Bred as sled dogs, these dogs had to be able to run for long distances, pulling a sled. They had to get on with their fellow dogs as they would work together to pull. They also had to get on well with humans as they would often sleep with their human families to help them stay warm at night.
The breed are famed for having a high prey drive and this is thought to be due to the dogs often supplementing the diet they would get from their human families by hunting for small animals.
This is a breed that is likely to have a high requirement for physical activity. They are also likely to appreciate the company of other dogs and their human families. They will also appreciate having mental stimulation as the breed was originally expected to be able to solve problems and at times work independently of their human handler.
This is a breed that is likely to thrive doing activities such as canicross or bikejoring and the training needed to help them learn to pull consistently, ignore distractions and listen to you when you call out directions will help build a strong bond.
You can take advantage of your dog’s predatory instincts by setting up games in safe areas that let them hunt out, get to and eat food. Ideal toys to hide for your dog to find will be toys like clam toys or treat balls that are held together with velcro that your dog can push into to get to the food.
Remember that many Siberian Huskies will be more independent than breeds intended to work closely with humans so keep your training fun and sessions short or you may find that your dog switches off.
If you'd love to know more about keeping your high prey drive dog happy, click here and sign up for my FREE course designed especially for high prey drive dogs.
Predatory Motor Sequence statistics for Siberian Huskies. The graph shows the percentage of Siberian Huskies in my research study that had a strong level of interest in each behaviour.
Hunt: 53%
Orient: 47%
Eye: 24%
Stalk: 29%
Chase: 41%
Grab-bite: 53%
Possess: 24%
Kill-bite: 29%
Dissect: 41%
Consume: 29%
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I am the founder of Best Dog Learning and Stuff and a massive prey drive enthusiast. I've lived with high prey drive dogs for over 20 years and I love them. I run the awesome High Prey Drive Club where I help my members learn to have fabulous walks and happy lives with their high prey drive dogs.
I am a published researcher in my field with both my original research and my review of the literature looking at prey drive in dogs being published in the respected journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science.
I am the author of Canine aggression: Rehabilitating an aggressive dog with kindess and compassion.
I want to show you how easy and fun it can be to have a high prey drive dog.
If you'd like help with your dog, I'm ready to help you right now.