It can be exciting to own a Husky/Retriever mix, but with that, you will need to have a complete guide on taking care of them. It can be difficult to figure out what to feed them, what their temperament is, and other concerns. I decided to do some research and create a complete guide to owning a Husky/Lab mix.
Owning a dog is not easy. There are many factors to think about when it comes to owning such a lovable animal. As an owner, you have the responsibility to care for this pup.
Which means you will need to figure out if their temperament matches yours if their feeding schedule and health concerns are something you can handle.
Husky/Lab Mixes At A Glance
If you are looking to see the entirety of this mix breeds characteristics and more.
Here is a compiled list of need-to-knows about Husky/Retriever mixed breeds:
- Average Height: 20 to 24 inches
- Average Weight: 35 to 80 pounds
- Coat Type: Long length
- Coat Appearance: Dense, straight or even wavy hair
- Coat Colors: Brown, black, brown, light brown, and light colored muzzle
- Grooming Needs: Low Need
- Shedding: Low Shedding
- Brushing Requirements: Twice a week at most
- Sensitive to Touch: No
- Excessive Barking: No
- Good tolerance to Heat and Cold: Yes
- Good Pet: With early socialization and training, yes!
- Safe with Children: With training
- Good with Other Dogs: Moderate
- Good with Other Pets: Moderate
- Suitable to live in an Apartment: No
- Suitable for First-Time Dog Owners: No
- Training: They learn fast but they can be stubborn at first
- Exercise Needs: High need
- Weight Gain: Normal
- Health Concerns: They tend to have eye problems, bloating, cancer and epilepsy
- Allergies: None
- Average Life Span: They can live 10 to 13 years
Be sure to look over this list carefully, and if you find that any of these things put you off, you may want to re-think owning this specific breed.
This type of mix can be kind of expensive, as well. The prices range from $250-$1500.
Not only do you have to take into consideration the price of purchasing a Lab/Husky mix, you have to think about the expenses. It is about $485-$600 a year for medical. And there is an unknown cost to purchasing their crate, collar, toys, and food.
You can expect to spend $900-$1000 total without the inclusion of the medical costs.
Despite this, the puppy mix is an investment worth saving for.
Physical Appearance of a Husky/Retriever Mix
Since this is a mix of two dog breeds there is no real tell to how your puppies are going to look like when they grow up.
Some may look more like their retriever parent than their husky parent. While other puppies may grow up to look more like their husky parent than their retriever one.
This mix breed has something they share in common and that is their thick coat. While some may find this to be a deal breaker when looking for a pet, their coat does not shed as much as the husky purebred.
As for their size, the Retriever/Husky mix can grow up to about medium to large sized. This is not guaranteed since genetics can be a tricky thing to predict. It all depends on the sizes of the puppy mix’s parents.
There is no set look to how your pup will look, at times the breeder can have pups that come out the way they intended them to look. That can be a golden dog with bright blue eyes, or you can expect a Husky-like dog with tipped ears and long hair.
If you have a preference to what you want your mix to look like do some research on the breeders you go to. With that being said, most do not care for the appearance of their dog.
They care more about their temperament and behavioral traits.
Either way, your Retriever/Husky mix will come out to looking like an irresistible ball of lovable fur. This mixed breed will be perfect for anyone who needs an outdoor traveling buddy.
The breed has strong legs, large eyes and fur that will protect them from the cold. Which sounds perfect for the kind of person who enjoys hiking, running, skiing, and other activities a canine is likely to enjoy.
Temperament of Husky/Retrievers
Contrary to popular belief, a Husky/Retriever Mix is quite kind and friendly, especially to their owners. To some, their independent and stubborn characteristics can mean they are disobedient or aggressive.
Those things do not make them aggressive, and disobedience is a product of a pup who is simply not trained.
Despite their stubbornness they get along well with children and families. They have all of the amazing qualities of a loyal watchdog. They always waiting to impress and they can be very obedient if you train with them.
