The Irish Wolfhound Husky mix is a huge, imposing dog whose temperament couldn’t be any more different from how they look.
These dogs are very loyal and love to be around people. They can be stubborn at times and challenging to train, though, and they require a lot of exercise and grooming, which can make them quite a handful.
In this guide, we’ll explore everything there is to know about this rare mix, so let’s get straight into it.
Contents
Quick Overview
Here’s a quick overview of just about everything you need to know about the Irish Wolfhound Husky mix:
- Other Names: Irish Wolfsky
- Average Lifespan: 8 to 12 years
- Average Height: 25 to 30+ inches
- Average Weight: 75 to 120+ lbs
- Coat appearance: Medium to long in length
- Grooming Frequency: Regular grooming needed
- Typical Temperament: Gentle giants, highly social, and lack guarding instinct
- Daily Food Consumption: High
- New Owner Friendly: Very challenging for new owners as they are huge dogs that need a lot of exercise, grooming, and socialization
- Suitable to live with children? Can be great with children and babies but requires lots of socialization and supervision
- 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
The Irish Wolfhound Husky mix is a very rare and unique cross that exhibits many features from both parent breeds.
They’re much larger than your average Husky in height and weight. The outer coat is much more rough and wiry, as seen in the Irish Wolfhound, and it’s very common for them to inherit the beard of the Irish Wolfhound, too.
Many characteristic Husky features are common, though, from pointed, erect ears to blue eyes and a curly, fluffy tail.
The coat can also come in a wide range of colors, thanks mainly to the Husky parent as well.
I’ve tried to include as many example photos as possible in this article to give you a better idea of how the appearance varies between individuals.
Siberian Husky Appearance & Background
Siberian Huskies have a classic wolf-like appearance, with several Spitz-type features, including erect ears, a thick double coat, and curled tails.
Huskies come in many 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.
They have a slender build, which helps them to perform impressive feats of endurance due to their background as sled dogs.
Irish Wolfhound Appearance & Background
Irish Wolfhounds are officially the tallest dog in the world, standing at least 30 inches for females and 32 inches for males at the shoulder.
It isn’t uncommon to see Irish Wolfhounds much larger than this, and some can weigh almost 200 lbs as well. They have a classic greyhound-type build but are much larger.
Irish Wolfhounds were initially used as hunting dogs, capable of fighting wolves in single combat. Recently, Irish Wolfhounds are much more popular as family dogs and are very affectionate.
Despite their large and intimidating appearance, Irish Wolfhounds are very calm and actually not as great as guard dogs as you would expect (although their size is enough to scare anyone away.
They have a harsh, wiry outer coat with a soft undercoat underneath, and their coat can also come in many different colors. Irish Wolfhounds also have a classic beard, often seen in the Irish Wolfhound Husky mix.
Average Size
The Irish Wolfhound Husky mix is a giant dog, reaching 25 to 30+ inches in height and 75 to 120+ lbs in weight easily.
Experience with larger dogs is a must with this breed, and it’s essential to be very careful around younger children or babies due to the sheer size of this mix.
Coat Appearance
Irish Wolskies will always have a double coat that combines key features from the Irish Wolfhound and Husky.
For example, the outer coat is rougher and more wiry, like the Irish Wolfhound, but the undercoat is fluffier and denser, like the Husky.
The coat can vary in color depending on the parents’ color and genetics, although lighter tones are more common.
Grooming Guide
Double-coated breeds with long fur must be groomed regularly, and you should fully groom their coats at least once weekly.
You can find an overview of this process below, with full details here:
- 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 hair or matter areas.
The Irish Wolfhound Husky mix will also blow its coat twice per year, which is a process where they transition into their summer coat and lose a lot of their undercoat in the process.
During this time, you may have to groom them daily.
Bathing
Irish Wolfskies don’t need to be bathed often as their double coat cleans itself well.
This is contrary to popular belief, but excessive bathing will cause more harm than good, so only bathe them when their coat is very dirty.
Temperament
Temperament is one of the most important things to consider when looking at any dog, especially mixes where the temperament can be more challenging to predict.
Let’s look at the temperament of the Irish Wolfhound and Husky to see what you can expect from the mix.
Gentle & Friendly
Irish Wolfhounds are known for their temperament as gentle giants; they’re very calm and friendly with most people.
