7 Ways To Keep Your Husky Happy When Home Alone

It’s one of the hardest moments of the day: you’re heading out and you have no choice but to leave your husky home alone.

They totally get it when you’re about to head out, and they always give you those puppy dog eyes, gazing at you like you’re off for good!

Here are several ways you can keep your husky happy when you need to leave. These tips will help huskies of all ages, so it’s worth checking out.

Can Huskies Be Left Alone?

Siberian Huskies are a breed that needs more attention and company than most others. Huskies don’t do well when left alone and can often develop separation anxiety, leading to problematic behavior issues.

However, as well as being responsible dog owners, we are also responsible for our family which often means having to go out to work. There are also many other times that it just can’t be helped and we have to go out for one reason or another.

To answer the question, yes huskies can be left alone, but the time should be kept to an absolute minimum. Huskies often develop anxiety and behavior issues if left alone too long, too frequently.

For the times that your husky can go with you, they should do, even if it’s just for the ride. Your husky will appreciate the company and the excitement of a road trip will keep them happy.

But for the times that they can’t go with you, it’s important to have a few things in place for your husky that will allow them to remain calm and comfortable while alone.

7 Ways to Keep Your Husky Happy When Home Alone

Pretty much everyone can relate to this problem, whether it is frequent or not, it’s good to know how to help your husky. Below is a list of the best things you can do for your husky for them to feel comfortable the next time you’re out of the house.

1. Create a dedicated space for your husky

Having a dedicated space for your husky to go when they’re alone is highly recommended, as it’s safe and extra comforting for them.

This can be anywhere you like, but a favorite place is usually the kitchen.

Hard floors prove easier to clean if your husky has an accident.

So how do you make them feel comfortable in a certain space? Well, If your husky likes their crate, keep it open and make it as cozy as possible inside. This will act like a den where your husky will feel warm and secure.

If your husky doesn’t have a crate, put down some soft blankets they can lay on.

One great way to get your husky, or any dog familiar with a certain space, is to frequently play with them there.

Take the time every day to play some games in their special space and keep their blankets down. This helps build positive associations and memories. After a short while, the space will naturally comfort them when laying there alone.

2. Give them your worn t-shirt

This trick works wonders, but you’ll have to sacrifice one of your t-shirts. This is an excellent way for your husky to feel secure and close to you, even though you are not there.

The sense of smell is very powerful and by having a t-shirt that you have worn but not yet washed, will prodive a never-ending supply of your scent, that your husky can lay with.

This often helps them to fall asleep and not even realize you’re gone.

It’s not advised to give items that can be ripped into small pieces to puppies or destructive husky’s as it could be a choking hazard. If this is the case for your husky, skip the t-shirt idea for now.

3. Provide puzzle toys

Puzzle toys or interactive toys are great time consumers for dogs, and they also stimulate their brain is very positive ways.

You can get various types of puzzle toys but the best ones are where you can insert a treat inside the toy and your husky has to figure out how to access it. Some of the toys are more complex and will take your husky longer to get the treat. Huskies are quite smart, so it’s best to get a complex one.

With all toys, it’s very important they are durable and won’t break up into small pieces to create a choking hazard. If your husky is still a young puppy or is prone to destructive behavior, it’s not recommended to leave toys with them unsupervised.

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As do many other husky owners, we recommend the “Bob-a-Lot” interactive dog toy. It’s shape, texture and treat feature can keep a husky entertained for a long time. You can check the reviews from the link to Amazon. opens a new tab 🙂

The Snuffle Mat is an interesting take on puzzle toys, you may want to check this one out too!

4. Leave the radio or television on

It’s true, leaving the radio or tv on does help a dog when they’re alone. The background noise of random sounds and mumbles will help drown out the noise of other animals outside.

The quiet background noise of people speaking will help your husky feel at ease and calm while you’re not in the house. It’s best to keep the volume quiet and put on a radio station without loud shouting or strange songs or noises.

5. Separation training

Huskies hate being alone, so separation training will prove to be extremely important and valuable, although it may take a while.

Separation training involves gradually increasing the time that your husky feels comfortable alone by themselves, while you are still in the house. This prepares them for when you’re really gone, in a slow and natural way.

Start when your husky is already in a relaxed state laying down in a room. Leave the room, slowly closing the door behind you. Hopefully, your husky should be able to hold on for a least 2 or 3 minutes… After a few minutes, go back in and stay in the room for a while… After another 10 minutes or so, leave again but increase the time you leave your husky alone by an extra few minutes.

Do this several times per day, for a few weeks. In the beginning, only start the session once your husky is calm and already laying down somewhere.

With time, your husky will get used to you leaving the room or house and they’ll be able to remain calm when you’re not around.

6. Two-way camera with audio

If you’re into gadgets, this one is definitely for you! There are many great two way cameras with audio, specifically designed so you can remotely access it from your phone, see your husky and talk to them!

This is the next best thing from actually being there yourself, so you may be interested in giving it a try.

This is especially great for breaking up the time if you’re gone for quite a few hours in one go. Take 15 minutes break and jump on the camera to your husky.

Usually, this excites any dog quite a lot, and some people consider it to be a little harsh because you eventually turn off the camera and go back to “disappearing”.

However, a way around this is to train your husky to understand a certain command which you use whenever you’re about to cut off the camera, in a short amount of time, your husky will likely go and lay back down upon the command. Many owners have had success with this little trick.

One of the best sellers on Amazon is the Furbo with thousands of five-star reviews.

7. Friends, family or doggy sitters

Another great option for your husky is to get a visit from a friend, family member, or doggy sitter.

Having someone to go to your house, let them out in the yard, play with them and make a fuss of them is by far the best thing you can do for your husky.

Although it’s the best thing you can do, it’s understandably hard to arrange, and friends and family may be busy or far away.

If this is the case, it’s worth investing in a dog sitter. You can search online for dog sitters in your local area.

Nowadays there are very reputable websites with people who genuinely love dogs, that have personal reviews from other people who have had their dog walked or looked after by them.

It’s quite an established service now, so it’s worth a Google search.

Of course, do your own research and check first!

How Long Can a Husky Be left Alone?

Another frequent question is how long can a husky be left alone for?

The truth is that each husky will be different and how long they can take being alone will depend on their upbringing, normal routine, previous training, environment, and other factors.

The best answer to this question without technically answering it is… as little time as possible.

You could run some experiments with an indoor pet camera, leave the house and watch your husky until they start showing signs of discomfort or distress. You may discover that your husky can happily lay there for around 3 hours each time before getting frustrated.

But even if you have a certain number of hours, it doesn’t mean your husky enjoys this time alone. They love YOUR company and want you around 24/7 so the best answer is always, as little time as possible.

Summary

So there you have it, you now know of 7 ways to keep your husky happier while you are out of the house.

If you would like further information on this topic, I have another complete article about leaving your husky home alone, you can see it here: https://www.myhappyhusky.com/can-you-leave-a-husky-home-alone/

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Other helpful articles:
https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/training/leftalone
https://www.rover.com/blog/uk/how-to-help-a-sad-dog-when-theyre-home-alone/