If your husky is very needy you might want to know why and what you can do about it.
This post will show you why your husky might be doing it and what you can do to get it to be less needy.
So, why is my husky so needy? Possible reasons are that it wants attention, it has separation anxiety, it’s bored or that you have inadvertently rewarded the behavior.
There are actually many reasons why your husky might be being needy and it could be a combination of factors. However, there are some things that you can consider that will help you figure out the exact reason. Once you have a good idea of the cause, it will become a lot easier for you to get it to stop.
Why your husky is so needy
Each of the different reasons why your husky is needy will likely come with a number of clues in the way that it is needy.
Below are a number of reasons why your Siberian husky might be being needy and what would make them more likely.
It wants attention
The reason why it is needy could be that it is looking for attention from you. This would be more likely if it does it more when you have not given it much attention and if you tend to give it more attention when it acts needy.
If you want it to stop it would help to give it attention throughout the day by training it, playing with it and exercising it. However, it would also help to avoid rewarding it with attention when it becomes needy and to redirect its behavior before it starts doing it.
It was mistreated as a puppy
The reason why your husky is clingy could be that it was mistreated when it was a puppy and it does not like being left alone now. This would be more likely if you adopted it from a shelter.
In this case, it might start to become less needy as it gets older and you can still do the training tips below. If it is bothering you then you could also consider getting help from a dog behaviorist.
It has separation anxiety
The cause could be that it has separation anxiety. This is where it does not like being left alone and being left alone causes it to become anxious. This would be more likely if it starts being needy and anxious when you are about to leave home.
If it does seem to have separation anxiety it would help to train it to be less anxious without you.
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
It’s bored
Huskies are a breed that is meant to get a lot of exercise daily. When they do not get enough it can cause them to start behaving abnormally. Generally, it is recommended for them to get at least an hour of exercise per day. If yours is not getting that much it could be why it is being needy and it would help to exercise it more either yourself or by using a dog walker.
You have reinforced the behavior
It might be the case that you have encouraged it to be needy by giving it things it wants when it does it. If you tend to give it rewards when it is needy, it might have learned that being needy will result in it getting rewards.
Instead, try to reward it when it is behaving the way you want and to redirect its focus onto something else when it starts being needy.
Nature
It could be the case that your husky does it naturally. Huskies were bred to work with their owners for hours on a daily basis so it will naturally look to you for direction. This is why it is important to give it lots of training so that it learns how it is meant to behave.
Things to consider
When it started being needy
It would help to consider when it first started being needy since it could be the case that there was an event that caused it to start doing it.
If it started being needy suddenly it would make it more likely to be due to things such as a change in its schedule, something causing it to be anxious or you might have inadvertently rewarded the behavior. It would help to consider what else changed at around the same time that it started doing it.
When it becomes needy
It would also help to consider the timing of when it becomes needy. If it starts being needier at a certain time it could be the case that the timing has something to do with it.
If it does become needier at certain times it would make it more likely to be due to things such as separation anxiety, wanting attention or being bored.
How to get your husky to stop being needy
Below are some options you have when getting your Siberian husky to stop being needy.
Positive reinforcement training
Positive reinforcement training is where you reward the behaviors you want to see and avoid rewarding the behaviors that you don’t want.
To use it to get your husky to be less needy you would stop giving it attention when it is too clingy and then reward it when it shows signs of being less clingy.
You could also train it to sit or stay and then tell it to sit somewhere else when it starts being needy. I have written about how you can train your husky to stay, in the past, here.
Avoid negative reinforcement training
As mentioned above, it could be the case that you have inadvertently trained your husky to be that way by giving it things it wants when it does it. Instead of rewarding the neediness, try to reward it when it behaves the way you want and to redirect its focus when it is likely to start being needy.
Exercise
If your husky is not currently getting much exercise it would help to make sure that it does get exercise. You can exercise it by walking it yourself or by getting a dog walker to do it for you.
Give it attention throughout the day
It would also help to give your Siberian husky attention throughout the day by exercising it, training it and by playing with it.
Take it to the vet
If you cannot figure out why your husky is so needy or you cannot get it to stop consider getting help from a dog behaviorist or a vet. By doing so you will be able to get expert advice tailored to your particular husky.