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9 Reasons Why Your Husky Doesn’t (Like To) Cuddle + 5 Tips

Why Doesn’t My Husky Like To Cuddle

For sure, you want to cuddle with your Husky at home. 

The problem is, they don’t.  

Some dog parents call their Husky a “cat-dog” for this reason. 

You might ask yourself, “why doesn’t my Husky cuddle?”

Well, you are not alone!

There are several reasons why this happens. 

Keep reading to find out:

  • Why your Husky refuses to cuddle with you.
  • A further understanding of a Husky’s temperament.
  • What can you do to convince your Husky to cuddle.
  • And much much more…

Why doesn’t my Husky like to cuddle?

The most common reason why your Husky doesn’t want to cuddle with you is the breed’s temperament. Other reasons include trauma, health issues, age, fear, upbringing, temperature, lack of exercise, and physical injuries. 


9 reasons why your Husky doesn’t (like to) cuddle


#1: Temperament

Temperament Is One Of The Reasons Why Your Husky Doesn't Like To Cuddle

You should also know that Huskies are highly independent. They also have a strong mind compared to other dogs.

If your Husky doesn’t want to cuddle with you, they might not want to at the moment. But it doesn’t mean that they do not like you.

Most of the time, Huskies do things on their own terms. This means that they will cuddle with you when they want to, not when you want to.

And if you think that you cannot change a Husky’s natural temperament, you mostly cannot. Being independent is in a Husky’s genetic code.

If you want them to be as clingy as a Labrador retriever, they can’t. But they still love you though.  

Some of the ways Huskies show affection are through:

  • Easy eye contact.
  • Yawning with you.
  • Leaning against you.
  • Frequently playing with you.
  • Constantly checking on you.
  • Listening to your commands.
  • Stealing your clothes and shoes (they love your smell).

If your Husky doesn’t cuddle with you but does these actions, you shouldn’t worry. They love you but show it differently.

You should watch signs of excitable behavior as well. 

Some excitable behaviors include:

  • Barking.
  • Digging.
  • Zoomies. 
  • Play-biting.
  • Jumping around (sometimes on people).

A survey also found out that a dog’s excitable behavior is mostly triggered if it wants to play. This means that your Husky does not want to cuddle because it wants to be more active. 

Huskies are known to be an active breed. It is natural for them to dig holes and jump around which are two kinds of excitable behaviors. 

What’s more, Huskies love to howl. Sometimes, they howl more than they bark. 

If your Husky does not want to cuddle with you, consider that they might want to do something else. And it does not include cuddling with you. 

#2: Trauma

Trauma can come in many ways and can affect your Husky negatively. Mostly, this happens to dogs that are rescued from shelters.

The harsh reality is that there are people who abuse dogs emotionally and physically.

Some owners hurt, abandon, and mistreat Huskies. As a fur parent, you should do everything to make your Husky feel safe and loved.

If your Husky came from an animal shelter, they could have had it rough. If they experienced trauma, it may take a while before they get closer to you.  

If a Husky is abused, it will have a hard time dealing with its fears of other people. This might be one reason why your Husky doesn’t cuddle with you.

 Most puppy millers keep dogs in a secluded, dark area. This area is usually filled with waste and the dogs living in it are under harsh conditions.

The sole breed of a puppy mill is to sell puppies. A puppy miller will forcefully breed a female dog until the owner leaves it to die when it can no longer have pups. 

According to a study, dogs kept in a puppy mill develop traumas and phobias. They also have a hard time in having a normal existence due to their emotional scars.

Knowing your Husky’s full background can explain why they want to stay away from you or other people.  

Check out also: 9 Reasons Why Your Husky Is So Nervous + 5 Tips

#3: Health issues 

Your Husky might be sick if it doesn’t want to cuddle as much as it used to. Instead, they lie on the floor or other corners of the house.

Huskies tend to be active in playing outside. You should check their overall condition if you think something is wrong.

Another factor that you should notice is your Husky’s mental health. Dogs get depression like humans which can lead to fewer cuddles. 

Some causes of depression in dogs include:

  • Separation anxiety.
  • Moving to another place.
  • The dog parent feels depressed.
  • Death of one of the dog’s owner.
  • Losing a friend (moving out of the home).

Huskies are one of the healthiest dog breeds on earth. However, they’re not invulnerable. Make sure to call the vet if something serious happens. 

#4: Age

Just like humans, the age of your Husky will affect its temperament. A puppy is more likely to cuddle with you than a senior Husky.

An older Husky may have a lesser chance to cuddle with you because of health issues. Older Huskies also do not have the same energy as puppies. 

Older Huskies may also lose their cognitive abilities. Because of this, they might even forget you from time to time. 

In other cases, the senior Husky may even lose its hearing. For all you know, the Husky doesn’t cuddle with you simply because it can’t hear you call him. 

Also, older dogs are more prone to bone problems (see tip #8). Cuddling with a dog with bone problems only hurts the dog. 

But you shouldn’t lose hope if you love cuddling with your Husky, especially if it’s still a puppy. 

A puppy’s mind is still developing. This means that you can reward a puppy every time it cuddles with you and it will eventually learn. 

Not only can a Husky learn cuddling, it can also be more active if you train your pup to be that way. 

#5: Fear

Your Husky Might Be Afraid Of Something

Bear in mind that fear is different from trauma.

Fear could be the result of emotional traumas. But it is different when your Husky just genuinely feels afraid of something.

If your Husky feels afraid, it could go to you for protection or hide under something. When your dog comes to you, it hides and not cuddles.

Your Husky might be triggered by something that scares them like loud banging noises. Some of these examples are thunder and firecrackers.

It is usual for dogs to be afraid of loud banging noises. You should take into consideration why they don’t want to cuddle with you. 

