Receiving love from your husky is one of the most rewarding feelings possible. It confirms that you’re doing a good job in looking after them and lets you know that they trust and love you. But what are the husky signs of affection?
Huskies show affection in many ways, and no two huskies are the same. Common signs of affection include your husky being excited to see you, trying to lick your face, and allowing themselves to be in vulnerable positions around you.
There are many ways a husky can show affection which we take a look at in our article. Let’s get started!
Contents
- Are Huskies Affectionate?
- 15 Husky Signs Of Affection
- 1. Your Husky Shares Physical Contact With You
- 2. Your Husky Is Excited To See You
- 3. Your Husky Wants To Play With You
- 4. Your Husky Makes Eye Contact With You
- 5. Your Husky Changes Facial Expressions Around You
- 6. Your Husky Smells You Regularly
- 7. Your Husky Follows You Around
- 8. Your Husky Is Relaxed In Your Presence
- 9. Your Husky Follows Your Commands
- 10. Your Husky Doesn’t Hide From You
- 11. Your Husky Licks You
- 12. Your Husky Tries To Protect You
- 13. Your Husky Brings Things To You
- 14. Your Husky Checks Up On You
- 15. Your Husky Yawns With You
- What Does It Mean If Your Husky Doesn’t Show Any Signs Of Affection??
- Summing It Up
Are Huskies Affectionate?
Huskies are very affectionate. As pack animals, they are used to socializing and showing affection to others, but each husky has there own way of showing affection.
It does vary between huskies though; some are more independent (there is a reason why they are often compared to cats!) and others like to be as affectionate as possible.
15 Husky Signs Of Affection
Below we’ve talked about 15 signs of affection you might see with your husky.
We’ve tried to include a wide range of behaviours, but don’t expect your husky to do all of them.
One of the most easily distinguishable signs of affection from a husky is if they want to share physical contact with you. Huskies are big attention seekers and will often come to their owners in search of physical contact to deepen their bond.
A husky will rarely turn down physical attention if it is initiated by you unless there is a problem or something is scaring them. A better indication of whether a husky is showing affection is if they initiate the physical contact themselves.
There are many ways that they might do this. For example, leaning on you or weaving between your legs shows their trust in you. These simple actions are often overlooked by owners but are actually their huskies trying to show their love!
2. Your Husky Is Excited To See You
This might be obvious but when a husky is excited to see you when you come home, it’s usually a sign that they are trying to show their affection.
Whilst it can be a little overwhelming (we’ve been knocked over a few times by our huskies!) it’s worth appreciating their excitement. They may show it by vocalising, bouncing up and down, and trying to jump up on you.
Huskies typically like to be around their owner as much as possible, so you may see this excitement even if you’ve only been gone for a short amount of time.
3. Your Husky Wants To Play With You
We should all know by now that huskies love to play. Although playtime will (usually) not be turned down by a husky, regardless of who they are playing with, huskies will have their preferences.
You can tell who a husky likes to play with the most by their level of excitement during the play session. Huskies may even try to play with their favourite people of their own choice. If your husky comes running to you with their favourite toy or starts playfully nipping you, it’s a very good sign that they have a strong bond with you.
If you have yet to experience this with your husky, try to be aware of what they seem to enjoy most whilst playing.
Perhaps they will become more affectionate if you can throw the ball the furthest, or because you put the most effort into wrestling with them. Simple changes in your behaviour towards them can lead to a big increase in the affection you get back.
4. Your Husky Makes Eye Contact With You
A sign of affection that is often overlooked is eye contact with your husky.
In the human world, eye contact is often expected as a sign of respect and politeness. It is a simple but effective way to show that you are listening and engaging with what others have to say.
In the dog world, eye contact can be an indicator of both positive and negative emotions so it’s important to be able to distinguish between them. Dogs that don’t know you might understand prolonged eye contact to be a threat. On the other hand, prolonged eye contact with your own husky can show a deep and trustful bond.
This is quite a complicated topic, as sometimes the refusal from a husky to look at their owner’s eyes can be a sign of respect. Huskies are pack animals, and they will often shy away from looking into the eyes of the perceived ‘alpha’ of the household pack.
