Are Huskies calm or hyper
When Do Huskies Calm Down? 6 Ways To Calm Down a Husky
When do huskies calm down? Its something all husky owners are desperate to know shortly after bringing their husky home! This article has everything you need to know about hyper huskies, and calming them down.
All huskies calm down at different ages. For some, it may only be a year, and for others, it could be 2 or 3 years before they calm down. Ultimately, you cant rely on age alone to get a calm husky.
Why is my husky so hyper?
Huskies were first made to haul big loads over long trips in super cold weather. They did this job for a long time. So, they really like to move, run, jump, and be busy.
Its no wonder that when a husky doesnt receive enough of this kind of stimulation, their energy builds up and channels into less desirable behavior.
Huskies are also extremely social. They thrive on being in constant company with other dogs as well as humans and if they spend many hours at home alone this can easily lead to hyperactivity once the company returns to them.
To give a quick conclusion, huskies are a very energetic and social breed. If they dont receive physical and mental stimulation this is extremely likely to be the cause of hyperactivity and other behavioral issues.
Psst. A quick word on training! Brain Training For Dogs is one of the best training methods suitable for a husky. Other owners and I are seeing improvement in obedience, behavior, and stubbornness quicker than ever before. I seriously recommend checking it out.
6 Effective Ways to Calm Down a Hyper Husky
First I will go through the basic needs of a husky in order to be a well-behaved calm dog. After I will include some more interesting, less thought of ideas you can try to keep your husky happy, and not hyper!
1. Exercise (amount and type!)
We all know that huskies require a lot of exercise, thats a given. However, some people, despite knowing this, still may not be giving their husky enough exercise.
The ideal amount of exercise for an adult husky should be at least 2 hours per day. A lot of people usually only have the time for 1 hour per day, but your husky is better off with 2 hours per day.
Your husky would benefit more if you were to separate his exercise; one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening.
Once you know how much exercise your husky needs, youll want to know the best kind of exercise for him. If hes in good shape, hell need workouts that make him work hard. This means stuff like running, chasing things, jumping, hiking, doing agility courses, pulling sleds, or even swimming.
Taking your husky out for a stroll or casual walk, without any high-intensity periods, will not stimulate him how he actually needs. So be sure to look over your exercise routine and adjust it, if need be.
2. Diet (think about protein levels)
A good diet is essential for all-round health and well-being. Just like us, our diet plays a large part in our energy levels and how well we function. See top-rated brands for huskies.
If you give a kid a big bag of candy, its not long before theyre bouncing off the walls with energy. If you feed your husky the wrong thing or too much of something, the same will happen with him too.
Protein is essential for good health in dogs. Protein is easily digestible and its suggested for huskies to eat a diet with ample protein.
However! too much protein is a sure-fire way to have your husky bouncing off the walls like a kid with candy.
Your husky has an efficient metabolism and doesnt need much food for sustained energy. If he receives too much protein this will be stored as energy and will contribute to bursts of hyperactivity.
Its normal for around 30% of his food to be protein. But if hes very hyper and not particularly active, try lowering this down to 20-25% to see if his behavior changes for the better. Always speak to a vet for advice when altering his diet.
3. Doggy playgroups
Doggy playgroups are becoming increasingly popular, and I think they are a fantastic idea. The groups are essentially just like meet-up points or classes held in either the local park or community center where your husky can meet and interact with new dogs.
Huskies are very sociable and love to play around with a friend. Socialization proves to be great mental stimulation and will use up copious amounts of energy. Not only that, but hell leave the session feeling very happy and satisfied. This will almost always lead to a calmer husky when youre back home.
Interacting with other dogs is an important part of creating a well-behaved calm husky. Huskies who lack socialization can get bored and frustrated. Its very common to see bad behavior and hyperactivity with any breed that doesnt receive regular social experiences.
4. Obedience training
A well-trained husky is a happy husky. This is certainly true!
Although huskies are known for being stubborn, theyre highly intelligent and need to be trained and guided in order to be well-behaved.
A great training method you can use from Dr. Ian Dunbar will help your husky become calmer when out for walks. Its called the red light, green light method.
Essentially, when its time for you to take your husky out on walks and you say walkies Its likely hell go crazy. Your response is to stay still and wait for him to stop and sit down. At first your husky will be confused and try many different creative attempts to get you moving. Ignore him and wait until he eventually sits down.
