Do Huskies Need a Fenced Yard? Escape Solutions

Siberian Huskies are some of the most athletic dogs out there. But unfortunately, Huskies often use their impressive athleticism in not-so-good ways, like jumping over your face, for example!

This article covers everything owners must know to keep their husky safe and secure inside your yard.

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Huskies need a fenced yard if owners want to let their husky off the leash in it. Ideally at least 6ft tall. Huskies are known for escaping from yard, so it’s crucial to make the fence strong, tall and secure.

Siberian Huskies Are Great Escape Artists

This isn’t a myth! As many owners will tell you, Huskies are the Harry Houdini of the dog world.

There are various reasons why your Husky tries to escape which we will cover below, but usually, it comes down to their strong curiosity and adventurous nature.

If a Husky hears, smells or sees something interesting beyond your fence, they will make it their mission to get out. It’s just how they are.

Huskies are also highly intelligent (when they want to be) and you’ll be surprised how quickly they learn to get out from somewhere. Opening doors, scaling fences, jumping from one chair to another in order to gain height… It’s all on their resume!

That’s why it’s so important to have a secure home if you have a Husky or want to buy one.

Do All Huskies Jump Fences?

Despite how much this breed enjoys escaping, it’s certainly true that not ALL Huskies do this.

You may have a Husky who never attempts to jump the fence…

There’s no way to know if you have a Husky that will try to escape or jump your fence, so of course it’s best to take precautions anyway.

In some circumstances, your Husky may be trying to jump the fence due to boredom, frustration, or anxiety, all of which we can prevent.

So it is understandable that if you provide your Husky with exactly what they need, there will be no reason for them to want to escape or “leave” your yard.

So no, not all Huskies jump fences, and you can certainly take steps to minimize the chances of this happening. Ensuring your Husky is completely happy, content, trained, and raising your fence, should stop all escape attempts.

How Tall Should a Fence Be For a Husky?

So how tall should a fence be for a husky? Ideally, you should make your fence over 6ft high If your Husky will be let out in your yard.

Huskies can typically jump around 4ft, but with a run-up and some climbing, 6ft is achievable for an adult Husky, so it’s advised to go over the 6ft mark.

As well as making your fence higher, you should move any outside furniture like tables and chairs away from the fence. Huskies will figure out pretty quickly that if they first stand on the table, they’ll be able to reach higher.

Of course, if you’re current fence is below 6ft, you don’t need to go out and buy a whole new fence, you can simply extend it to your desired level. If you’re handy with woodworking you can do this yourself, or you can hire someone to do it for you.

Don’t forget to make your gate taller as well!

Why Your Husky Keeps Jumping The Fence And How To Stop It

Having a Husky that’s constantly trying to jump your fence or escape is quite a concern. For you to deal with this problem in the best way, you must first identify why your Husky is trying to escape.

Below, are the four most common reasons why your Husky is trying to escape, and how you can stop your Husky from jumping the fence.

1) Your Husky Is Bored

Your Husky may be trying to escape, simply because they’re too bored. If you’re leaving your Husky in the yard for hours on end without having anything to do, they will make their own entertainment (like flying over your fence!).

Huskies are super energetic and desire a lot of playtime and attention. If you shut your Husky in the yard alone for even 30 minutes, they will try to find something more interesting to do.

What you can do:

A good idea would be to make it a new rule in your household to only let your Husky in the yard under supervision.

You should also try to play with your Husky more when in the yard, get some new garden toys or a dog agility training set which Huskies absolutely love! Keep yard time reserved for when you do actually want to be with your Husky, playing with them. Don’t have the yard as a place where you shut them for peace and quiet!

Here’s an example of a dog agility set on Amazon. There are many options, cheaper or more expensive.

2) Lack of Exercise

We just mentioned above how Huskies are one of the most energetic breeds there are. Due to their extensive history, originating from Eastern Siberia thousands of years ago, Huskies have endurance like no other breed.

Once you know that a Husky is capable of running 100 miles per day, every day, you get a sense of their exercise requirements quite quickly!

Exercise is so important to their health, that if they don’t receive enough of it, there will be many negative effects.

It’s very common to see bad behavior, defiance, and frustration in Huskies that do not receive enough daily exercise. These are certainly big factors that could drive your Husky to jump your fence.

What you can do:

Ensure your Husky receives 2 hours of exercise per day. Preferably, spaced out to one hour in the morning and one in the evening. Exercise should be high-intensity activities such as running, sprints, hill runs, hiking, frisbee, or agility training.

If you aren’t able to provide your Husky with this much exercise, it’s strongly recommended that you have another friend or family member help you. Or alternatively, you could check out one of the many dogs walking services in your local area.

3) Separation Anxiety

Huskies can develop separation anxiety a lot quicker than most other dogs and generally don’t do well when left alone.

When Huskies are suffering from any kind of anxiety, the effects can range from destructiveness and disobedience to depression.

Take a second to think about your routine and how your Husky’s life is being affected. If you work long hours and nobody is left inside the house, this could be negatively impacting your Husky in significant emotional ways.

What you can do:

It can be quite difficult to make big changes to your work routine or daily schedule, but if you can, that’s the best solution. Try to obtain an hour break from work to go home and spend time with your Husky, you could also use this to fit in some extra exercise for them.

If you cannot reschedule your day, you’ll either have to have help from friends and family or check online to find a professional dog sitter. It may be pricey, but seperation anxiety is no joke and will lead to more problems than the tendency to escape.

4) Something Interesting Beyond Your Fence

It may be none of the above, and nothing more than tempting smells, noises and the occasional sightings of wildlife, depending on where you live.

If you live in an area with some wildlife it could just be that. Remember that Siberian Huskies have a big prey drive, and if they can smell a rabbit beyond the fence, it will be instinctual for them to pursue it. If that means jumping over your fence, they won’t think twice.

What you can do:

It’s hard to train against any dog’s natural instincts so a better option is to simply “husky-proof” your yard by making fences and gates over 6ft as well as using chicken wire under the fence.

You should also only let your Husky in the yard while under supervision, especially if you do live near woodlands or forests, anywhere abundant in wildlife.

Huskies Can Dig Under Fences

Besides jumping, Huskies are excellent at digging, so this is something else you must consider.

To husky-proof your yard in its entirety, you should dig below your fence and insert chicken wire for the whole perimeter.

You can get inexpensive chicken wire like this one online from Amazon. Fortunately, doing this is even easier than extending your fence. Here’s a great video demonstrating this technique. You can view the video right here for your convenience 🙂

The Quickest Solution to Huskies Jumping The Fence

It’s understandable, we all have busy lives and you may not be able to make these changes right away, so what else can you do?

In the event that you aren’t able to extend your fence high, or insert some chicken wire below, the quickest and easiest ways to stop your Husky from jumping the fence is to supervise and limit their time in the yard.

Supervising:
By supervising your Husky whenever they’re in the yard, you’ll be able to stop them if they try jumping up at the fence, but more than likely, your Husky will be too busy playing with you instead!

Limit Yard Time:
Limiting yard time for playing only is another easy solution. Don’t use the yard as your Husky’s main place to “chill” all day. Reserve the yard for playtime when you or your family are able to actively engage with your Husky outside.

Summary

So now you know that Yes, Huskies certainly do need a fenced yard, and you know the methods to stop them from jumping the fence.

Remember the importance of finding out the route cause, it may be as simple as rabbits on the other side, but it may be more serious like separation anxiety causing this behavior.

If you have experience with your Husky jumping the fence, share your story below! We would all love to hear it.

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