Huskies are beautiful wolf-like dogs. Their intimidating look makes people think they are the perfect dog to keep their home safe. But are Husky good guard dogs?
Huskies are not good guard dogs. They are very friendly and are not too protective of their homes. Being very stubborn makes it hard to teach some commands that will help them protect you. But there are a lot of reasons why Huskies are excellent watchdogs.
- Why Huskies Are Not Good Guard Dogs
- Huskies Are Excellent Watchdogs
- How To Train A Husky To Be A Guard Dog
- Dog Breeds That Are Good Guard Dogs
Why Huskies Are Not Good Guard Dogs
A good guard dog needs to be protective of its home. Most guard dogs are muscular, sturdy, and aggressive. They are easy to train, and you can teach them to attack by command. Unfortunately, Huskies don’t have these traits.
They Are Too Friendly
One of the best traits of the Husky makes it a very bad guard dog. Huskies are just too friendly with everyone. All they want to do is meet new people and play around. You will see it greeting the mailman instead of chasing them off.
If an intruder comes through your door, your Husky will spot them. But it is probably going to make friends with the intruder than attack them.
They Are Not Suspicious
Another reason why you wouldn’t want a Husky as a guard dog is because it is not suspicious of strangers entering its territory. This makes them great dogs if you have people over and don’t want to worry about your dog scaring them.
But if an intruder comes to your door, your Husky is more likely to help them get in than attack them.
They Are Stubborn
The Siberian Huskies are very intelligent dogs and can learn commands very quickly. The problem is that they are also very stubborn and won’t start learning without a lot of persistence.
Huskies are very independent and do whatever they please. They are also easily distracted. This means that you can’t train it to attack intruders even if you want to. You also won’t be able to get it off anyone if it decides to attack.
They Are Not Aggressive
Siberian Huskies are not aggressive and this makes it bad to have a Husky as a guard dog. It is great for people that worry about dogs being aggressive. But it isn’t great for people that want protection.
A good guard dog needs to be aggressive so it can scare off intruders. A simple growl or a bark can go a long way. It is very hard to aggravate a Husky so much that it starts acting out with aggression.
They Don’t Like Being Alone
Intruders and robbers are not the only ones who will leave your house all roughed up. Siberian Huskies are high-energy dogs and can get bored pretty quickly. Once they do get bored, they become destructive.
It is a common sight for Husky owners to come home to chewed-up footwear and scratched-up furniture. Because of this, owners may put them in a pen or a dog kennel which will stop them from actually protecting the house.
Huskies Are Excellent Watchdogs
Even if Siberian Huskies are not good guard dogs, they are excellent watchdogs. There is a difference between a guard dog and a watchdog. A watchdog is there to alert the owner that someone is on their property. A guard dog is there to act on this presence and attack it, even if the owner is not present.
They Are Intimidating
Huskies are beautiful and fluffy, but they do have an intimidating aspect to their appearance. They look very similar to wolves, and a person that doesn’t know the Husky can easily get scared.
If it’s night and it’s dark, the intruder will come in and see a big wolf-like dog staring at it. Anyone can get scared of this.
They Are Curious
Huskies are known to be curious dogs. The bad habit they have of digging up gardens in search of new smells is just the tip of their curiosity iceberg.
Huskies are good watch dogs because they can use this trait to bring attention to the intruder coming into your home. If you notice it going next to the door at night, it might be because someone is trying to enter.
They Are Very Vocal
Huskies are not known to bark a lot, but they do make a lot of other sounds. They can communicate with whines, moans, or howls.
The howling is an especially loud sound that Huskies are known for. In time, the owner of the Huskies will learn what each sound means. This will make communication easier, and the owner will know when the Husky is alerting to danger.
How To Train A Husky To Be A Guard Dog
If you want your Husky to guard your home, you should focus on teaching it how to be a watchdog. A good watchdog needs to know how to recognize possible threats and how to alert the owner. It also needs to know how to be quiet when there is no real threat.
Teach It How To Be Quiet
You can start training your dog from its puppy years. First, teach it how to “sit”, “stay”, and “come”. Then you can teach the “hush” command. This means that you can make your Husky quiet whenever it gets too loud.
