If your husky won’t come inside, it’s important to figure out why this is happening to make sure it is normal behavior and that something isn’t wrong with your pup.
Most of the time, your husky won’t come inside simply because they prefer to be outside. This can be because of the weather, out of boredom, or simply out of stubbornness. It can also be related to problems like anxiety as well.
In this guide, I’ll take you through the ten most common reasons why your husky won’t come inside, when you should be concerned, and much more.
Let’s get straight into it.
Contents
Should You Be Concerned If Your Husky Won’t Come Inside?
If your husky won’t come inside, it isn’t something to worry about unless they look uncomfortable or anxious.
These can indicate that something is wrong with their health, or they fear coming back inside for several reasons.
If you are concerned for your husky’s health, always consult a veterinarian, and if they seem anxious to come inside, it’s crucial that you figure out why.
10 Reasons Your Husky Won’t Come Inside
Here are ten reasons why your husky won’t come inside and what you need to do (if anything) for each case.
1. They Like The Weather
Huskies love to sleep outside; there’s no denying that.
I’ve known huskies that have stayed outside for hours on end when it starts to snow, and this is pretty typical behavior.
If the temperature inside your house is too hot, or if it is simply nice and cold outside, they may prefer to spend some time outside in the cold.
This isn’t anything to worry about and is something you should expect with having a husky.
2. They Are Being Stubborn
Another common reason why your husky won’t come inside is that they are being stubborn.
Huskies are an incredibly stubborn breed, and half of the time, they won’t feel like listening to you.
This can be hard to handle at first, but if you have any experience with huskies, you’ll understand how they can act occasionally.
This is a common behavior trait seen amongst most Spitz-type breeds, so if your husky decides to stay outside, good luck getting them back inside with basic commands!
3. They Have Noticed A Small Animal
If your yard has a lot of space or is close to other fields, gardens, trees, or other areas where wildlife might be found, this could distract your husky and stop them from coming inside.
Huskies have a naturally high prey drive, which means they have a tendency to chase after small animals without a second thought.
If they’ve noticed an animal in your yard or nearby, they will become distracted and refuse to listen to any commands.
This is one of the main reasons why huskies have a tendency to escape, and it’s also why your yard needs to be fully secured if you want to let your husky outside in it.
4. They Are Enjoying Their Own Company
Another important characteristic of the Siberian Husky is its independence, again stemming from its history as a Spitz breed.
As sociable and friendly huskies can be, they still enjoy their own time now and then.
It can take a while to get used to this, but it isn’t always a bad thing if your husky takes themselves outside to spend some time alone.
5. They Aren’t Getting Enough Exercise
Huskies have a big exercise requirement, needing at least 2 hours of intense daily exercise.
If this requirement isn’t being met, they might take themselves outside to run around and burn off their excess energy. They will also be more likely to approach you and stare at you to try to get you to play with them.
I know how hard it can be to tire a husky out, so read our guide here for more advice.
6. Different Smells And Noises
Like all dogs, huskies are very curious and have a powerful sense of smell.
They use their incredible sense of smell to assess their environment and communicate, so you might find your husky sniffing around when you take them for walks.
They can also become distracted by different noises as well, such as animals, other people, or even passing traffic.
If your husky isn’t coming inside and is sniffing around or distracted by a new sound, it’s completely normal.
7. Socializing
Huskies are a very social breed and are friendly to pretty much everyone.
This is why they don’t make great guard dogs, but also why we love them so much.
If your yard backs onto neighbors or is close to a path or other area, your husky might stay outside to socialize with anybody who comes by.
8. Anxiety
If your husky is anxious to go back inside, it can cause them to stay outside for periods of time and not listen to any commands to try to get them back inside.
Rescue huskies are particularly prone to this due to issues they may have developed previously.
This can happen for a lot of reasons, and some common examples are listed below:
- Your husky might be nervous or overwhelmed if somebody new is visiting the house. This is especially common in rescue huskies.
- If young children visit, your husky might want to get out of the way to give themselves some space, particularly if they like to play and potentially overwhelm them.
- Other dogs visiting your house can also make your husky anxious and want their own space to be in their own space.
