As a Husky lover, you have to ask yourself – are Huskies considered a dangerous breed?
Dog attacks in the news are unfortunately not that rare. Often it’s the actions of people – breeders or owners – which are at fault if someone is badly bitten. However, that doesn’t change the fact that some breeds are just more dangerous than others.
Why Are Some Dogs Dangerous?
Any dog can be dangerous. Their ancestors evolved to hunt, eat meat, and defend themselves with their teeth. Over the millennia, their teeth and jaws became sharp and powerful to perform these functions.
Modern dogs all retain the same type of instincts and capabilities – but some are bred specifically to have above-average aggression levels, and powerful bite strength. These dogs need strict discipline and training to keep humans safe from them – and in turn, they need (and deserve!) to be kept safe from abusive humans, other aggressive animals, and threatening situations that might trigger their defensiveness.
Why Do Dogs Bite?
Bites from adult dogs can happen for a number of reasons – usually because of fear-based aggression.
If a dog is nervous, in a strange environment, or confronted by aggressors around him or her, they may react defensively. Sometimes, this can result in a biting attack.
From the dog’s perspective, they are simply trying to get a threat before the threat gets them! From a human perspective, imagine someone bumping into you hard in the street – you might lash out defensively.
There are various other reasons, besides fear or anxiety, which lead to dogs reacting by biting someone.
I’m the Boss! Canine social hierarchies can be quite complex. ”Disagreements” leading to fight can happen between two or more dogs, if none are willing to show deference to whichever is the “alpha” pooch. Dogs need to be properly trained and socialized to prevent these natural doggy altercations. Be VERY careful if intervening in any sort of dog fight – humans are often bitten very badly when getting in the middle of a fight.
Don’t Hurt Me! Dog owners need to be VERY aware of this trigger that could lead to biting – especially those with children. Dogs only have their teeth to defend themselves, no arms or hands. If someone – or another dog – accidentally hurts a dog, they could be on the receiving end of a very nasty bite. Even the most docile of pets can react badly if they’re sick, injured or elderly.
Just Playing! Overly-stimulated pets can forget their manners and deliver a painful nip. Dogs should be properly trained and socialized to prevent this behaviour – and humans should be trained not to tease their pets too much.
Another reason that dogs might play too roughly, is because they were removed from their litter before the vital 8-week period. Young pups learn from each other (and their mother) that bites HURT, so they need to be left with their siblings long enough to learn appropriate.
It’s MINE! Resource guarding aggression can happen if a dog’s food or valued toys are threatened in any way. This can include you trying to remove a nasty chew toy to discard or clean! If your dog wasn’t trained from early on to react with restraint, it’s best to distract them and put them in a separate room for feeding or toy maintenance.
Keep Out! Territorial aggression can happen if a dog feels protective of its house, yard, fence or crate. Training can prevent or alleviate this issue – dogs need limits on their natural tendency to guard their “property”, even working guard dogs. If you acquired your pet as an adult, you can use counter conditioning to convince him or her that not everyone is a serious threat – some folks are the providers of yummy treats…
Related: 5 Ways To Keep Huskies Entertained When They’re Home Alone
Are Huskies Aggressive?
Huskies were bred to be sled dogs, not hunting or guard animals. This means they are not particularly aggressive by nature. However, under certain circumstances, they could still bite.
Huskies generally tend not to be overly loyal or protective of their humans – so they probably won’t go for strange people or other dogs unless highly provoked. It’s up to ethical dog owners to make sure their pups are trained from an early age to see them as “pack leaders” and respect their commands.
Socialization is also vital – let your pup meet other humans, dogs at the park, and so forth. If in doubt, professional trainers can teach both doggos AND humans the basics of good doggy behaviour and how to reinforce it.
Finally, the most important job we have as responsible dog owners is to give our pets as much exercise, attention and stimulation as they need and deserve. A happy dog is a calm and peaceful dog. Moreover, a happy, well-trained Husky is the best dog of all!
We at Naughty Husky believe that ALL dogs are amazing, and deserve a loving home and a good life. If you can, consider adopting. Whatever choice you make when it comes to adding a fur kid to your family, you can’t go wrong with our many articles and tips on Husky care and training!