To put it simply, if your husky can comfortably maintain eye contact with you then this shows that they feel very relaxed around you. If they seem apprehensive to make eye contact, it could simply be because they don’t want to disrespect your position as the pack leader. Your husky’s preference will usually depend on the training they had as a puppy.
5. Your Husky Changes Facial Expressions Around You
Perhaps the easiest way to see affection from your husky is to watch their facial expressions as you interact with them.
As humans, we sometimes overlook the facial expressions made by animals. Small changes to their expressions might not be so obvious to us unless we are purposefully looking for them. When we are engaged in a conversation with another person, it is normal to visibly react with small changes to our facial expressions – and huskies will do just the same!
Huskies show their expression through their eyebrows and ears. A small lift in one of their eyebrows or their ears moving back slightly can show that they are happy to be interacting with you. Test this out by seeing how they react when you call their name or make a fuss about them. These micro-expressions are small but very meaningful.
6. Your Husky Smells You Regularly
Dogs see the world through their noses and will associate certain smells with emotions.
Once you have formed a strong bond with your husky, you might notice that they seem to come and smell you frequently. This is likely because they enjoy your smell and associate it with positive feelings. For example, your husky may find it easier to relax and feel comfortable if they can smell you.
If your husky has attachment issues, leaving them with an item of your clothing could help to calm them down. Having your scent around them will remind them of all the happy feelings associated with your relationship together.
7. Your Husky Follows You Around
If your husky is following you around the house, they very clearly love you!
Huskies are huge attention seekers and love to be in the presence of those they are fondest of. If they perceive your affection to be worthwhile, you might find that they never leave you alone. Whether you see this as a good or bad thing (we all need privacy sometimes) is down to you, but there is no mistaking this as a sign of affection.
Don’t panic if your husky doesn’t follow you around. As previously mentioned, all huskies have unique personalities and show their affection in different ways. Some huskies value their personal space, and some are simply lazy!
8. Your Husky Is Relaxed In Your Presence
This one should be easy to spot. Huskies show affection to their owners by having relaxed body language around them.
If your husky rolls over to let you rub their belly, this shows that they have immense trust in you. Most animals have the instinct to protect their stomachs as it is a vulnerable spot. To freely expose it and let you touch it is a very clear demonstration of love.
You should also see that your husky is quite laid-back in your presence. Simple behaviours such as falling asleep around you can show how relaxed they are. There is no need for them to be on guard!
Be aware that huskies are a very energetic breed and that being energetic is not necessarily the opposite of being relaxed. If your husky is a ball of energy around you seemingly non-stop, this could be their way of showing affection. However, it should be quite clear that their energy is positive rather than negative.
9. Your Husky Follows Your Commands
As a husky owner, you may have noticed that they tend to ignore your commands. This is normal husky behaviour – especially if they are having a tantrum!
The times when your husky decides to do as you tell them should be extra meaningful to you. Simple acts such as sitting or staying put when requested show the respect and trust that your husky has for you.
Trust us when we say that huskies are very strong-willed and will usually prefer to act of their own will. If they are willing to do as you say (some of the time!), they love you very much.
10. Your Husky Doesn’t Hide From You
This is a sign of affection that we all take for granted. If your husky does not try to hide from you, they are very trusting of you.
Unfortunately, not all huskies have a great upbringing. Some are mistreated by their owners resulting in them becoming fearful of being in their presence. It’s usually easy to tell when a husky has had a poor upbringing as they will try to hide from any humans, including their owner, due to feeling unsafe.
The fact that your husky does not try to hide from you should be highly valued.
11. Your Husky Licks You
Being licked by your husky can sometimes get a little annoying, especially if you know where their mouth has recently been! Although it’s not the most hygienic, it is a sign of affection and shouldn’t be punished.
It’s commonly thought that when dogs lick their owners, it is their version of giving them a kiss. We think this could be true as our huskies seem to start licking us when they are clearly happy. For example, if they know they are about to go on a walk we can guarantee our huskies will jump up and try to lick our faces.
As we have already said, licking due to affection should not be punished. If you are someone who doesn’t like this behaviour, we recommend trying to redirect their energy into a different form of affection. Next time they try to lick you, convince them to roll over instead for a good belly rub!
