Ever Wonder Why Huskies Love to Cuddle? Here’s the Answer!

Have you noticed your Husky is very cuddly? Why do Huskies like to cuddle? We’ll answer that and why some Huskies are not affectionate.

Huskies are loyal companion dogs. I’ve come across people who like the appearance of this breed but were somehow pessimistic about owning one because they look like wolves. 

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Although the dogs are more like wolves in appearance, they are known to have affection towards their human owners. As a parent of three huskies, I want to share with you some insights about your husky and its response to affection. 

Do huskies like to cuddle? My three huskies, Laika, Nova, and Leki, are affectionate and cuddly dogs. They always are over the moon when I give them warm hugs, pet them and rub their bellies. However, it’s true that not every husky has this kind of temperament. 

There are huskies that like to exert their independence to having hugs, belly rubs, and being petted. There are others that prefer to be left alone in silence without any fuss or drama.

So in the end, the ultimate answer to this question is that it all depends on the individual temperament of the individual husky. 

But then, if your dog tends to be aloof most of the time, you can train it to show and respond to acts of affection. It shouldn’t be hard to achieve this milestone given that huskies are known for their gentleness and friendliness.

Huskies are good family dogs and that means there is an aspect of affection within them, even if it’s not showing at the moment. So long as you can afford at least 60 minutes of exercise every day, you shouldn’t hesitate to go for them. 

Do Huskies like people?

Yes, huskies generally prefer to spend their time with their human owners, most of the time. If you’ve bonded with yours properly, it will cherish the moments you spend cuddling or snuggling.

The breed is also friendly and will be quick to greet the people they meet. The luscious coat of my huskies makes me want to spend every free minute I have cuddling with them.

As a matter of fact, even when I don’t have anything to do, curling up and cuddling with the trio makes the perfect past-time activity for me. 

The origin of the breed dates back over 3,000 years ago. They were bred as working dogs and so they developed close connections as they worked alongside them on the farms. These traits have been developed and inherited over the generations to the present day. 

However much these animals are cuddly and loveable, I’ve learned from being a parent to three of them that they require a strong owner.

That’s the only way you’ll be in a position to command and lead them. Even during training, you’ll need to balance between being tender and firm at the same time. 

The best recommendation for ensuring your huskies are affectionate is to start socialization training while they’re still in their puppy stage. That will ensure that they are friendly and receptive to humans. As a result, it will be easy for them to enjoy human company.  

How do Huskies show affection?

I’ve had the privilege of raising Leki, my husky puppy from day one when she was born. I made up my mind to train it to be affectionate right from an early age.

I’ve noticed that whenever the puppy is around, it tends to nudge my hand so that I can take it into my arms and pet it. Whenever it sees me sleeping, it comes up to sleep next to me. 

As for Laika and Nova, they tend to show their affection by mouthing my hand. That is, they’ll gently take hold of my hand and hold it with their mouth as a way of showing their affection. 

Besides these, the following are other ways that pets can show their affection:

• Looking at you intensely in the face
• Curling up where you are
• Leaning on you
• Hand or face licking
• General playfulness
• Imitating what you do e.g. yawning
• Following you around
• The excitement when it sees you
• Rubbing against your legs

Why do Huskies like to cuddle?

As I’ve already mentioned, huskies are friendly dogs. They’ll readily embrace every person they meet unless you scare them. If they’re raised with other animals, they won’t have a problem getting along with them. The dogs enjoy playing with everyone and that even includes the animals they’re raised together with. 

Huskies understand that cuddling is an expression of affection. That’s how they let you know that they love being around you. If you want to form a strong bond with your dog, you can take advantage of such moments to tap into their emotions and bring them close to you. 

What makes a Husky want to cuddle with you?

• Safety – Despite their pack mentality, huskies know that their human owners can afford them the safety they need. During cuddling, your husky is assured of its safety. 
• Protection – The breed has the natural tendency to want to protect everyone and everything around it. Even though you’re its master, it feels that by cuddling with you, it’s also closer to you and therefore it’s protecting you. 
• Looking for warmth – Although they’ve got a double coat, huskies will also feel cold from time to time. For them, cuddling is a way of feeling warmer faster. 
• Comfort – Also, if your husky isn’t feeling well, it will draw near to you so that you soothe it as a way of comfort. 
• Anxiety or stress reliever – Cuddling lowers the stress levels of dogs. According to Science Mag, cuddling causes the release of the hormone oxytocin both in dogs and humans. 

Why don’t other Huskies like to cuddle? 

As I’ve already made clear, huskies are a friendly and outgoing breed. However, some are more independent than others and so they prefer to be left to their own devices. Besides this factor, the following are the other reasons that might make a husky not want to cuddle:

• Dogs coming from the rescues – people who get their huskies when they’re already grown are likely to have issues when it comes to bonding with the dog. They’re likely to be even more apprehensive if they’re coming from rescues. It’s not easy for such dogs to establish a rapport with new people at once. They’ll most likely have trust issues standing as a wall between you and them. To work around this problem, you’ll need to be patient and take your time to first build trust and start connecting and bonding. 
• Lack of proper socialization – the problem with getting mature dogs is that you aren’t sure whether or not they were properly socialized. If it’s not been taught to relate well with people and other animals, that might have to be your starting point. 
• Old age – If your husky is old, it probably doesn’t have the energy and strength to cuddle with you. As is the case with other older dogs, they’ll lose interest in human connections and would prefer to spend their time alone in silent places. 
• Depression – dogs too get depressed and at times, it’s so bad that your dog doesn’t want anything to do with anyone. 
• Illness – If your dog is sick, it might opt to stay away from you and the others around it especially if the illness is causing a lot of discomforts. 

If you realize that your husky isn’t affectionate as you think it ought to be, you can take it to a vet so that it gets checked. The lack of affection might be a pointer to an underlying problem that you’ve not yet found out. 

However, there are huskies that will show their affection in different ways than you expect. Therefore, you need to pay attention to the following even if your husky appears to be aloof:

• Prompt obedience to your commands
• Always protective of you and your family
• Licking your hand
• Showing excitement when you get home
• Walking beside you
• Smelling your hand
• Focusing on you, especially when speaking 

Get your Husky to cuddle more

There are a couple of measures you could take to help your husky like cuddling more. Some of the things I’m about to mention will require patience and consistency and you don’t give up along the way. 

• Point your husky in the direction of affection – For instance, if the dog doesn’t like being hugged, start by giving it one quick hug. Don’t prolong it since that is likely to provoke it. 
• Treat them when you cuddle – Give your husky a nice cuddle. When it tries to back away, give it a treat so that it learns to associate the cuddling with a reward. With time, they’ll begin appreciating the cuddling moments. 
• Scratch its tummy – Give your husky a tummy scratch when it’s on the floor. 
• Play games with them – This helps to build and strengthen the bond between the two of you. After that, you can start introducing cuddling gradually.
• Pet them – Do this while speaking gently to them.