The Siberian Husky Dachshund mix, or the Dusky, is an uncommon mix between two bold and popular dog breeds.
The result is a confident and social medium-sized dog that loves to spend time with the family. Duskies are prone to being stubborn and can be wary of strangers, but they have exceptional temperaments and won’t fail to keep you entertained.
In this article, we’ll explore everything there is to know about the Dusky so you can see whether this dog is for you!
Contents
Quick Overview
Here’s a brief overview of the Husky Dachshund mix:
- Other Names: Dusky
- Average Lifespan: 11-15 Years
- Average Height: 10 – 18 inches
- Average Weight: 20 to 40 lbs
- Coat appearance: Medium to long thick double coat, lots of color variation
- Activity Level: Moderate (one hour daily)
- Grooming Frequency: Moderate grooming needs depending on coat type inherited
- Typical Temperament: Very outgoing, social, and confident but prone to stubborn tendencies
- Daily Food Consumption: Low to moderate
- New Owner Friendly: Great for new owners
- Suitable to live with children? Great with older children, need socializing with younger children
- 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
Duskies have a unique appearance that can vary greatly depending on the parents.
Most of the time, they’ll have a similar body shape to the Dachshund, with many aesthetic features coming from the Husky.
Blue eyes are very common, as well as more alert ears rather than floppy ears that you would see on a Dachshund. The snout is also slightly longer and wider, giving more of a Husky-type look.
It really does vary a lot, though, so I’ve included as many examples as possible in this guide to give you a better idea of what to expect.
Siberian Husky Appearance & Background
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, including all white, red and white, Agouti, 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.
Huskies have a working background as sled dogs, used to pull light loads over incredibly long distances and rugged terrain. Their slender frame helps them achieve this, and they require a lot of daily exercise and mental stimulation to be fulfilled because of their working background.
Dachshund Appearance & Background
Dachshunds are iconic dogs with short and long bodies, floppy ears, and a personality much bigger than their size.
They come in a variety of sizes and coat types, as well as colors.
Despite their friendly appearance, Dachsunds were actually used for hunting badgers in Germany many centuries ago and are capable of impressive hunting and athletic ability.
Average Size
Duskies can vary in size depending on the type of Dachshund mixed with the Husky.
Dachshunds usually come in two sizes, miniature or standard, which vary in weight from 11 lbs and under to 32 lbs and 5 to 10 inches in height.
Depending on this, Duskies usually reach 20 to 40 lbs in weight and 10 to 18 inches in height.
Coat Appearance
The coat of the Dusky can vary a lot depending on the type they inherit.
Huskies always have a thick double coat, where the coat is split into two layers: a dense, wooly undercoat that provides insulation and an overcoat of long guard hairs that protects the fur and skin below from debris and moisture.
Dachshunds can have a double coat, but they can also have a single coat. There are also three types of Dachshund coat types: smooth (short-haired), long-haired, and wirehaired.
Duskies typically have a shorter coat than a Husky that is either single or double-coated, but they can also have longer, thicker coats as well.
Many colors are possible due to the various colors of the parent breeds, with darker shades of brown and black more prominent and white markings common. This, again, can vary a lot.
Grooming Guide
Singled-coated Duskies only need grooming once weekly with a grooming comb to keep their fur well-maintained.
In the case of a double-coated Dusky, you’ll need to groom their coat fully a few times per week. This involves a couple of steps and should be done alongside quick daily brushes:
- The grooming process starts with a slicker brush, which is designed to target the undercoat and remove loose hairs.
- After that, use a dematter comb, which gently removes stubborn tangles with a serrated edge.
- A gentle undercoat rake is then used to target the undercoat further and get rid of any remaining loose hairs.
- Lastly, a general grooming comb is used to get rid of any loose hairs or matter areas.
You can find a full rundown of this process here. This may be necessary multiple times per day when they’re blowing coat, a process that all double-coated breeds go through twice yearly on average when they transition into their summer coats.
Bathing
The bathing routine of a Dusky should be pretty straightforward.
If their fur is long and double coated, only bathe them when necessary if the coat becomes too dirty. Double coats are designed to keep themselves clean, so avoid excessive bathing, as this can cause more harm than good.
For short, single-coated Duskies, you can bathe them whenever their coat becomes dirty, but more frequently.
Temperament
Temperament is one of the most important things to consider with any dog breed, especially with a mix like the Dusky, where the temperament can vary due to the addition of two breeds.