You can start by finding out what triggers the dog to be so vocal. Then expose it to the trigger and wait for it to respond. Once the Husky starts getting vocal, say “hush”. When it gets quiet, give it a treat and praise it. Repeat this until it learns that “hush” means to be quiet and then you can start doing it without treats.
This way you will teach your Husky to be a protection dog that will stop alerting you whenever you say that it’s okay.
Teach It To Be Alert Of Intruders
Once you have taught your Husky how to “hush” and quiet down, make sure to not overuse this command. Whenever someone is at the door and the Husky starts alerting you, don’t immediately tell it to “hush”. You will confuse it and teach it not to alert you.
Instead, tell it to “hush” only after you’ve opened up the door and greeted the person. This will give it a hint that that person is fine and is not a threat.
Also, make sure to listen to your dog when it alerts you. Instead of brushing off whenever it’s being loud about something, make sure to check out if everything is okay in the house and outside.
Dog Breeds That Are Good Watch Dogs
Now that you know that a Husky can not be a guard dog, here are some dog breeds that make great guard dogs.
Rottweiler – This is one of the best guard dog breeds in the world. It’s a big strong dog that is very territorial and protective. It is also very brave and can get aggressive when needed. The growling of the Rottweiler is a famously scary sound that can make any intruder shiver with fear.
Bullmastiff – The Bullmastiff is a huge dog with a very menacing look. It has the strength and the bravery to tackle any intruder that wants to intrude on your home. It can be trained from young puppy age and become very loyal to its owner and close family.
Dobermann Pinscher – The Dobermann is another big scary dog that can run off any intruder. It is very protective and territorial. But besides its look, it is also a very loving and valued member of the family. It is very trainable and you can teach it to be nice to good people.
German Shepherd – Instead of having a Husky as your guard dog, you can get a German Shepherd. This is a popular dog breed, especially in the police force, because it can sense danger and react to it with ease. It has an impeccable scent and is very responsive to training.
Boxer – Another great choice for a guard dog is the Boxer. This is another large, muscular dog, that can protect you from anyone that wants to harm you. It is menacing in its looks and is very aware of what’s going on around it. On the other hand, it is a great family pet that loves affection.
Cane Corso – If you want a dog that was bred to be a protector and a guardian, you can get a Cane Corso. Its name literally means “bodyguard-dog” when translated to English. It is a big powerful dog with a menacing look, but it is also very loving and a great family dog. You can also choose to get a Bullmastiff mixed with Cane Corso which is a great combination for a guard dog.
So Are Husky Good Guard Dogs?
Siberian Huskies are great dogs to keep in your house. But they aren’t the best guard dogs. A good guard dog needs to be aggressive, territorial, and respond to commands quickly. Instead, the Huskies are too friendly with everyone they see and they are often stubborn.
However, Huskies are great to keep as watchdogs. They are big dogs that look like wolves and can scare intruders. They are curious and can sense when someone is nearing your home. And they are very vocal when they want to communicate something to you.
You can train a Husky to be a better guard dog for your home. If you don’t want to bother with this, and you want a good guard dog, there are a few dog breeds to choose from. The Rottweiler, Bullmastiff, and Boxer, are only a few of a number of great guard dogs.
FAQ
Do Huskies protect their owners?
Even though they aren’t the best guard dogs, Huskies will protect their owners if they are attacked. Huskies are very connected to their family as they are pack-oriented dogs, so they will always protect their pack.
What are the traits of a good guard dog?
Good guard dogs need to be big and strong so they can scare and attack intruders. They need a strong bite like the Tibetan Mastiff dog psi. They need to be territorial and very protective. They also need to be intelligent and obedient to their master.
Why do Huskies talk and not bark?
Siberian Huskies don’t bark a lot and that makes them less of a guard dog. But Huskies communicate in many other ways and sounds. They howl, whine, and even try to speak so they can convey a message.
Are Huskies protective of babies?
Are Husky good guard dogs? No, but this is a good thing when it comes to living with a baby. The Husky won’t get overprotective of the baby or you, so it will fit right in the family.