you’re concerned about how your husky has been staring a lot then you should consider getting help from a certified animal behaviorist. By doing so you will be able to get help and advice that is tailored to your specific husky.