Huskita

Quick Take

• Huskitas are companion dogs, but one of their defining personality traits directly contradicts what that label implies. Explore the personality traits →
• A specific inherited disease makes the Huskita far more medically fragile than its tough, athletic appearance suggests. See the inherited conditions →
• There's a direct link between skipping one daily commitment and why so many Huskitas are surrendered to shelters. Check the daily exercise needs →
• Most people estimate this breed's maximum size, but most people are significantly wrong. See the actual size range →

Huskitas, also called the Siberian Akita, are a mix of the Siberian Husky of Russia and the Akita Inu of Japan. Drawing traits from both of their parent breeds, these active dogs are loyal, with an average lifespan of 10 to 13 years. They also have the dense, rough, medium-length, non-hypoallergenic coats of their parents with similar masks, colors, and markings. The breed is relatively new, likely first bred in the United States during the last decade of the 20th century. Not yet recognized by the American Kennel Club, these high-energy dogs grow to about 50 to 75 pounds.

Huskitas are highly intelligent, protective, and always on alert, being hyper-aware of their surroundings. They do not do well with changes to their schedule or environment and do best when changes are introduced slowly to prevent anxiety and aggression. They enjoy having a daily routine that keeps them busy. Although they are companion dogs and are submissive to their humans, Huskitas enjoy alone time and independent activity. Still, they socialize well when trained and introduced to other dogs and humans at a young age.

3 Pros and Cons of Owning a Huskita

Size and Weight

The Husky-Akita mix is a large, muscular dog typically weighing 50 to 75 lbs at 22″ to 25″ in height. Males are the larger of the breed, typically growing to 23″ to 25″ and 60 to 75 lbs. Females grow to between 22″ and 24″ and weigh 50 to 65 lbs. Because they are so heavily muscled, it is not unusual for these hybrid dogs to grow as heavy as 120 lbs. At 12 weeks of age, Huskita puppies are generally half of their full-grown weight.

Common Health Issues

Being a hybrid of the Siberian Husky and Japanese Akita Inu, these dogs have many of their parent breeds’ health vulnerabilities. These include hip dysplasia affecting mobility and causing pain from the hips’ ball-and-socket joints. They also tend to suffer from hypothyroidism. This hormonal condition can lead to weight gain, fatigue, feeling cold, and excessive shedding of a dull coat. The mixed-breed also commonly suffers from Von Willebrand’s disease, an inherited bleeding disorder that makes it difficult for blood to clot and can lead to serious complications in severe cases. Other potential conditions that many of these dogs suffer from include seizure disorders, including epilepsy, breathing problems from laryngeal paralysis, and poor eyesight or blindness from progressive retinal atrophy (PRA).

Temperament and Behavior

Husky-Akita hybrids are loyal and highly intelligent companions with a loving personality best suited for living in adult households. Although they can be loving toward children they know and are often reared as family pets, they should still never be left alone with children or other animals. This is due to their aggressive traits of showing dominance. They often bully smaller dogs and cats, while also competing with the same-sized or larger dogs in the home. Their desire to show dominance does not extend to their adult owners, to whom they are quite eagerly submissive in behavior.

The dogs’ size makes their natural traits of puppyhood or anxiety more destructive. Some have been known to chew through furniture, shoes, and even interior doors when left alone for too long. Coupled with their average weight of up to 75 pounds and potential for tipping scales at 120 pounds, the untrained dogs’ unmanageable indoor behaviors and size are often named as the reason why they are dumped at animal shelters.

Despite some personality difficulties, even the most stubborn Husky-Akita is trainable. It is simply important to start reward-based training and socialization at a very young age. Their intelligence makes them able to overcome some of their less attractive natural traits. One of the best methods for keeping them well-behaved is by ensuring they get at least 90 minutes of exercise daily, such as through walks with their owners.

