Why is my husky so vocal?

If your husky is very vocal you might be wondering why and what you can do about it.

This post will show you a number of reasons why it might be vocal and what you can do about it.

So, why is my husky so vocal? Possible reasons are that it is hungry or thirsty, it wants to go outside, you might have been rewarding the behavior, illness, injury, being anxious or it might be naturally vocal.

There are actually a number of reasons why your husky might be so vocal and it could be due to 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 for you to get it to stop.

Why your husky is so vocal

The different reasons why your husky is vocal will likely come with some clues in the way that it does it.

Below are a number of possible reasons why it might be doing it and what would make them more likely.

It wants food or water

The reason why it does it could be that it is hoping to get given food or water. This would be more likely if it does it more when it has not been fed in a while, when it doesn’t have access to water or while you are eating.

In this case, it would help to check that you have been feeding it the right amount and that it has access to water whenever it needs it. It would also help to avoid giving it your own food when you are eating otherwise it will likely continue being vocal when you are eating.

It wants to go outside

It could also be doing it because it wants to go outside to pee. This would be more likely if it becomes vocal specifically when it needs to go outside or if it has not been able to pee for a long time.

In this case, it would help to make sure that your husky is able to go outside to pee whenever it needs to.

You have inadvertently reinforced the behavior

It could be the case that it has learned to be vocal because it results in it getting things that it wants. If you tend to give it things such as extra food, attention or treats when it becomes vocal, it will likely do it more in order to get more treats or food.

Instead, it would help to reward it when it is being well behaved and to follow the other tips mentioned below.

Illness or injury

It could be the case that it has been being vocal due to being ill or injured. This would be more likely if it has started being vocal suddenly and if it has been showing signs of being ill or injured such as limping or vomiting.

If it does seem like it could be ill or injured the best option would be to have a vet take a look at it.

Anxiety

The cause might be that something has been causing it to be anxious. This would be more likely if it has started doing it since an event occurred that could have made it become anxious such as someone mistreating it or an owner moving away. It would also be more likely if it tends to be more vocal at times such as when there are certain noises outside.

If it does seem like being anxious could be the cause then I have written more about what you can do about it in this post.

Nature

It might be the case that your husky is naturally vocal. This would be more likely if it is vocal at random times and if it has always been vocal. However, it could still be the case that it has learned that being vocal gets it things that it wants.

Boredom

Huskies are a breed that is meant to get a lot of exercise on a daily basis. The reason why your husky is vocal could be that it is understimulated. Generally, it is recommended for huskies to get at least an hour of exercise per day. If your husky is not getting that much exercise then it would help to make sure that it does.

Things to consider

When it started being vocal

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

If it started being vocal suddenly it would be more likely to be due to things such as a sudden change in its daily routine, illness, injury or being anxious. It would help to consider what else changed when it started doing it.

If it has always been vocal then it would be more likely that it is naturally vocal but it could be the case that you trained it to be vocal from an early age.

When it becomes more vocal

It would also help to consider whether or not it becomes more vocal at certain times.

If there are certain times where it tends to be more vocal then the timing would likely have something to do with it. For example, if it tends to be vocal when you’re eating then it would likely be because it thinks that being vocal will result in it getting your food.

What to do about your husky being vocal

Below are some options you have when getting your Siberian husky to stop being so vocal. You will likely find using a combination of them will work best.

Ensure that it is eating right

As mentioned above, it could be the case that your husky has been doing it because it is hungry. With that being the case, it would help to make sure that you have been feeding it the right amount of food and that the food you have been feeding it is appropriate for it. This would be best done by consulting with your local vet when you see them next.

Make sure to give it exercise

It is important to make sure that your husky gets exercise daily if it is healthy. You can either give it exercise by exercising it yourself or you could get a dog walker to do it for you.

Let it go outside when it needs to

It would also help to make sure that it is able to go out to pee whenever it needs to. You could do this by leaving the door to the backyard open or you could put a bell on the door so that you know when it needs to go outside.

Deal with its separation anxiety

It would also help to train your husky to be less anxious when you are leaving and when you are not with it especially if it tends to be more vocal when you are leaving home.

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

Avoid negative reinforcement

As mentioned above, it might be the case that your husky has learned that being vocal results in it getting rewards. It would help to avoid rewarding your husky for being vocal and to reward it when it is being well behaved instead.

Take it to a vet

If you can’t figure out why your husky has been being vocal or it seems like it might be ill or injured then the best option would be to take it to a vet for a checkup.