If your Siberian husky puppy is afraid of other dogs, you’re probably wondering why and what you can do about it.
This post will show you a number of reasons why your husky puppy could be scared of other dogs and what you can do to get it to be less afraid.
So, why is my husky puppy scared of other dogs? Possible reasons are that it has not learned to trust other dogs yet, another dog snapped at it and it is now afraid of it happening again or it might be naturally submissive.
There are a number of things that you can consider that will help you in determining the exact reason that your husky gets afraid of other dogs. Once you have a good idea of the cause, it will become easier for you to get it to be less afraid.
Why your husky puppy is scared of other dogs
The individual reasons why your husky puppy gets afraid will likely come with some clues in the way that it gets afraid.
Below, are a number of reasons why it might be doing it and what would make them more likely.
It hasn’t learned to trust certain dogs yet
The reason why it has been getting afraid around other dogs could be that it is not sure whether or not it can trust them. When huskies are puppies the other dogs that they would normally interact with would be the other puppies and their mothers and they will usually be nervous around other dogs since they might be a threat.
If your Siberian husky puppy doesn’t have other puppies to play with, it is likely it is naturally scared of the other dogs since it does not know them and they might be unfriendly. In this case, it would help to try and socialize it with other friendly dogs as much as you can and with puppies in particular. It is also likely that it will become less afraid of other dogs as it gets older.
Another dog snapped at it
It could be the case that it has started being afraid of other dogs because one snapped at it. This would be more likely if you know that another dog snapped at it and it started being afraid suddenly afterward or if you didn’t but it has started being afraid of other dogs suddenly anyway.
In this case, it would help to socialize it with other friendly dogs as much as possible.
Submissiveness
It could be the case that your husky is naturally submissive. This would be more likely if it tends to hide behind you, put its tail between your legs and roll onto its back. It would also be more likely if it only gets afraid around dogs that are bigger than it or ones that are slightly aggressive.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider that will help you in figuring out why your husky puppy has been getting scared.
When it first started doing it
It would help to consider when your husky puppy first started being afraid of other dogs since it could be the case that it has been doing it because there was an event that caused it to start.
If it was not always afraid of other dogs, it would be more likely that it is either afraid now because another dog snapped at it or your husky wasn’t afraid before because the other dogs were other puppies.
If it has always been afraid of other dogs it is likely to be because it sees them as a threat especially if it gets afraid more around larger dogs. In this case, it would help to socialize it with puppies if possible or other friendly dogs.
If it becomes afraid around every dog
It would also help to consider whether or not it always gets afraid with other dogs or it just does it with certain dogs.
If it gets afraid some of the time it would be more likely that it is being submissive especially if the other dog is bigger than it or aggressive. It could also be the case that it was mistreated by a similar dog in the past.
Whereas, if it becomes afraid around all dogs it could be the case that it was mistreated in the past, you have inadvertently rewarded the behavior or that it is naturally timider.
How to get your Siberian husky puppy to be less afraid of other dogs
Below are some options you have when getting your husky to be less afraid of other dogs.
Desensitizing it to other dogs
One option you have is to let it be around other friendly dogs as much as you can.
If it does not get the opportunity to be around friendly dogs very often it will be harder for it to learn not to be scared of them.
However, before socializing it with other dogs it is important to make sure that it has the appropriate vaccines so you may want to check on that with your vet beforehand.
When introducing your husky puppy to other dogs it would help to do so in a controlled environment with the dogs on their leashes.
You can watch the video below to see more tips on how to do it:
Positive reinforcement
Positive reinforcement training is where you reinforce the behaviors that you want to see from your Siberian husky puppy by rewarding them.
To use positive reinforcement training to get it to be less afraid of other dogs you would reward it after interactions where it was not afraid, reward it while it is near other dogs and it is not being afraid and stop rewarding it when it starts to become afraid.
Avoid negative reinforcement
Negative reinforcement is where you train your husky to do undesirable things by giving it things it wants when it does them.
Instead of giving your husky things such as treats or extra attention when it becomes afraid, try to recognize when it is likely to be about to start being afraid and to prevent it by redirecting its focus. It would also help to train it not to be afraid using the tips mentioned above.