I have been reading through some of the emails that I’ve received and want to apologize if I still haven’t answered your question. I will get to it I promise!
In the meantime I will do my best to answer Christy’s question about her husky who is constantly digging holes in her back yard. Here is what she wrote:
Hey James
I have a two year old Husky dog that I love and adore with all my heart. I have been following your website for some time now and want to personally thank you for putting up all this good information to help other husky dog owners. I’ve learned so much from this website and I’m sure others have as well so keep this website alive!
Anyways, I’m contacting you because I have a question myself. Recently my family and I moved to a new home with a much larger backyard. Our old home had a small backyard so we often went to the park and let our dog loose there so he can run around and exercise. In our new home however, there is plenty of room for him to run around and have fun on his own. This has worked out great for first two weeks but now I have a problem.
My husky keeps digging holes in the backyard all the time. We have two trees growing and he constantly digs holes around them digging through roots. What I end up having is a messy backyard and a dirty husky who I have to wash before I can let him inside. Whenever I catch him in the act, I tell him NO or STOP and he stops but after couple of minutes later same exact thing happens.
What can I do to stop my husky from digging holes up in our backyard? I just want my husky to stop digging holes and instead run around and play.Please help; I don’t know what to do!
Christy K.
Well help Christy!
I’m certainly glad you like this website and I’m glad it has helped you. I know firsthand how tough it can be to be a first time husky dog owner.
To answer your question about your husky digging holes in the backyard, well it’s completely natural. Huskies sure love to dig. The good news however, is that you can fix this problem fairly easy!
The first thing I would recommend you do to keep your husky from digging holes is to keep him busy. When you go out to your backyard, bring a ball or some other toy and play fetch with your husky. Huskies are very smart dogs and get bored easy. Keeping him busy will keep his mind off digging holes in the backyard.
Try not to leave your husky alone at first. For the next week or two, always go out with him and watch him to make sure your husky isn’t digging any holes. Condition your dog through training that digging in the backyard is not permitted. Instead its a time for him to run around, play fetch and exercise.
Over time your husky will realize that going outside is not about digging holes, but instead the time he should be running around and having fun. Make sure you cover up the old holes though, you don’t want anything to remind him about digging holes in the backyard!
If you live in a small apartment and want to buy or adopt a Husky puppy, then you are probably asking yourself “Can Siberian huskies live comfortably in a small apartment?” Well it’s not just a simple yes or no question I’m afraid.
It’s both yes and no. Siberian huskies are very energetic dogs and need to exercise a lot. They enjoy running around and other activities which involve a lot of movement. You have to understand the Siberia husky dog breed history to understand the breed. In short, yes they can live in an apartment but they won’t be as happy if they had a large back yard to run around in and have fun.
Of course you could take your husky dogs out for a run to get him out of the small apartment, but a jog a day really isn’t enough for a husky. They need a lot more than that to stay happy and healthy.
If you do get a Husky in a small apartment and don’t take him out for runs regularly and won’t keep him busy, he will let you know he is bored. You husky will destroy everything in sight if he is bored or left alone for an extended period of time.
The Siberian husky dog is an amazing breed, but they do have a lot of requirements. If you don’t think you’re ready to commit to such a dog, maybe the breed just isn’t for you.
I get approached and asked “Where did you purchase your husky puppy from?” a lot, especially when I’m with my husky at the park playing ball. What I tell them almost every time, is to not buy one but instead adopt a husky puppy from a local shelter.
Buying a husky from a dog breeder can cost anywhere from $500 up to $1,200 and adopting from a shelter will cost you less than $200. Not only will you save a lot of money, but you will also save a poor puppies life. Usually dog shelters are over populated and are unable to keep hold of all the dogs due to space or funding limitations. If you adopt a puppy you will free up some space for another dog to be rescued as well.
There are some misconceptions about adopting a husky dog from a shelter. For whatever reasons, some people think that all dogs in the shelter are picked up from the streets, sick, were abused, have bad behavior problems, etc. Well that’s completely untrue. Many dogs brought to the animal shelter were given up by loving and caring owners who just couldn’t afford to keep their husky dog due to personal reasons.
These dogs had been taken, had all of their shots and a lot of them have some have gone through some basic dog training while at the shelter or from their previous owners.
If you’re looking for a husky dog, the first place you should check is an adoption center. Not only will you have a lovely new friend and a new addition to your family, but you will also rescue a dog and will give him a new home and in return your husky will love you for it.