If your husky is taking themselves outside due to anxiety, it’s important to figure out the cause of their anxiety to help them deal with it.
9. Boredom
Huskies can get bored easily.
This is because they are very intelligent dogs with a high exercise capacity, and if they aren’t getting enough mental stimulation, it can quickly lead to boredom.
There are often many more things to see and do outside, so your husky might want to stay outside if they are particularly bored to burn off any excess energy and sniff around.
10. Not Listening To Recall
The last reason for your husky not coming inside is a lack of recall.
Recall is a skill that you should ideally teach your husky from a young age, and it works by recalling your husky to a command like ‘Come!’ or ‘Here!’
If your husky doesn’t listen to your recall, then they will stay outside until they are forced to come back inside, or they start listening.
It’s important to note that recall becomes very difficult if they are distracted by another animal. I’ll cover the basic steps to teach recall shortly so you can strengthen the command.
Top Tips For Getting Your Husky Back Inside
Here are my favorite tips you can implement today to get your husky back inside.
Practice Recall
Practicing recall should be a part of your regular obedience training.
Here are some easy steps to start teaching your husky recall – remember that huskies are very difficult to train.
Start Small
The first step to practicing recall is to start inside and on a small scale. This first step requires your husky to know the sit command.
Tell your husky to sit and slowly walk away from them, only a short distance. During this time, you might find repeating the command ‘Stay’ every few seconds in a calm tone helpful.
Judge the distance on their body language; if they look like they might pounce at any second, call them either by their name or with the command ‘Come!’ or ‘Here!’, whichever you prefer. Make sure to give this command in a different tone to stay, ideally louder and more energetic.
If they successfully come to you, give them lots of praise and reward them with a treat. All obedience training should always follow the principles of positive reinforcement.
Gradually Increase Distance
Continue training indoors on a small scale but gradually increase the distance.
The goal is to get them used to staying in place even if you go out of a room or if there are others in the room acting as a distraction.
Go Outside
Once your husky starts to get used to recall, practice it outside in your yard or another secured area.
Going outside will make things much more challenging as there are many distractions and new smells and sounds.
Practice Outside To Inside
Now, it’s time to put all this practice into action by attempting to recall them inside from outside.
If they are comfortable with recall outside, this shouldn’t be too much of a jump. The same principles apply, and make sure to give them a treat and lots of praise if they follow the command.
Be Patient!
Training huskies can seem like walking on a minefield, so it is important to stay patient.
Even the best dog trainers struggle with this breed, so don’t feel bad if you can’t get a strong recall.
Note – Your husky will be almost impossible to recall if they are distracted by a small animal. There isn’t anything you can do about this, as their prey drive causes it.
Make Sure They Receive Enough Exercise & Mental Stimulation
Another important aspect of getting your husky back inside is ensuring their physical and mental needs are met.
Make sure you take your husky for lots of exercise every day – at least 2 hours – and supplement this with obedience training and puzzle toys for extra mental stimulation.
If your husky is tired out, there’s a very small chance of them staying outside unless they decide to go out for a sleep.
Address Underlying Problems
If your husky doesn’t want to come inside because they are anxious or prefer being outside because it is more interesting to them, you need to address these problems to get them back inside.
Make sure they have plenty of toys and treats inside and comfortable places to sleep (see our recommendations for husky dog beds here).
If they are frightened to come inside, you need to gently get them used to spending more time with you and being comfortable. Giving them a space inside the house where they can be alone can be very beneficial.
Never Force Them Back Inside
Never physically force your husky back inside unless it is for their safety.
Negative reinforcement is not a good way to teach them anything, and it will only create more anxiety and lead to friction between you two in the future.
In fact, it will only make it worse as your husky will be frightened to return inside because they will fear the consequences.
In Summary
It’s much more common than you would think for huskies to refuse to come back inside, especially if the weather outside is nice and cold or snowing.
It isn’t always a problem, but it’s important to understand why they choose to stay outside to ensure there isn’t an underlying issue.
If your husky is going outside as an outlet for their energy because they are bored, you need to consider exercising them more often so they are tired.