Huskies are much the same (minus the giant part) and love to spend time around people and socialize. The only difference is that Huskies are energetic most of the day, whereas Irish Wolfhounds like to relax at home.
Friendliness is guaranteed with the Irish Wolfsky; they’re often more relaxed at home and content to lounge around for hours.
Highly Active
Irish Wolfhound Husky mixes are incredibly active, needing at least 2 hours of daily exercise.
This comes from the background of both parents: Huskies can pull light sled loads for miles on end, and Irish Wolfhounds are competent hunting dogs that can walk and run for long periods while stalking prey.
It’s also advisable to let them exercise off leash when you can, but make sure this is done in secure locations as they might be prone to chasing after small animals due to their prey drive.
Prey Drive
An important thing to know about the Irish Wolfskies is their high prey drive.
Irish Wolfhounds obviously have a high prey drive as hunting dogs, but Huskies are the same in this respect and have a high prey drive.
This means they’re prone to chasing after smaller animals instinctually, and if this happens, there is quite a low chance of recall.
Stubborn & Lack Of Trainability
Irish Wolfskies tend to be quite stubborn and more challenging to train than your average dog.
This stems mainly from the Husky side, who tend to be very stubborn and difficult to train. Irish Wolfhounds can also be pretty stubborn and independent, so if you’re looking for an easy-to-train dog, this mix definitely isn’t for you.
Prone To Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is a real problem for many Irish Wolfskies, as the Husky and Irish Wolfhound suffer from it.
Separation anxiety is common in highly active, intelligent dogs as they can become bored quickly if left alone, especially if they haven’t received enough exercise before being left alone.
It quickly leads to destructive behaviors when they are left alone for long periods, such as excessive scratching or chewing. When you consider how large this mix is, destructive behaviors could quickly cause a lot of damage to furniture and other objects in the house.
No Guarding Instinct
Although the Irish Wolfhound Husky mix might look like a very intimidating and large dog, it’s actually not suited as a guard dog at all.
This is because of the parent breeds:
- Irish Wolfhounds are incredibly calm and not very suspicious of strangers.
- Huskies are incredibly friendly and would rather make friends with a stranger than be suspicious of them.
You’ll still benefit from the sheer size and intimidation factor, though, and that should be more than enough in most cases.
Is The Irish Wolfhound Husky Mix A Good Family Dog?
Irish Wolfskies can make amazing family pets, but you need to know what you’re getting into.
These are giant dogs that require a whole lot of space. Expect vet bills and other associated costs like pet food and insurance to be very expensive.
They’re not ideal around children or babies due to their size, but they can be kept with them under supervision to make sure they don’t accidentally knock into them. They’ll also need to be raised from a young age with cats or other small animals due to their prey drive.
Exercise and grooming requirements are also very high, but if you’re up to the task of owning this majestic dog, your family will be rewarded every day with a loving and loyal pup.
Requires Lots Of Socialization
All dogs benefit significantly from socialization, but it’s even more helpful for giant breeds like the Irish Wolfhound Husky mix.
It’s important to teach them how to behave in new environments and situations, particularly in calming their excitement, as the last thing you want is for one of them to jump up at a stranger.
How Much Do They Cost?
Irish Wolfhounds and Huskies are both pretty expensive:
- Huskies cost anywhere from $800 to $1,500 on average
- Irish Wolfhounds cost anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000 on average
Given how rare this mix is, there aren’t currently any reputable breeders, and you’re much more likely to find an Irish Wolfsky in a rescue or animal shelter.
If you find a breeder, don’t be surprised if the puppy is expensive.
In Summary
The Irish Wolfhound Husky mix is a big dog with a big personality.
They’re much more gentle than they look and can make great family pets if you’re committed to owning a huge dog that needs lots of exercise and grooming.
With any large dog, socialization is critical, and this is no different for the Irish Wolfsky. If you put in the effort early on, you’ll be rewarded with an incredible do that is full of life and loves to spend time with you and your loved ones.
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
- Husky Yorkie Mix [Yorksky] – Full Guide With Pictures
- Husky Newfoundland Mix (Newsky): Full Guide With Pictures
- Siberian Husky Staffy Mix [Staffsky] – Profile & Pictures
- Husky Doberman Mix [Dobsky] – Full Guide & Pictures
- Labradoodle Husky Mix: Full Profile & Pictures
- Siberian Husky Great Pyrenees Mix: Full Profile & Pictures
