Brooks Laich Explains Why He's Quarantining in Idaho Without Wife Julianne Hough

Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich
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The former hockey pro opens up about his isolated life with his dog in the Midwest.

Brooks Laich is thriving in quarantine! The 36-year-old husband of Julianne Hough opened up about self-isolating at his home in Idaho without his dancer wife on his iHeartRadio podcast, How Men Think

"There's a part of me that enjoys isolation and there's a part of me that just gets drained when I'm around too many people," Laich admitted. 

Laich isn't alone, though. He brought his husky, Koda, with him to enjoy the outdoors. 

"Koda is awesome. I'm up in Idaho, I'm at my house in Idaho. I spend all day outside," he revealed. "I have 10-and-a-half acres here. Our property is pretty big. And I've just been mass cleaning, everything. Building some rock walls, chainsawing down some trees, clearing brush, you name it." 

Turns out, Laich made the decision to quarantine alone in Idaho for several reasons. 

"I always wanted to spend more time here. I bought this place in 2014 and I never spend enough time here. I come here, like, a week a year, and it's, like, my dream property," he told his producer, who questioned the decision. "Two, the place really needed an overhaul, it really needed a cleaning, landscaping and a cleaning. It kind of got overgrown. It's kind of in the bush. We're right on the water, but it's kind of the bush in Idaho so I've really been able to manicure it and landscape it. Three, with my dog, we have a yard and stuff in L.A. and we go for trail runs and stuff, but here, he's outside all day long. On the water I can fish any day. I have a buddy that I can go hunting with. He hunts. We're going to go track along with him and hunt. There's lots to do and I just love being up here. I've never spent enough time up here." 

Apart from two neighbors, Laich revealed he's mostly alone in Idaho and admitted that there are some things he does miss. 

"I think I'm an introvert by nature. I love having my dog. If it wasn't for my dog, I'd probably be a little more antsy with the isolation," he said. "But I do miss the friendships and companionships where you do get to hug somebody and be in the same room."

A source previously told ET that Laich and Hough aren't self-isolating together because they prefer different scenery. "Julianne is an L.A. girl and wanted to be home during the quarantine, and Brooks loves Idaho and wanted to be out in the country," the source explained. 

"They talk often but this is a very hard time," ET's source said of the couple, who tied the knot near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in 2017. "They've been working on their marriage and being apart is not easy." 

Both Hough and Laich have been posting regularly on social media. Hough commented on Laich's recent photo of their dog, Koda, on Instagram, writing, "Stunning boy ?." 

Hough recently participated in Disney's Family Singalong with her brother, Derek Hough, and has also been posting her workouts on her Instagram. Hough has also been spotted out with actor Ben Barnes. 

For more from the couple, watch the clip below: 

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