In this article we’ll stack up the doberman vs husky to see the differences and similarities between these two popular breeds.
Here’s a quick rundown of the differences and similarities before we get into an overview of each breed and the detailed comparisons between the two.
Contents
Doberman Pinscher Quick Overview
Doberman pinschers were originally bred in Germany in the early 19th century as large guarding dogs.
The actual origin of the breed is unknown, but it is thought that the doberman pinscher was created by a mix of rottweilers, German pinschers and the great dane.
Since that time, doberman pinschers have become people-orientated dogs that are highly capable of protecting the family.
They require a lot of exercise and are great companions for families, although some dobermans prefer to bond with one person in particular.
They have short hair and respond well to positive reinforcement, making them highly trainable.
Dobermans are a large dog breed, typically weighing between 60 to 100 lbs with a height of 24 to 28 inches (per hillspet).
Siberian Husky Quick Overview
Huskies were bred by the Chukchi people of Siberia to assist with pulling sleds over long distances.
Huskies have a pack mentality and were not used for guarding or hunting, but rather as a functional part of a pack to work.
Huskies retain a large capacity for exercise due to this and like to be around other dogs due to their pack mentality.
They are very intelligent but difficult to train as they can be stubborn and independent.
They have a thick double coat that requires regular grooming and are not suited for being left alone as they will get bored easily and can develop destructive behaviors.
Doberman VS Husky Appearance
The most obvious distinction between these two breeds is in their appearance.
Huskies have a wolf-life appearance with long fur that comes in a wide variety of colors, including the classic white and black to red to fully white.
Doberman pinschers have short fur that comes in a wide variety of colors as well. They have a muscular, large frame without much fat and have a regal appearance.
Key Differences Between Dobermans And Huskies
Appearances aside, let’s take a look at some of the other key differences between the doberman and the husky.
Size
Dobermans are a large dog breed, whereas huskies are a medium-sized dog breed.
In terms of numbers, dobermans can weigh anywhere from 60 to 100 lbs on average whereas huskies usually weigh between 35 to 60 lbs.
Dobermans are also taller, with an average height between 24 and 28 inches whereas huskies typically grow to 20 to 23.5 inches tall.
This also obviously means that dobermans require more food.
A lot of people assume huskies are a large dog breed, but this is not the case. Alaskan malamutes are often confused for huskies and have a much larger size.
Temperament
Huskies love to be around people and are very playful and intelligent. They have no issues being friendly to strangers but can be independent and stubborn at times if they don’t want company.
Dobermans also love to be around people when socialized properly, but they are wary of strangers and have a much stronger protective instinct.
Dobermans tend to bond closely to one person, but they make great family pets and are amazing with children if raised with them.
Shedding Level
Huskies shed a lot due to their thick double coats, especially when they are blowing coat which usually happens twice a year.
You’ll need to groom a husky daily to maintain their coat and multiple times per day when they are blowing coat.
Dobermans, on the other hand, are single-coated and have much shorter hair. They’ll shed the same amount year-round and require weekly grooming to maintain their coats.
Lifespan
Huskies have a slightly longer lifespan on average at 12 to 15 years.
Dobermans live between 10 and 13 years old, which is very respectable for such a large dog.
Trainability
Huskies are notoriously difficult to train because they are not particularly interested in pleasing their owners.
Dobermans, on the other hand, are people pleasers and pick up training very quickly. This is one of the reasons why they are used in the police force so often.
Dobermans also naturally have guarding and protective instincts which makes training in this area more natural to them.
Key Similarities Between Dobermans And Huskies
Dobermans and huskies may look different and have different temperaments, but there are actually a lot of similarities between the two breeds as well.
Let’s take a look at some of them.
Exercise Requirements
Dobermans and huskies require a lot of exercise and are highly active breeds.
You should aim for at least 1 to 2 hours of exercise each day for both breeds.
Huskies are technically capable of more given their sledding backgrounds – they are capable of running over 100 miles per day when trained – but when kept as pets this is not practical.
Intelligence
Intelligence is something that dobermans and huskies are certainly not lacking.
Dobermans are probably more intelligent overall, especially in obedience intelligence, but huskies are no slouch in instinctive and adaptive intelligence.
If you want to learn more about the different types of dog intelligence then read our guide here. It’s easy to summarise dog intelligence broadly, but there are many different aspects to it.
Prey Drive
Huskies and dobermans share a high prey drive.
This means that they will chase small animals or prey due to a natural instinct.
Once they decide to chase, it can be almost impossible to recall them and it can lead to issues if they’re off leash as they won’t pay attention to where they are heading.
Neither breed was used for hunting, so it’s highly unlikely that they would attack whatever they were chasing, but they will still have the urge to chase them.
This is why it is important to socialize both breeds from a young age if you want them to live with cats or other small pets.
Do Dobermans Get Along With Huskies?
If you’re considering keeping dobermans and huskies together it’s important to know whether they would get along.
Huskies get along with most dogs fine, but dobermans can have problems with other dogs particularly if they are of the same sex.
In an ideal world, you would have an opposite-gender husky and raise the two together from a young age to aid with early socialization.
Outside of that, female-female pairings tend to work best and male-male pairings should be avoided.
In Summary
Dobermans and huskies are big commitments due to how much exercise and mental stimulation they need.
Dobermans are more trainable and have a much stronger guarding instinct, but they are also much larger in size.
Huskies can be more difficult to train and show more signs of stubbornness, but they love to be around humans just like dobermans and make great additions to the family.
Want to see more husky breed comparisons? Check out some of our others here:
