I have a husky, and for some reason lately he has been going berserk in the yard for what seems no reason!?

Question

I am unsure whether he is lonely, frustrated, or just going a bit mental, he is fine the rest of the time, its just when he is in the yard, he tries to dig holes everywhere or he looks at nothing in particular and growls!!! And he is getting very protective when i go into the yard, he wont walk away from me he always stands near me, what is going on, anyone EVER seen anything like this??

I am unsure whether he is lonely, frustrated, he gets lots of exercise, we go for a 6 mile run everyday so i know its not a lack of exercise, he used to like hanging out in the yard if you will as it was outside, he has free run of the house as well, so that he does not feel retricted or is he just going a bit mental, he is fine the rest of the time, its just when he is in the yard now, he tries to dig holes everywhere or he looks at nothing in particular and growls!!! And he is getting very protective when i go into the yard, he wont walk away from me he always stands near me, what is going on, anyone EVER seen anything like this??

Answer 1

I know huskies are diggers, we used to have one. They are great dogs. Maybe he sees or saw something you didn't, a small animal or something? I would ask your vet just in case there is something else going on you don't know about. I would be concerned that he could have been bitten by something, an now he is afraid of the area and maybe wants to protect you, but that's just a guess. Hope this helps!

Answer 2

If he's fine in the house, out on walks and everywhere else then its something specific to the yard.
Does he only do it at a certain time of day or night? If he's fine at night it might be a local business generating a noise that disturbs him.
If its all the time but only in a certain part of the yard then that's where you need to start looking.
Indoors, dogs sometimes fixate on a wall or piece of floor; they get worked up and frustrated and dig. It turns out that its the noise from the central heating pipes, the water gurgles as it moves through. If he's digging in a straight line across your yard, do the holes line up with any pipework?
I doubt if the scent from any other animal would make him protective; he;d probably just want to hunt. Whatever it is he can hear, he's decided its a threat. It may be that there's a noise coming from elsewhere that he can hear but you can't, and the digging could just be agitation and frustration. Dogs have much more acute hearing than us and they are also sensitive to sounds at the bottom and top end of the range; very high sharp noises and very low subsonic ones.
I heard a case where a horse started going berserk in its stable, and 6 months later the owners discovered that there was a strange noise from the phone wires that was driving it nuts. The stable next door didn't have the problem and the horse was fine as soon as it was moves.
Are there any phone wires near you? A local garage using an angle grinder, or a mine or quarry? Is there an abandoned mine shaft near your garden? (If there is your dog says get it checked out!)
Unfortunately you don't have your dogs ears. If it was me, I'd go into the garden with him and ask him what the problem is. I'd walk around making a show of looking around and listening very hard, looking at him often to let him know I don't hear anything. If he is able to pinpoint the problem, he'll indicate; you just have to be able to read him. Unless thers a big hole under your yard, in which case I'd keep the pair of you out!

Answer 3

Where do you live? Is there any chance there's slight earthquakes happening? He's picking up on SOMETHING he doesn't understand and considers a threat. And I do know animals react to earthquakes....even when we don't feel them. I know someone in AZ who had a burmese python who for unknown reasons (and I've never seen or heard this before) constricted then "jumped" for lack of a better word into the side of the glass, breaking it. I saw this so I know it wasn't made up. We couldn't find anyone who understood what we were talking about then heard there was an earthquake in CA that could be felt in AZ. We didn't feel anything but we're sure Taz did...she never did that again.
I'd say there's *something* your husky is sensing as a threat that he doesn't understand and wants to protect you from it.

Answer 4

There could be a female in season (or several!) somewhere close enough for him to scent. This could really unsettle him but there could be so many other things like noises, other smells, other animals it is really difficult to come up with any thing practical.

Apart from his daily run does he have anything to do? Do you spend time with him? Train him? Play with him?

Could it be that he spends all of his time waiting to go out for his run because that is all he has got to occupy him?

I'm a bit concerned that you think he might " just be going a bit mental". If he is this could be really serious and could mean that he will have to be euthanized. You really need to get this sorted and find out why he is so upset.

We can all give you educated guesses but you are the only one who can help him.

Answer 5

A Husky is normally a working dog. He need to have something to do. He wants to work.

One of the simplest way to accomplish this is to purchase a dog backpack. Put water bottles and other items in it for the weight effect. Not alot of weight. Put the backpack on him and start taking him for walks. With a dog his size will require at least 2 mile walks to accomplish his need to work.

Only put the backpack on when he is going to work. He will soon look forward to the backpack because he is going to get to work. The walks will burn off the excess energy that builds in him on a daily basis.

He is becoming a mental case and will only get worse if you fail to work your working dog. If you cannot do this for some reason, then you need to find him a home that can and get a dog that doesn't need this kind of exercise.

Answer 6

huskies are diggers, but 6 miles is nowhere near enough for a husky. They have been bred to RUN over 50 miles in a day! are you sure you can cope with the energy requirements of this breed? they do dig, but it is probably lack of exercise. The other problem may be his sight. Get it checked by the vet as he may be seeing things that aren't there. He may be over compensating with his hearing.

Answer 7

6 miles is admirable, but my goldie gets that. Seriously, it might not be enough for him. Also, when my dog used to dig up the garden, I built a large sandpit, and got him to dig in that. Build one and bury toys and treats in it. It will give him something to do. Other 'boredom busters' are kongs, I like to fill them with bread so it takes ages to undo it, balls that dispense kibble when rolled around, hanging rope toys, tunnels and ladders. Give him something to do, preferably for about 10-12 hours a day, in addition to walks. Huskies in the arctic would think nothing of pulling a sled for 30 miles a day. He needs mental as well as physical exercise.

Answer 8

Is this dog getting enough exercise? Being in the yard really does not count. Dogs need to be walked/run at least 2 times a day. It's natural for them to walk/run/hunt/sniff/etc...He may be getting frustrated and not know how to show it. Try a really long walk, and it will help with your bonding. I bet if you get on aregular routine, he'll get better Good Luck

Answer 9

Just a thought but maybe another dog has been getting into the garden and peeing, leaving a scent? Or a fox/cat etc etc.

Is this possible? Might answer why hes digging - like he is looking for something.

Answer 10

Sounds like he's trying to proetect you from something.Do you think you may have any snakes in the yard?It could even be moles.That would explain why he digs and growls.♥