Huskies are among those breeds of dogs that appear to be wolves and are often misinterpreted as guard dogs too. Well, having one is good as they make a good companion too. But we never accept our companions’ disobedience to disobey us, right? In the case of huskies, sometimes it happens that they don’t bother to listen to us and make us feel annoyed.
If you are feeling irritated like me when your husky won’t listen to you, then keep reading. After getting so irritated, I searched for the same and came up with all the details, considering the behavior portrayed by them. Let’s explore it in detail so that, like me, you too, will be able to deal with the same!
Why won’t my Husky listen to me?
As we all know, huskies need a lot of exercise to stay stimulated. If they are not getting enough exercise, they will feel lazy and won’t bother to listen to you either.
Along with that, sometimes they discover something to play with, and in order to stay in touch with that, they ignore you. In general, it is a common behavior. But if it is frequently happening, you need to pay attention to the actual reason behind it.
Before reaching any conclusion, it is important for you to double-check their surroundings and the activities in which they are engaging. This will undoubtedly give you a hint as to the reason for such doggie behavior.
Why is your husky not listening to you?
If this behavior of your Husky is making you feel annoyed, you must check out the possible reasons behind it. Checking out the reasons will be helpful in adapting the best measures to correct it. Let’s explore!
They are feeling fearful
Fear is among those emotions which you can notice in your dog’s body language. Sometimes it happens that you have punished them for doing something. At that moment, if there is a need for them to engage in the same behavior, they love to avoid it and will stay at their place.
In simple words, they are affected by the negative approach you adopted at that moment. Instead of doing so, it is important to know what they are up to and treat them with love.
Moreover, sometimes it also happens that they feel fearful due to something else in their surroundings. Perhaps someone tortured them behind your back because of how they are feeling. Thus, do analyze what they are doing and how they are responding to things. This will be helpful in getting to know a lot about them and the measures to fix this behavior.
The training they receive isn’t good
Training is really very important for dogs. As a husky owner, it is your responsibility to train them to do such things. If you have not trained them to listen to you, they will probably not like to get into things with you. Grab a few minutes from your busy schedule and train them.
There will be no need for you to conduct special training sessions for them that last for 2-3 hours. Instead, you can divide it into 30-minute sessions per day and let them observe and gulp in whatever you have trained them. When you train them in this manner, they will be able to retain it for a longer period of time.
Husky is feeling excited about the next level
When the levels of oxytocin, or the “cuddle or excitement hormone,” fluctuate in your Husky’s body, it makes them hyperactive, and, obviously, they will listen to you less. You can sense it from their body language easily. When it is happening, let them get engaged in some extensive exercise sessions. This will be helpful in managing the oxytocin level and putting them in their normal state.
Also, do try to know the reason behind their excitement. For example, they are feeling overly-joyed due to the introduction of some new toys in their surroundings. Maybe that doesn’t create any difference for you, but for them, it does. In this case, you can limit their interaction with those toys to keep them normal and listening to you.
Lack of exercise
Lack of exercise will make your husky lazy. For huskies to stay stimulated, exercise sessions are a must. Due to less or no exercise sessions, they will be hyperactive and will not listen to you willingly either. Thus, adapt the best exercise session for them.
If you are not able to invest some time on your own for their exercise sessions, get in touch with professionals around you. They will help you out with it.
Get encouraged with a reward
Don’t reward them when they are ignoring you. Probably this may happen because you have rewarded them for ignoring you. This acts as an encouragement for them, and they are doing it again to receive the reward again. Thus, be sure of the steps you are taking to correct their behavior.
Command nagging irritates them
Command nagging irritates them a lot. It is a process when you keep repeating things. Well, as humans, huskies also do not like the same thing. This will irritate them, and rather than listening to you, they will start avoiding you. For a while, it will irritate you, but unfortunately, you are the one who has encouraged them to do so by command nagging.
Thus, try not to repeat yourself because, along with annoying your husky, it costs your energy too.
