Huskies are majestic dogs, but they also have a great mind to match. I know some dog breeds with high intelligence are known to get bored and try escaping for fun. After doing some research, I found out that Huskies may be one of those breeds.
Will Huskies run away? Huskies are known to run away more than other dog breeds because of their high intelligence, independence, and curiosity. But if you train them right, it is much less likely to happen.
Keep reading for more information on how likely Huskies are to run away and what you can do to better your chances at preventing them from doing so.
Will Huskies Run Away?
Huskies are known to run away more than other breeds because of their intelligence and curiosity. But, it still depends on the dog and how well it is trained.
Huskies are brilliant dogs, so they sometimes run away simply because they are bored or think there is something more attractive on the other side of the fence.
Besides being highly intelligent, huskies tend to be very independent, meaning they may decide they don’t need their owner’s help and want to explore elsewhere.
They are also curious about pretty much everything, so a new smell, noise, or view of an animal they haven’t seen before could cause them to chase after whatever they sense out of pure curiosity. Huskies sometimes run away if their needs are not met.
Since huskies are usually very athletic and intelligent, they usually cannot be just left in a fenced in yard all day, even though some other dogs would be pleased to roam the yard all day.
If they aren’t exercised and trained enough throughout the day, there is a good chance they will get restless and try to find something more interesting to do.
Anyone who has one of these dogs knows how engaged they need to be as owners to ensure the husky doesn’t get bored.
In addition to these reasons, huskies were originally bred to run. They have been used to pull sleds for generations and, as a result, have a hard time slowing down and relaxing as much as some other dogs.
Though huskies might indeed run away more than other breeds, simply because of the way they have been bred, there are some particular things you can do to prevent your husky from running away.
Some huskies are much less likely to run away than others, and vice versa, and each dog has different needs that need to be met so that they are as unlikely to run away as possible.
Why Are Huskies More Likely to Run Away Than Other Breeds?
Now that we know that huskies tend to run away more often than other breeds, we need to find out why. We’ve already established that they tend to be smarter and more athletic than other dogs, and these two factors contribute to their tendency to run away.
Because they are so intelligent, some huskies run away simply because they think it will make you give them more attention when they come back. In this case, running away is just a way to get more attention.
Some Huskies will run away if they haven’t had enough exercise.
Since they are bred to run long distances, they are much more athletic than other dogs and can get bored or angsty if they cannot run around as much as they need to.
All the energy they would typically spend running is instead focused on something else: trying to escape.
Huskies are incredibly curious. Partly because of their intelligence, they are fascinated by new smells, people, or places.
If you notice your husky running away from you to explore new things, it might be a good idea to keep them on a leash if you know you’re going to a new place or interacting with new people, dogs, etc.
This is especially true in open areas where they could run far away from you to try satisfying their insatiable curiosity.
In addition to being curious and athletic, huskies usually think very independently. Many members of this breed do what they want when they want to do it.
This characteristic is part of the reason they tend to chase after new experiences.
Especially when they are young, they tend not to care what other people, or dogs, for that matter, have to say about their exploration.
One reason any dog breed tries to escape is that they are not taken out to use the bathroom enough.
While most people with huskies seem to let them roam the yard, others leave their dogs inside while they are gone.
This can be perfectly fine, but if your husky doesn’t get enough opportunities to go outside to use the bathroom, they may start misbehaving in more ways than one.
Running away is often part of the chaos stemming from a bathroom-related accident. Luckily, there is a straightforward solution to this problem by allowing your dog plenty of time outside to use the bathroom.
How Can I Stop My Husky from Running Away?
This usually comes down to how well you train your husky. Well trained dogs of any breed are unlikely to run away or, at the very least, likely to come back when called.
However, methods that work on other dogs seem to be less effective when trying to train huskies.
Since they are so intelligent and unique, they often simply don’t feel like obeying your commands and can get bored of a repeated task very quickly.
The most important thing to establish with your dog from a young age is that you are in charge. This breed is one that has not strayed far from its roots.
All dogs, from the largest Siberian huskies to chihuahuas and other lapdogs, have evolved from wolves, and huskies are not very far removed from these animals. Therefore, they are incredibly pack-oriented and often do anything to protect what they see as their pack.
Every wolf pack has an alpha male or female in charge of where the pack goes, eats, how it hunts, and more. If you can establish yourself as the alpha in your “pack” when your husky is young, it will be much more likely to listen to you in the future.
There are several ways you can establish yourself as the alpha, and there are far too many to list in one article. However, a few will be addressed here to give you an idea of how to do this.
First, dog trainers say you need to walk the walk.
Be confident, look your dog in the eye, and never beg for them to do anything. Act like a leader, and your dog will see you as the alpha.
Make sure your dog knows that your space is essential. Some people like to let their dogs sleep on the bed, but if this is something you don’t want to happen, deal with it while they are a puppy.
The more authority you can establish in these situations, the more likely your dog will listen to you. Don’t allow your dog to growl at you. You’re the alpha, and this is unacceptable.
There are many more ways to establish yourself as the alpha male or female to your dog, and doing so will make them much more likely to listen when you call them back to you and, ideally, make them less likely to run away in the first place.
Nobody has the time to give their dog 100% of their attention all day long, as much as the dog may want that. Though some dogs can be left inside for hours at a time, huskies need much more physical activity than other breeds.
Many people that own huskies leave them outside in a fenced-in yard, sometimes with access to a small flap in the door that can let them come back inside. If that is your plan, or if you already do that, you may find that huskies can escape your backyard.
There are a few easy solutions to this, though. The first is to make sure your fence is high enough. Huskies can jump much higher than you might think, and, depending on the type of fence and what is in your yard, they may be able to climb something to get out.
They have also been known to dig their way out under the fence. Using chicken wire at the bottom of the fence buried below the surface can be an excellent way to prevent that.
The best thing you can do for your husky and the best way to prevent them from trying to escape the yard while you’re gone is to give them plenty of exercise.
It is commonly known that dogs need to be exercised around an hour a day, but huskies tend to need double that.
Taking your dog for long walks in the morning and afternoon is a great way to get their energy out, especially if the activity is more intense than a casual stroll.