Why is My Husky Sad? 5 Common Reasons

Why is My Husky Sad?

Why is My Husky Sad? To know the answer, read the full article.

Did it just occur to you that the happy-chappy Husky of yours, who used to be a plethora of exuberance, has suddenly become withdrawn and visibly sad? Just as humans, dogs can have varying emotions, which are usually triggered by their environment and owner’s countenance.

So, why is my husky sad? Things you wouldn’t have thought of might be responsible. Read on below to find out what they are and how to stop any further sad feelings.

Page Contents

  • 5 Reasons Your Husky is Acting Sad
    • #1. Lack of Exercise
    • #2. Lack of Attention
    • #3. Illness
    • #4. Depression
    • #5. Bereavement
  • How Do You Know if Your Husky is Sad or Depressed?
    • Lack of Appetite
    • Excessive Sleeping
    • Licking of the Paws
  • What to Do About My Husky Being Sad?
  • Final Thoughts

Why is My Husky Sad?

Why is My Husky Sad?

5 Reasons Your Husky is Acting Sad

While it would help to specifically know why a breed such as a Husky is sad, note that there aren’t clinical researches to help ascertain the dynamism of a Huskies’ emotions, more so why they get sad.

However, many other dog experts suggest that a sad feeling in a husky is often triggered by things that can trigger the same feeling in humans, and series of tests have been carried out to confirm them.

So why is my husky depressed?

#1. Lack of Exercise

One of the reasons why your Husky is sad could be a lack of exercise. Huskies are a bread that always needs their body worked out with one form of exercise or another each day.

It could be hunting skills training, a walk with you down the street, or playtime with other pets. When a husky is denied any of these, he may develop behavioral issues, one of which may be getting sad.

Even worse, the lack of exercise may affect certain aspects of their health and can be responsible for  because Huskies are meant to exercise always. Considering this, it is recommended that you let your Husky have, at least, an hour of exercise daily.

If you’re not a stay-at-home dog parent, you can jettison the idea of a crate and let him roam about the compound while you are not around, provided it’s restricted and safe.

#2. Lack of Attention

If you often find yourself in situations where you’ve had to snub your dog for pressing matters, you might be the reason for his sadness.

Huskies are considered by many dog experts to be the most attention-seeking dog breeds ever; hence, they need their owners’ attention always.

When denied attention, a husky may develop a feeling of loneliness and begin to have separation anxiety; this becomes even more visible if you often go to work and leave him at home with no one to keep his company or look after him.

If you’ve got a friend of family coming over to stay a couple days or more, ensure you don’t neglect him completely for the visitor; even better, you can try to make him comfortable around the visitor for extra companionship when you’re not around.

#3. Illness

Falling short of good health could make one sad, let alone a dog. Your Husky might be having health issues that you aren’t even aware of. This will make him appear sad, especially if he expects you to have figured that out and you haven’t.

As a matter of fact, this is one of the most likely reason why a Husky appears sad, in which case you have to watch out of common symptoms of illness if have noticed that your Husky is sad. If after watching him closely, you notice any symptoms that denote sickness, then that’s the culprit! Take your Husky to a vet immediately.

#4. Depression

Depression? Yeah, right. Just as humans, dogs can feel depressed too. But why is my Husky depressed?

A very likely reason is if you’ve acted cold to him recently. Likewise, it could also be because you have stopped showing the same level of affection as you used to.

Now, don’t get me wrong; this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve stopped caring for your furry friend.

But truth is, if just after the point of adoption, you showered your Husky loads of affection, spent playtime together, and did all other heart-warming stuff for the first few months, he will become used to it and will always be expectant of such always.

Now, when you stop doing all these due to your unavailability or one other cause, your Husky will inevitably go into depression thinking you have stopped loving him. The solution, you have to adjust your time, and don’t let your life challenges make you act cold to him.

#5. Bereavement

This is very easy to notice and shouldn’t come off as much surprise if it occurs right after something not so pleasant has happened in the house and every household member appears sober to your Husky.

Huskies are understanding and would decipher that something bad has happened in the house or to someone in the house.  Your Husky can become bereaved because of this or because his owner appears bereaved.

How Do You Know if Your Husky is Sad or Depressed?

Lack of Appetite

Although Huskies are known to be fussy eaters, a lack of appetite could actually suggest that they are going through depression. While this shouldn’t be a sigh to rely on entirely, if you notice with one or a couple other signs, then he is actually sad about something. Also, he may show a lack of interest in things he used to like.

Excessive Sleeping

A Husky could be actually depressed if you often see him around sleeping. This is more evident if he does so excessively and at odd places like where he doesn’t usually sleep. In this situation, he won’t respond with much activity if you jolt him up. He may actually just go back sleeping.

Licking of the Paws

While this behavior is often because of a cut or itching in the paws, it has been linked with having psychological problems in which case a dog is just trying to pacify himself because he is feeling depressed or sad.

What to Do About My Husky Being Sad?

When a Husky is visibly sad or depressed, the first thing I always recommend to dog owners is to confirm any underlying health cause; this applies to not only Huskies but other dogs as well.

If his health does seem to be the root cause, taking him to a vet immediately will help in salvaging the situation.

On the other hand, going back to how you used to relate with your dog before the depression will get everyone back on track.

You can start by identifying if is it’s the lack of exercise, attention, or his owner’s melancholic state. Subsequently, you can start exercising with him often or taking him on a walk, while giving treats for every good done.

While he may not show interest immediately, persistence will make him come off his depressed state and go back to normal. Another way is to get him to interact with other dogs and have playtime with them. You can take him to a park or lake where you know there are going to be other dogs.

Final Thoughts

Huskies are very social bread; hence, they need our attention always. While it isn’t easy to match up with their social and ever-euphoric lifestyle, you should, however, ensure that you are accessible and welcoming whenever you’re in the house.

Related Posts:

Similar Posts