Why is my husky sad?

If your husky seems sad you probably want to know why and what you can do about it.

This post will show you a number of reasons why it might be sad and what you can do to make it happy.

So, why is my husky sad? Possible reasons are that it is not getting enough exercise, illness, wanting attention, a poor diet, being mistreated or someone or another pet leaving home.

There are actually a lot of reasons why it might be sad and it could be a combination of multiple reasons. However, there are a number of things you can do about it and there are some things you can consider which will help you in figuring out the exact reason.

Why your husky is sad

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

Below, I will show you a number of reasons why it might be acting that way and what would make them more likely.

Not enough exercise

Huskies are a breed that is meant to get a lot of exercise on a daily basis. When they do not get enough exercise it can cause them to develop behavioral issues and it could be why your husky seems to be sad.

Generally, it is recommended for them to get at least an hour of exercise per day. If your husky is not getting that much it would help to make sure that it does provided that the vet has confirmed that it is healthy.

Illness

Being ill could be the reason why it has been acting sad recently. This would be more likely if your husky has started doing it suddenly and if it has been showing other signs of being ill such as being fatigued or vomiting. If it does seem like it might be ill the best option would be to take it to a vet.

Depression

Dogs are able to get depression like humans can and it could be the reason why your husky seems to be sad. This would be more likely if your husky started doing it after something happened that might have made it depressed such as an owner or another pet dying or if it started being left alone for a long time.

In this case, it is might begin to improve over time especially if you give it extra attention and exercise. It would also help to reward your husky when it shows signs of being happy and to avoid rewarding it for showing signs of being sad. If it persists for more than a few months then it would help to take it to a vet.

It wants attention

It might be the case that your husky is looking for more attention. This would be more likely if it has started being sad since you have been giving it less attention or since you have been doing things such as work longer hours.

If you are not already, it would help to try and give it attention throughout the day in the form of training, exercise and by playing with it.

Poor diet

The reason why it has been sad could be that there is an issue with its diet. It could be that it’s not being fed enough, it’s being fed too much, it’s diet doesn’t contain the right nutrients or that someone is feeding it foods that it should not be eating.

It would help to ask your local vet about whether or not you are feeding it correctly when you see them next. You can also look here to see what you should and should not be feeding your husky.

It was mistreated

It might be the case that it has been being sad because someone mistreated it or because someone still is mistreating it. This would be more likely if it started doing it suddenly or if it suddenly changes its behavior when a certain person is around.

If you recently adopted it from a shelter it could also be the case that it was mistreated. In this case, it would be likely that it will improve over time. But, it would help to give it lots of exercise, training and positive attention.

How to tell if your husky is actually sad

It might be the case that your husky is not actually sad. Below, I will show you some ways to tell whether or not your husky is actually sad or it just seems to be sad.

It eats less

If your husky suddenly started eating less and it doesn’t seem to be ill it would be a sign that it is because it is sad. However, this could also be due to other things such as the weather being much hotter or having done less exercise.

It is less active

It would also be a sign that it is sad if it has suddenly started being less active. However, it could also be a sign that it is ill, injured or that it has eaten something it shouldn’t have.

It avoids you

If your husky has suddenly started avoiding you it would also be a sign that it is sad or depressed. However, it might be the case that it does it due to being fearful if you have been aggressive towards it.

It sleeps at different times

If it suddenly started sleeping at different times or it suddenly started to sleep a lot more then it could also be a sign that it is sad. However, it could also be a sign that it is ill especially if it shows signs of fatigue when it is awake.

It’s displaying compulsive behaviors

Suddenly displaying compulsive behaviors such as constantly licking itself would also be a sign that it is sad or that something is causing it to be stressed.

Things to consider

What happened when it started being sad

It would help to consider when your husky first started doing it since it could be the case that there was an event that caused it to start being sad.

If it started doing it suddenly it would be more likely to be due to things such as a sudden change in its daily schedule, getting less exercise, getting less attention, a change in its diet or becoming ill. It would help to consider what else changed at around the same time that it started being sad.

When it is not sad

If it is not always sad and it shows signs of excitement sometimes it would also help to consider what is different when it is not sad.

For example, if it is less sad on days where it has gotten a lot of exercise it could be a sign that it needs more exercise regularly. Whereas, if it is less sad on your days off from work it could be a sign that it has separation anxiety.

How to get your husky to be less sad

Below are some options you have when trying to get your husky to be less sad. You will likely find that making use of a combination of them will work well.

Ensure that its diet is right

As mentioned above it could be the case that there is an issue with its diet. You can look here to see what you should be feeding it. Making sure that no one else is feeding it things that it shouldn’t be eating would also likely help.

Take it to a vet

If you cannot figure out why your husky has been being sad or you can’t get it to stop it would help to have a vet look at it. By doing so you will be able to get expert advice tailored towards your specific husky.

Give it exericse

As mentioned above, it is important to make sure that your husky is getting enough exercise. If your husky is not getting much daily exercise at the moment it would help to make sure that it does either by walking it yourself or by getting a dog walker to do it for you when you can’t do it.

Give it attention

It would also help to give it attention throughout the day in the form of training, exercise and by playing with it.

Reward it when it is not sad

It would also help to avoid rewarding it when it is sad. If you reward it when it is sad it could encourage it to behave that way even more. Instead, it would help to reward it when it shows signs of not being sad and to make use of the tips above to reduce how sad it becomes.