Australian Shepherd-Siberian Husky Mix–What Are You In For?

I’ve lived with and loved both of these breeds. So is getting a mix of these two breeds in one package — either by accident or by designer dog– a good idea? As one of my favorite dog trainers says, “It depends.”

My first thought is how much do you love vacuuming?

My next thought is how much do you love running, and training, and running, and training…?

And my final thought is how much money do you have to put up and maintain a 9 ft fence around your property, with at least 2 of those feet buried in the ground to keep this Houdini escape artist contained? Not even joking a little bit.

Not discouraged?

Then you’re probably going to love the Australian Shepherd-Husky designer hybrid dog. Yes, this is a recognized designer breed by both the DRA (Dog Registry of America, Inc.) and the IDCR (International Designer Canine Registry® )

Do I think this is a good dog for a first-time dog owner. Nope. Way too high energy and smart, with the ability to wear down a newbie in minus five seconds. But for an experienced dog owner who has lived with either Siberian Huskies or Australian Shepherds before–this is a really interesting choice.

Why?

Well, you’re combining two smart, high energy, independent-minded dogs into one body. And you’ve got the “stickiness” of a herding breed mixed with the “run off and don’t look back-ness” of this particular working breed.

The friendly Husky temperament may possibly soften the reserved Aussie Temperament. The super easy-to-train Aussie may ease some of the stubborn tendencies of the Husky.

As for the appearance of this typically mid-sized dog, the color combos of coats and eyes can be spectacular–if a bit unpredictable. That’s because usually one of the breed genes appears more dominant. So you could wind up with a dog that looks mostly like a Husky, like the one in this picture. Or one that mostly looks like an Aussie. But one thing that’s for certain, you will wind up with a dog with a double-coated, weather-resistant coat.

In summation, there are 3 key points you need to be able to provide in order to not wind up with a barky, neurotic, destructive dog. In other words, for your Aussie-Husky to become a happy, healthy member of your family give it:

  1. a knowledgeable and capable leader
  2. a tremendous amount of exercise mental stimulation
  3. access to fenced outdoors with room to “roam” (this is not a dog for apartment living)

If you can consistently provide the above, you’ve got a potential match made in heaven. If you can’t, do yourself and this breed a favor, and take a pass.

 

 

3 thoughts on “Australian Shepherd-Siberian Husky Mix–What Are You In For?”

  1. Gorgeous dog. Is she/he yours?? Definitely see more husky than Australian Shepherd but so gorgeous. How old??

  2. Emily Medrano

    I love both of these breeds too! Gorgeous, loving, and playful dogs! Is the dog in the photo your Aussie Husky? What sex is it? And how old? Definitely see more of the husky than Aussie but I love it

    Thank you

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