Siberian Chihuahau Dog Breed

The Husky-Chi, as a mixed breed, is not an official member of any breed group. Neither does any info exist about these hybrids' true origin; they were probably first interbred for commercial purposes during the designer dog "explosion" in North America in the late 20th century. Husky-Chihuahua mixes are best suited as pets for active families willing to provide the training and socialization these dogs need.

A few Chihuahua-Husky mix facts: their size can vary a bit, but they're usually small- to medium-sized, averaging 14 inches at the shoulders in height and 25 pounds in weight; coat length and texture varies some too, but soft, fluffy, and medium-length is most common; and a Chihuahua mixed with Husky is pretty energetic, and will need regular exercise.

Some advantages and drawbacks to owning a Husky mix with Chihuahua:

A Husky-Chi is the unlikely mix of two breeds that differ a lot in size. Because of this size variation, these hybrids will virtually always be whelped from artificial insemination (and the Husky will always be the female). These complicated breeding methods mean breeders will charge quite a bit for Chihuahua and Husky mix puppies.

Even so, Chihuahua-Huskies are intelligent, sassy dogs. They'll normally be outgoing and playful, and they usually make pretty good watchdogs too (especially if they inherit the Chihuahua's boldness). A Husky and Chihuahua mix will probably have its less-than-desirable qualities as well, though: it might be fussy and temperamental, and may try to dominate people and other animals if allowed (which means this hybrid often won't mix too well with children). So it's recommended that owners provide their Husky-Chi's with obedience training and socialization (starting during puppyhood, if possible) to teach them respectful behavior.

A Husky mixed with Chihuahua will also be pretty energetic, and will need daily exercise (some of which will be outdoors, if possible).

The Siberian Chihuahua mix can vary some in both size and coat length.

These hybrids' coats can be short- to medium-length, medium, or medium-long depending on the length of the Chihuahua parents' coat. A Husky-Chi with a long-haired Chihuahua parent will usually have a medium-length coat, with longer hair on the ears, legs, and tail--but most of these hybrids have short- to medium-length coats that can be either single- or double-layered.

The greatest variation within these crossbred dogs is in their size. While the median size for Husky-Chi dogs is 14 inches and 25 pounds, they can be somewhat larger or smaller--and breeders will use selective breeding techniques to purposefully develop differently-sized dogs.

Breeders use symbols like P, F1, F1b, and so on to signify a crossbred dog's genetic makeup. For the Husky-Chi, the following applies:

• P: Purebred Husky (or purebred Chihuahua)
• F1: P x P (50% Husky, 50% Chihuahua)
• F1b: P x F1 (75% of purebred parent)
• F2: F1 x F1 (50% of each)

Breeders often develop a Miniature Husky-Chihuahua mix (averaging 10 inches and 15 pounds) by breeding F1b crosses, with the tiny Chihuahua as the purebred parent.

The Husky-Chi, due to hybrid vigor (in which a crossbred dog inherits the healthiest traits of its parent breeds), is very healthy. Even so, some Husky-Chi dogs will suffer ailments common to the parent breeds including patellar luxation, heart problems, and various eye issues. Potential owners are advised to ask breeders for health screenings for the dog and/or its parents, or they can have their own veterinarians do the screenings.

Life expectancy for these hybrids is 11-16 years.