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Are you curious about designer dogs?
Have you fallen in love with one?
Well, we’d be talking about a designer dog that’s becoming more popular by that day. The border collie husky mix is a relatively new designer dog that has very little information compared to many other breeds.
It is a crossbreed between two adorable and happy dogs, so living with them is really something to look up to.
You did well trying to look for more information before making any decisions. Without wasting any more time, let’s talk about the border collie husky mix.
The Border Collie Husky Mix
Being a designer dog means it was born from two purebred dogs. In this case, it involves the Siberian husky and Border Collie.
To get a bit of background on the husky border collie mix, then we’d have to throw some light on the parent breeds.
The Siberian husky was bred by the indigenous Chuchki people in northern Asia. It served as a sled dog and helped in moving things around. The husky has adapted to the cold weather thanks to its double coat and works effortlessly thanks to its limitless stamina. After work, the husky gets to bond with the family due to his loyalty and love for them.
The husky’s popularity started after they hiked hundreds of miles to deliver antidotes to towns being ravaged by diphtheria. The popularity boom continued as they were imported to Alaska and used to win sled races. According to the American kennel club, the husky is the 14th most popular dog breed in America. It’s quite the popular breed for mixes.
The origin story of the border collie started in Great Britain. Agility and intelligent was the reason behind the breeding of border collie. Through the years, vets and researchers have concluded that the border collie is the most intelligent dog breed out there. Imagine that.
The Border Collie is listed as the 35th most popular dog breed in America by the AKC. Request for mixes with the border collie has been on the rise as they’re getting more attention.
Being born from two outstanding breeds, the border collie husky mix is a blend of impressive intellect and awe-inspiring stamina. Whichever traits he inherits from parent breeds, one thing is certain….. you’d have an adorable pooch that will grow up to be a loving and loyal friend.
Appearance
As a designer dog with limited background information, the looks of a husky border collie mix is still a guess. There have been no standards yet as to how this crossbreed should appear.
The border collie and husky mix is a medium-sized dog and can weigh about 30 – 45 pounds when grown. From paw to shoulder, he can measure anywhere between 18 and 22 inches. The females tend to be smaller in comparison to their male counterparts.
Though they tend to be relatively thinner than their parent husky breed, they are taller and more muscular than purebred border collie.
He inherits a double coat from his parents with a topcoat and fluffy undercoat. The topcoat can be any of a variety of textures and lengths. Border collie husky mix can appear in any color exhibited by both parents. Some include white, black, red, brown, etc. The most common being black and white, though there are some rare colors like blue or red merle.
Your Border Collie husky mix pup might tend to look like one parent more than the other or appear to have balanced traits from both parents. They have semi-erect ears and may inherit the piercing blue eyes of the husky. It’s not uncommon for this hybrid to have eyes with two different colors.
Most husky border collie mix still keeps the wolf look of their parent husky though less imposing and wild.
Temperament
The personality of the husky border collie mix won’t be far fetched from that of his parents, both of them.
It might be hard to train for inexperienced owners because of his free spirit and independent nature. They tend to do their own thing unless you display authority to show your place early enough during training. This gets even difficult coupled with their innate stubbornness.
This husky and Border Collie mix is a very social and interactive dog. They’re very chatty with a lot of noise and chirping just to hold an audience with you. All because they’re attention seekers and love being the celebrity.
Even if they’ve never worked in their life, the husky border collie mix can inherit the herding characteristic of the border collie. Therefore families with young children or smaller pets are not ideal for this hybrid dog because his herding instincts can be used on them.
They are friendly, affectionate, and clownish. They love entertaining the family to a good laugh with their playful but silly antics.
Being a very social and affectionate dog, it does enjoy spending lots of time with his owner. This enjoyment is taken to a whole new level of there’s cuddling and patting involved. This need for human interaction might predispose them to separation anxiety if left alone for a long time.
Training
When you see well-mannered dogs you love them almost at first interaction, but that is a result of early and consistent training. To get the best qualities from your husky border collie mix, training is a priority.
Being intelligent, this border collie and husky mix learn commands and tricks easily. Due to their strong will, they might show stubbornness sometimes.
