I've been told that Huskies like to "bite" or "grab" at your wrist or hand as a sign of affection and trust. I just recently adopted a Husky/Boxer mix, about 5 1/2 months old. He doesn't bite, even in play, on anything other than my hands and wrists (tho sometimes he gets a finger when aiming for my hand, etc). He gets visibly upset and barks at me if I won't let him grab at my wrist...

Normally, he'll wrap his paws around my arm, and then just... slobber and lightly grab at my hand and wrist and all over. If I take my arm back or push him off, he'll just sit there and throw a temper tantrum growling and barking (not in a threatening or angry or aggressive way).

In the household, I am VERY clearly his Alpha. I'm home most often, I'm doing his training, he's "my dog". My husband isn't as strict with him, and our cousin lives with us but avoids asserting any form of dominance since she's only here for 2 more weeks and doesn't want to "over step boundaries". So if it's TRUE that this is a bonding thing for him.. by denying him the chance to grab at my wrist, am I sending bad messages to him? Am I making him feel unwanted in our "pack"? He's only been with us for a week today, so it hasn't been long.


I tried using some of the "shut down" methods to get him to "stop biting" but that's when he starts barking at me. It's a very temper tantrum kinda bark and its almost adorable if it wasn't also annoying lol.

I'm afraid that if I let it continue, it will encourage biting later, even tho he doesn't bite otherwise right now. Is this something that will settle down as he settles in with us and the "pack status" settles in?

Picture for Attention of my little Mix baby

He's trying to goad you into playing. Biting and mouthing is just a form of initiating play. You aren't denying him anything by stopping him. You are teaching him much needed manors. The barking is his plan b to get you to play when the mouthing doesn't work. Training, walks, feeding are all ways to bond with your pup.

This is true. There are times when my boy, Kohdi, will put my hand in his mouth when I'm walking away from him, as I turn to him, he releases my hand and goes into playbow mode, I'll say "ahh, you wanna play?" and he jumps up and runs out the back door grabbing a toy on his way out, and waits on the grass area, toy in mouth, for me to play with him. I feel playing is also a way of bonding with your pup, but in your situation, with him starting to bark, it's in its own way, *demanding* you play with him and as was said, he needs to be taught some manners in that respect and giving in and going out to play with him won't achieve that. But maybe some set up time for play sessions will help?

He sure is cute

Oh, good.. I thought that's what the behavior was. But I have no experience with Huskies... I only have experience with Labs, Goldens, and Bully Breeds.. I've learned a LOT about huskies before I took Loki in but I hasn't seen anything about this wrist grabbing stuff but someone told me its this bonding thing, etc etc and I'm like.... OK... I can see how the behavior could point to that, but I'm still seeing "I wanna play". As I'm home during the day, I'm playing with him CONSTANTLY, draining lots of energy. He came to me at 5.5months, but no shots. His vet appointment is Tuesday to get caught up on everything, so I can't let him around other dogs just yet, but I have several play dates set up already once he's able. Right now during the day we play fetch and keep away and tug o war, as well as training (he knows Up, Down, Sit, and Stay!!!), and he has very little down time, but at night there's cooking dinner and then eating and spending time with my husband, so it's not as GO GO GO and that's when he starts the most of the behavior so it makes sense.

I am hoping that once I can take him on long walks, and have play dates, and what have you, he'll be more tired at night... But I'm happy to know that the behavior isn't something I'll have to work differently to shut down. Thank you both for the feedback, it means quite a bit!

I'm surprised that your lab didn't tell you that (s)he wanted to play. Mine often grabbed my pants-leg or my hand to "invite" me to play.

My Alaskan Husky will grab his rope and toss it around - and at me - so we play with that. My Sibes - nope, not interested in play - they just want to run!

You do have a cute - different! - boy there. Keep in touch, I'd like to see how he develops.

He's our only dog right now, and all my animals growing up we got at 12wks and we shut down any mouthing and nipping and biting immediately... Loki came to us at 5.5months and the urge to use his mouth is STRONG and I'm just not used to it. He's so pretty and I will be around for awhile for sure. I haven't had a dog in several years and haven't trained one this "old" so I'm gonna need some help! lol

HuskyBoxerMix wrote:

Oh, good.. I thought that's what the behavior was. But I have no experience with Huskies... I only have experience with Labs, Goldens, and Bully Breeds.. I've learned a LOT about huskies before I took Loki in but I hasn't seen anything about this wrist grabbing stuff but someone told me its this bonding thing, etc etc and I'm like.... OK... I can see how the behavior could point to that, but I'm still seeing "I wanna play". As I'm home during the day, I'm playing with him CONSTANTLY, draining lots of energy. He came to me at 5.5months, but no shots. His vet appointment is Tuesday to get caught up on everything, so I can't let him around other dogs just yet, but I have several play dates set up already once he's able. Right now during the day we play fetch and keep away and tug o war, as well as training (he knows Up, Down, Sit, and Stay!!!), and he has very little down time, but at night there's cooking dinner and then eating and spending time with my husband, so it's not as GO GO GO and that's when he starts the most of the behavior so it makes sense.

I am hoping that once I can take him on long walks, and have play dates, and what have you, he'll be more tired at night... But I'm happy to know that the behavior isn't something I'll have to work differently to shut down. Thank you both for the feedback, it means quite a bit!

When he's able to go on walks and stuff, it'll definitely help, less for the "tiring him out" and more for having some structure and other outlets to release his energy. At the moment, he hasn't gotten used to a schedule yet with you (and huskies seem to thrive on schedule) he has you home all day and pretty much has you available for his every whim. At night, your daily routine becomes more scheduled/structured, and he's not understanding that...yet. The more time he's with you, he will adjust to that AND with walks and play dates, he will have more outlets to release his energy.

Artic_Wind wrote:

When he's able to go on walks and stuff, it'll definitely help, less for the "tiring him out" and more for having some structure and other outlets to release his energy. At the moment, he hasn't gotten used to a schedule yet with you (and huskies seem to thrive on schedule) he has you home all day and pretty much has you available for his every whim. At night, your daily routine becomes more scheduled/structured, and he's not understanding that...yet. The more time he's with you, he will adjust to that AND with walks and play dates, he will have more outlets to release his energy.

That is also good to know. We have DEF started him on some structure. He has his morning routine down pat, tho we're still trying to work our new routine out, too. He's smart as a whip and so intelligent, and he's such a sweetheart and Loooove to snuggle up. I haven't had a dog in a few years, and it's just such a blessing having him around.