If your husky talks a lot you might be wondering why and what you can do about it.
This post will show you a number of reasons why it might talk so much and what you can do to get it to talk less.
So, why does my husky talk so much? Possible reasons are that it is hungry or thirsty, it is looking for attention, you have inadvertently rewarded the behavior, illness or injury or it might be doing it due to boredom.
There are actually a number of reasons why your Siberian husky might be talking so much and it could be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are also a number of things that you can consider when trying to figure out the exact reason. Once you have a good idea of why it does it, you should have a much easier time in getting it to stop.
Why your husky talks so much
Each of the different reasons why your husky talks so much will likely come with a number of clues in the way that it does it.
Below, I will show you a number of possible causes and what would make them more likely.
It’s hungry or thirsty
The cause could be that it is hungry or thirsty and it is trying to let you know about it. This would be more likely if it does it more when you have not fed it for a while or it has not got access to water. In this case, it would help to make sure that it is being fed the right amount and that it has access to water when it needs it.
It wants to go outside
It could be the case that it does it because it wants to go outside. This would be more likely if it does it when standing by the door and it does not talk as much at other times.
You have inadvertently trained it to be that way
It might be the case that you have actually trained it to talk a lot by giving it things that it wants when it does it. If you give it things such as extra attention, toys or treats when it talks a lot, 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 avoid rewarding it when it talks a lot.
Nature
It could be the case that your husky talks a lot naturally. This would be more likely if it has always talked a lot and it has not started doing it suddenly. However, even if it has always talked a lot, it could still be the case that it learned to do it if you tend to reward it.
Illness or injury
The cause could be that it is ill or injured. This would be more likely if it has started doing it suddenly and if it has been behaving differently in other ways as well. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet for a checkup.
Boredom
Huskies are a breed that is meant to get a lot of daily exercise. The reason why it talks a lot could be that it is bored or understimulated. Generally, it is recommended for a healthy Siberian husky to get at least an hour of exercise per day. If your husky is not getting that much exercise it would help to make sure that it does.
Fear
It could be the case that it talks when something is causing it to be fearful. This would be more likely if it does it more in situations such as when there is thunder and lightning, sirens or when you are about to leave home.
Things to consider
Below are some things you can consider when trying to figure out why it talks a lot.
When it started talking more
It would help to consider when it first started talking a lot since it could be the case 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 illness, injury or a sudden change in its daily routine. It would help to consider what else changed when it started doing it.
Whereas, if it has always seemed to talk a lot then it could be the case that it learned that talking gets it things that it wants from an early age or it could be that it talks to let you know that it wants something.
When it talks
It would also help to consider the timing of when it tends to talk more since it could also be the case that the timing has something to do with it.
For example, if it tends to talk more when you are leaving home it would make it more likely to be the case that it does it due to separation anxiety.
Whereas, if it seems to do it at random times then it could be the case that it is ill or injured, you have inadvertently trained it to do it or that it does it naturally.
It’s age
It would also help to consider the age of your husky.
If your husky is still young it will be likely that it will talk less as it gets older and that it talks a lot now naturally because it is looking for attention.
Whereas, if it is an adult it would be more likely that it learned that talking gets it things that it wants but it could also be due to one of the other reasons mentioned above.
What to do about your husky talking a lot
Below are some options you have when getting your Siberian husky to talk less. You will likely find that using a combination of them will work best.
Avoid negative reinforcement
As mentioned above, it could be the case that you have trained it to talk a lot by rewarding it when it does it. If you want to get it to stop it would help to reward it when it behaves the way you want and to try and recognize when it is likely to start doing it and to redirect its focus.
Make sure that you are feeding it correctly
It is also important to make sure that you are feeding it correctly and that you are giving it plenty of access to water. You can look here to see what you should and should not be feeding your husky.
Take it to a vet
If you can’t figure out why your husky has been talking a lot, it has started doing it suddenly or it has been showing signs of illness or injury 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 an illness or injury and to get expert advice tailored towards your particular husky.
Give it exercise
Provided that your husky is healthy it would also help to make sure that it is getting enough exercise on a daily basis. You can exercise it either by walking it yourself or by getting a dog walker to do it for you when you can’t do it.
Give it things to be distracted with
In addition to the things mentioned above, you could also give it things to be distracted with so that it is less likely to want to get attention from you. Things that you could give it would include toys, chews or bones.