Do Huskies Need a Lot of Attention? (The Best Explanation)

Before you make the decision to get a husky, it’s essential to be aware of certain important factors, such as their need for attention. Understanding their attention requirements is key.

Are huskies happy to lay around on their own? Or are they the type of dog to constantly seek their owner and demand attention? This article has everything you need to know.

Yes, huskies need a lot of attention. They are considered by many owners to be the most attention-seeking breed there is. They develop strong bonds with their owners and often crave their presence and attention most of the day.

Do Huskies Need a Lot Of Attention?

Yes, Siberian Huskies need a huge amount of attention. Huskies are notorious for craving the attention of their owner and anyone/anything else will be deemed as competition for that attention of yours.

So this is certainly something future owners should consider before getting a Siberian Husky.

They require much more attention from you than many other breeds and if you are unable to provide this attention, it may cause negative effects.

Even with a lot of exercise, your husky will likely still look for you to entertain them shortly after having already been out. To create a truly tired husky, mental stimulation in conjunction with physical exercise is needed.

Husky of The Day!

Happy Ludo playing in the snow!

Ways To Ensure You Are Giving Your Husky Enough Attention

Some of these things are important requirements of your husky’s day to day anyway! However, some ideas may not be so obvious so let’s take a look at all the ways your husky will receive your time and attention.

• Spend time training your husky everyday
• Have at least 2 hours per day purely for exercise
• Using interactive toys with your husky
• Have a grooming session every few days sitting down beside your husky giving him a good brush for an hour
• Take your husky out and about whenever you run errands
• If you work many hours, make sure you come home regularly to tend to your husky (otherwise don’t get a husky!)
• Spend quality time in the evening petting and stroking your husky while watching tv. Easy!

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Is a Husky Right For You?

You may be seriously considering getting a Siberian Husky and that’s amazing! But first, you’ll need to know a few husky truths that will help you finalize your decision.

1. Huskies need a lot of attention

Be ready to spend a lot of your time with your husky. Quality time is precious for huskies and in order to have a happy content husky, the bond between you and them will have to be strong.

Despite being known as an independent dog, don’t make the mistake of thinking you can leave them for hours on end. Huskies do not like to be alone and can develop anxiety issues easily compared to other breeds.

If you have a job that requires you to be out of the house for many hours every day, then a husky may not be right for you. This will, in most cases lead to a lonely, unhappy or anxious husky.

2. Huskies require a lot of physical activity

You probably already know this by now, but if you weren’t sure, you need to know that huskies have MASSIVE exercise demands.

To put this into context, your husky could happily run 100 miles a day. That’s not a joke!

The recommended limit by general veterinarians is at least 1 hour per day, but when you know a husky would HAPPILY run 100 miles, it’s better to make 2 hours a day the minimum. Can you give 2 hours of exercise per day to your husky? Do you have the time for that?

After the exercise, your husky will still crave your attention! 😉 Oh no, let’s not forget the attention already!

3. Huskies need a firm trainer

Huskies are known for being stubborn and mischievous. Despite being amongst some of the most intelligent breeds out there, huskies prefer not to listen!

This is perhaps one of the reasons why many people deem huskies to be “too much dog” if it’s your first time as a dog owner. I disagree with this, and if you have the time, focus and commitment, you can train your husky firmly and efficiently if you really put your mind to it.

I have a complete husky puppy training guide that will take you through each training process to make it simple and easy. You can check it out here how to train a husky puppy, the correct way

4. Huskies shed a lot

Extra attention will be needed for grooming. The Siberian Husky is not a short-haired dog, they are a fur machine that will leave your floors covered, most of the time.

Time and attention will be needed to undergo regular grooming sessions between you and your husky. This will be great for bonding but it’s more important for the coat. Huskies have thick double coats that shed usually twice per year, however, year-round maintenance is required.

I have an entire article on the best way to deal with husky shedding, you can see this here. How to deal with husky shedding

5. Huskies are very vocal

Again this can be linked back to the attention desires of your husky. If your husky isn’t feeling satisfied or he’s lonely due to a lack of attention, he’ll howl, and howl, and howl some more.

At first, you may think that howling might not be an issue, but it’s actually one of the most commonly asked questions from new husky owners: How to stop my husky from howling!

There are certain times when a husky will howl for legitimate reasons, but you must know that if their needs are not met, your husky will let all of your neighbors know about it! a husky’s howl can be heard up to 10 miles away when outside

Puppy Ludo!

Huskies Hate Being Left Alone

It’s normal, most people have to work every day for many hours! This usually means being out of the house. If you are lucky enough to work from home then this shouldn’t be too much of an issue for your husky.

Let’s take a look at what you can do if you do have to leave the house…

Can you leave your husky alone? Well, you could do, but this would not only be unfair once knowing their true attention needs, but it can also lead to anxiety and loneliness. Something you as a responsible dog owner should be concerned about.

There are certain measures you can take if you want a husky but know you have a full-time day job. There are a lot of other people out there who do this without issues.

Here are 6 options available to you and your husky if you work full-time

• Have other family members be at home while you are out
• Have a friend visit your husky while you are at work to let them out and give them some quick playtime
• Hire someone to go to your house to spend time with your husky or even take them for a walk (a very common option nowadays)
• Stagger your work hours or try to obtain a break from work to go home
• Ask your boss if you can work from home (if this is an option for your work) also it’s a long shot anyway (i know!)
• Get another dog (sounds counterintuitive but another dog will be your huskies life-line when you are not there) – somewhat unrealistic? perhaps…

The Top 10 Breeds That Need The Most Attention

I thought it would nice to include the top 10 most attention needing dog breeds. This list has been made from researching thoroughly online and in forums exactly what dog owners think of their own breed. The results are also in-line with many other websites. The funny thing is, the Siberian Husky tops the list everywhere

Top 10 most attention-seeking dog breeds:

1. Siberian Husky
2. Border Collie
3. Pug
4. English Bulldog
5. Labrador Retriever
6. Jack Russell
7. Yorkshire Terrier
8. Dalmation
9. Cocker Spaniel
10. Australian Shepherd

Eat your attention-seeking heart out! Out of every single dog breed, the Siberian Husky is deemed to need the most attention of all.

Can You Give Your Husky Enough Attention?

This is the main question to ask yourself if you’re thinking about getting a Siberian Husky.

You now know that huskies need a tonne of attention, that comes in many different forms, from training, exercising, grooming, quality time and more… are you ready to give this?

If you are then congratulations to you, the Siberian husky is a wonderful breed that will enrich you and your family’s life beyond belief!

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Best Brushes For Husky Shedding ⭐

My two favorite brushes for a beautiful coat are a simple Undercoat Rake and a Slicker Brush. These brushes when used together will de-shed and maintain your husky’s coat better than anything else.

Best Online Training Program For Huskies⭐

Brain Training For Dogs has become increasingly popular with Siberian Huskies in the last few years. It’s now recognized as perhaps the best way to train a husky in the most stress-free, positive way.

Best Husky Puppy Book ⭐

If you would like to support My Happy Husky directly and have an easy to read and entertaining guide for training your husky puppy, check out my book The Husky Puppy Handbook on Amazon. All purchases are greatly appreciated.