The Husky Chow Chow mix, also known as the Choswky, is a rare mix between two popular Spitz-type dogs.
The result is a super friendly and fluffy dog that loves to spend time with you and your family. The Chowsky is quite an active dog and requires a strict owner who can deal with its stubborn streak.
In this article, we’ll cover everything there is to know about this up-and-coming mix, so stay tuned for more!
Contents
Quick Profile
Before we get into the specifics, here’s a quick overview of the Siberian Husky Weimaraner mix with all the most important information you need to know.
- Other Names: Chowsky, Siberian Chow
- Average Lifespan: 10 to 14 years
- Average Height: 18 to 22 inches
- Average Weight: 40 to 65 lbs
- Coat appearance: Medium, double coated, and either smooth or rough.
- Eye Color: Usually dark brown or blue
- Activity Level: 1 hour per day as a minimum
- Grooming Frequency: Frequent grooming is required thanks to the thick double coat.
- Typical Temperament: Very loyal but can be independent and wary of strangers.
- Daily Food Consumption: Moderate.
- New Owner Friendly: Quite a demanding mix for new owners due to grooming and exercise needs.
- Suitable to live with children? Good with children but does require some training to set boundaries.
- Suitable to live with other dogs? Usually fine, but can benefit from being socialized from an early age.
- Suitable to live with cats? Must be socialized from an early age due to high prey drive
Appearance
Chowskies have an adorable appearance, but it can vary drastically between puppies.
You’ll typically find Chowskies with golden coats (although this varies) and a smooth forehead without the characteristic Chow Chow fold.
Their muzzle is wider than a huskie’s, and they have pointed ears and a thick, fluffy coat and tail. I’ve tried to include as many examples of them in this article to give you a better idea of how much their appearance varies.
Siberian Husky Appearance
Siberian Huskies have a classic wolf-like appearance, with several Spitz-type features. These include erect ears, a thick double coat, and curled tails.
Huskies come in many different colors and patterns, from all white to red and white and many more.
Their piercing eyes can also come in various colors, from blue to brown and everything in between.
The overall build of the Husky is very slender, allowing them to be capable of incredible feats of endurance while pulling sleds across long distances in harsh terrain.
Chow Chow Appearance
Chow chows have a very distinctive appearance, with one of their most noticeable features being the broad, flat skull with a pronounced stop where the forehead meets the muzzle.
They are also Spitz-type dogs, meaning they share many of the same personality and physical traits as the Husky.
Like the Husky, Chow Chows have a thick double coat with a wide range of colors and a curly tail.
Another distinctive feature of the Chow Chow is the black or blue tongue not found in many other dog breeds.
They’re often described as giant teddy bears, and we can’t argue with that!
Check out our comparison between the Chow Chow and Husky to see how similar they are!
Average Size
Chowskies are slightly smaller than Huskies but more well-built.
They average 18 to 22 inches in height at the shoulder and 40 to 65 lbs in weight, but this can vary depending on the parents.
Coat Appearance
Chowskies always have a thick double coat that is either smooth or rough.
A double coat means the fur is split into two distinct layers: a wooly undercoat that provides insulation and a longer guard layer that protects the coat and skin below from debris and water.
Many different color combinations are possible thanks to the wide range of colors of the parent breeds, and they also usually have markings around the face, chest, and leg areas.
Grooming Guide
Regular grooming will be necessary with Chowskies as they will have a thick double coat.
When grooming double-coated breeds, it’s important to target each coat layer separately using the right grooming tools to keep it in good condition.
This means using a slicker brush, a dematting comb, an undercoat rake, and a generic comb for more intense grooming sessions. These only need to be done a few times per week at most, with a regular grooming comb ideal for quick daily grooms when necessary.
Bathing
It might surprise you that Chowskies don’t need to be bathed often.
Double-coated breeds actually benefit from less frequent bathing as their double coat takes care of itself. Huskies and Chow Chows are also great at caring for their own coat and will clean themselves much like cats, so this behavior is highly likely inherited in the Chowsky.
You only need to bathe them when their coats really need cleaning, and they’re struggling to keep it clean themselves; this typically works out a few times per year, in my experience.
Nail Trimming
You’ll only need to trim the Chowsky’s nails when they become too long, which shouldn’t be often as they require a good amount of exercise each day, which should naturally wear them down.
Is The Husky Chow Chow Mix Hypoallergenic?
