A big concern for husky owners is why their husky runs away and of course, how to prevent it from happening in the first place!
In this article, I’ll go over the best method you can use to train your husky not to run away.
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5 Reasons Why Your Husky Runs Away
It’s really important to know why your husky is running away or getting out.
How you fix the problem depends on why it’s happening. So that’s our first step.
Let’s talk about some reasons why your husky might run away or escape:
1) Boredom
Huskies have a lot of energy reserved for playtime and entertainment. If a husky lives a boring kinda life, where he isn’t receiving much attention or mental stimulation through playing, he’ll become frustrated and incredibly bored.
All It takes is for him to see, smell, or hear something interesting outside of your yard, and he’ll have nothing better to do than go and see.
2) Lack of exercise
Exercise is absolutely fundamental for huskies overall health and well-being
Without proper exercise, there’s a strong chance that he’s going to develop behavioral issues, destruction, boredom issues, and even anxiety problems.
If a husky feels frustrated and under-exercised, it’s a really good reason for him to run away.
3) Lack of training
While there is specific training you can do to develop your husky’s ability to resist the urge to run away (which il cover below) That’s not what I’m talking about here.
By lack of training, I just mean general disobedience. If your husky doesn’t regularly practice generic training exercises, he may feel a lack of guidance, and this can lead to unruly behavior.
When he has no guidance, it’s much easier for him to follow his wild instincts.
4) Being left alone
You’ll know the answer to this one immediately; are you leaving your husky alone for too long? Huskies are a breed that does not like being left alone.
They crave company and attention, so much so that they develop separation anxiety very quickly. Escaping is behavior frequently seen in breeds that suffer from anxiety.
5) Curiosity
Sometimes, nothing is wrong! After going through all that you can to provide your husky with his perfect life. He still tries climbing the fence like spiderman…
Sometimes it’s just their high level of curiosity that gets to them. Even the most obedient and well-trained huskies, can sometimes give in.
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.
Training Your Husky Not To Run Away
I will shortly walk you through a training exercise that’s called “Front Door Training”.
Thanks to the extremely creative name, you can be pretty sure that it involves using your front door.
The training method does in fact work very well and it’s built around strengthening your husky’s self-control.
It slowly teaches your husky to start resisting urges and distractions that are in front of him.
The exercise is designed in a way to set your husky up for success because after all huskies learn best through positive reinforcement-based training.
Therefore, it’s crucial to break the training down and have many small wins, that you can reward your husky for, and continuously build upon. Training this way is very effective.
The Front Door Training Method
NOTE: Make sure you do this training using a harness and leash to prevent your husky from actually escaping.
Yes, in the beginning, your husky will think he’s about to go for a walk so that will make it incredibly difficult. The first 2 or 3 times likely won’t work, but if you stick with it, you will see results.
STEP 1
● Stand by your front door with your husky, make him sit down, calm down and ensure he’s facing you.
● Give him a small treat to gain his attention and to begin training.
STEP 2
● Before involving your front door, he needs to pass the treat test. Drop a treat on the floor and immediately call his name away from the treat.
● If he leaves the treat and looks back to you. That’s a success. Let him eat the treat and move on to the next step.
STEP 3
● Stand by your front door with your husky sitting next to you. While you have his full attention, tell him to “Stay”. Slowly open the door a very small amount and then shut it again without a pause.
To make it easier for him, you can repetitively use the “stay” command while you’re moving the door.
● If your husky did not break his position or lunge towards the door you need to reward him instantly. He passed. If he broke his stay position even a tiny bit, try again but try not to open the door as much, even 1 or 2 inches is enough in the beginning.
It’s crucial to keep trying until he can resist moving off his spot or lunging forward. Try keeping his attention on you with your commands.
STEP 4
● The basis of the training has now been set up. Keep practicing step 3 and as your husky gets better, gradually open your front door wider and wider. Try your best to connect with your husky in these moments, have him focus on you to resist the urge to exit the front door.
● Upon successful attempts, prolong the time your husky is sitting looking at you while your front door is wide open. Shut your door and repeat it. Don’t let the temptation get too big early on.
STEP 5
● Resume the starting position and open your door quickly. Take it a step further by throwing a treat outside the front door, immediately using commands and your hands to keep your husky looking at you.
● If this was successful, shut your door and give your husky another treat. They are doing a fantastic job at this stage and their self-control has come a very long way.
How Does This Training Work?
What I love so much about this method is how it continuously builds and strengthens his ability to resist distractions.
The more you practice, the better he’ll get. I’ve even seen people train their dog to the level where they can open the front door, have them sit there and watch people walk by with other dogs, and not move a muscle. Get your husky to this stage, and you won’t have any more escapes.
Of course, with any training, it takes time and consistency on your part.
This training method is a reference of a great video from Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution. You can view the entire video from this page!
How Often To Carry Out This Training?
I advise that you carry out this training routine 4 or 5 times a week for 1-2 months.
Then once your husky becomes consistently good at it, run through it at least a few times every month to keep him on his toes… Or firmly on his butt!
This method has already proven itself many times over with other huskies and breeds, but your consistency is so important.
Remember to be patient and know that you’re working towards an amazing end goal. Self-control and no more escaping!
Make Your Yard HUSKY-PROOF
The above method is great to develop his overall obedience. But you shouldn’t tempt fate. It’s crucial that you “husky-proof” your yard right away.
Below are 5 ways to make your yard less escapable
● Have a fence over 6ft. This is not an exaggeration. Your husky can jump very high, especially if he has a run-up.
● Move tables and chairs away from the fence. Not many breeds have the savvy to use other objects to gain height, but huskies sure do. If you have tables and chairs near the fence, your husky will climb on top of those first, before jumping over the fence.
● Huskies are great diggers. Somedays you may think you’ve got yourself a Siberian rabbit. Huskies can dig exceptionally well, and if he can’t get over your fence, he’ll try going under it.
● LOCK your gate handles. Huskies are intelligent and can learn to open simple gate handles by pawing at them
● Don’t leave him unattended in the yard. This is one is more general common sense that a clever tip. If you keep an eye on your husky at all times in the yard, he won’t be able to escape. Remember, even the most obedient of huskies, sometimes get just a little too curious!
Conclusion
There you have it, you have plenty of actionable tips that you can start implementing with your husky to stop him from running away.
If your husky is particularly good at escaping, be sure to keep a collar on him with an ID tag, and your contact information.
You may like some of our other new posts! Check them out:
10 Important Facts You Need to Know Before Getting a Husky
How to Train a Husky Puppy to Walk on a Leash
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 HereCopyright 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.