Now, when it comes to bonding a Husky/Lab mix tends to bond more with just one person in the family. Though, that does not mean they will not be loving to other members as well.
It can be hard to know the personality of your pup before you bring them home. If you are someone who wants to know that, you can look to his parents to be able to have an idea to how you pup will act.
Though, if you happen to bring home a mischievous dog you can rely on some training to help them be able to comply with the house rules.
Training a Husky/Retriever Mix
This mix breed is known to be quick learners, but they can also be quite independent. So, with that being said you can imagine your dog not enjoying the idea of you bossing them around.
To make the training process easier, start them while they are young. At the age of a puppy, they will be easy to train, and they’ll have more
Make sure to keep the sessions, in which you train them, short. Not only that, but pay attention to which toys they enjoy playing with most.
Once you figure this out, you can include a few toys and treats to keep them focused and interested.
If your pup is known to be a bit stubborn prepare for some challenges. Stubborn mix breeds, especially a Husky/Retriever mix, need their owners to be willing to put in immense amount of effort into training.
If you are a first-time dog owner, you could reconsider owning a mix breed at first. But, if you are up to the challenge, just know that this mix breed likes to test their owners.
They just want to see how strong your leadership skills, so do not become intimidated by them.
Just do your best to keep your focus and motivate them too!
Their Compatibility with Children
While these dogs are extremely friendly and kind, you should not leave your child with a medium to large sized dog alone.
That does not mean they can never play with those kinds of dogs. But you should always keep an eye on your child while they are playing with the dog.
A Husky/Lab mix is affectionate toward children and if you give your pup the proper training they can be lovable balls of fur.
Instead of a mischievous yet lovable ball of fur.
Another thing to be careful of when your child is playing with their dog is younger children tend to pull or tug on the pup’s ears. Which can be a bit annoying for them.
Though, you can teach your children to simply not bother the dog while he is sleeping, eating, or being trained.
Best Climate for a Husky/Retriever
We all know that Huskies appreciate the cold climate since they are bred to be able to endure that kind of extreme weather. Their double coat is also another way they are able to withstand extremely cold weather.
But this does not mean they can’t thrive in other climates as well.
You just need to be aware and careful of your dog’s temperature for wherever you travel or plan on living.
Whether you live somewhere that can be very hot or cold, your pup will do their best to adapt to the weather.
If you decide to take your pup to Australia you will need to be careful of their temperature on the hotter days to make sure they won’t overheat.
How Much Attention Does A Husky/Retriever Mix Breed Need?
Contrary to what you may think you know about Huskies, despite them occasionally being quite independent they do not like being left alone.
In fact, they crave human attention and touch. As much as they like making their own decisions, they love to spend time with their owner.
So make note that the more time you spend with your pup the happier they will be.
As a puppy the attention you give them will be used to help them adjust as an adult. With that being said, do not get a puppy if you will be away from home for more than a few hours every day.
If you think that it is possible for you to make time to spend with your pup, then do so.
It is unfair to them to be spending most of their day alone.
Something you can consider would be getting another dog to live with you. It is a great way to keep your Husky occupied, and with Huskies being pack animals they are more than likely to enjoy being around other dogs.
Health Issues Of Husky/Retriever Mixes
Before we dive head first into the possible health conditions that your Husky/Retriever mix is susceptible to, keep in mind a sure way to lessen the risks of these health conditions is to keep your pup active and healthy as well as happy.
In order to ensure this, you will need to give them proper nutrition throughout their entire life. Some things you can do would be to feed them high-quality kibble (preferably the kind for huskies).
The kibble specifically for huskies has a high amount of protein that will best fit their needs.
A rule of thumb to follow when it comes to purchasing your dog’s food would be to steer clear from cheap grocery store kibble. That will not be the best option for your dog.
Editor Note: Here’s our recommendation for the best dry dog food for your dog.
