How to Train a Husky to Not Run Away
Introduction
Your Husky is an important member of the family who brings you all together. They get you all giggling as they make their way around the dinner table begging for food. They bring a smile to your face when you walk through the door and they’re jumping up, eager to cover you in slobber. That’s why it’s sad when your Husky tries to run away. For the most part, you don’t understand it. You give them food, water, a comfy bed and plenty of love and affection.
Training your Husky not to run away is important for both you and them. If your dog escapes onto roads they could end up in a serious traffic collision, which could result in hefty vet bills or worse. This type of training will also instill discipline that you can use to phase out other bad habits too.
Defining Tasks
Training your Husky not to run away isn’t always straightforward. First, you will need to identify the underlying cause of their running away. Once you know that, you can then start tackling the problem. While you are doing that though, you can introduce a number of preventative measures. Obedience training will also be involved so you develop a need within yourHusky to always stay close by.
If your Husky is a puppy then they should be at their most receptive and you could see results in just a couple of weeks. But if your dog is older, stubborn and got a real taste for running away, then you may need a couple of months. If you get training right you’ll never have to worry when you lose sight of your Husky again. It also means you’ll be able to let them off the leash safely, which will give them more exercise and freedom to explore.
Getting Started
Before you start training, you will need to collect a few items. You will need a long leash. You will also need secure fencing and baby gates for one of the methods. A generous supply of treats or small pieces of your dog's favorite food will also be required.
Set aside just a few minutes each day for training. You can practice in a yard, in the house or in nearby fields.
Once you have all that, just bring patience and a can-do attitude, then work can begin!
The Prevention Method
The Come Method
The Meeting Needs Method
Success Stories and Training Questions
Training Questions and Answers
Isla
We rescued our husky about a month ago and this is her 5th home now in a year so we don’t want to send her away again! We don’t have a fenced in yard but she loves to lay in a hole she dug and we give her plenty of attention and she has another dog (full bred German Shepherd) to always be with, but she still runs away!
31 Dog owners recommended
Hello Chloe, Isla is probably acting on her natural instinct to wander and explore. Huskies are known for being wanderers so it is likely genetic and not because she does not love you. There are two ways to prevent her wandering. The first is to build a six foot fence to contain her. The other is to hire a local trainer with experience using electric collars to teach firm boundary training. For some dogs, the boundary training will be enough and they will respect staying within that area after the training without any form of additional fence. For others, they will need the additional step of an electric boundary system, such as an electric fence, to enforce that training. I highly recommend hiring a trainer to teach the boundaries with a manual remote collar first though. Rather than going straight to the electric fence. Because high quality remote collars have a minimum of 60 stimulation levels and can be specifically tailored to your dog's own level, the lowest possible level that will get a response can be safely used. This level is typically not even painful but simply uncomfortable and odd feeling to the dog. A good trainer will take the time to find the correct level for your dog and to properly fit the collar high on the neck so that the stimulation is consistent and more fair. When you teach a dog using a remote collar instead of just electric fending you can also use your body language and commands to teach the dog where the boundary is, so that the dog only receives a correction for doing something that it knows not to do, and not just correction that seem random until she learns what to avoid. This is much more fair and gentle to the dog. The dog can control whether or not she gets corrected. Good electric collar brands are: Sports Dog, E-Collar technologies, Garmin, and Dogtra. Do not buy a cheap, poor quality electric collar because they can be dangerous and the levels far too high. Only use the collar under the direction of a trained professional also, because the collars are a powerful tool that can be abused when used wrongly. They are quite effective when paired with clear communication and great technique though, and are one of the only effective means for dealing with strong wandering instincts. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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