Are Huskies Good With Kids?

[We've got you covered]

Huskies are characterized by their high energy, sociability, fun-loving, and mischievousness. They are more than capable of lighting up their owner’s home with joy. But as a pet parent, you may be curious to know if they are compatible around your young kids? 

In general, huskies are outgoing and kind. They showcase loyalty towards their owner and family, thus making them safe around kids. However, they have an inherent tendency to be high on energy, leading to dangerous situations when toddlers/infants are in the vicinity.

If you are all set to welcome a new child to your home and think of owning a husky or are already a husky parent, then this article is dedicated to you. We will delve into detail regarding the considerations you need to take while having a husky and a child under the same roof.

Before we get into the main topic, let us first understand what qualities a dog must possess to be considered a good family pet.

Huskies’ Temperament

Huskies are not those breeds that face unpredictable mood swings. They have a steady character, and this makes them easy to handle daily. Additionally, as they were originally bred as herd dogs, they consider your family as their own and are highly sociable.

Unnecessary loud barking at strangers is also not so much of a worry for huskies. This aspect minimizes the chances of startling your kid due to the loud barks like some other breeds.

Huskies are not stubborn to changes in general. They sense, observe and adapt quickly to new members of the family. This makes the transition phase smooth and largely free of troubles for your infant.

Age factor does not make a huge impact when it comes to Siberian huskies. Even the senior dogs are a child at heart and liven the whole mood in the house with their adorable and amicable nature.

Also, they have good synergy with the energy levels of the people. If your child is calm, the dog will adapt accordingly. Similarly, vice versa is applicable for kids high on energy. In short, huskies can act as the perfect companion for your little ones. 

Huskies and Infants

Although children above the age of four can quickly gel with your husky, infants require special attention when there is a Siberian husky in the house. Your dog will express their wholesome affection towards your baby, but it is essential to teach them and set boundaries around the kid.

If you are expecting a new baby, imparting some training on how to act around the child will make it easy for you and your dog when the baby comes. You can try it out by gradually reducing the attention you provide them.

Another method is to make them used to the baby’s scent. You can try adding the new baby’s scents around the house to make them accustomed. 

Lastly, you can try playing the sound/audio file of the baby. It can be the crying or laughing noise of the infant. This will enable them to adjust to the baby’s cries/shrieks, etc. when they arrive home.

Please remember that surprising your husky or any other dog breed for that matter can backfire. The sudden change in attention can make them feel jealous.

Therefore, the quicker and more systematic you train them, the easier your life gets with kids in the house. For the first two years, we recommend you never leave the child alone with the dog. Always ensure human supervision if you need to leave the room due to some emergency. Take care to block your dog’s access to the infant before you head away.

Huskies Alongside Raising Kids

Just like how you need to teach your kid the essential skills like using the bathroom and behaving around strangers, the same principle applies to your dog. As parents of both parties, you need to teach them a few guidelines.

The canine must know their boundaries around the kid, while the baby also must understand what not to do around the dog that can be irritating. Both the former and latter are equally Important. The child’s tugging, pulling, or grabbing of the dog’s body and the dog’s leaps, bites, and nips are not to be made acceptable.

Another point to consider is the considerable difference in both their physical sizes. Huskies are sizable breeds. Adult males have sizes ranging from 50 to 60cm with weights between 20 to 27 kg. On the other hand, the females weigh between 15 to 25 kgs and have sizes of 50-55cm.

A human infant/toddler is only half in dimension when compared. This demands your special attention. In case a casual, playful session turns into something hyperactive, your kid can get severely hurt if not intervened on time. But this should not discourage you, as a pet parent, from making them interact and have fun.

Supervised playtimes between your husky and child can cement their emotional bond, trust, and affection. Proper socialization with other people from a young age is crucial for the character build-up of your dog as they progress into adulthood.

DIY (Do It Yourself)/Crafting Activities

Plan for some collaborative activities that can be accomplished easily at home. For instance, decorating the dog’s collar using food-safe paints, making your kid paint on clay pressed by the dog’s toes, etc.

Visits To The Pet-Friendly Parks

These open spaces are ideal for your kid and pet to run around, enjoy the scenery and have some sessions of wholesome fun. 

Classic Energy Burning Activities

Throwing a ball and asking the dog to fetch or playing tug of war using a rope can be enjoyable for both the young child and the canine. It can provide them with a needed dose of vigorous exercise.

Giving Them Enough Attention

In the attention area also, dogs and children display a similar type of attitude. When either of them feels that they are not getting the attention they crave, young children/dogs enter into a mischievous mode. This situation is no different when it comes to Alaskan huskies too.

Suppose you do not pay attention to your huskies. In that case, they will deviate in their path and try to compensate for the frustration by doing something opposite to their training and engaging in destructive activities.

Next, let’s try to familiarise ourselves with different breeds that come under the husky family of dogs. 

Training Your Huskies

We recommend you plan the training activities for your husky at a young age itself. This, in turn, will mold them into disciplined canines as they age and turn out to be a well-groomed member of your family. Please note that Siberian huskies are stubborn dogs, and shaping their obedience skills from the puppy phase is imperative to avoiding behavioral issues later.

To make the training effective, you must possess the qualities of consistency, patience, and perseverance that are virtuous as a dog owner in the case of most breeds. Being pack dogs, they need to be assigned a position in your family. If not, they will assume an alpha role by default. Through training sessions, make them realize that you are in command and they must obey you.

Huskies are not the most intelligent dog breeds when it comes to learning new commands. Ensure not to lose temper and showcase violent behavior. In contrast, repeat the commands whenever necessary in the same calm yet assertive tone as before.

Taking an aggressive approach during training can hamper the progress made, and to make things worse, they can get moody and start to misbehave.

We started imparting regular training to a female husky, Millie, in our dog training center. 

Although she was confused and learning the commands at a slow rate initially, with time, she grasped them faster. Now she is five years old and is a treat to have around kids and adults alike. 

She is mild and considerate around animals like cats, and a customized training regimen from the husky puppy phase helped mold her behavior drastically.