How To Tire Out A Husky: 8 Easy Methods & Top Tips

Huskies are super energetic and can sometimes be too much to handle, which can leave owners wondering how to tire them out fully.

The best way to tire out a husky is to meet their physical and mental needs. Huskies need at least 2 hours of exercise each day, alongside other mental stimulation through training or playing games.

In this article, we’ll cover 8 proven methods to tire your husky out, as well as some general tips for making sure you’re meeting their needs.

Meeting Your Huskies Needs

Tiring your husky out is all about making sure they get enough exercise as well as extra mental stimulation from playing with toys or learning new tricks.

Huskies can be very stubborn at times, and this trait will only get worse if they are bored or restless. We, unfortunately, see a lot of new husky owners who are unprepared for how much of a commitment this breed is.

Luckily, there are a lot of things you can do to meet their exercise needs with relative ease. You don’t have to go running with your husky every day for miles on end to tire them out (although this is a good method!).

8 Methods To Tire Out A Husky

Here are 8 different methods for tiring your husky out.

I’ve tried to include some more hands-on approaches, as well as more hands-off methods you can use to suit your lifestyle.

1. Take Them For A Hike

If you enjoy hiking this is the perfect opportunity to let your husky join you.

Huskies have no problem hiking for miles and miles given their background as sledding dogs capable of travelling over extremely long distances, and hiking gives them a chance to exercise for a longer period of time.

Hikes also tend to be more demanding, especially on routes with lots of elevation, which is the perfect challenge for your husky.

If you haven’t hiked before, check out some of your local routes with your husky – you might be surprised how much you enjoy it!

2. Take Them Running

Huskies love to run, and it’s a great way to introduce some moderate to high-intensity exercise into their routine.

To do this you’ll need a hands-free dog leash that wraps around your waist – you should never let your husky off-leash, especially when running.

Huskies will be able to keep up with even the most proficient runners, but it’s best to start them off slowly with a mile or two at a time with a moderate pace so they can adapt to it.

A husky standing up and throwing a tantrum in a field

Remember that domestic huskies are not the same as working huskies, so they’ll need some time to get used to longer runs.

3. Play Games

Playing games with your husky is a great way to tire them out for two reasons:

  • It provides additional exercise which is always going to be helpful with this breed.
  • It gives them extra mental stimulation which also contributes to how tired they will be.

Some great games to play with huskies include fetch, tug of war and hide-and-seek. Experiment with these to see what your husky prefers and you’ll have an easy option to tire them out whenever you need to.

4. Socialisation

Huskies are a very social breed, so allowing them to socialize will not only make them happier but it’s a great way to tire them out as well.

There are lots of ways to help your husky socialize:

  • Regular walks – It goes without saying, but you should be walking your husky regularly. It’s important not only for exercise, but it’s the most common way for them to meet new people and interact with other dogs.
  • Visit the local dog park – Dog parks are great places for letting your husky socialise with lots of other dogs. If you have one nearby, be sure to visit it as often as you can.
  • Take them to new locations – A lot of people just take their huskies for walks and that’s about it, but you should let them join you in other places like when you go to the beach or meet up with your friends. It’s an easy way to get them to socialize more.
  • Take them to doggy daycare – A lot of huskies struggle with separation anxiety, and doggy daycare is a good way to combat this while letting them socialize with lots of other dogs and people.

Socialization should start from a young age, and it’s an easy way to tire them out with little effort from you in terms of exercise.

5. Use Puzzle Toys

Puzzle toys are great for tiring huskies out, especially if you find a toy that your husky loves.

Puzzle toys share the same idea; a treat is hidden within the toy and your husky has to figure out how to get it out. They’re great examples of positive reinforcement; when your husky gets the treat they are rewarded for solving the puzzle and will continue to do so until they get bored.

Huskies can spend hours with puzzle toys, especially if you load them up with their favorite treats, and it’s a good way to tire them out mentally.

6. Do Some Obedience Training

Okay, huskies are notoriously difficult to train, everybody knows that.

They are not particularly interested in pleasing their owners, which can make obedience training very difficult.

You should still try though, as huskies will listen to you at least sometimes. It’s also a great way to bond with them, and it will help to tire them out.

Start out with the basics like sit and stay, and work from there. If you want some advice on how to do this successfully, check out our article on the topic.

7. Consider Getting Another Dog

Huskies don’t need another dog, but they are pack animals and can benefit greatly from having another dog in the house.

The best type of dogs for huskies are actually other huskies or similar breeds like the Alaskan Malamute. It’s usually best to go for opposite genders or female with female rather than two males as there can be issues with dominance.

Getting another dog will help to tire your husky out as they will spend endless hours playing together.

8. Use Your Bike

Sometimes there is no way around tiring your husky out apart from long periods of intense exercise. This can be difficult to manage, even for the most active of people, which is where a bike comes in.

Biking will allow you to cover much longer distances with less effort than running or walking. As a bonus, you could even use an e-bike to make it even easier.

This may take some practice, especially with the lead, but once you get the hang of it it’s the perfect way to give your husky some much-needed intense exercise without it being as intense for you.

In Summary

Huskies can be really difficult to tire out, but if you use just a couple of the methods in this article you’ll no doubt have success.

Remember to meet the 2 hours or more of exercise alongside mental stimulation in the form of games, toys or socialization and your husky will be much happier.

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About The Author

Caitlin is the owner and lead writer for The Malamute Mom. She has over 10 years of experience with Alaskan Malamutes and Huskies. She is currently working on getting her PhD in materials science but continues to write for The Malamute Mom in her spare time.

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