Duskies are hybrid dogs that result from breeding two highly dissimilar dogs: Huskies and Dachshunds. As such, the Husky Dachshund mix is a dog with many unpredictable traits and appearances.
That said, most Duskies are intelligent, loyal, and playful. They can have some characteristics many people won’t bear, however, like aggression and loud barking.
In this post, we’ll walk you through all you need to know before getting a new Husky Dachshund mix.
History of the Husky Dachshund Mix
The Husky Dachshund mix is a relatively new dog breed. The breed’s first individual was born sometime in the recent 20 years.
Given that, there’s little information about this breed. So, most of the info about Duskies will be deduced from studying the history of their ancestors.
Dachshund History
If you’re a lover of dog memes, you’ve probably come across pictures of Doxies in a lot of memes.
Their funny, special appearance makes them incredibly popular online. Nonetheless, what you don’t probably know is that this dog with the funny appearance tends to have highly aggressive behavior!
Dachshunds were bred as hunting dogs due to their being highly talented hunters. Unlike many dogs, they can hunt burrowing animals with ease.
What helped them with that was their sturdy, short legs that enabled them to navigate their prey’s narrow tunnels. Plus, they’re loud barkers, which helped their owners define their location even if they were chasing prey underground.
However, one of the challenging animals Dachshunds used to chase was the badger. Dachshunds’ ability to hunt badgers was relatively low compared to other animals.
This is because badgers were brave prey that would fight the dog back. As a result, Doxies developed a determined and stubborn personality over time to be able to catch badgers.
Given the rich hunting history of this breed, you can easily notice that today’s Doxies are fearless, determined, and loyal.
Siberian Husky History
Huskies are hard-working dogs. They used to pull sleds and carry things and people in the harshest climate spot on the earth: the northernmost part.
That’s why they’re powerful, highly energetic dogs. They’re also sociable since they used to work in teams. So, these dogs are good at dealing with both strange dogs and people.
During the summer, Huskies would go hunting alone without help from their owners. Thus, they have a strong prey drive and tend to be independent.
Overall, Huskies are playful, social creatures. However, you should expect these dogs to be the worst guard dogs, as their nature is far from being suspicious. Odds are they would welcome a burglar to your house instead of chasing him.
Husky Dachshund Mix Characteristics and Personality
Duskies are intelligent, loyal, and playful dogs. However, these dogs’ personalities are a bit complicated, making them a little hard to handle.
Given that, Duskies won’t fit all people. So, before thinking of getting a Dusky, here are the most common characteristics to expect from this dog:
Highly Aggressive
Similar to their Dachshund parent, most Duskies have high aggression tendencies. So, they’ll need a lot of training to tune down their wild behavior.
In addition, you need to start the training as early as possible in puppyhood. This is to increase the possibility of a dog’s response to the training.
In some cases, under intense training, some Duskies’ signs of aggression disappear entirely.
Still, don’t bet on them to turn into friendly pets unless you notice obvious adjustments in their behavior with training over time.
Unfriendly Toward Other Pets
This dog has a high prey drive. That way, he’ll terrorize and chase every other pet in the area.
No matter what types of pets you have, they’ll have a horrible time being with a Dusky in one home. So, if you or your neighbors have other pets, getting a Dusky isn’t a smart idea.
Despite his behavior with other pets, this dog will get along with other dogs though.
Loud Barkers
Duskies are loud barkers, so you can expect them to be a noise source for you and your neighbors. Things even get much worse when they’re left alone.
This dog hates being home alone. So, he’ll howl awfully loud if you decide to go out for a long time without him.
Even though training can adjust the barking frequency of your Dusky a bit, it can’t completely get rid of it.
Pretty Active
Both his parents are active, especially on the Husky side, and like father, like son. Duskies are highly energetic dogs that require regular, high-intensity exercise.
This can be great news if you’re an active person, as this dog will be a good exercise companion. So, he’ll motivate you to go for a run or ride a bike, and so on.
However, getting such a dog will be a huge problem if your daily routine doesn’t contain at least 60 minutes of active time.
Without getting the necessary exercise, these dogs will become destructive. They’ll chew your properties and ruin the entire house.
Playful and Funny
Your kids won’t get bored while there’s a Dusky around. This dog is playful and funny by nature.
So, he’ll participate with your family in different games indoors or in the backyard. His silly antics won’t fail to entertain you. You’ll have tons of fun playing with a Dusky.
Nonetheless, if you have a toddler, leaving it with this dog alone isn’t a good idea.
That’s because if the toddler decides to be rough with the dog, the dog won’t hesitate to react aggressively.
Husky Dachshund Mix Appearance
Due to his parents being totally different in their appearance, it’s impossible to predict what a Dusky can look exactly like.
The only two things you can be certain about a Dusky appearance are his legs being short and his nose color being black.
Generally, the Dusky appearance can follow one of three potential scenarios. These scenarios are: To inherit the Doxie appearance, to take after the Husky look, or to be a mix between the appearance of both.
Each of these three patterns can result in endless appearance characteristics. Given that, the dog’s eye color can be brown or blue. His ears can be large or medium and can be floppy or erect.
A Dusky coat is dense, yet it can be short or medium-sized. It can also be straight or wiry. Plus, the coat can take one of eight possible different colors:
- White
- Black
- Blue
- Sable
- Silver
- Brown
- Cream
- Grey
Husky Dachshund Mix Price and Expenses
You can get a Dusky puppy for a price between $1000–$1500. Still, the challenge is to find a well-reputed breeder selling this kind of dog.