Usually huskies aren’t born shy or fearful, instead it’s “learned behavior” that can be be unlearned with proper Husky Training. In most cases they develop this behavior while they are young puppies and if nothing is done to help them overcome their fears they stay shy and/or fearful all the way through their adulthood.
There can be several causes to your husky’s fearfulness or shyness and determining what the most likely culprit is will make it easier for you to help your dog overcome his fears.
What Causes Fearfulness or Shyness in Huskies?
The most common cause for shyness or fear in huskies is lack of socialization when they were young puppies. If the puppy wasn’t introduced to a lot of new people then as he gets older encounters with strangers will seem more frightening to him because he isn’t used to them.
Another reason for a fearful husky puppy is lack of regular long walks. Taking your husky on walks not only helps him relieve his bladder but also shows him your surroundings, new people, strange places, noisy cars and other things which might seem very common to us humans, but no so common for dogs.
Sometimes the fear or shyness is not caused by lack of socializing but by traumatic event that happened while he was young little puppy leaving him anxious. This could have happened for many reasons but it’s possible for the puppy to outgrow his fear with time.
What To Do With A Shy And/Or Fearful Husky Puppy?
If your husky is still a puppy then you will have a much easier time getting him used to strange objects and new people. An older husky will need some extra time getting used to new things, but with time it can be achieved as well.
If your husky is shy around strangers, the best thing to do is take him to the park which you know will have a lot of people. Chances are many people will approach you and your husky pup and will try to pet him. This will give your husky a chance to interact with strangers and get him more used to meeting new people.
Even though it’s not uncommon for dogs to be afraid of noisy cars and loud trucks and is completely normal, you can still get him more used to them driving on the street by taking out on daily walks. With enough walks, your husky will realize that the cars that drive by won’t cause him any harm and will stop fearing vehicles that drive by.
What you SHOULDN’T do however is force your husky to interact with the things he fears or is shy of. Forcing him to approach something he is scared of will only make him more nervous and more stressed. Let him approach his fears at his own pace. When he feels ready he will approach them on his own.
Your ultimate goal is to make the experience as positive as you so you’re husky realize there is no reason to be scared or shy of the person or object. Give time to your husky to get used to new, and often frightening, things and he will soon enough learn that there is no reason to feel shy or be scared of the unknown.
Whether it’s a young puppy that needs to be housetrained or an adult husky dog that has never been housebroken before, potty training your husky is most likely on the top of your “To Do” list when it comes to husky training, because no one likes their house smelling like pee and poop!
Since I get questions from owners about housebreaking their huskies, I put together a FAQ that should help you get your husky housetrained and keep your house “accident” free!
When Should I Start Housebreaking My Husky Puppy?
Potty training your husky puppy is going to require some patience and a lot of constancy. You should begin housetraining your husky as soon as you bring him how to avoid having the “accident” from becoming a habit.
When Should I Take My Husky Puppy Outside For Walks And How Often?
When housebreaking your husky, you should take him out five to six times to ensure that he has no need to go potty indoors. You should take him out right after each meal and also in-between meals to avoid any accidents. Once your husky dog and is properly housetrained, you can take him outside less often, three to four time will be enough for your husky to do his business.
Will Punishing My Husky Puppy For Peeing On The Carpet Help Discourage Going Potty Indoors?
First of all let me say that punishment should never be used. No matter what you are trying to teach you’re husky, there are other ways of getting him to learn what you want him to learn. So the basic answer is NO, punishing your husky puppy for peeing or pooping inside your house will not help you get him housetrained mainly because he won’t associate the punishment with the action.
What Do I Do When I Catch My Husky Peeing Indoors?
Don’t let your husky finish his business indoors because if he sees you watching him and letting him finish then he will assume that you are okay with it and that peeing indoors is just fine. What you want to do is, if you can that is, firmly say “NO” and bring him outside and let him finish there.
What’s The Best Way To Prevent Any Accidents From Happening While Housetraining?
The absolute best way to prevent any accidents from happening indoors is to walk your husky as many times as many times as you can. Also make sure to get rid of the urine smell because if your husky can smell that he has gone potty there before, he will think that it’s okay to go there again.
How Do You Get Rid Of The Urine Smell?
Huskies have a far more superior sense of smell than us humans do and while you might think that you cleaned up the accident all the way, there is still probably a smell left lingering that you’re husky can pick up quite easily. However all hope is not lost and you can easily clean it up with urine odor remover. Just spray it and let it do its work!