How To Take Care of The Huskita

Although this breed comes with a range of health vulnerabilities like blindness, blood diseases, and hip dysplasia, they make wonderfully loyal companion pets. The ease of their companionship comes down to early training and socialization as a puppy and a daily routine with plenty of activity to burn off their boundless energy.

The Best Dog Food

Puppies and adult dogs of this breed thrive on low-carbohydrate, protein-rich raw diets that promote gut health, immunity, and a healthy weight. They can also do well on dry kibble dog food. Because they tend to get hip dysplasia later in life, Husky-Akita mixes of all ages should consume a diet high in calcium. The best choices are dog foods containing fish or chicken.

Huskita puppy food: These puppies are large-breed dogs that grow quickly and need a diet supporting their naturally muscular bodies. Start feeding them on wet or dry dog food with high calcium content. As mentioned above, their calcium can come from fish, chicken, or milk added to their food. Puppies of this breed rarely overindulge. They tend to eat until they are full, then move on to their next activity. You can expect them to consume about 2 cups of food per day after weaning, fed in three meals. If the puppy needs more, such as when teething or going through a growth spurt, you can feed more.

Huskita adult dog food: Just like with the breed’s puppies, full-grown Husky-Akita hybrid dogs need calcium-rich wet or dry dog food. Owners can supplement their pet’s calcium intake in pill form when needed. These dogs do best on a low-carbohydrate, high-protein, raw diet, but quality dry kibble is also suitable. They will typically eat three cups of food per day, spread over two feedings.

Maintenance And Grooming

Husky-Akita mix dogs are known for their double coats, just like their parent breeds. These thick coats shed heavily in warm months. For this reason, they typically require brushing at least twice weekly in summer using a pin bristle brush. In winter, once-weekly brushing is usually sufficient. Although they only need occasional baths despite being outdoor dogs, the dogs’ ears need cleaning and checking for wax buildup twice monthly. Their claws usually require clipping once to twice per month. It is also important to maintain a dog’s good oral health by brushing their teeth daily.

Training

Although they can be stubborn and have an aggressive streak around other animals, these dogs are highly intelligent and can be trained to be loyal, loving companions in a household. But this training should start at a very early age. It should also be based on a reward system to reinforce good behaviors and reduce natural stubbornness.

Exercise

The breed needs at least 90 minutes of activity or leash exercise every day. For many owners, this is a major commitment. But it makes the breed perfectly suited for runners, joggers, hikers, and people who enjoy a long daily walk. Unfortunately, their energy and activity levels make them poorly suited for apartments. Some owners make apartment life work with a Husky-Akita hybrid, but this requires daily attention to their need for outdoor activity. The best home environment is one with plenty of indoor square footage and outdoor space for running and play. Owners can expect to walk at least 14 miles per week with their Husky-Akita mix dog.

Puppies

Husky-Akita mix puppies are fluffy and full of personality. But they need early training, crate training, and socialization. Training should be based on rewards for good behavior and command-following for the puppy’s best response and retention. The breed’s puppies can prove destructive into early adulthood, particularly when left unsupervised for too long. They are known for their chewing habits.

Huskitas And Children

Because of their need to show dominance and, thus, their tendency toward aggression, Husky-Akita hybrids of any age should not be left alone with small children or other pets. However, through early training and socialization, puppies can learn to respect boundaries to a point and become loving and loyal companions for families.

Dogs Similar to Huskitas

Dogs similar to Huskitas include the Newfypoo, Collie, and Barbet.

• Newfypoo: The Newfoundland-standard poodle mix is similar to the Huskita in grooming requirements. Both dogs are also loyal, have high energy levels, and thrive in cold climates.
• Collie: Like the Huskita, the Collie requires special grooming attention. The two breeds share average full-grown heights and weights, lengthy snouts, average lifespan, and vulnerability to progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) and epilepsy.
• Barbet: The Barbet and Huskita share a similar twice-weekly grooming and maintenance routine for optimum health and hygiene. They are typically equal in height, too.