Why Squeaky Toys Make Huskies Happy
As Husky owners, are you familiar with the ongoing sounds of squeak, squeak, squeak in your homes?
The true definition of “FUN” for your cherished canine companions, have you ever wondered what makes them so passionate about playing with squeaky toys? Behaviorists suggest that huskies like squeaky toys because of their innate hunting instinct, leading them to “chase, capture and chew their prey” until they’ve ripped it apart (in this case, the toy) as if it were a small animal in nature.
In other instances, your husky may become so attached to his squeaky toy that he won’t let it out of his sight, insisting on carrying it around the place, firmly entrenched in his mouth – much the way his wolf ancestors carried around their real prey. This is especially true in multi-dog households. Huskies always know which toys are theirs -- what they look like and how they smell – enabling them to “recognize” whose toys are whose.
Then again, huskies, being highly intelligent, like squeaky toys because they’re guaranteed to get their owners’ undivided attention. If you pay attention to your own husky while he’s chewing on a toy, he’s savvy enough to know that you’ll do it again ... and again. But if he wants more than your attention, he won’t be shy about dropping his toy in your lap or in front of you and sometimes even howling at you as an invitation to get up and play with him.
Should you “accept” your husky’s invitation and intend to make a habit of it, by all means, get up and play with him thereby intensifying the bond between you. But if you don’t want to either encourage this behavior or engage with him, don’t reward him by paying attention to him, no matter how much he howls or squeaks his toy.
The toys’ squeaking sounds provide your husky with a form of instant and eminently pleasant gratification. If he’s chewing and chewing and chewing on the toy simply to hear it squeak, squeak, squeak, it’s because that repetitive sound has triggered the release of dopamine – a feel good hormone – into his system.
Most squeaky toys are ideally suited as chewing toys. While the very act of chewing is essential for all dogs, it’s especially instinctive in huskies and should be encouraged – particularly in husky puppies while they’re teething.
A squeaky toy is safe for your husky provided you keep a watchful on him. If allowed to play with his toy unsupervised, he can, all too quickly and easily, rip the toy apart and begin to eat it. This is a choking hazard, something to be taken seriously, and you must make certain that he doesn’t swallow any pieces, large or small -- especially if your husky has a habit of destroying toys, not just squeaky toys.
If, however, your husky has, indeed, swallowed a part or several parts of the squeaky toy, contact your vet immediately or bring him to your closest animal emergency clinic.