If your husky is restless you might want to know why and what can be done about it.
This post will show you why your husky might always be restless and what you can do to get it to calm down.
So, why is my husky so restless? Possible reasons are that it needs more exercise, there is an issue with its diet, it’s anxious, it wants attention or that it is ill or injured.
There are many reasons why it might be restless and it could be due to a combination of multiple factors. Fortunately, there are also a number of things that you can consider that will help you in figuring out exactly why it does it. Once you have a good idea of the cause, it should become a lot easier for you to deal with it.
Why your husky is so restless
Each of the different reasons why your husky is restless will likely come with some clues in the way that it is restless. Below, I will show you a number of reasons why it might be restless and what would make them more likely.
It needs more exercise
Huskies are a breed that requires a lot of exercise in order to be properly stimulated. If your husky is not currently getting much exercise it could be what is causing it to be restless.
Generally, it is recommended to give them an hour of exercise daily. If yours is not getting that much it would help to make sure that it does either by exercising it yourself or by getting a dog walker to do it for you.
There is something wrong with its diet
It might be the case that a problem with its diet is causing it to behave abnormally. This would be especially likely if it has started being restless since changing its diet. You can look here to see what foods you should and should not be feeding your Siberian husky.
It’s anxious
It might be the case that something has been causing it to be anxious. Things that might be causing it to be anxious could include noises like construction works, someone being around that it does not like or being mistreated. I have written more about why your husky might be being anxious here.
It wants attention
The reason why your husky is restless could be that it is looking for attention. This would be more likely if it starts doing it in a way that provokes attention from you and if it does it more when you have not been giving it much attention.
It would help to give your husky attention throughout the day in the form of exercise, play and training and to avoid rewarding it with attention when it is restless.
Illness or injury
It could be the case that an illness or injury is what has been causing it to become restless. This would be more likely if it has started doing it suddenly and it has been showing signs of being ill or injured. If it does seem like illness or injury might be the cause, the best option would be to take it to a vet.
Things to consider
Below are some things that you can consider that will help you in figuring out why your Siberian husky has been doing it.
When it started to become restless
It would help to consider the timing of when it first started being restless since it could be the case that there was an event that caused it to start being restless.
If your husky started being restless suddenly it would make it more likely to be due to things such as a change in its diet, a change in its schedule or illness or injury. In this case, it would help to consider what happened at around the time that it started being restless.
If it has always been restless then it could be that it is not getting enough exercise, you have been reinforcing the behavior or that it does it for attention.
When it is restless
It would also help to consider when it tends to become restless since it could be the case that the timing could have something to do with it.
If it becomes more restless at certain times it would make it more likely to be due to things such as separation anxiety, a problem with its diet or a lack of exercise.
How old it is
It would also help to consider the age of your husky.
It is natural for them to be a lot more energetic as puppies. If yours is still a puppy it would be likely that it will calm down more as it gets older.
Whereas, if it is an adult it would make it more likely to be due to one of the causes mentioned above and it would help to follow the tips below.
How to stop your husky from being so restless
Below are a number of options that you have in getting your Siberian husky to be less restless.
Give it exercise
As mentioned above, it is important to give your husky regular exercise. You can give it exercise by walking it yourself or by getting a dog walker to do it for you.
Give it training
It would also help to give your husky lots of training so that it learns how to behave and because the training will help stimulate it.
Start by teaching it to do simple things such as to sit and stay in an environment like the home where there are not many external distractions. Once you can get it to do that you can build up to teaching it harder things such as to come to you on command.
Once you’re able to get your husky to listen to your command in less distracting environments, you should build up to teaching it to do the same in more challenging environments.
You can watch the video below for advice on training restless dogs.
Don’t reward it
It could be the case that your husky has learned that behaving in a restless manner results in it getting rewards. Instead of giving your husky things it wants when it is restless try to recognize when it is about to start being restless and to redirect its focus and to follow the tips above.
Give it distractions
In addition to the things mentioned above, you could also give it distractions to help keep it stimulated. Things that you could give it would be toys, puzzle games and bones.