If your husky is restless at night you might want to know why and what you can do about it.
This post will show you a number of possible causes and what you can do to stop it.
So, why is my husky restless at night? Possible reasons are that there is a problem with its diet, it’s not getting enough exercise, there is a problem with its sleeping environment or that it has separation anxiety.
There are actually a number of reasons why your husky might be restless at night and it could be a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider when trying to figure out the exact reason. Once you have a good idea of the cause it should become easier to get it to stop.
Why your husky is restless at night
The different reasons why your Siberian husky is restless at night will likely come with some clues in the way that it is restless.
Below are a number of possible reasons why your husky might be doing it and what would make them more likely.
A problem with its diet
The cause could be that there is an issue with its diet. It could be that it is eating too much, it’s eating foods that it shouldn’t be or that it is eating too late at night. You can look here to see what you should and should not be feeding your husky. It would also help to try feeding it earlier in the evening and to make sure that no one else is feeding it things that it shouldn’t be eating.
Not enough exercise
Huskies are a breed that requires a lot of exercise in order to be fully stimulated. If your husky is not getting much exercise it could be causing it to be energetic at night. Generally, it is recommended for them to get at least an hour of exercise per day. If your husky is healthy but it is not getting that much it would help to make sure that it does.
There is a problem with its sleeping environment
It could be the case that there is an issue with the room that it sleeps in that is causing it to struggle to fall asleep. It could be that it is too loud, warm or bright. It would help to make sure that the room it sleeps in is cool, quiet, dark and that there is an area for it to lay down comfortably.
Separation anxiety
If your husky does not sleep where you sleep it could be the case that it has some separation anxiety. This is where it does not like being left alone and the prospect of being left alone causes it to become anxious. This would be more likely if it shows signs of being anxious when you are about to leave it such as by pacing or crying.
You have inadvertently rewarded it
It might be the case that you have encouraged the behavior 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 becomes restless, it might have learned to do it more in order to get more of those things.
Instead, it would help to avoid rewarding it or giving it attention unless necessary.
Things to consider
Below are some things you can consider when trying to figure out why your husky is restless at night.
When it started doing it
If your husky started being restless at night suddenly it would help to consider what else happened at around the same time that it started doing it.
If it did start doing it suddenly it would make it more likely to be due to things such as not getting as much exercise, a change in its diet or a sudden change in its sleeping environment.
When it does it more
It would also help to consider what is different when it gets restless at night.
If you notice that it is not always hyper at night then it could be that:
- It is less hyper when it gets more exercise
- It is less hyper when it is fed earlier in the evening
- It’s less hyper when you have given it more attention during the day
How old it is
It would also help to consider the age of your husky.
If your husky is still a puppy then it is likely that it will calm down as it gets older and the reason that it gets hyper could be that it is not yet able to control its bladder through the night.
What to do about your husky being restless at night
Below are a number of options you have when getting your husky to be less restless at night. You will likely find that using a combination of them will work best.
Give it exercise
As mentioned above, it is important to make sure that your husky is getting lots of daily exercise as long as it is healthy. You can give it exercise either by doing it yourself or by getting a dog walker to do it for you when you can’t.
Deal with its separation anxiety
If it does seem to have some separation anxiety it would help to take measures to reduce it.
To do this you could do as follows:
- Make it seem like you are about to leave by doing something such as picking up your keys
- Reward your husky for not being anxious and repeat these two steps a few times
- Make more moves towards actually leaving such as by picking up the keys and putting your hand on the door handle
- Reward your husky for not being anxious and repeat the process a few times
- Actually open the door and go outside for a few moments then come back and reward your husky
- Repeat the above, each time staying outside for slightly longer
Ensure that it is getting the right diet
As mentioned above, it might be the case that there is an issue with its diet that is causing your husky to start being restless at night. You can look here to see what you should and should not be feeding it. Consulting with your local vet when you see them next on the diet that it is currently getting would also likely be helpful.
Avoid negative reinforcement
It would also help to avoid rewarding the behavior. Instead, it would help to reward it in the mornings when it is well behaved, to ensure that its diet is good and that it is getting enough exercise.
Consider crate training
Crate training is where you teach your husky to learn to be comfortable inside of a crate designed for dogs.
If you crate train your husky in the right way it will give it a space where it can feel safe. This will give your husky a space where it will be able to feel secure at night without you being around.
Take it for a checkup
If you have not taken your husky for a checkup with the vet in a while or if it has started being restless at night suddenly it would help to take it for a checkup. By doing so you will be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular husky and to make sure that there are not any medical causes.