Huskies are rather special animals, and often engage in behavior that your other dogs won’t. They were bred as pack animals and probably won’t be quite as easy to handle as your Labradoodles and Goldens! Learning to read husky body language will go a log way in understanding what’s going on in their minds.
Here are some common, if a little unusual, body language and behaviors that Huskies display and why they do it.
Circling and sniffing
All dogs do this – it’s the universal dog greeting and their equivalent of “Hey, how are you?” Huskies do this very markedly, and it might look a little aggressive to a dog owner not familiar with the breed. It starts nose to nose and proceeds to the other end – if not discouraged, your Husky could do this with humans as well! Make sure that, when you take your doggo to the park for exercise, that other dog owners are reassured that it’s perfectly normal behavior.
Mounting
This is one of the behaviors that Husky owners can find pretty embarrassing. Your polite and loyal boy or girl seems to know to wait for your Granny to come by, and then spring it on her! Mounting another dog or attempting to mount a person is not usually a sexual behavior. It is an indication of dominance in the Husky world – he or she is trying to assert themselves and their place in the hierarchy. It’s almost equivalent to a firm handshake and eye contact between two people who are meeting for the first time – it shows confidence and lack of fear.
Need more info on why your Husky tries to mount people, animals and things?
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Pawing
You may have noticed something your Husky does that not many other breeds do – he will put his paw on the shoulder of another dog. This is his way of trying to demonstrate his dominance over that dog. Although it can seem aggressive, it’s how dogs establish who’s who, and it’s an instinctive way of preventing fights in which they can get hurt. This can also be seen when one dog tries placing his chin over the muzzle or head of the other dog.
Bowing
A Siberian Husky who crouches down, wagging his tail quickly, wants to play. Don’t disappoint him! Huskies are fun-loving and excitable creatures – and what better way to burn off a few calories after lunch than to go for a brisk run, and let others see and admire your majestic animal!
Nudging or punching
A Husky who nudges or punches you with his nose is trying to get you to play with him. It is more dominant than the bowing motion, in that he is demanding your attention, and not asking for it by bowing. He’s saying “Get off your butt already! There’s things to see and do out there!” He might also need a toilet break, so it’s best not to ignore this signal.
Hand holding
As sign of affection, your Husky may take your hand in his mouth, holding it gently. He is showing you his affection and asking you to trust that he will not bite you. Huskies do this amongst other members of their pack, ensuring that everyone feels secure and is getting along. This is a good bonding strategy and allowing him to do so shows that you have faith in him. You should feel proud when your doggo does this to you – it means you are doing a good job as a Husky parent!
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Mouth licking
This is a care-soliciting behavior and is how young puppies seek food from their mothers. The behavior often persists into adulthood. It’s not really desirable to allow Huskies to continue this, as it’s not hygienic. Make sure your Husky is otherwise given attention and his basic needs are seen to, and gently discourage this if he or she tries it.
Licking or tail chewing
This is often a nervous response – however, chewing the base of the tail can also mean he has fleas. If licking behavior continues for weeks with no apparent cause, especially if carried to the point of raw or bleeding paws, your Husky may unfortunately have obsessive compulsive behavior – yes, dogs can have this as well as people! It’s especially common in rescue dogs that were subjected to abuse or neglect before. It’s important to discuss this behavior with your boy or girl’s vet, just to make sure there isn’t an underlying health issue. Other than this, try and distract the dog when they lick or chew excessively.
Head tilting
Generally this quizzical look means he is puzzled or curious about something. Imagine the way you can scrunch your face up a little bit when you are trying to figure something out – Huskies can’t scrunch, so they tilt instead.
Pawing at his face or rubbing on carpet
This can mean he is just itchy. After a meal Huskies will often rub their face against something to clean themselves. Discourage him from doing this on your furniture – maybe have a box or other item he is allowed to rub on. Constant rubbing may indicate an allergy, or something stuck in his teeth. Let your vet take a look at the dog.
Sleeping Styles
Huskies sleep a lot – REALLY a lot – over 14 hours a day. In cold weather he might do what is known as the Siberian swirl, carefully tucking his tender nose under his furry tail for warmth. A husky curled snugly close beside you is probably not so much interested in keeping warm (he’s hotter than you are) as he is keeping safe. If he’s an alpha dog you may notice that the keeps himself a little distant from you – just a few inches. He wants to be secure, but at the same time he is letting you know that he is perfectly capable of handling anything that comes up.
If your husky prefers to take his ease flat on his back, legs in the air, you may take comfort in knowing that you have supremely confident, friendly dog without a care in the world.
A Husky lying flat on his stomach, legs sprawled in every direction is probably hot and trying to cool down.
A dreaming dog exhibits the same rapid eye movement found in people, do not disturb a dreaming dog. You may be walking right into his nightmare, the gentlest dog in the world has been known to snap if awakened at the wrong time.
