Do Siberian Huskies Attack Small Dogs? All Questions Answered

Siberian Huskies tend to be incredibly beautiful and friendly. However, there may be times when they are a bit too aggressive. Regardless, that behavior can be changed, and there are quite some reasons to behave with such aggression. 

Siberian Huskies attack small dogs, and one of the main reasons for that could be their prey drive. However, it could also be due to the lack of exposure to other dogs. Siberian Huskies can be dominant at times, and to change this behavior, there are a few things to consider. 

You can train your husky to change the aggressive behavior and try to socialize them with other dogs to become more acquainted with them. If this is done at an early stage, they might be calm when they come across small dogs and avoid attacking them. 

Why do Siberian Huskies attack small dogs?

So why do Siberian huskies attack small dogs? There are a few reasons why Siberian Huskies attack small dogs. You will get a clearer idea of why your husky is aggressive towards other dogs and follow a training method accordingly. 

Strong prey drive

The ancestors of huskies would use to hunt animals, and they are bred for the same reason. Due to this reason, huskies have a habit of attacking smaller dogs. Their instinct is to hunt, so they should be trained to be friendly with smaller dogs from a younger age. 

Protection

Siberian huskies were also bred to protect their owner from any intruder. Along with their hunting instinct, they can be very protective at times. This leads them to be very aggressive at times. 

Since they tend to look at smaller animals as their prey, their aggressive and protective behavior makes them hostile. They become hostile, especially towards smaller animals, and sometimes their protective nature makes them attack humans. 

Not well-socialized with other dogs

If there is a lack of exposure to dogs, most dogs can’t socialize with them well. They either tend to be overly shy or aggressive towards them. As for Siberian huskies, their prey drive and aggression prevent them from socializing with other small dogs in a calm manner. 

Since huskies are bred where they move around in packs, it isn’t challenging to train them to socialize with other dogs. 

Dominant Behaviour

The dominant behavior of huskies can go overboard sometimes. They don’t follow the commands and directions given by their owners. They try to get in a higher position than the owner and dominate. 

Due to this reason, they might be trying to attack smaller dogs. Asserting dominance by attacking them could be their motive. 

It is quite clear to notice that almost all the reasons are inter-related to one another. Their personality traits and instincts are significant reasons for them being overly aggressive over small dogs. 

Other than that, having a lack of exposure elevates those traits and leads to them being hostile towards other dogs. 

Another reason for their hostility and aggression could be because they have been trained in that manner. You might have unknowingly trained them to be aggressive so that they will guard the house. 

This training method will then affect the way they act towards other dogs as well. You might be able to control by stop giving them the treats they want. Training them in this way will make them less dominant and aggressive as well. 

They will slowly become used to that training method and follow the commands more often. You might want to read about those various training methods in the next section to stop your husky from attacking small dogs. 

How to make your husky stop attacking small dogs?

Many ways will help you train your husky socially and make them less aggressive and dominant, especially among other dogs. 

Training them strictly

It is important to train dogs so that they will follow the commands of their owner. The same applies to a husky, and you might want to put them on a leash first and make them follow various commands. 

The huskies must listen to the owner, especially when they are on a leash. This can be done quickly with the help of positive reinforcements. Treats can be given every time they follow a command while on a leash. 

This method will make the behavior more consistent and should be repeated several times. It might be difficult in the beginning due to their dominant trait. To make this training more effective, you can show the treat after giving a command. 

They will start following the commands after they take a look at the treat. Once they follow the command, giving them the treat will reinforce their behavior. If the action is repeated several times successfully, the same can be done without their lash. 

After giving them treats even without the lash on is much more effective. The most important aspect is to make your husky listen to you. Once they start following your commands, it is easy to control them when they are with other dogs. 

Since they become more aggressive and protective with other dogs, having them listen to you will them calmer. You will also be able to stop them from attacking other dogs. 

More exposure

Keeping huskies away from small dogs is one of the best options. The reason being, no matter how much they are trained, they might directly attack the dogs unless you command or control them in some way. 

However, if you live with smaller dogs and a husky, it is imperative to train them strictly. There are a few things that you could do to make them used to each other in the same house. 

The first thing you should do is keep both the dogs in the same room. Your husky, however, should be on a leash to keep your other dog safe. After that, you might want to give specific commands to your husky. 

Obedience is fundamental, which means that the husky respects you as the owner. This aspect will help you in asserting dominance over your husky. If they obey your commands, you can also give them certain treats. 

While rewarding the husky with treats after each command, you will have to bring your smaller dog close. By doing this, the husky will be focusing only on you and won’t mind the smaller dog until and unless he is the one getting the treats and being rewarded. 

This method revolves around the idea you directing the husky’s attention elsewhere. As soon as they see a small dog, they start acting aggressively. Hence, they won’t be acting aggressively since you have all their attention even when the small dog is around.

Even after receiving treats and getting used to the smaller dog being around the same room, the husky might jump back to being extremely hostile. Hence, while trying to distract them, you will recognize their behavior before they attack. 

However, if they start acting hostile, you might want to cut down on the rewards and only give them treats once they calm down. Although it takes a lot of patience, this method might help them understand getting rewards only when they are calm. 

Another essential factor that should be taken into consideration is the age of your husky. If the Huskies are very young, it is best to make them well-acquainted with as many dogs as possible, especially small ones. 

This could make them used to other dogs, and it is even effortless to train young huskies than older ones. Their early exposure to small dogs will lower their prey drive and relatively behave in a friendly manner. 

Implementing a few training methods mentioned above becomes helpful if the huskies are a bit older. Since they are challenging to train, you might want to train them separately and slowly bring the other small dogs in the same room as them. 

However, there are certain situations wherein the husky should be kept separately from the small dogs. Even while eating, it is essential to give them food individually. Most of the dogs tend to be more aggressive while eating, and it is more likely for the husky to attack your small dog while being fed. 

Endnotes

A husky is a big dog who could quickly attack any other small dog and harm them. Introducing your husky dog to other dogs at a young age is favorable and training them also becomes more manageable. 

Huskies are well-known for their hunting and protection, and they are mainly bred for the same reason. So to answer why do Siberian huskies attack small dogs, they think some other dog is invading their territory, they can be very hostile and aggressive. 

To avoid the huskies from feeling threatened, encouraging calm behavior, especially around other dogs, is very integral. Moreover, before any harm is inflicted on the small dogs, the huskies should be taught how to listen to their owners. 

If they can obey their owners, it will be easy to control them and at the same time train them with ease. Hence, putting huskies in controlled environments with other dogs and training them will make it easier for them to get along.