12. Your Husky Tries To Protect You
Before we get to this point, we want to make it clear that huskies are terrible guard dogs. They are simply too friendly as a breed to effectively deter threats and are more likely to befriend an intruder than chase them off.
That being said, huskies can sometimes become quite protective and possessive of their owners. This is because huskies are huge attention seekers. If they see that someone else is taking their owner’s attention away from them, you might notice their behaviour changes.
Don’t worry if your husky does not seem to care about protecting you. This is quite common in the breed and does not mean that they don’t love you – they will simply show it in other ways.
13. Your Husky Brings Things To You
Some huskies tend to be hoarders. Some of our previous huskies have been known to stash toys and bones away in the most random places, only for them to pop up again a few months later when they regain interest in them.
If your husky decides to bring things to you, rather than stash them away, you should take this as a sign of affection. This behaviour happens because your husky values your companionship. They want to include you in the things that are occurring in their lives, which may be something as simple as finding a new rock in the garden.
This is not a common sign of affection seen in huskies, but it’s an extra special one that should be appreciated greatly.
14. Your Husky Checks Up On You
One of our personal favourite signs of affection from our huskies is when they decide to check up on us. Huskies are very attentive to those that they love and will want to make sure that their owners are okay.
The next time you are out on a walk, watch for your husky making small glances at you. This is them checking up on you. They are not only making sure that you are still with them, but they are also looking for your approval that they are behaving well and can continue on.
Checking up also occurs in the house. If you have a husky who isn’t so clingy as to follow your every move, you should notice them checking up on you more frequently. We love when our huskies suddenly walk into the room, acknowledge that we are all still here, and then take themselves off to sleep again elsewhere.
15. Your Husky Yawns With You
The final sign of husky affection in our list, and possibly the weirdest, is when your husky yawns with you.
Have you ever noticed that seeing someone else yawning makes you want to do the same? In fact, you might have the urge to yawn now having just read about it! Well, according to researchers, the reason for this behaviour is empathy.
This behaviour does not just exist for humans but can be seen in dogs too. Dogs who have a particularly strong bond with their owners will often yawn when they see their owner doing so.
Part of the reason for this is that they are more likely to be watching and paying attention to their owners than dogs who do not have such strong bonds. As suggested by the research, it is also possibly because they are showing empathy to their owners.
Whatever the cause, this behaviour is only really seen in huskies and owners who have a special connection. If your husky yawns with you, it is a sign that you have a very loving bond.
What Does It Mean If Your Husky Doesn’t Show Any Signs Of Affection??
So, what does it mean if your husky isn’t showing any signs of affection. Assuming that your husky is not being mistreated, there are a few reasons why they might not be displaying their love in obvious ways. Take a read below:
You Haven’t Known Each Other For A Long Time
Building a strong connection takes time. Although huskies are a naturally friendly breed, forming deeper connections still takes work.
If you are still in the first few months of living with your husky, don’t panic about not seeing signs of affection just yet.
Something Is Bothering Your Husky
Sometimes, huskies don’t form strong connections because something their owner is doing is bothering them. Just like with humans, huskies have their likes and dislikes. Pay attention to how their behaviour changes during different activities and use this to your advantage.
Showing your husky that you can keep them happy is key to them learning to trust you.
Your Husky’s Needs Are Unmet
Your husky is trusting you to look after them appropriately.
They can’t take care of themselves and they know that responsibility falls to their owners. If your husky’s needs are unmet, for example, if their diet is poor or if they are not exercised enough, they will not form a strong bond with you.
They Need Training
Training your husky is vital.
Not only is it an excellent way to bond with your husky, but it’s important for keeping them well-behaved. If you don’t train your husky, their poor behaviour could lead to a weaker bond between you.
They Have A Different Personality
All huskies are different and will show signs of affection in different ways. Don’t panic if your husky doesn’t show any obvious signs of affection and don’t compare your husky to others. In our list, we’ve tried to include less obvious signs of affection that are often overlooked.
Your husky may show their affection in ways we haven’t talked about.
Summing It Up
How your husky shows affection to you might not be so obvious.
We hope we’ve brought attention to some of the more overlooked behaviours that can be surprisingly meaningful. Don’t panic if you’re not seeing signs of affection from your husky just yet, it’s never too late for your bond to grow stronger.