They are less likely to cuddle because their attention is somewhere else when they are afraid. 

Your Husky can also be afraid of certain objects like the vacuum cleaner or one of your child’s toys.

#6: Upbringing

The Husky’s upbringing can also be a factor in this behavior. There are times where owners do not show physical affection to their dogs.

This doesn’t mean that the owner hurt the Husky pup. It only means that they aren’t as affectionate as you. In other cases, they can even be neglectful of the dog.

The dog may find cuddling uncomfortable if its previous owner wasn’t big on cuddles

A Husky that comes from a puppy miller can also have changes in its temperament. People who abusively breed dogs for money can change a dog’s temperament.

#7: Temperature

Their temperature may also be a reason why they don’t cuddle with you.

Huskies have a naturally thick coat that can give them warmth in the coldest environment. If the temperature is hot, your Husky might not cuddle with you.

They already feel hot inside. Cuddling with you only makes them hotter so they would rather be on their own. 

The body of a Husky is designed to combat the harshest snowstorms and not to cuddle with its owner during the summertime. 

#8: They need to exercise more

Your Husky may also need more exercise if it doesn’t cuddle with you. Huskies are working dogs that need their exercise every day.

The lack of exercise can make Huskies act abnormal. One of its abnormal reactions is staying still and refusing to cuddle. 

The average exercise a dog needs ranges from 30 minutes to two hours every day. For a Husky, an hour a day of exercise is essential.

Walking your dog every day can help prevent abnormal behaviors.

#9: Physical injuries

And if your Husky has injuries, you might not want to cuddle them. You might hurt them if you attempt to cuddle.

On the other hand, injured dogs are less likely to cuddle with their owners.

Huskies may be one of the healthiest dog breeds, but they are not safe from hip dysplasia. 

The pain that your Husky feels in their hip bone is unbearable when they have this condition. The expense for surgery is not also a cheap one. 

There is no certain age when hip dysplasia shows up. Some Huskies get it when they’re middle-aged and others when they are older. 

The most obvious sign of injury is limping. Most of the time, a Husky limps out because of an injury to its extremities. 

Major fractures can be easily seen by the eyes but spotting minor ones is tricky. 

If your Husky limps, try to touch the part softly. Take them to the vet if they get hurt by applying little pressure on the area because they might have an injury. 


5 tips on how to make your Husky cuddle


#1: Wait for them to cuddle you 

You should accept the fact that the Husky is a breed that doesn’t cuddle that much. What you can do is be there if your Husky decides to cuddle with you and show its affection.

You should also know that cuddles are not the only means of affection. Know the language of your Husky and you will see how it shows its love for you.

Never pick up your Husky and put it on the sofa or bed to cuddle with you. Huskies are a stubborn breed and might not like you in the future if you do this. 

#2: Train them young

Train Your Husky While They're Young

A Husky is naturally not showy when it comes to their love. You can give them all the affection you want but you might get disappointed.

Yet, this doesn’t mean that you cannot train them. Your Husky may not change significantly but it’s more than enough.

If your Husky is still a puppy, you should let them interact with other people and dogs. This can make the Husky more accepting towards people and other animals.

The classic “rewarding” might also work. You can give a treat to your Husky if it chooses to cuddle with you.

You may also want to hire a dog behaviorist. Dog behaviorists know how to correct the misbehaviors of dogs.

They are more needed if your dogs have bad behaviors due to poor upbringing or trauma. 

#3: Know your dog

There are other reasons why your Husky is not cuddling with you.

If your Husky isn’t affectionate because of trauma, you should be more understanding. Trauma is a hard thing to heal.

There will be days where your Husky might even be afraid of you. If this happens, never invade your Husky’s personal space.

You should also never force your Husky to like you in an instant. Instead, make yourself the reason why your dog trusts people again.

You should also understand that your Husky may not want to cuddle ever if it’s traumatized. Some wounds never heal over time.

You should also do a background check on where your puppy came from.

#4: Desensitization

Your Husky might not cuddle with you if it is distracted with a sound they fear. 

The good news is, you can teach the Husky how not to be afraid. You can happily introduce these objects.

You can also reward your Husky when it shows bravery over a thing that he fears the most. You should also never punish your Husky for being afraid because it is normal.

Bear in mind that there might be noises that are too loud for you and your puppy. If this is the case, it is normal for the both of you to jump out of your position.

You should also know that your puppy should know the commands ‘sit’, ‘stay’, ‘come’, and ‘down’ to know this command. This way, they stay in place while training. 

To noise train your puppy, you have to: 

  1. Download the sound that they are afraid of (there are videos on the Internet that has generic fireworks, gunshots, or anything similar).
  2. play the sound to your puppy at a low volume for a day.
  3. slowly increase the volume of the recording as the days pass and reward them every time they do not flinch. 
  4. Keep increasing the volume each week until they get desensitized to the sound.
  5. If your Husky gets stressed on the sound, decrease the volume for a few days before slowly increasing it again.

If you got your Husky as a puppy, you should let it socialize with other people. Take to new locations to avoid paranoia when it reaches the age of one year or older. 

#5: Go to the vet

When it comes to your dog’s physical condition, regular visits to the vet will tell if they have a disease. As long as you feed them right and exercise them, they are good to go.

There may be other conditions than fractures or injuries. You never know but they might be sick. 

Huskies love digging. So, there is a chance that worms from the ground infested your Husky’s intestines. 

Deworming can solve this problem but you still need to go to the vet to know which medicine to buy. 

It is okay if your Husky does not cuddle with you. What is not okay is your Husky not cuddling with you and showing signs of weakness. 

Never hesitate to have checkups from the vet to know what the problem is. It might save their life.