The Cocker Spaniel Husky mix, often referred to as the Siberian Cocker, is a popular mix between the Cocker Spaniel and Siberian Husky.
The Siberian Cocker is a highly active mix that makes a great family companion. They are incredibly friendly and affectionate and love to be near you.
Keep reading to learn more about this mix, including everything from common health issues to temperament to exercise needs.
Contents
Quick Profile
Before we jump into the details of the Cocker Spaniel Husky mix, here’s a quick rundown of this mix:
- Other Names: Siberian Cocker, Siberian Spaniel
- Average Lifespan: 10-15 years
- Average Height: 15 to 20 inches
- Average Weight: 30 – 55 lbs
- Coat appearance: Double coated and medium to long in length, usually black and white or full white, but can vary depending on the color of the husky parent.
- Eye Color:Â Brown or blue.
- Activity Level: Very active – 1 to 2 hours of exercise every day.
- Grooming Frequency: Need to be groomed frequently as they are double coated. When blowing coat you will need to groom multiple times per day.
- Typical Temperament: Very friendly and affectionate towards other people. This mix is definitely not a great guard dog and is more likely to befriend a stranger, but they can be stubborn at times.
- Daily Food Consumption:Â 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups per day
- New Owner Friendly: Relatively good for new owners with an active lifestyle.
- Suitable to live with children? Suitable, but need to be careful with smaller children as they can be full of energy.
- Suitable to live with other dogs? Suitable for living with other dogs
- Suitable to live with cats? Can be suitable to live with cats, but early socialization is advised to help things go smoothly.
Appearance
Siberian Cockers tend to look more similar to the Cocker Spaniel, with coloring inspired by the Siberian Husky.
To get a better idea of what they look like, here’s a recap of the parent breeds.
Cocker Spaniel Appearance
Cocker Spaniels are medium-sized dogs that weigh 20 to 30 lbs on average with a height of 13 to 16 inches.
They have a compact, sturdy build with long, floppy ears and a distinctive, silky coat that is either wavy or curly.
Their coat can be a variety of colors, including black, chocolate, and buff.
They have round, dark eyes that are set well apart and a broad muzzle with a well-defined stop.
Husky Appearance
The Siberian Husky is a medium to large-sized dog. They are slightly longer than they are tall.
They have graceful lean bodies. They are very strong and athletic because they were used to pull sleds across the Arctic ice.
They have an elongated head and a medium-length snout. They have medium-sized, erect ears.
They sport a long bushy tail that they can curl around their body to keep them warm.
Huskies come in a wide range of colors, which can have a direct impact on the appearance of the Siberian Cocker. These include red, black and white, agouti, and many more.
Average Size
Siberian cockers are larger than your average Cocker Spaniel but smaller than Siberian Huskies, making them a small to medium-sized mix.
They’ll usually reach 15 to 20 inches in height and anywhere from 30 to 55 lbs in weight.
Coat Appearance
The coat of the Siberian Cocker is usually a mix of the golden brown of the Cocker Spaniel with markings inspired by the Siberian Husky.
These markings are usually black and white, but they can be other colors as well, as huskies can have a lot of different coat colors, such as red and agouti.
Physical Features
Siberian Cockers usually exhibit most of the physical features of the Cocker Spaniel while being larger in height and weight.
These features include floppy ears, long snouts, and elongated, slender bodies. Common eye colors include brown and blue, and their coat will typically be medium to long in length and double-coated.
Grooming Guide
As both parent breeds are double-coated, the Cocker Spaniel Husky mix also has a double coat.
This has a big impact on grooming, as double-coated breeds have two layers of fur:
- A dense undercoat of short hairs that has a woolly texture.
- A long guard layer which protects the undercoat.
Double-coated breeds need to be groomed daily and up to multiple times per day when they are blowing coat, which is when they transition from their winter to summer coat and shed a lot in the process.
Full details of the grooming process can be found here, but it essentially involves starting with a slicker brush to target the undercoat, followed by a dematter comb and undercoat rake, and finally, a grooming comb and bristle brush are used.
Bathing
The double coat also has an impact on bathing, as you shouldn’t regularly bathe breeds with double coats.
Regular bathing interferes with the natural function of the coat by removing oils and damaging the hair, so you should only bathe a Cocker Spaniel Husky mixonce every two to three months as needed.
There’s also a good chance that this mix will inherit the self-grooming tendencies of the husky, so they will (hopefully) clean their own coats from time to time as well.
