If you are a husky owner, then you know that they are a high-energy breed. While this can be entertaining, there are times when you are going to want your husky to calm down and relax. You can calm your husky effectively with exercise, obedience training, or mental stimulation.
How to Effectively Calm Your Husky Down
Exercise
The most important thing that you can do for your husky is to provide plenty of exercise.
Huskies were bred to pull dog sleds through harsh winter conditions. This required a lot of energy to keep up with their jobs.
Today, these dogs often find themselves living in home environments as family dogs.
Without a job to do, they end up with a lot of pent-up energy. This can then lead to destructive or unwanted behaviors.
This isn’t to say that your husky can’t live a happy, healthy life in the city or even in an apartment. But, it is going to take a lot of dedication on your part to exercise him properly.
The average husky should be getting more than 2 hours of exercise each day.
This includes walks, hiking, playing a game of fetch, and puppy playgroups. You can also get involved with dog sports like sled pulling or skijoring.
If you give your husky a safe outlet for his energy, he’ll happily relax calmly at home.
Obedience Training
There are some commands that your husky can be taught to help keep him settled indoors.
The “Place” command instructs your husky to go lay on a designated bed, blanket, or mat. He must then stay there until released from that position.
This is a great option if your husky is overly excitable when people come to visit.
Before answering the door, put your husky in “Place” and don’t release him until your company is settled. This will allow the initial excitement to pass.
Crate training is another great solution for those with huskies.
This teaches your husky that, when placed in his crate, it is time to be calm and quiet. Give your dog some scheduled crate downtime each day to reinforce the idea.
Mental Stimulation
Try challenging your husky’s mind with interactive toys like food puzzles and treat toys.
Mental exercise through activities like this can actually wear your husky out. In fact, experts say it’s more effective than physical exercise.
Rather than feeding your husky in a dish, try feeding with a food puzzle or snuffle mat.
Your husky will receive the same meal that he normally does. But, he will have to work for his food.
Not only will it burn some energy, but it will also slow down his eating and make the process more fun.
You can try stuffing a treat toy like a KONG and freezing it to give your dog during ‘quiet time’. By freezing it, he will have to work harder to get at all the tasty morsels inside.
Create a Calm Environment
Take a step back and look at the environment you’re creating for your husky.
Our dogs feed off our energy. So, take a deep breath and talk in a low, calm voice.
You can also put on relaxing music to help bring down the overall energy in your home.