When he calms down, give him praise and keep going. He might get hyper again right away. If he does, just stop and wait again. Over time, your husky will learn to stay calm. Hell figure out that being calm is what makes you keep moving.
I will admit, reading the method sounds a little silly, but when you put it into practice, you can quickly see how it works.
You can also implement this throughout your walk on the way to the park. Every 20 yards stop and wait for him to sit down and wait patiently. Praise him only when he sits down and remains calm.
If you implement this procedure throughout every day, it will definitely lead to a more overall calm husky within a week or so.
5. Calm environment (use soothing music)
When you put a baby to sleep your ensure the environment is calm and free from loud noises and distractions. Try creating a similar space with your husky in your home.
If you live in a noisy area, try keeping your husky in the room furthest away from the noise.
An interesting study indicates that music can in-fact help dogs. Certain kinds of classical music with specific beats per minute can help calm down a hyper dog and decrease their heart rate. There is now a lot of music for dogs available on Youtube, Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon. Source
6. Interactive dog toys (the golden ticket)
Interactive toys or otherwise known as puzzle toys are extremely beneficial in many ways.
Interactive toys often contain some kind of puzzle that your husky has to figure out and when he does, a treat will be dispensed. There are different kinds of toys with different levels of difficulty.
One of the first and most obvious benefits is that hes going to be extremely interested and focused on an interactive toy containing a tasty treat for much longer than any regular chew toy.
Secondly, and most importantly, its getting your husky to think; and use his brain to solve the puzzle to release the treat. Although it may not be very difficult for us, its significant for him. And this will provide extremely valuable mental stimulation which is just as necessary as his physical stimulation (exercise).
Increasing the amount of mental stimulation your husky receives will almost certainly decrease his hyperactivity. I have an article dedicated to mental stimulation with 8 great ideas for you to try. You can check it out here.
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When do huskies calm down?
Husky puppies will display more hyperactivity than adult huskies, which is usually accepted by us. Although, it will leave you wondering when your husky will calm down? This isnt so easy to answer. Let me explain.
So, when do huskies calm down? Well, the personality of each husky will vary so it makes it very hard to define a set age when your husky will calm down. Some will naturally be calm from the beginning, and some will be hyperactive for longer.
All you can do is ensure you start training him and giving him the correct amounts of both physical and mental stimulation. If these three things are properly managed, your husky will be a well-behaved, calm husky.
One important thing to remember
The Siberian husky is a youthful, energetic breed. Its in their genes to be energetic! So having energy is exactly what theyre supposed to have.
Always take a step back to evaluate your own situation and think about whether or not your husky is in-fact hyper, or if hes just being a normal husky.
Thank you for reading!
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Disclaimer
The advice given in this article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice in any context. Before making any decisions that may affect the health and/or safety of your dog, you should always consult a trained veterinarian in your local area. For the FULL disclaimer Visit Here Copyright Notice: The content produced and published on My Happy Husky is unique and original. My Happy Husky makes an active effort to search for plagiarized content using plagiarism detection software. If plagiarized content is found, action will be taken.When Do Huskies Calm Down? (Are They Always Hyper?)
Anybody who has ever owned a Siberian Husky understands just how active, and even hyper, they can be at times but when do huskies calm down?
Huskies generally mature between 1 and 2 years old, but this isnt a good indication of when they will calm down as this varies between individual huskies. Some huskies naturally have more energy than others, and most huskies already have a very high energy level to begin with, so they will only be calm if they are given an outlet to use up their energy.
People underestimate just how much energy huskies can have, and in this guide, Ill explain where this energy comes from and some methods you can use to help calm your dog down if its becoming an issue.
Why Do Huskies Have So Much Energy?
Huskies have more energy than your average dog, there is no doubt about that.
This is because they were originally bred to be working dogs by the Chukchi people of Siberia, capable of pulling sleds for hours on end. Its hardly surprising that when they are kept as pets their energy levels can become unbearable for some people.
Why Personality Matters
Personality is super important when it comes to how calm (or hyper) your husky is. Sure, huskies naturally have big energy reserves, but it does vary between individuals.
My old English Bulldog used to love going for walks around the woods and playing fetch, even though you would never expect this type of breed to be so active.
Storytime aside, some huskies will have more energy than others just like other breeds of dogs or humans. This is the main reason why its difficult to give an exact age when your husky will magically calm down it just doesnt work like that in the real world.