Let’s take a look at what you can expect from this up-and-coming mix.
Friendly
Huskies are incredibly social and love spending time with others, including strangers.
Dachshunds can be slightly more wary of strangers but still love to spend time with others, which means Duskies are a very friendly and social mix.
High Prey Drive
Huskies and Dachshunds have high prey drives, which means the Dusky is guaranteed to share this trait as well.
A high prey drive means they are prone to chasing after small animals without a second thought, which can put the animal being chased and the dog itself in danger.
A good collar or harness and leash will be your best friend with a Dusky, and they will need to be socialized from a young age with other small animals or cats to have success living with them in the same house.
Stubborn Tendencies
Siberian Huskies are one of the most stubborn breeds and choose when to listen to their owners.
Dachshunds are very similar and have a stubborn trait due to being raised as independent hunters, which means the Dusky is highly likely to be very stubborn.
Moderate Intelligence
Huskies and Dachshunds don’t score highly on dog intelligence tests, but it’s important to understand why.
Thanks to their stubborn tendencies, getting them to learn or repeat commands isn’t easy. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t understand, but rather that they choose not to listen often.
For example, Huskies come in at 77 and Dachshunds at 92 out of 139 dogs when rated on their intelligence in Coren’s The Intelligence of Dogs.
Experience with stubborn breeds helps you quickly understand that these dogs don’t lack intelligence; just don’t expect a Dusky to take to obedience training quickly (if at all).
Prone To Separation Anxiety
Both parent breeds of the Dusky are prone to separation anxiety, which is a condition where a dog may develop destructive behaviors and become anxious when left alone for long periods.
You can take steps to help dogs deal with separation anxiety, but Duskies are not suited for households where they are left alone for long periods on a regular basis.
Moderately Active
Duskies are pretty active, requiring at least one hour of daily exercise.
This comes mainly from the Husky, who requires at least 2 hours per day of exercise as a minimum.
It’s important to exercise Duskies gently rather than vigorously, opting for walks over intense exercise like running to keep their joints healthy.
Regular veterinary visits might be necessary as the short legs of the Dusky can be vulnerable if they are heavier in the average weight range.
Need Socializing
Socializing is key for the Dusky from an early age.
This is because of the traits that they can inherit from the parent breeds:
- Huskies love to socialize, but they can sometimes exert too much energy when meeting new people and exhibit unwanted behaviors like jumping up at people.
- Dachshunds are more wary of strangers and can get a little nippy if they feel uncomfortable, especially around younger children who don’t know their limits.
Make sure your Dusky meets many new dogs and people from a young age to build up their confidence around others. This will also allow you to correct any unwanted behaviors they might exhibit.
Is The Siberian Husky Dachshund Mix A Good Family Dog?
Duskies are ideal family dogs.
They aren’t too much work in terms of exercise and grooming and get along with all members of the family.
They also crave attention, which makes them perfect for large families where there is always someone around to give them some love.
You must be careful with Duskies and young children, as they might run out of patience and nip at them. They can also be hard to keep with cats unless raised together from a young age.
How Much Do They Cost?
Duskies aren’t very commonly bred, so you’re more likely to find one in a shelter or rescue rather than from a reputable breeder.
That said, both parent breeds can be quite expensive as they are very popular, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see a Dusky puppy selling for over $1,000.
For context, Husky puppies sell for $800 and $1,500 upfront, and Dachshunds sell for a whopping $1,500 to $2,000.
In Summary
Hopefully, you’ve got a better idea about the Siberian Husky Dachshund mix after reading this article.
Duskies are one of the more uncommon mixes to come across, but they combine many of the ideal attributes of the parent breeds. This results in an incredibly confident and social dog with a stubborn and quirky personality.
They’ll need to be socialized with younger children or small pets from an early age for success, but this shouldn’t be a big hurdle to get over.
If you’re interested in learning about more Husky mixes, you can check out some of our recent articles below:
- Husky Chow Chow Mix [Chowsky]: Complete Guide & Pictures
- Siberian Husky Weimaraner mix [Weimarsky]: Guide & Pictures
- Husky Newfoundland Mix (Newsky): Full Guide With Pictures
- Husky Kelpie Mix (Kelpskie): Complete Profile & Pictures
- Siberian Husky Saint Bernard Mix (Saint Berhusky) Full Guide
- Siberian Husky Finnish Lapphund Mix: Complete Profile