Dealing with hearing issues
Hearing issues are very common as we grow older. But if your Husky is born deaf, then you can’t do anything to correct it as they have inherited it, and it is known as congenital deafness. According to research, there are three states of deafness. These are:
- Central: It is the condition when cochlear nuclei get damaged.
- Conductive: It is the condition when something in the middle ear is blocking the signals.
- Sensorineural: It is the condition when inner ear cells get damaged.
They are not feeling loved
Dogs can sense whether you love them or not. If you are not showing love to them, they will feel like their presence doesn’t make any difference to you. In such a case, they are not willing to listen to you. Thus, like humans, it is important for you to show some love to your dog and take steps to make them feel that way.
Well, to make them feel loved, you can treat them to their favorite food and spend some quality time with them.
They are in pain
Your Husky is dealing with some pain. Certain situations are there that put them in such a state, like arthritis, gastro issues, and so on. They are unable to express their feelings, but they are aware of them. In this case, you need to carefully examine them and understand why this is happening. Sometimes it calls for an emergency too. Thus, be prepared for it.
An issue with the eardrum
If this happened suddenly, that they started ignoring you, there is probably some problem with their eardrum. It might rupture the eardrum due to exposure to toxins, trauma, sudden severe changes in atmospheric pressure, infection, very loud noises, and foreign objects. In this case, approaching the veterinary doctor is the only option left to you.
They are victims of depression
Depression is among the most annoying states for humans and, likewise, for dogs. Dogs cannot say anything about it, but this is visible in their body language. You will see that they are not paying enough attention to things and also not responding to you as they used to. In this case, spending some more time with them can help you.
They are feeling distracted
During training sessions, it is important for you to train them for multiple surroundings, otherwise, they will get distracted. For example, if you have trained them at home, they will not be able to adapt the same when they are outside.
Actions matter, along with words
Actions matter a lot, along with words. If you are only training them for actions, they will not be able to get the words or vice versa. Therefore, it is important for you to train them for it. For example, if you are saying “sit” but you have not portrayed it by action, they will not be able to get the same. If you want your husky to listen to you, try to train them with actions and words.
Locations impact their behavior a lot
The location has a major impact on their behavior. Sometimes it happens that they are not in the right surroundings and feel fearful. At that moment, instead of listening to you, they will love to be in their state. The same is possible when they feel happy in the same surroundings. For example, if they are playing with another dog and enjoying it, they will not bother to listen to you.
They are hyperactive
Hyperactivity can also be a cause, preventing your Husky from listening to you. When your dog is in a hyperactive state, they have a lot of physical and mental energy, because of which they are not in a state to listen to you. Sometimes it happens that they don’t even get bothered in an emergency situation. In this situation, you need to train them for good things. When you notice your husky in a hyperactive state, try to distract them so that they can respond properly to things. Proper training and lots of love can easily fix this.
Age
Age has a major impact on the overall development of your husky. If you have a puppy, they are very energetic and can run away instead of listening to your command. If you have trained them, they will probably listen to you. But when your Husky is getting old, they might be dealing with hearing loss. In this case, they will not respond to any command you give them.
You used intimidation
If you are using intimidation with your dog, they will probably not listen to you at all. Sometimes it happens that you are punishing them for something they have done in the past, and you are doing so when they come to you when they are feeling loved. When you intimidate them at this point, this refrains them from listening to you, and they will not bother with anything happening to you after it.
You are new to them
Dogs do take time to adjust to new people. If you are new to them, they will probably not listen to you and not respond to your commands either. You need to spend some more time with them to observe them and understand how they behave and react. According to their behavior and reactions, you can simply make things up and come up with the best possible way to make them listen to you.
They are not aware of their name
Maybe you have given your husky a name, but they are not aware of it. Until and unless your dog has an idea of their name, they will not respond.
You let them disobey you
Some steps are there that, as humans we adapt, which let other people feel annoyed. The same can happen with dogs. Probably you have done something which led them this. You need to recall what you have done and fix it with love and training.