It’s always a good idea to go and watch the dog and his interactions with other dogs up close in the kennel before you purchase him too.
This is especially important for this breed, as they’re highly unpredictable in terms of personality and appearance.
Additionally, when getting a new Dusky, you need to set a reasonable budget for caring for your new friend.
First off, you should prepare the fees for an initial vet exam and a few essential vaccinations. This will cost around $300–$500.
To neuter your Dusky, you can pay anywhere between $45–$300, while to spay your female Dusky, you can expect to pay $65–$600. The cost is different from one vet location to the other. Plus, the larger the dog size, the more costly the surgery.
Further, getting a new dog house or bed will cost between $16 and $150. To get water and food bowls, toys, and a good leash, you’ll spend around $50–$100.
For food and treats, you’ll spend $1600–$2700, according to the quality of the food and the dog’s needed calories.
Finally, you’ll pay $200–$600 a year for the two routine vet checkups needed for this dog.
Husky Dachshund Mix Life Expectancy
Duskies have a relatively long lifespan, ranging between 12–15 years. This is quite similar to the lifespan of their parents.
Huskies have an average lifespan of 12 to 15 years, while for Dachshunds it’s 12–16 years.
Husky Dachshund Mix Size and Weight
Duskies are small to medium-sized dogs. Because each of their parents has a totally different size and weight, Duskies have a wide range of possibilities regarding size and weight.
In terms of size, your Dusky can be tall like his Husky parent or short like his Dachshund parent.
That way, the dog’s height can range between 8–21 inches! The height might even be only 6 inches. This happens in rare cases when a miniature Dachshund is one of the parents.
As for weight, the Dusky can weigh from 16 and reach up to 60. Plus, it can even go below 16 pounds in some uncommon cases!
Husky Dachshund Mix Health
Unfortunately, Duskies are prone to multiple joint issues due to their strange body type.
These problems are highly probable, especially if the dog takes after his Dachshund parent’s small leg and Husky parent’s large body. Further, these dogs can be susceptible to severe back problems.
That said, you can somehow avoid the possibility of developing these problems by picking a Dusky with a slim body and relatively long legs.
Here are the three most common health issues among this breed’s dogs:
- Patellar Luxation
In the condition of Patellar Luxation, the kneecap disconnects from the thigh-bone of the dog. It can be caused by the pressure on the joints when the dog does physical activities.
The genetic deformity can also be the reason behind this condition. One sign of this problem includes your dog avoiding putting his weight on one of his legs.
- Intervertebral Disc
This disease develops as the dog’s cushioning discs press on the spinal nerve, causing unbearable pain for your canine friend.
As signs of this condition, you’ll notice your dog walks strangely and doesn’t jump at all. This condition can rapidly develop into paralysis.
So, it’s crucial to visit the vet once you’ve noticed any signs of the illness.
- Hip Dysplasia
Hip dysplasia develops when one of the hip joints doesn’t work smoothly. Much worse, over time, the joint’s condition deteriorates until completely destroyed.
If you spot any change in the usual way your dog walks, this might be a symptom of hip dysplasia.
- Other Minor Diseases
Besides the three above-mentioned major diseases, your Dusky is prone to a few other minor health issues as well. Here they are:
- Eye disorders
- Bloat
- Epilepsy
How to Take Care of a Husky Dachshund Mix?
Here is an overview of the caring requirements of a Dusky:
Training
It’s crucial to know that this cross dog is hard to train. That’s because he inherits his parents’ rather independent and stubborn personality.
So, training a Dusky to do things they don’t like would be problematic. For example, teaching them not to dig in your backyard would take much time, positive reinforcement, and effort.
Given that, it’s highly probable you’ll need professional help from an expert training this dog. Plus, you’ll need to assert yourself as an alpha to influence the dog to do the commands.
Activity and Exercise
It’s hard to expect the perfect exercise duration your Dusky needs, as it depends on the individual dog. However, with little observation, you’ll be able to notice the ideal duration of your Dusky.
Generally, most Duskies require moderate to intense exercise. As a starting point, go for around one hour of exercise. Try to split this hour into one playing session and two walks.
Grooming
Most Duskies require moderate grooming. For the best grooming, you’ll need a few tools: A pin brush, a slicker brush, and nail clippers.
Once you have these tools, you can take care of the dog by following these steps:
- Brush the dog one or two times weekly
- Clip his nails once each two weeks
- Clean his ears regularly
- Brush his teeth on alternate days or just twice a week if you provide him with dental chews
Nutrition and Diet
Due to being prone to multiple health issues, paying considerable attention to Duskies’ diet is crucial.
Given that, only feed your Dusky high-quality food made of top-notch ingredients, like pure chicken meat and salmon.
Plus, add a sufficient amount of fish oil supplements to his diet. This is to support his joints and protect them from potential health issues.
Another significant consideration is to keep an eye on the number of calories your dog eats daily. That’s because Duskies are susceptible to obesity and can gain tremendous weight quickly.
To do so, you can easily use an online calorie calculator to get your Dusky’s exact required calorie intake. Overall, for most Duskies, the needed amount of food will be three cups at most.
The Bottom Line
The Husky Dachshund mix is a playful and intelligent dog. He’ll be a good friend if you have an active lifestyle or high-spirited children.
On the other hand, he can be awfully loud and a bad companion to other pets.
Moreover, if you decide to get a Dusky, you need to carefully watch his health by regularly visiting the vet. This is to detect any common health issues this breed is prone to.