Nail Trimming
Most active breeds don’t need their nails trimmed often, and the Cocker Spaniel Husky mix is no exception.
Regular exercise helps to keep their nails short, but if you don’t exercise on concrete often, you may need to trim their nails every so often to stop them from overgrowing.
We recommend using an electric nail grinder for this rather than clippers.
Is The Cocker Spaniel Husky Mix Hypoallergenic?
If you suffer from allergies, then this mix is one to stay away from.
Shedding is going to be a very common occurrence due to the double coat and medium to long coat length, especially when it’s coat-blowing season.
Temperament
The temperament of the Siberian Cocker is incredibly affectionate and friendly. Both of the parent breeds are known for being very friendly, even to strangers, and showing affection to just about everybody.
Here’s a rundown of the personality traits of the Siberian Cocker:
- Friendly – Huskies and Cocker Spaniels are incredibly friendly breeds and love to meet new people.
- Affectionate – Huskies and Cocker Spaniels love to show affection.
- Energetic – This should come as no surprise, given how much exercise this breed requires.
- Not Aggressive – Siberian Cockers don’t tend to have any aggressive traits or guarding aspects to their personality.
- Can Be Stubborn Or Independent – Siberian Cockers can inherit the strong personality trait of stubbornness or independence from the Siberian Husky.
- Prone To Separation Anxiety – Unfortunately, due to the nature of the parent breeds, Siberian Cockers tend to suffer from separation anxiety.
Remember that the personality heavily depends on the individual; these are just some of the shared traits of both parent breeds that they are likely to inherit.
Are They Good Family Dogs?
Siberian Cockers are amazing family dogs.
They are highly affectionate and love to be around people. They’re also usually great with children and other dogs too.
Cats can be tricky, as Siberian Cockers will likely have quite a high prey drive which means that early socialization is crucial for success with cats.
Smaller children may find that Siberian Cockers get in their way due to how much energy they have, which is something to keep in mind.
Health
Fortunately, both the husky and Cocker Spaniel are relatively healthy breeds.
Both enjoy lifespans of 10 or more years, and as the Siberian Cocker is smaller in stature, this means that they have a higher chance of living longer.
Here’s a list of common health issues that affect both parent breeds:
- Hip/Elbow Dysplasia – Hip or elbow dysplasia is caused by the hip or elbow joint not developing properly; this can lead to the joints losing function.
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) – PRa is a term used for a group of degenerative diseases affecting the eye. PRA leads to complete blindness.
- Cataracts – Cataracts are where the lens becomes cloudy, and dogs with cataracts should not be used for breeding as it is hereditary.
As this mix is still quite new, the health issues and average lifespan are simply estimates based on the parent breeds. As new research is done, this information will become more accurate.
This does also mean that the breeding pool for this mix is not yet well established, which means that health screening is likely not done in most cases.
Exercise Needs
The Siberian Cocker needs a lot of exercise due to the parent breeds.
Huskies are one of the most energetic breeds on the planet, capable of pulling sleds for hundreds of miles when trained properly. Cocker Spaniels are super active as well, so you’ll need to have at least 1 to 2 hours every day to exercise if you want to have a Siberian Cocker.
Is The Cocker Spaniel Husky Mix Intelligent?
The Cocker Spaniel Husky mix is no doubt an intelligent mix.
Cocker Spaniels are very intelligent and rank 20th on Coren’s intelligence ranking.
Huskies have great intelligence for problem-solving and communication, although you can have a hard time trying to get them to do what you want.
Are They Easy To Train?
When it comes to training, it all depends on which traits they inherit.
Huskies are notoriously difficult to train as they are not interested in pleasing their owners.
Cocker Spaniels, on the other hand, are known for being relatively easy to train. We’d expect a Siberian Cocker to at least be easier to train than a husky, but it’s hard to say for certain as it will vary.
How Much Do Cocker Spaniel Husky Mixes Cost?
The Cocker Spaniel Husky mix is not regularly bred for as it is quite a ‘new’ crossbreed.
Prices can range greatly because of this so you could spend anywhere from a couple of hundred dollars to over one thousand – it really depends.
In Summary
The Cocker Spaniel Husky mix is an incredibly affectionate and loving mix.
They are great family companions but require a lot of time for exercise and mental stimulation. If you aren’t able to meet their requirements, they are likely to develop unwanted behaviors.
They’re typically easier to train than huskies, but they can be quite stubborn at times – it all depends on which personality traits they inherit from the parent breeds!
Want to learn about more husky mixes? Check out some of our other articles here: