What Are Huskies Scared Of? 6 Surprising Answers
Siberian Huskies are majestic, loveable, and active dog breeds that are born initially as sled dogs. They are mischievous, lively, and love to play all day, every day.
Bred as pack dogs, Huskies feature the qualities of a leader. Having said that, there are certain things that can scare a confident dog, such as the Huskies.
Siberian Huskies are afraid of noises that include lightning, thunder, fireworks, vacuums, construction works, and even darkness. In some cases, they may even be scared of you or when certain people are around.
There are reasons as to why your Husky is scared, to begin with, and things to consider when dealing with it.
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Age Matters
First of all, before I go any further, it is important to note that considering a Husky’s age is vital.
It is common that all Huskies experience a phase where they become fearful of things. More so, if they are a pup, they are more likely to go through this period.
However, you can rest assured as they will gradually grow out of this stage within a few weeks. Adult Huskies, on the other hand, are a different case. If they seem fearful, it’s one of the reasons below and are things you should look out for.
Huskies are Scared of Thunder and Lightning
Dogs have sensitive hearing, and the same goes for Siberian Huskies. Due to this factor, Huskies tend to hear the noises louder than we humans do. They can even get wind of the sounds that we can’t hear.
Adding to that, these animals can sense the air pressure changing when a storm approaches. It’s another reason your furry companion gets scared, causing them to grow anxious. The lightning flashes don’t help either.
Furthermore, Huskies even become aware of the low-frequency sounds of the thunderstorms as it nears.
According to many researchers and scientists, Huskies experience vibrations from the electrostatic charge that follows a thunderstorm.
With that said, you can try these steps to keep your Husky calm during such events.
- Keep yourself calm around your Husky
- Keep them safe in a room where the noises can’t be heard as loud
- Distract them
- Desensitize them to thunderstorm noises
- Take advice from your vet
Huskies are Scared of Fireworks
For us, we associate fireworks with holidays and love the beautiful lights and colors it provides. However, the same can’t be said for your Husky.
The loud explosions and light flashes are something that frightens them more than you can imagine.
I’ve jotted down some of the reasons why your Husky is scared of fireworks.
1. Similar to thunder, fireworks usually make loud noises when they explode. And because of their sensitive hearing, these explosions are frightening for them.
2. Holidays are just the usual days for your dog. So, fireworks are unpredictable, which they aren’t used to.
3. Unexpected loud noises are perceived as a threat, and this sets off your dog’s fight or flight reaction. They may whine, pant, or pace around the house, showing symptoms of anxiety.
4. Fireworks make your Husky feel cornered. In case the noise sets off their flight reaction, they will try to escape and hide from the loud explosions.
Huskies are Scared of Vacuum Cleaners
Some Huskies are afraid of vacuums, and this is because they are naturally wired to fear particular catalysts.
There are different kinds of dog breeds with different shapes, sizes, colors as well as personalities. Apart from vacuum cleaners, Huskies are also afraid of other noisy appliances, unfamiliar circumstances, or just anything that poses a threat to them.
To begin with, vacuum cleaners make weird sounds. Adding to this, you thrust it erratically around your house with its tube drawing in things lying on the floor.
All these things are new and appear weird for your dog. Therefore, it certainly is not surprising that they find vacuums suspicious and are cautious around them.
However, in some cases, certain dogs with herd instincts may find vacuums interesting and tend to play and run after them. If this isn’t the case for your Husky, you can always associate him with the noise of the object by giving him treats.
Some Huskies are Scared of People
First and foremost, it’s true that dogs do need to be disciplined. However, they shouldn’t be treated harshly, so much so that they become frightened of you.
Some people become too aggressive towards their dogs, and this makes them fearful of you.
To make sure they don’t coil away from you, you need to interact with them in a calm manner.
It would be helpful if you give them the love and care they deserve. I strongly recommend you always figure out the root cause as to why your Husky is scared of you. Then you can find the solution to help them relax.
Let’s look into some things that may trigger your dog:
- Moving of home
- Some people were aggressive towards them.
- Stepping on their tail
If your Husky is afraid of you only during particular times, here are some of the reasons to expect:
- They are frightened of lightning flashes and thunders
- Scared of darkness outside
- Afraid when a particular person is around
Some Other Reasons that Scares your Husky
Apart from noises and people, Huskies are also scared when they are insecure about their surroundings. This happens if your dog is newly adopted.
New places and environments are sure to scare them as they don’t know if they are safe. If this solely is the reason, show them you mean no harm, and they will surely improve in a few days or weeks.
Another reason is your Husky is either sick or injured. In this case, they will show fear all of a sudden. You will also see hints of illness that include crying, limping as well as exhaustion.
In addition to that, Huskies sometimes act fearful to get your attention. This happens when you unintentionally reinforce the behavior of always treating them with things or food they like when they become fearful.
Remember, Siberian Huskies are quite the smart dog breed, so they might learn to act this way to receive rewards.
In lieu of that, it would be best if you give them treats only when they behave well. More so, you can reward your Husky when you see them starting to show hints of being fearful. This way, you divert their focus.
How to Make your Husky feel Less Scared
I’ve jotted down some tips you can try to help your Husky relax and be less scared of things or people.
Meeting New Dogs and People
This step might be stressful for your dog at the beginning as they’re not used to socializing. However, once you allow them to meet new people and other dogs, they will become more affectionate and start trusting more.
Give Rewards
To make sure Huskies learn to be less scared, you can train them accordingly and give treats as rewards. You can even provide them with attention when you see them showing hints of coming out of their comfort zone.
More so, it would be helpful if you can easily recognize the signs and triggers that make them fearful. This way, you can distract them before they start feeling timid.
Avoid Punishments
Dogs misbehaving can be quite problematic, and there are better ways to deal with it rather than punishing them. Do bear in mind that physical punishments contribute to them becoming timid.
Therefore, you can always teach them to behave in an agreeable manner by reinforcing positive training.
Keep Calm around them
There’s a big chance that you are what’s causing your Husky to be acting the way they are. So, you need to keep calm around them and make sure you don’t make any threatening actions. If not, this may trigger their fight or flight reaction.
Have Patience
Training Huskies is a challenging task. While that may be so, you need to be patient when working with them. You can’t expect them to make significant developments in just a session.
If you train them patiently, you will see noticeable changes in your Husky in a matter of a few weeks.
Take them to a Veterinarian
If you still haven’t figured out the reasons behind your Husky’s behavior, you need to seek the advice of a vet. Some dogs show signs of fear when they are injured or feeling unwell.
Therefore, taking them to the vet would be the ideal option, seeing as they can give you the proper medication if necessary.
Regular Exercise
Siberian Huskies need a lot of workouts every day as they are born to be sled animals. So, if they aren’t getting the necessary exercise, your dog may start behaving weirdly.
Ensure that your Husky is exercising enough by taking them for walks or you can even play fetch with them.