Other Important Factors That Affect Husky Energy Levels
Personality plays a big role, but there are other external factors that are also important.
These revolve around boredom and ensuring your husky is getting enough mental and physical stimulation to keep its energy levels satisfied.
Exercise Routine
Due to their working background, huskies have a high demand for exercise and if this isnt met they will have lots of leftover energy to spend.
When I talk about high demand, I mean at least 2 hours of high-energy exercise per day and even more depending on the personality of your husky.
Mental Stimulation
Working breeds like the husky also require a lot more mental stimulation than your average dog.
Luckily, this is pretty easy to provide if youre willing to put in a bit of effort. Heres a list of my personal favorite methods of improving mental stimulation for my dogs:
- Socialization Spending time with other dogs is a great way for a husky to spend a lot of energy without you doing much work. It also provides good mental stimulation and is a great way to get your husky more used to spending time with other dogs.
- Toys Toys are a great way to enrich your huskys life and provide mental stimulation. Chew toys are ideal if you are going to be leaving your husky alone for periods of time, and others like tug toys are great if you want a more hands-on approach.
- Playing Fetch Yes, I know this is super simple, but theres nothing like playing fetch with your dog if you want to get them tired quickly. This will require a bit of training as huskies can be reluctant to give you the ball back right away, but its worth the effort.
Food (Diet)
Huskies rely on nutrition to fuel their high-energy drive, which is why choosing the right diet is crucial.
You not only want to make sure that the food you provide is high in nutrients but its also important to provide the right amount of food.
Overfeeding leads to weight gain which can make your husky lethargic, whereas underfeeding will cause a dip in energy as they wont have enough nutrients to fuel their energy.
A raw food diet can be a good option here or a high-quality dog food mix such as Orijen.
Time Left Alone
If your husky is left alone for most of the day one of two things is likely to happen:
- Your husky will store up the energy throughout the day and be even more excited than usual to see you. This can lead to the classic hyper behaviors that are often seen amongst dogs that are left alone for long periods of time.
- They will use the energy elsewhere, potentially damaging furniture and other items in the home. Weve all experienced this when our dogs are teething, but this can happen with high-energy breeds like the husky into adulthood.
If you have no choice, I always recommend leaving several toys around that your husky actually knows how to play with to provide mental stimulation while youre away. Leaving a husky alone for long periods of time is never a great idea though, as it creates separation anxiety that manifests in the common issues above.
Obedience Training
Obedience training can be highly beneficial for huskies as they are an intelligent breed. It has the added benefit of providing mental stimulation and an outlet for their high energy.
You can either do this yourself or you can hire a dog behaviorist to aid with the process. Training would ideally start young and start off with basic requirements such as crate training and socialization, before moving on to more advanced tactics.
Are Husky Puppies More Hyper?
Husky pups do tend to have more energy than mature huskies, and this can make them seem a lot more hyper. This happens for many reasons; not only do they eat a lot of food to aid in growth but they are also exploring their new surroundings and meeting new people and other animals.
Dont worry though, this level of energy is likely to decline as your pup turns into an adult.
What Age Are Huskies Most Difficult?
Its hard to say the exact age when huskies will be the most difficult because it depends on the personality of your husky.
Generally speaking, when your husky is a pup theyll be more difficult in the sense that they are still learning how to behave properly, which is why training is crucial at this age.
Other issues like teething can also make things more problematic during this age, but this is the same for any breed of dog and not huskies in particular.
FAQs
Will Neutering My Husky Calm Him Down?
Neutering has nothing to do with the personality of hyperactivity of a husky.
However, a neutered husky will be less aggressive and territorial due to a decrease in testosterone.
How Do You Calm Down A Husky At Night?
If your husky has difficulty sleeping at night you first need to check whether you are providing enough exercise and mental stimulation during the day.
If these are not the issue, there are a few other things you can do to get them to sleep:
- Feed at least one hour before bed Feeding near bedtime can encourage going to the toilet during the night.
- Let them go to the toilet right before bed Similarly to feeding your husky close to bedtime, you should let them go to the toilet before bed so they can settle through the night.
- Sit with them for a while; cuddles and massages will help to relax your husky before its time to sleep.
- Let them sleep near to you As I mentioned earlier, husky separation anxiety is a real issue and your dog may find it easier to settle if they are allowed to sleep nearer to you.