Ever noticed your Siberian Husky's behavior and wondered, ‘When did I last hear you bark?’ If this information is new to you, you might be worried if there's something wrong with your dog.
Read on to find out the truth on if huskies bark.
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Do Huskies Bark?
In fact, Huskies have the ability and mechanism to bark as all other dogs do, but they do not opt for that behavior under most circumstances. They know how to bark, but they actively choose against it!
All the various breeds of dogs have it in their nature to communicate their messages through their voice or through body language. Depending on their upbringing, ancestry, lifestyle, and natural instincts.
The nature of the bark also varies accordingly. Some dogs bark out of habit. Some others do it only when needed. Some have loud, harsh barks, while others have milder, friendly coughs.
Huskies are known for being relatively quiet dogs compared to other breeds. This is because barking is only one form of vocal communication that dogs use, and different breeds use it for different reasons.
In the case of huskies, they tend not to bark for territorial reasons, as they are not inherently territorial animals. This also makes them poor choices for guard dogs, as they lack the instinct to bark when strangers or potential intruders are near.
Additionally, huskies tend to use other forms of communication such as whining, howling, or speaking, rather than barking. While some huskies may bark when excited to see their owner or when in distress, it is not a common behavior.
It's more common for them to express their emotions through other means such as running around or whining. Therefore, if you're looking for a dog that barks less, a husky can be a great option.
Other dogs bark, while huskies don't, because:
Territorial Nature
Most dogs, and even younger pups, share the characteristic of barking when someone, or something, gets too close to their territory. The bark is the first line of defense for dogs against intruders within their territory.
When dogs find an unclaimed territory and decide to declare it as their own, they bark to notify other canines, as well as all others in the surrounding, whether living or dead. Besides this, when dogs feel protective of their owners' land, they may bark to keep suspicious intruders away.
On the other hand, huskies aren't territorial. They're not the kind of dogs who aren’t easily bothered by anyone who nears their 'territory' or even their kennel. Instead, they have a calmer demeanor, even despite their fierce expressions. Side note: Given this reason, huskies do not make good guard dogs!
Pack Behavior
As compared to other dogs, huskies resemble more strongly to wolves, foxes, and coyotes, mainly because they're direct descendants of those magnificent canine breeds. As of today, pet huskies who live with humans are considerably tamer than their forefathers, which has also had effects on the way they behave for survival. However, huskies still use the same behavior as other pack canines, even if they do not live with a pack of other huskies in your neighborhood.
Just like wolves and other wild canines who communicate through howls and other pack movements, huskies use the same means of communication. However, with the Fi Smart Collar, even howling is pretty unnecessary since you can use the GPS tracker to locate your pup!
Pet-Owner Communication
Another reason why most dogs bark is to get the attention of their owner, to ask them something, or to show them something they think is important. While this is a common phenomenon for other dogs, huskies resort to other means of communication when they have something to tell or ask their owners.
For instance, huskies may use body language and facial expressions to convey whatever they're trying to say. In other cases, huskies may also emit growling sounds or woof to capture their owners' attention instead of conventional barking.
What Do Huskies Do Instead of Barking?
Huskies do not disprove of barking, but they're not socialized or conditioned to bark when they feel the need to communicate. And since most dogs learn to bark without being specifically trained, therefore nobody actually pays attention to whether or not their husky has ‘learned’ to bark or not!
As you read above, the huskies' tendency to avoid barking comes from their ancestral canines. Wolves have used howling for long-distance communication and woofing or whining for milder, conversational styles of communication.
Wolves prefer howls because they pierce better through the air, can help in gathering the pack, and are expressively diverse when it comes to communicating their feelings. While huskies do not live in packs, they possess the same natural instinct to howl when they need to communicate something.
In other cases, when huskies want to be highly expressive, they may use body language instead of vocals. They may jump, wag their tail, and even cuddle with you to convey their messages!
What if My Husky Does Howl?
Since there’s no law prohibiting huskies from barking, you may occasionally hear a bark from your husky as well. This could happen when your husky is exceptionally excited or when the husky is facing anxiety issues.
Conclusion
A barking husky is a rare sound but not an entirely unnatural one. If you ever feel like your husky's bark could mean something, you may observe their behavior for a while or take them to the vet to see if there’s a health problem.
Visit the Off Leash blog at TryFi.com for more helpful articles about pet-parenting tips.
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