If your Husky is noisy once the sun sets, whether howling, barking, or whining, you may be wondering why. And if your husky is keeping you up at night, you may want to know what you can do about it.
There are several reasons why your Husky may be noisy at night and some possible alternatives to getting your dog to stop.
Here are some of the more common reasons that your Siberian Husky might be keeping you and possibly your neighbors awake at night.
1. Behavior Reinforcement
Often owners inadvertently reinforce certain behaviors without realizing that they have done so. Perhaps you have taught your dog that it can get what it wants by barking or making noise.
If you are in the habit of giving your Husky a treat, a favorite toy, or attention when it whines, cries, howls, barks, or makes noise, your pooch will continue to use these tactics to get something that it wants, if only your attention.
If you suspect this, stop rewarding your dog when it communicates vocally unless absolutely necessary.
2. Diet
Your dog’s dietary habits could be one explanation for late-night activities. If your dog eats in the early evening, it may be full of energy come bedtime so instead of wanting to sleep, it will be ready for play or adventure.
A diet can contribute to hyperactivity or even cause your canine BFF to feel unwell if ingredients are causing a dietary tract to upset or problems with digestion. Try feeding your Husky at an earlier hour if you suspect that diet is contributing to the dog’s unrest.
Make sure that the diet you are feeding your Husky is appropriate and consult your veterinarian if you are unsure. Request that others do not feed your dog things. Only you should be giving your dog food.
See also: How Do You Tell if Your Husky Loves You?
3. Environment
Your Husky may not like where it sleeps. Perhaps the room is too brightly lit, is too hot, or maybe the bed is uncomfortable. Your Husky is communicating its discomfort.
Make the space that you have your dog sleep in as comfortable as possible with appropriate lighting, bedding, and temperature.
4. Fear
Perhaps something during the evening or nighttime hours is causing your Husky to be afraid. This could be any number of environmental conditions including loud noises such as thunder, or unusual noises caused by the wind.
It could also be witnessing or perceiving movement also due to breezes or winds. This would explain if your Husky is noisy only on certain nights and not every night.
If you are unable to remove whatever is causing your Husky fear and discomfort, you can attempt to undertake desensitization training. In this way, you can help your dog to become accustomed to whatever it is that has bothered it up until now.
5. Insufficient Exercise
A Husky is a canine with a high level of energy meaning that your pooch requires a good period of exercise and physical activities daily. If your dog does not exercise sufficiently, it may arrive at sundown still full of energy.
Generally speaking, a. If you have not been providing an hour, try to increase daily exercise and see if this contributes to calming nighttime communications.
If you are unable think about hiring a professional dog walker. You may also want to play a game of fetch or tug of war before bedtime to tire your dog out.
6. Physiological Needs
Maybe your dog is closed in a room or the garage and needs to urinate or defecate. It may be alerting you to physical needs and the desire to not dirty where it sleeps.
If you think this may be the cause, try walking your dog before bedtime so it can take care of any needs.
7. Separation Anxiety
Does your Husky sleep outside or is it in a different room than you at nighttime? Your dog may be feeling separation anxiety and acting out as a result.
You can easily judge if this is the case by allowing your Husky to sleep in the same room with you. If your Husky does not act out or howl during the night, this is a plausible explanation.
As long as your Husky has you in its sights it will be calm. When banished to another space far from you, it may begin vocalizing anew.
If this is the reason for your husky making noise, you will need to train it to be more confident and less anxious even if you are not present.
Try these techniques to help your dog with separation.
1.) Make movements as if you are about to leave. This can be like picking up keys or putting on a coat.
2.) If your Husky does not show signs of anxiety, reward him or her, and repeat this several times.
3.) Proceed with other actions as if you are leaving such as going to the door or picking up a purse or briefcase, perhaps a pair of gloves.
4.) Again reward your Husky if it remains calm and serene.
5.) Now attempt to get to the door and open it stepping outside for several minutes.
6.) Return and reward your dog.
7.) Repeat this gradually increasing the amount of time that you remain outside of the door.
This same exercise can be used when training your Husky to sleep in another room.
Other Considerations
Your Husky, when howling, is adopting an ancestral practice. Wolves howled in the wild because they could be heard over long distances contributing to the safety of the pack. So, this tendency is part of their genetics.
Your Husky may be hearing high-pitched noises that we don’t perceive and be reacting to. If dogs hear sirens, they tend to respond with howling.
Other Tips
Crate Training
Crate training is an option for you. With the correct size crate specifically designed for a dog, your Husky may look at its crate as a haven. It should not be used as punishment, but as a training resource that your dog feels comfortable in.
Avoid Treats and Rewards
If you have been rewarding your Husky when it is vocal, stop. If you have done this so far, your Husky has been identifying vocal behavior with obtaining, treats, your affection, or a favorite toy.
It’s necessary to reverse positive reinforcement for quiet times and not howling, barking, whining, or otherwise.
Do, however, remember to reward your dog in the morning if it has been quiet at night.
There are also several things you may want to factor into your analysis of your dog’s behavior.
♦ When did your Husky begin this nighttime vocalizing? Can you identify a trigger? If it began suddenly, there most likely is an underlying cause. Attempt to identify other changes that took place around the time that your dog began behaving this way.
♦ Does your Husky repeat this behavior every night or does it happen occasionally? Consider any apparent differences on the evenings that your Husky is quiet.
Seek Assistance
If you are having trouble managing the situation, consider consulting your veterinarian, a professional dog trainer, or a specialist in animal behavior to assist you in resolving your Husky’s vocal communications at inappropriate times.