Early training is significant to show them who has the authority around the house and boundaries not to cross as well.
They easily get bored with things, therefore seem less interested in whatever you’re trying to teach them. Patience and consistency is the key here.
It is important to improve the social interaction of your pup by early socialization. Try to get them familiarised with different people, animals, and places. This would help develop his mannerism and confidence as well.
It is proven that positive reinforcement is the best way to train a dog. This makes them associate accepted behaviors, tricks, and command to whatever reward you’re giving them.
Exercise
By now you know that the border collie husky mix is a high energy dog thanks to his parents. They’d need at least 90 minutes of exercise daily to be happy and healthy. If you don’t expel the excess energy in them, they’d become destructive and restless. You don’t want to know what that’s like.
Asides physical exercise, your pup needs mental stimulation as well. That means playing games with your dog to engage him mentally. Treat filled toys or a game of fetch is a good start to mental stimulation.
Living in an apartment is not at all ideal for the husky and border collie mix. It needs a house with a yard to keep him happy due to his high energy drive. But remember to fence the yard as they might inherit the escape skill of the husky and try to pull a fast one on you.
You could take him jogging, walking, hiking, or even playing in the park.
Feeding
As they age, the diet of the husky border collie mix changes. But generally, they’d require dog food for medium-sized high energy dogs. They’d eat about 2½ to 3 cups of food per day, depending on his size. Make sure to divide it into more than one meal.
Ensure they eat good quality dog food that contains all the necessary classes of food in good proportion for good health and growth. Keep in mind not to give them too many treats.
Health Concerns
One of the major reasons for the interest in designer dogs is their health status. They tend to be healthier than their purebred parents. A border collie husky mix can live to be 12 – 15 years old depending on how healthy he was.
Still, on that, his parent breeds are predisposed to certain conditions and the probability of inheritance is there. So the best thing would be to look out for them. They are;
- Hip dysplasia (abnormal development of the hip bone)
- Eye problems ( cataract and progressive retinal atrophy)
- Seizures
- Skin conditions
Always be conscious of your dog and look out for symptoms and abnormal behavior. Ultimately buy your border collie husky mix puppy from a reputable breeder to avoid stories.
Grooming
Both parents of the border collie husky mix have a double coat hence he does too. So this hybrid sheds and isn’t hypoallergenic. He would require to be brushed 2 – 3 times weekly with at least one thorough brushing. This helps remove loose fur that will otherwise be on all your stuff.
They shed more during specific periods of the year, so the frequency of their brushing would have to increase.
His teeth should be brushed weekly to prevent germ buildup and bad odor. Nail clippings should be done whenever it gets long. His ears should be wiped with a damp cloth and frequently check for any abnormality.
And of course, you should bathe your dog at the appointed time or when needed.
Getting A Husky Border Collie Mix
Being relatively new, the breeders of the husky border collie mix usually do not disclose the price of their puppies on their website except to committed prospects. But a border collie mix pup can go for around $600 – 800.
Several factors determine how much you can get a border collie husky mix puppy such as the breeder, location, and appearance of the puppy. For example, pups with the blue eyes of the husky will cost more than those with regular eyes.
All in all, when buying a puppy, make sure you’re dealing with a reputable breeder. Ensure to ask for the parent’s health clearances to avoid future health problems and spending on expensive procedures. Never buy from a puppy mill as they wouldn’t take the health of your pup into consideration.
Alternatively, you can rehome an already grown dog from a rescue shelter if you don’t want to get a puppy.
Highlights
- The border collie husky mix is a very active and energetic dog.
- He needs an owner who can give him at least 90 minutes of exercise daily.
- He is an affectionate, adorable, and loyal dog.
- He is a very intelligent and smart dog.
- The husky border collie mix loves human interaction hence enjoys snuggling with his owner.
- He has the herding instincts of the border collie and the independence and stubbornness of the husky.
- He is not ideal for families with very young children.
- He sheds therefore not a dog for allergic people.
Summary
The husky and border collie mix is an adorable dog with a happy and fun personality.
Even though they can be difficult to deal with, their loyal and compassion towards you never wavers.