Close your eyes, dig deep into your dog-owner’s or pet-lover’s brain, and try to imagine the oddest and most difficult to fathom mixed breed pooch you can think of.
Are you doing it?
If you are, you would definitely not be faulted if you came up with the idea of a chihuahua/husky mix.
The chihuahua, the smallest and liveliest of all dog breeds, mixed with a husky, one of the larger of the canine class that can sometimes resemble a wolf in appearance, is an idea that admittedly sounds pretty looney.
But you may be surprised to learn that this mixed breed actually exists and is rapidly gaining favorability with the dog-loving community.
In this article we will dig deeper into this mix breed, beginning with a general description of each type of dog for reference.
We will then provide some pertinent details about the chihuahua/husky mix, including some facts on the breed’s appearance, its personality and temperament, and its general health and required care.
About the Chihuahua
As alluded to in the introduction, the chihuahua, which most experts believe originated in Mexico, is a very small dog breed.
It is the tiniest breed of dog that is recognized by both the American Kennel Club and United Kennel Club.
The dog typically weighs no more than 7 pounds at full maturity, and comes in a variety of colors and palettes, from white to black to brown, and often a combination of these.
Their coats can be long and wiry or short and smooth, and there are different breed distinctions based on the type of coat they have.
Usually, the chihuahua has a rounded, apple-shaped head, although there are varieties within the breed that have more angular faces; these are known as “deer head chihuahuas.”
Typically, the nose on the chihuahua is very short and unpronounced, and is usually black or dark grey in color.
The dog’s ears are large for its size, usually standing erect at about a 45-degree angle, and spaced out wide.
Their eyes, which are proportionately spaced, can come in a variety of colors, although most have black or dark brown eyes.
Rarely, the eyes can be blue or dark red in color.
The chihuahua is longer than it is tall, but still very short in comparison to most other dogs.
In terms of its temperament and behavior, the chihuahua is oddly a very brave dog for its size, incredibly lively and hyper-alert, making them great watch dogs.
Their stubborn, independent personalities can make them difficult to train, and they can be super possessive of their owner—so possessive that they may sulk when their owner’s attention is focused on other people or pets.
The breed is usually gentle around children, and can be a great companion to a patient owner who can overlook their boisterous and strong-willed personalities.
About the Husky
If you prize loyalty in a pet, the husky is a great choice.
Officially categorized as a medium-sized dog (which can sometimes grow large), the husky, or Siberian husky as it is officially known, is a descendant of the original sled dog and is thought to be one of the oldest domesticated dogs in existence—a direct descendant of the wolf.
The dog can weigh anywhere from 45 pounds to 80 pounds or more, and usually measures between 22 and 25 inches in length.
Thanks to their ancestors who came from the Siberian Arctic, the husky is a very hardy dog and ranks very high in terms of intelligence.
Owners who assert their dominance as the pack leader will have an easy time training this dog.
Siberian huskies are known for their thick, lush and extremely soft fur, which sheds regularly at most times of the year.
So if you detest the thought of vacuuming up pet hair on a regular basis, this breed might not be right for you.
The husky has a top-rounded head and a proportionate-length muzzle.
They usually have a coat that is mixed in color—typically black and white—but these colors can vary slightly and some are even solid in color, usually white.
They have triangular-shaped ears that are proudly erect and set very near to each other.
They can have either brown eyes or blue eyes, the latter of which is prized among dog lovers, and sometimes one eye can be brown while the other blue.
Great with kids and families, the husky is very affectionate, easy-going and spirited.
They are docile and relaxed and are not known to bark very much, making them less than optimal watch dogs.
Their intelligence is off the charts, but this does not make them stubborn.
In fact, when their owner is assertive, they are usually very eager to please.
They can, however, be somewhat difficult for the first couple of months as puppies, as they are notoriously difficult to potty train, but once they “get the gist of things,” accidents inside the house are rare.
When they bond very strongly to one person, they can sometimes develop separation anxiety when that person is absent from the home, but they are otherwise very calm and well behaved.
Chihuahua-Husky Mix Breed: Appearance and Lifespan
When chihuahuas, the smallest recognized dog breed, is mixed with a husky, a medium-sized dog, you get what you might expect: a dog whose size is somewhere in between.
Some of these size statistics will vary slightly depending on the male and female in the relationship, but generally speaking, most mixes tend to weigh between 15 and 40 pounds, and can measure anywhere from 12 to 18 inches.
The shape and coloring of a chihuahua-husky mixed breed can be a crap shoot.
Given the wide range of coloring on a pure-bred chihuahua, and the different mixes of black, white and other colors on a true Siberian husky, the exact color of the mixed dog can vary greatly depending on genetics, ranging from a solid-colored dog to one of several different colors.
The head on a chihuahua-husky mix can be rounded or angular, and the ears lean toward triangular and erect, with different spacing possible.
Their coats can be long or short depending on the type of chihuahua involved in the breeding, and the fur is typically soft and laid-down.
From experience, we know that chihuahuas have a very long lifespan as compared to other dogs, living anywhere from 13-19 years generally.
The Siberian husky, on the other hand, has a maximum lifespan of 14 years.
When we take into account the potential health problems that could result from cross breeding, the chihuahua-husky mixed breed, which is obviously smaller and more active than a pure-bred husky, will typically live between 11 and 16 years.
Chihuahua-Husky Mix Breed: Personality and Temperament
The personality and temperament of a chihuahua-husky mixed breed dog can also vary greatly depending on biology.
The reason for this disparity is the vast differences between the two dogs in terms of behavior.
Remember, the chihuahua is a dog that is super alert, quick to bark at strangers, and extremely watchful; while the Siberian husky is more laid back, seldom barks and is great around all people.
Therefore, you may get a mixed-bag of these traits in your new mixed pooch.
Fortunately, for those who choose to adopt one of these mixed breeds, both dogs are highly intelligent, and when mixed together the resultant dog is usually fairly easy to train for a patient and very assertive owner.
Both the chihuahua and husky are very loyal dogs, so it only stands to reason that a mix between the two would have that same quality.
The mixed chihuahua-husky also tends to be great with kids, but it can also be prone to anxiety issues when the primary and most dominant person in your clan is absent from the home.
Chihuahua-Husky Mix Breed: Health and Care
Last but not least, to fully understand the health (and any potential health problems) of a chihuahua-husky mixed breed pet we must first dig into the possible medical conditions that each might incur during their lifetime.
Luckily, both the chihuahua and the Siberian husky are known to be very healthy and hardy dogs.
This can probably be attributed to their ancestors, who each in their own way were forced to deal with extremely harsh conditions.
However, chihuahuas can be prone to hypoglycemia, and owners must be very watchful for this very serious condition.
Because of their small size, high metabolism and active nature, blood glucose levels in chihuahuas can sometimes drop dangerously, leading to a whole host of unpleasant symptoms.
This condition can also plague a chihuahua-husky mix.
To combat it, owners may want to enact several steps to ensure stable blood sugar levels in their pet, including feeding them several small meals a day rather than one or two big meals, and putting a drop or two of liquidated sugar into their water bowl.
On the other side of the ledger, as a medium-to-large size dog, the Siberian husky can be prone to congenital problems with their joints, specifically a condition known as hip dysplasia.
Hip dysplasia can be a painful and mobility-limiting condition, one that may also affect a mixed breed chihuahua-husky.
For this reason, it is absolutely vital that you schedule regular checkups with your vet in order to monitor the physical health of your dog.
Your pet’s doc may prescribe certain medications that can often prolong or prevent the development of hip dysplasia.