How to Train a Husky to Not Howl

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How to Train a Husky to Not Howl

Medium

2-4 Weeks

Behavior

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Introduction

Most Husky owners are exceptionally familiar with just how vocal the breed is. Though some owners may enjoy the frequent word-like barks and rumbles, others may get driven just a little crazy by a Husky who is a big howler. Husky howling can range from comical to downright noisy, so it’s not unusual that some owners would prefer it to not be a behavior that happens every day.

Huskies howl for communication just as wolves do in the wild. The howling can be to alert you to an injury or illness or to get your attention for another reason like a bathroom break, food, water, or another need that needs to be met. Sometimes, Huskies howl just to howl. Either way, if you’re hurting for some peace and quiet, there are ways to cut down on your Husky’s noise that can save you the time it takes to go out and buy some earplugs.

Defining Tasks

Getting a Husky to stop howling can be challenging, as they are bred to be vocal by nature. Your Husky may take a few weeks to a month to adapt to a quieter lifestyle or realize that there are other ways to get a message across to you. Starting training methods when your Husky is a puppy will provide an easier path to a quieter life, but adult dogs can still adapt to training with enough patience and consistency. Though they are high energy dogs, Huskies can be stubborn, so being persistent may contribute to a good pay off in the end. Your relationship with your Husky depends on whether or not you can properly assess his needs, so spending plenty of time with him is essential before you expect him to respond to training.

Getting Started

Whether your go-to method is for exercise, redirection, or ignoring, you’ll want to have plenty of rewards on hand in order to reinforce the behavior that you want to see in your Husky. Tasty treats or fun toys can both work well, but treats are generally easier to manage and can prevent your dog from getting too distracted during your training times. Use things that are high in value to encourage your dog to maintain focus on what you want from him and keep things interesting by rotating out the type of treats you use, if possible.

The Exercise Method

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Step

Learn your Husky’s needs

What one Husky needs in exercise may not necessarily be what another Husky needs. However, Huskies in general are extremely active and yours is likely no exception. Determine how much exercise your dog needs to tire him out at the end of the day.

Step

Prepare a daily schedule

Your Husky needs daily exercise, regardless of what form it takes. Come up with a daily schedule of what types of exercise that he will get each day and when in order to keep a routine that he can easily adjust to.

Step

Go for walks

Huskies love to walk and run. Offer your dog plenty of opportunities to do so by going on long walks around your neighborhood or in a local park at least once a day. Going for multiple walks a day may be even better.

Step

Give your dog a job

Your Husky was bred to pull sleds and other heavy objects. Even if you don’t live in a snowy climate, offer your dog some opportunities to pull objects like wagons, wheeled boxes, or other safe items that can encourage good behavior and plenty of exercise.

Step

Join a sport

Huskies excel at dog sports and can use them as an outlet for all that excess energy. Some dog sports include flyball, frisbee, rally obedience, or agility.

The Ignoring Method

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Step

Catch your dog in the act

Catching the unwanted behavior is an important step to correcting it. Keep an eye on your Husky for signs that she's about to howl.

Step

Stop all rewarding activities

Once howling starts, rewards stop. Stop engaging in any attention or playtime with your dog.

Step

Don’t acknowledge bad behavior

Avoid making any eye contact, verbal acknowledgement, or even bodily acknowledgement when your Husky begins to howl. Turn away and ignore everything in order to convey the message that howling is unwanted.

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Wait for the appropriate alternative

Continue to ignore until the howling stops and only when the howling stops completely.

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Continue rewards when appropriate

Once your Husky has quieted down, then you may return to providing playtime, rewards, and affection. Soon, she will realize that staying quiet gets her good things while howling will only make the good things stop.

The Redirect Method

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Step

Determine a verbal command

A word like “quiet” generally works well, but feel free to use any word or phrase that you prefer.

Step

Use verbal command when appropriate

When first beginning, you’ll want to use your verbal command as soon as your Husky quiets down after a moment of howling. Once she is quiet, you’ll mark the behavior with your verbal command to help tie the command to the behavior.

Step

Reward for ideal behavior

Provide a treat immediately after giving the verbal command while your dog is quiet.

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Withhold rewards for poor behavior

Do not reward if your dog continues howling. She should only be getting treats when she is quiet.

Step

Repeat often

Repeat this process every day, if necessary. Soon your Husky will begin to equate the verbal command with being quiet and you will not need to wait for her to do it on her own. Reinforce with plenty of treats until she is reliable.

How to Train a Husky to Not Howl

Introduction

Defining Tasks

Getting Started

Success Stories and Training Questions