If you have a husky puppy at home, you may wonder: why does my husky nibble me when I touch him. Likewise, you would want to know if this behavior should be stopped or not. You will learn all about that in this post.
Although nibbling is normal among younger huskies, you should take this habit out of them to not continue until they become older.
With that being said, we will provide you with the things you have to consider regarding the nibbling of your husky. But before that, why do they do this? Young huskies are exploring the world using their mouths. They start to do so even before their eyes open. So putting your hands close to them would activate their instincts to nibble on them. Other than that, the nibbling of huskies on their owner can be attributed to several things. Below is the list of the most common ones.
Reasons Why My Husky Nibble Me
So, why does my husky nibble me? Here are the following reasons:
#1. Nature
As mentioned earlier, huskies started to explore the world using their mouths and noses before opening their eyes. So do not be too concerned when your dog smell and nibble on your hands. This is how they are supposed to interact during their early stage. Most often than not, huskies nibble on you at a young age since it is a part of their nature. But it would help if you still took measures to prevent and reduce this as they grow older.
#2. Seeking your attention
Huskies belong to the breed of dogs that are very active and social. Therefore, they require plenty of exercises every day. Initially, huskies were bred for sled pulling. Meaning to say, the lack of exercise can make your dog restless, and if he is restless, he will tend to nibble more. Click on this link to know how to keep husky entertained.
#3. Warning
Although huskies naturally nibble when they are young, they may be doing this as a warning for anything that you do which they do not like. When your husky is anxious and uncomfortable as he nibbles on you, it could mean that he does not like what you are doing. Suppose you are holding your pet in such a way that is uncomfortable for him or something hurts him. In such a case, biting would probably come with growling or other things. It is best to check with your vet to ensure that he is not suffering from a physical issue.
#4. Aggression
In general, huskies are friendly. Despite that, nibbling might be caused by aggression. In such a case, you would want to stop this immediately. Diagnosing nibble caused by aggression is more complicated, but it will be quicker than the usual and playful nibbling when it turns to bite. Unfortunately, this is also more painful. If your husky seems to nibble on you due to aggression, it would be best to seek outside help. Animal behaviorists can help you with this issue so ask help from these experts. It may also be a good idea to read about why are chihuahua so aggressive and how to deal with an aggressive husky.
#5. Excitement
Since huskies belong to a friendly dog breed, they tend to be very excitable. They usually nibble or lick on you when they get excited, especially your hands. Therefore, it would help if you remained calm as you interacted with your dog in that instance. Avoid giving too much emotional response.
Discouraging Dog Nibbling
The moment your dog starts to nibble on your feet, hands, or any other body parts, you should stop to engage. Say the word ouch and stop playing with your dog for about 1 minute. You can also go out of the room where your dog is to give him a time-out. When you are petting the back or head of your dog, and he starts to nibble on you, you can give him treats so that he will have something in his mouth. With this, your dog will learn that he will be rewarded if he does not nibble on you.
Another approach is using taste deterrents. You can find this in pet stores. This is a taste yucky that you can safely spray on your feet or hands so that your husky will be discouraged from nibbling on them. But the best approach to train your husky to stop nibbling on you is by giving him something that he can nibble. For example, if your dog starts to nibble on you as you play with him, you can get chew toys and use this as a substitute for your body parts. It would help if you did not allow your puppy to check on you as you play, instead use an appropriate toy and praise him when he uses this. This will teach your puppy at an early age that it is not right to chew on you, but he can do so on toys.
What Are The Things That You Should Consider?
Nibbling is not something that should be encouraged. It would help if you ended this while your husky is still young, so he will not continue until he becomes an adult. In getting rid of this habit, you need to consider some things.
#1. Eliminating the opportunities to nibble
If you reduce the chance that your pet can nibble on inappropriate things, he will not learn to nibble or chew on them. I am not saying that you should stop him from nibbling completely. It would be best to give him toys that he can nibble on. ‘
#2. Do not make sudden movements when he nibbles
Showing a quick emotional response will only make your husky nibble even more. He will look at this as a game, encouraging him to be more active. Alternatively, you can move your hand away slowly and make the play less fun.
#3. It would help if you avoided physical punishment
Punishing your pet won’t be helpful. It will only make him aggressive or bite you harder. Other than that, this can also lead to some other behavioral problems, so you should avoid doing this at all costs.
It’s A Wrap!
After knowing the answers to the question: why does my husky nibble me, you should do something to curb the behavior, and it can take a few weeks or months. So you need to be patient!