Gender and overtones
When we are talking about overtones and gender, sometimes people feel like we are making comparisons. But in reality, we are not. Dogs do respond to deeper voices, and men have the same. Therefore, when it comes to important commands, men are at their best and women are better when it comes to encouraging dogs to train.
You are not sharing a good bond with them:
When you have a dog, be sure to develop a good bond with them. If you have developed an abusive relationship with them, they will probably not listen to you and probably not respect you either.
Measures to adapt to get your husky to respond to your commands
Well, every problem comes up with a solution, and likewise this one. Some measures are there that you can adapt to get him to listen to you. These are as follows:
Set up a proper exercise routine
Huskies require a regular exercise routine. You cannot expect them to be lazy. If they become lazy eventually, they will not bother to listen to you. Adapt to a proper exercise routine.
The best exercise for your Husky is to teach him to fetch. This is one of the best exercises so far in which he can engage seamlessly and can challenge his capability too. During the routine exercise sessions, you will notice your Husky is evolving and also getting good things.
Train them for the best
Training is one of the best methods you can use to make them listen to you. Sometimes it happens due to a lack of training. They are not in a state of understanding things in their surroundings. Well, try to train them to stay active even when a lot of distractions are in their surroundings. Training is a time-consuming process but worthwhile. After training them for it, you will notice that they have become more obedient and are listening to all your commands too.
Get in touch with professionals
If your dog is not responding to the training sessions you planned for them, get in touch with professionals, especially the behaviorist. They will adapt to some other measures in association with their behavior, helping them to stay active and listen to your commands as well. The best part is that professionals train huskies like babies. This will be best for them and will help them feel more comfortable too. After training sessions are completed, be sure to create the same environment at your place so that they will feel happy and relaxed too.
Examine their hearing ability
Your Husky is probably dealing with hearing issues due to which they are not able to respond to your command. Well, in this case, you need to check them out for it. This will help you to conclude the exact reason and search for some alternatives too.
A canine hearing aid will help you
Unfortunately, if your Husky is dealing with hearing issues, you need to get the canine hearing aid available for them.
Note: Before purchasing one, consult with your veterinarian. Sometimes they are not in the state to get habitual about it.
Don’t scold them
Scolding is not an option when your husky won’t listen to you. This will only worsen the condition more. Thus, handle the situation calmly so that things will be under control and you can train them for the best.
Spend some quality time with them
Spending some more time with your husky will help you correct this behavior. Maybe they are dealing with loneliness or even anxiety, due to which they are not in the right state to listen to anyone. Thus, prepare a schedule so that they will get used to their company and will listen attentively to you.
Get some distractions available for them
Lastly, some distractions will also help you. If your dog is feeling sad or bored, it is important to get something to cheer them up. In this case, introducing some distractions can help. Let them play with all sorts of things so that they will get used to it and feel active as well.
Tip: Don’t leave your dog alone with these distractions because they can become so accustomed to them that they don’t notice your presence.
Why does my husky not listen to me for 3 or 4 days in a row, only about once a month?
Don’t forget that dogs are also selective with their things, and likewise with huskies. If this is happening, and they are not listening to you for 3 or 4 days in a row, they are probably excited about something else that seems to be more important to them. Don’t feel irritated because huskies too have their own zone, which they love to maintain.
But as a canine owner, it is your responsibility to teach them the things that actually matter. When you are saying “come here and sit down” to them, be sure they are following it no matter what. It helped them to be prepared for emergency situations too. If they are not responding to the same command in case of an emergency, change their training session because they’re probably not receiving the training that they actually deserve.
Conclusion
Huskies are among the most loyal, intelligent, and affectionate dogs. No doubt, having them feels lucky because we have a companion who obeys us and follows our commands too. But if they are not doing so, there is nothing for you to get annoyed about. As we have mentioned, they love to be in their zone, hence it is important for us to respect the same. But if they are being annoyed, do take proper measures to correct it. You can adapt the measures on your own or simply look out for dog behaviorists available around you. Also, do check them for medical conditions before adapting to such measures.
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