No dog breeds are hypoallergenic, but the Chowsky is not a breed suited for people with allergies due to how much their thick coat sheds.
Temperament
Temperament is one of the most important things to understand before you get any dog, and it can be difficult to predict with mixes.
Fortunately, the parent breeds of the Chowsky share many similar behavioral traits thanks to their Spitz background, so let’s look at some of the expected traits the Chowsky will inherit.
Very Friendly (Especially With Family)
Both parents love to spend time around people, with the key difference being that Huskies like to socialize with absolutely everyone, while Chow Chows are more loyal to their owners and wary of strangers.
Around the house, you can expect Chowskies to want to spend as much time with you as possible, but they will also have independent streaks every now and then when they want to spend time with themselves.
This is thanks to their Spitz background, and it’s also why they can be prone to being stubborn occasionally.
Stubborn At Times
Spitz-dogs are known for being stubborn, and this trait remains strong in the Chowsky.
Chowskies are very strong-willed and a handful to train because of their lack of instinct to please their owners.
This can be very frustrating for people who don’t have experience with spitz-type dogs, and it’s something that prospective owners need to be aware of.
Active
Chowskies are a pretty active mix, needing at least an hour of exercise daily and ideally more.
This exercise requirement comes mainly from the Husky side, who are an incredibly active type of dog (thanks to their sledding background) that needs at least 2 hours of exercise each day.
High Prey Drive
Chowskies have a very high prey drive thanks to the high prey drive of the Husky and Chow Chow.
This means they’re prone to chasing after small animals like cats or even small dogs without a second thought.
When their prey drive kicks in, recall is very difficult, and it can potentially put them in danger. It also has several implications for keeping Chowskies with cats or small dogs, as they’ll need to be socialized together from a young age for any chance of success.
Prone To Boredom & Separation Anxiety
Chowskies love to spend as much time with their owners as possible, which means they can get bored quickly when left alone and even suffer from separation anxiety.
Separation anxiety is a condition where a dog can develop destructive behaviors when left alone for long periods, such as excessive howling or chewing.
Moderate Guarding Instinct
Chowskies can inherit a guarding instinct from their Chow Chow parent. Still, it isn’t likely to be as strong because Huskies are notoriously terrible guard dogs and love to spend time with anybody, even strangers.
Don’t be surprised if your Chowsky is aloof around strangers and protective of the family, especially smaller children or babies as well.
Cat Like
Chowskies are very cat-like in their behavior, especially when it comes to keeping themselves clean.
They also have very little odor and do their best to clean their coats, so bathing often is unnecessary.
There aren’t many breeds with this cat-like behavior, but luckily both parent breeds exhibit this behavior, so the trait remains strong in the Chowsky.
Are Husky Chow Chow Mixes Good Family Dogs?
Chowskies are ideal family pets for active families.
They’re incredibly loyal and love spending time with all family members, but there are a few things to remember.
Children/Babies
You should never leave a Chowsky unsupervised with a baby or child as they might bump into them accidentally while running around.
Other Pets
Chowskies can be difficult with other small animals, as I mentioned before, so you need to ideally raise them from young if you want them to live with cats or other small dogs.
Is The Husky Chow Chow Mix Intelligent?
Chowskies are very intelligent but in their own way.
Dog intelligence is usually measured by how quickly a particular breed can learn a new command and how often they can repeat it.
Chowskies, like most Spitz-type dogs, are very stubborn, which means they often refuse to listen to commands.
It isn’t that they cannot understand, but it is more of a choice not to listen in the first place.
Are They Easy To Train?
Training can be a problem due to the strong-willed and independent nature of the Chowsky.
Don’t expect them to show enthusiasm during obedience training, and expect to have a lot of patience to get them to learn any new trick or command.
How Much Do They Cost?
It’s tough to predict the price of the Chowsky because they are so rare, and there are no dedicated breeders for this mix yet.
You’re much more likely to find this mix at dog rescues or shelters, where the only costs will be the adoption and other related fees.
If you find a breeder, the price will be roughly based on the average cost of a Husky and Chow Chow puppy, which can easily exceed $1,000.
In Summary
Chowskies are a unique Spitz mix with an energetic personality and a stubbornness to match.
They require a fairly active home, and experience with Spitz-type dogs is a bonus, as they can be hard to train.
Want to learn about other Husky mixes? Check out some of our other recent articles below: