When you picture Siberian Huskies, chances are you picture them in motion. Whether they are pulling a sled, running laps at the dog park, chasing squirrels or playing with their pack, Huskies are among the most energetic and independent of all dog breeds. They are also well known “escape artists,” and can often be found digging under or leaping over fences.
Because of this reputation, pet parents looking for a way to safely contain their dog often ask us: “Can a hidden fence really work for my Siberian Husky?”
Yes, they can! For over 30 years, DogWatch Dealers have been training Siberian Huskies, Husky mixes, Alaskan Malamutes and more to stay in their yards with our hidden fences. We reached out to our DogWatch Dealers and customers to learn more about the process of training Huskies, adjusting collars to work with their thick coats, and how adding an underground electronic fence to their property helped their smart and athletic pups enjoy their freedom!
“I’ve trained several Huskies and Malamutes on the DogWatch system,” says Jack Panter of DogWatch of British Columbia. “I find they are not so different from other dogs.” Jack does say that the breeds’ heavy undercoats do require some extra effort. He instructs his customers to “trim a couple of spots up on the side of the neck” of their Husky, to ensure that the contact posts on the dog’s receiver collar reach the skin.
Jack also has a recommendation for training Huskies (or any dog breed) with a history of wandering off the property. He recommends not letting the dog leave the property on a leash. Instead, train the dog to hop in the car whenever it is time to leave the property. (Don’t forget to remove the collar after the pet is secure in the car.)
This tactic worked well for a trio of Huskies that Jack trained recently. “I would train one while one was in the house and the other went for a car ride with the owner. We kind of broke up the pack behavior and gave them a happy distraction around the same time the training was being done.” The three Huskies went from a “pack marauding their neighborhood” to “homebodies” who love to relax in the yard (along with regular trips by car to the local park).
Togo and Nicola, Alaskan Malamutes
In addition to his customers, Jack also trained his own pair of Alaskan Malamutes, Togo and Nicola (see photo above), to use a hidden fence at home. “My Malamutes are trained to the sound of the receiver warning. They won’t even chase a rabbit or deer through!”
Troy Dykes of DogWatch of the Bay Area & Northern California, who has been a DogWatch Dealer for over 20 years, has successfully trained many Huskies to understand and respect their hidden fence boundaries. “For me, I love the mentality of the Spitz lineage, and northern latitude dogs in general (Husky, Malamute, Chow Chow, Akita, Samoyed, etc.). The closer to the wolf, the smarter (and more prideful, independent, crafty) the dog, in my opinion.” Troy has owned a Chow Chow, and currently has a Finnish Spitz named Savannah (see photo below).
Savannah, a Finnish Spitz dog
Troy echoes the importance of making sure the DogWatch receiver collar fits properly for these thick-coated breeds. These fit issues can lead a pet owner or inexperienced trainer to conclude that the dog needs a higher level of correction, when actually all the dog needs is a quick hair trim at the neck, longer contact posts, or other collar adjustment. “Increasing the level of correction can be a big mistake with these breeds,” adds Troy. “If you break their trust by being heavy-handed, they can shut down completely.”
Once you build that trust, however, training Huskies can be surprisingly simple. Troy says that Huskies are among his favorite breeds to work with. “I’d put Huskies up there with Labs, Goldens, Shepherds, Border Collies and Rottweilers as my easiest breeds to boundary train.”
To show just how effective hidden fence training can be for Huskies, Troy filmed a video of a training session with his customer’s dog Loki, a then six month old Siberian Husky. “Intelligent, driven, intuitive and…contained safely within his yard and property,” says Troy.
In addition to our DogWatch Dealers, we also asked some of our many Siberian-Husky-loving customers for their feedback. DogWatch of Upstate NY customer Gary Kuch says: “I was initially skeptical that a hidden wire would work on my over-active Siberian Husky. DogWatch assured me it would work and they were right. Recently we had what I called was the acid test; three Golden Retrievers at the end of our driveway during a recent garage sale. Our Husky saw them but never once came close to the wire perimeter. It has been that way for two months with no issues.”
Another Husky pet parent, DogWatch of Southeast Indiana customer Lori Taylor, tells us: “We have a stubborn Husky who ran off on us most everyday, she loved to swim in the neighbors’ pond and loved to chase deer…We tried other systems to keep her contained on our property but they failed, then a friend recommended DogWatch, they have been a blessing and a huge relief!! Not one time has the Husky left our property!! I’m still amazed how well this system works!! Cannot thank DogWatch of Southeast Indiana enough!!! The peace of mind is so worth it!!!”
Do you have a Husky or Malamute that uses a DogWatch Hidden Fence? Send us a email with your story and a photo of your pet(s), and they could be a future DogWatch Dog of the Day on our Facebook Facebook.com/Dogwatchct ! Or if your dog could use some boundaries, give us at DogWatch of Litchfield County a call!