You want to be sure that the ingredients you are feeding them are of quality, and are safe for them to enjoy.
Going back to exercise, that in itself is a large factor of keeping your pup at their maximum health. Be sure to keep their weight at the recommended level and help them build muscle.
It does not have to be hard to accomplish this. You can simply take them on a walk or run every day.
If you seem to be concerned with the health of your pup, scheduling an appointment with your veterinarian would not be a bad idea. They will be able to tell you what exactly is wrong with your pup.
These are health issues Retrievers are prone to:
- Hemophilia
- Food allergies/seasonal allergies
- Cancer
- Glaucoma
- Myopathy
- Thyroid imbalance
- Dental issues
- Obesity
- Arthritis
- Hip/elbow dysplasia
These are health issues Siberian Huskies are prone to:
- Dental issues
- Laryngeal paralysis
- Glaucoma
- Epilepsy
- Cataracts
- Degenerative Myelopathy
- Cancer
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- Kerato-conjunctivitis sicca
- Acute caudal myopathy
- Arthritis (which is common in older dogs, but especially in overweight huskies)
These are some potential health issues for a Retriever/Husky mix:
Cancer
Since golden retrievers can be prone to receiving a few types of cancer (eg: Hemangiosarcoma and Lymphoma) which means that it can be something your Husky/Retriever mix is susceptible to.
Joint Dysplasia
Both Golden Retriever, Labrador Retrievers and Husky breed are prone to joint problems the older they become. They typically experience hip and elbow dysplasia which is leg pain, limping and stiffness.
Something you can do to prevent this as early as you can is to feed them supplements.
- Glucosamine
- Chondrotin
- Omega 3 & 6
Eye problems
Unfortunately, your pup can suffer from different types of eye problems. To list a few:
- Corneal Dystrophy
- Juvenile Cataracts
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy
Those three eye diseases can be passed down onto your pup from their parents. Typically from the Husky parent, since the breed suffers from eye defects the most.
None of these eye defects can lead to death but worst case scenario it can lead to blindness.
Bathing, Coat, and Cleaning
Since your dog is a mix breed, it has a double coat! The inner coat is softer while the outer coat is thicker. So, as you can imagine, they will be shedding quite a bit.
To make sure your dog looks his best you should brush through their fur at least 2 to 3 times a week to help reduce shedding.
When it comes to bathing your pup, you should do this every 2 to 3 months, or whenever their fur becomes dirty.
Something you may not have thought about is the importance of your dog’s dental hygiene. At the least, you should brush your dogs teeth 3-4 times a week.
Feeding A Husky/Retriever Mix
When it comes to feeding your pup, this can differ between their size. As they grow, their feeding requirement will change and the same goes if they are smaller than the average mix.
If you have a medium or big sized dog, you can feed them 3 to 4 cups of their food (high-quality) every day. You can divide those 3 to 4 cups into two meals.
Dry foods are best for your dog’s teeth and gums, so be sure to think about that before you give them a certain treat!
You should avoid buying anything commercial or store-bought dog food for your pup. That can cause a change in their health, growth, and fur coat appearance.
Something you can do would be a to include a combination of raw meat and veggies into your dog’s regular feeding schedule. Since this mix breed is carnivorous, you should think twice before feeding them something high in carbohydrates
They are meant to eat protein.
Related Questions:
How much should a husky retriever mix weigh? Since Golden retrievers and Huskies are generally pretty large dogs themselves, you can expect you husky lab mix to weigh 35-80 pounds.
Do huskies get along with golden retrievers? Golden retrievers are known to be able to get along well with other pets, like cats and dogs. Huskies, on the other hand, are a bit tougher to warm up to. They can be compatible with other pets depending on their own temperament.
How big will a golden retriever husky mix get? The average male Golden retriever husky puppy mix will grow to about 21 to 24 inches tall. While the females can grow to about 20 to 22.5 inches tall.
