How to Stop a Husky From Biting a Toddler

If you're a parent of small children and you also own a husky, you may be worried about possible injury to your child. Because of the nature of the breed, a husky can pose a significant danger if its behavior is not controlled early on. You may need to get a professional involved, but before you call you might want to try a few things first to see if you can deter this type of behavior yourself.

Instructions

    • 1

      Supervise all interaction between the dog and the toddler. Huskies are genetically dominating and tend to try to dominate small animals and children. If the dog tries to use his teeth or do anything that might put the child at risk, be firm and say "No!" Make sure the child isn't encouraging rough play, which will send the message to the dog that the behavior is acceptable.

    • 2

      Respond correctly to negative behavior. When your husky begins to play roughly with its teeth, show it that it's hurting you by yelping "ouch!" This mimics how animals interact in their litter and your husky will back off its teething. Your husky won't want to displease you and will learn to obey your commands. If your husky continues to be aggressive, ignore the animal completely. Turn your back to it and become non-responsive. You may even choose to crate your dog and walk away. This teaches it that this type of behavior gets it no extra attention.

    • 3

      Be consistent in your method of training. This is essential to stopping negative behavior. Let all family members know what is expected in order to keep the dog under control. If some family members don't show an interest in participating in the training process, crate the animal when you're not around and ask others to do the same. Even one inconsistency can set your dog's learning process back significantly and you will need to start over. With the safety of your toddler at hand, you can't afford this type of mistake; everyone must be committed to the process of breaking the aggression.

    • 4

      Provide sufficient chew toys for the dog. Keep dog toys in one spot, such as a basket, so that your dog knows that everything in the basket belongs to it. Purchase toys that do not look similar to your toddler's toys, and keep your toddler away from the basket. This gives the dog an outlet for teething and a safe place to entertain himself by chewing on his own toys.

    • 5

      Walk the dog regularly. Huskies need plenty of daily exercise. A 15-minute morning walk before work, a 30-minute afternoon walk upon your arrival home and one quick 10-minute walk around the block before closing down for the evening will burn off any pent-up energy it might have that could turn destructive if left built up inside.