Huskies love playing outside and digging the ground. But this is completely normal. What’s not normal is when your Husky starts to eat dirt. Are you worried about it?

Why does my Husky eat dirt?

Your Husky may eat dirt if it’s bored, stressed, or they inherited the trait. Your dog may also smell food in the ground or likes the taste of soil. If your dog always eats dirt, it might be because of serious cases such as anemia, or due to their quality of nutrition.

7 reasons why your Husky eats dirt

1: Your Husky is bored

Bear in mind that Huskies are very active. They get bored easily when they lack physical and mental stimulation. For example enough walks and games.

Huskies are not made to sit around at home. They’re not categorized as working dogs for no reason.

Your Husky will continue eating dirt if this is the only activity that kills its boredom. So you better correct the behavior before it becomes a habit.

2: Your Husky is stressed

Dogs get stressed too. Your Husky might eat dirt if it has high-stress levels or if something triggers their stress.

They might stop later. Just let them relax for a bit and they will stop this behavior after a while.

3: Genes and pica

Before their domestication, Huskies lived on their own in the Arctic. It is natural for them to hunt and dig.

You may think that your cute fur ball is sweet, but its ancestors are experts in plowing the cold Arctic snow.

4: They smell something in the dirt

Huskies can easily detect small pieces of food on the ground. And when they do, they’ll eat the scraps.

In some cases, the food is beneath the dirt. Your Husky can smell even the smallest residue of food on the ground. That is why they eat it.

5: The soil is yummy

The Soil Is Yummy For Huskies
The simplest reason in this list is that your Husky finds the soil tasty.

Soil has a distinct smell, texture, and even taste. If your Husky has no problem but likes to eat dirt, they might just think that it is a tasty snack.

Do you know why other dogs roll in the ground after you give them a bath? It is because they like the smell of soil.

The smell and texture of dirt are already attractive for dogs. The only trigger they need to eat soil is their hunger.

6: Your Husky has anemia

Huskies can also be anemic. Your dog might eat soil once it has lost its hemoglobin or red blood cells.

And once your Husky is anemic, they have a decreased iron and Vitamin B absorption. They eat dirt because they crave these nutrients.

And guess what, the soil has iron in it. Soil has a typical 0.2% to 55% iron concentration depending on the soil.

Your Husky might fill its iron deficiency by eating dirt. The irony (no pun intended) is that the same soil can harm your dog.

7: They have poor nutrition

Your Husky may not be getting the nutrients they need. So, they resort to eating dirt to fulfill this gap.

The problem in your Husky’s nutrition can happen only because of two things.

It’s either you are not giving them the right food or there is a parasite that steals the nutrition.

You should know that giving them a chock full of food does not mean that they have the right amount of food. Their food should have all the nutrients they need.

You should not lessen their food intake. They are active dogs which means that they will need more food.

_{3 tips to stop your Husky from eating dirt}

1: Have a good exercise routine

Walking your Husky or playing with them in your yard for an hour can go a long way. It can solve two (boredom and stress) reasons on this list.

The best exercise you can do for your dog is walking. Walking is easy and it can stimulate your Husky’s mind if you change your route once in a while.

If you are a fitness nut yourself, you can take them jogging with you. If a Husky can pull a sled, it can keep up with its owner.

Frisbee and swimming are also great exercises that you can do. If your Husky is outgoing and adventurous, you can even hike with your dog.

Exercise is also good for your Husky’s muscle mass.

They might not show cuts like a Pitbull’s muscles, but it does not mean that your Husky isn’t jacked.

2: Don’t forget mental exercises too

Mental training is also good if you want to prevent your dog from eating dirt. Mental training eliminates stress and behavioral issues.

The saying “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop” applies to your pet as well if they are not mentally trained.

And you don’t want the devil to work in your baby’s mind, do you?

The best way to stimulate your Husky’s mind is by training them commands. Be aware that Huskies can be stubborn sometimes.

Huskies are smart, but not the “smart’ that you are thinking. They will choose when to do your command.

Always remember to be patient with your Husky when training them. Positive reinforcement works for them very well.

If your Husky eats dirt, correcting the behavior is also a mental exercise.

Here are other games you can play with your Husky:

Puzzles.
Agility training.
Hide and seek.
“Treat under the cup” game.

3: Get your Husky the right nutrition

Giving the best nutritious food for your Husky can stop it from eating soil.

You might wonder how, so let me tackle it for you…

If your husky has all the nutrients it needs and they do not have to find it in other ways.

They are less likely to develop anemia also because they have the right iron and vitamins in their body. Unless of course, they have parasites.

And even if your Husky smells the trail of food in the dirt, it won’t eat it. They are too full from the last meal they had that they don’t need to consume dirt at all.

If kibbles won’t cut it, then make the food for your Husky. There are tons of recipes online for your dog and all you have to do is choose one.

Try switching their food once in a while. Dogs do not like tasting the same food over and over again like humans.

The only thing you need to ensure is that all ingredients are filling your dog’s nutritional needs.

You should also buy supplements for your dog. You can mix it with dog food so your dog won’t know and taste the medicine.

It is advisable to buy two supplements. You should buy one for your Husky’s nutrients and another for its coat.

Once your Husky has the right nutrients, the last thing it wants to do is eat some dirt.

Article Source: DogsandClogs