Huskimo: Everything You Need To Know
What do you get when you breed a Siberian Husky and an American Eskimo? A Hukimo. This is a medium-sized, highly energetic fun-loving dog. These dogs make great family pets. When looking at getting a Hukimo, there are 12 fun facts that you should know to see if this will be the best breed to add to your family.
12 Things You Should Know About A Hukimo
If you are looking at getting a Hukimo, or just got one of these breeds of dogs, you should know these 12 facts about them.
1.) Huskimo Size
When you are first looking at getting a new dog, the first thing that you need to consider is the size of the dog you want. This breed is made up of:
Husky
The male Husky usually weighs around 45 to 60 pounds where the females are going to weigh about 35 to 50 pounds.
American Eskimo
The American Eskimo can be three different sizes:
- Toy weighing 6 to 10 pounds
- Miniature weighing 10 to 20 pounds
- Standard weighing 25 to 40 pounds
Since this breed is a mixture of two different dog breeds, the American Eskimo can range from 6 to 40 pounds, your Huskimo can be a full range of sizes. Their usual weight falls between 40 to 60 pounds. This makes the Huskimo a great medium to large size dog.
2.) History of The Huskimo
Huskimos started to be bred in the 1990s early 2000s. This is when many of the designer dog breeds first started. While this breed is not officially recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC), they have become a very popular breed known for their intelligence, athletics, and love for the cold weather. This makes this a great breed for people who live in areas with a snowy winter.
3.) Huskimo Temperament
Huskimos are very smart dogs. They can be very calm and quickly and easily learn new tricks. They are very active dogs and will need to live with someone who also lives a very active life. If you do not give your Huskimo the proper amount of exercise they can become disobedient and often destructive.
These dogs will try to become the boss so you will need to have a very dominant personality and training routine to teach your Huskimio that they are not the leader of the house.
Huskimos are very social and love interacting with other people and pets. They are great for multi-pet houses. Properly socializing your Huskimo will help make sure that your dog gets along with other pets and people. This is something that should be started at a very young age to help prevent any aggressive behaviors.
4.) Huskimo Appearance
Huskimos have a medium-length coat that is moderately thick. They have a double coat. This thick coat is needed to help keep them warm in the arctic winters that these breeds commonly live in. Huskimos usually have a long fluffy tail that curls up over their back. Their ears usually stand straight up.
Since these dogs are a mix of two different breeds they can have many different looks. You can look at their parents to help you figure out what your Huskimo will look like.
5.) Huskimo Training Needs
Huskimos are very smart dogs and can easily and quickly learn new tricks. Your Huskimo will need to start obedience training and socialization at a young age. This breed can be headstrong and try to push their boundaries. You will need to be able to be very persistent and dominant when training your Huskimos.
Without training and socialization, your huskimo could become aggressive and destructive. Training not only helps your Huskimo use their excess energy, but also provides a great way to bond with your dog.
6.) Huskimo Exercises Needs
You will need to be prepared for your Huskimo’s level of activity. Most Huskimos need plenty of exercise time. You will need to be able to spend at least 1 hour a day walking or some other type of exercise activity.
If you do not give your Huskimo a lot of time to exercise, they can become destructive from their boredom. This usually causes them to get into trouble either because they have eaten something that they should not have or they have destroyed everything in your house.
You will need to exercise them early in the morning or late at night during the warm summer months. Their thick coat can cause them to easily get overheated and develop heatstroke if they are taken out in the hottest part of the day in the summer.
7.) Huskimo Grooming Needs
Huskimos do shed a lot and will need their hair brushed very often to get rid of the loose and unwanted hair. They will not need frequent grooming visits. They will need a bath about once a month or as they get dirty. Other than normal grooming that every dog needs such as nail trims, ear cleaning, and teeth brushing, these dogs have very easy grooming needs.
8.) Huskimo Health Concerns
Just like with any breed you need to know about health conditions that are common for that breed. This breed lives a very long life for a larger breed dog. A typical life span of a Huskimo is 12 to 15 years.
Huskimos can also have a few health issues during their life such as:
- Hip Dysplasia: Many large breed dogs can commonly have hip issues. This is usually seen when your dog starts to limp or has problems sitting or standing.
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy: Huskys commonly have eye issues. You may notice a change in the color of their eyes or loss of vision
If you notice any of these signs in your Huskimo, you should make an appointment with your vet. They can quickly examine your dog and run tests to figure out why they are showing any of the signs that you are seeing.
Huskimos, just like any other dog, the earlier you start treating an issue the quicker your dog will recover and may even help prevent their health issue from progressing to even more severe issues.
9.) Finding A Hukimo
Huskimos can be harder to locate due to them being a rare breed. You may be waiting a long time for a puppy since most of these breeders already have long wait lists.
A faster way of finding a Huskimo could be finding one at a local rescue group.
10.) Cost Of A Hukimo
The cost of this breed will vary depending on each breeder and where you are located. You should expect to spend $700 to $2500 for a puppy. You may be able to find an adult Huskimo in a shelter or rescue for a much cheaper price.
11.) Huskimo Diet Needs
Huskimos will need a diet designed for high-energy large breed dogs. A Huskimo puppy will need to be fed a diet specifically for a large breed puppy to help meet their growing needs. It is best to feed your Huskimo a complete and well balance high-quality diet to help keep your dog healthy and happy.
12.) Huskimo As A Family Pet
Huskimos make great family pets. These dogs are very loyal and protective of their family. These dogs have lots of energy and would be great for a family on the go. They would love to live in a house with a yard, but could also live in an apartment as long as they have frequent walks.
Final Thoughts
A Huskimo is a great designer dog breed made by mixing a Husky and an American Eskimo. This breed is very energetic and very smart. This makes these dogs great pets for people with active lives.
Dr. Sara Ochoa, DVM graduated from St. George’s University Veterinary School in 2015. Since then, she has been at a small and exotic animal practice in Texas. In her free time, she loves making quilts and spending time with her husband Greg and their 4 fur kids. Two dogs, Ruby a schnoodle, and Bug a Japanese Chin, one cat named OJ and a leopard tortoise named Monkey.