If your husky seems to be scared of you, this post will help you figure out why and what you can do about it.
So, why is my husky scared of me? Possible reasons are that you were aggressive towards it, it’s unsure of its new environment, previous owners mistreated it or that it is ill or injured.
There are many nuances to consider when trying to figure out why your husky might be scared of you. Once you have a good idea of the cause, it will become easier for you to get it to stop.
Why your husky is scared of you
Each of the different reasons that your husky has been behaving in a timid way will likely come with some clues.
Below, I will mention some reasons why your husky might be doing it and what would make them more likely.
You were aggressive towards it
The reason that it is scared of you could be that you or someone else was aggressive towards it. This would be more likely if it suddenly became scared of you after you were aggressive towards it.
In this case, it would help to give it lots of positive attention in the form of training, exercise and by playing with it. Interacting with it in a calm and non-aggressive way would also be important.
It is unsure of its environment
The reason that it is scared could be that it is in a new environment. This would be more likely if you recently adopted it or it became scared at around the same time that you moved homes.
In this case, it would be likely that it will improve over the course of a few weeks. You can help by giving it lots of positive attention as mentioned above.
Previous owners
It could be the case that previous owners mistreated it and it has caused it to become distrustful of people. This would be more likely if you have recently adopted it from a shelter.
In this case, it would also be likely that it will begin to improve over the course of a few weeks.
It is ill or injured
The reason that it has been being scared might be that it has gotten ill or injured. This would be more likely if it started doing it suddenly and it has been showing other signs of being ill or injured such as being fatigued or limping.
If it does seem like illness or injury could be the cause, the best option would be to take it to a vet.
Reinforcing the behavior
It might be the case that you have inadvertently reinforced the behavior by giving it things that it wants when it becomes afraid.
Instead of rewarding it when it does it, try to recognize when it is about to be afraid and to redirect its focus onto something else such as rolling over or coming to you.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure out why your husky has been doing it.
When your husky became afraid of you
When trying to understand why your husky is scared of you, it would help to consider when it first started being afraid of you. It could be the case that there was an event that triggered it to start being afraid.
Things that you could consider would include:
- If you moved home
- If someone else was mean to it
- If you stepped on its tail
If it only becomes scared of you at certain times
It would also help to consider the timing of when it becomes afraid. If it is not always afraid, it might be the case that there is an external influence that is causing it to do it at certain times.
Some things that might be different could include:
- There is thunder and lightning outside
- It becomes afraid when it is dark outside
- It becomes afraid when a certain person is around
Its age
It would also help to consider the age of your husky.
If it is just a puppy, it could be going through a more fearful stage that is not uncommon in puppies.
Whereas, if it is an adult and it has become afraid suddenly, it would be more likely to be due to things such as those mentioned above.
What to do about your husky being scared of you
Below are some things that you can do about your husky being afraid of you.
Be calmer around your husky
Since the reason that your husky is afraid could be due to the way you have been interacting with it, behaving in a calmer manner around it would likely be helpful. Huskies will generally be very responsive to their owners emotions and when you become highly emotional with your husky, it will likely cause it to react in a similar way.
Play and 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 behave abnormally.
If your husky is not currently getting much exercise, it would help to make sure that it does by walking it, playing fetch with it or getting a dog walker to do it for you.
Avoid physical punishment
If you punish or reward your husky when it shows signs of being afraid you might be reinforcing the behavior.
Instead, it would be better to avoid reacting when it does things that you don’t like and to use positive reinforcement training techniques instead of punishing it.
Punishing it could be making things worse since it won’t know why you are punishing it and it could be causing it to have feelings of resentment towards you.
Be patient
When training your husky it is important to be patient. It is not likely that you will get drastic results with just one training session. But if you continue to train it over the course of weeks and months, you will be able to get better results.
Take it to a vet
If you are unable to figure out why your husky has been being afraid or you cannot get it to stop, it would help to take it to the vet and to get an expert opinion tailored towards your particular husky.