Shusky Dog Breed

Shiba Inus are rather rare outside Japan, and rarer still are the two purebreds crossed; they may look a bit alike but they are very different in temperament. It is speculated that the Shiba Inu may be crossbred with a Siberian Husky to produce a smaller-sized Husky. In any case, this mix is is not very well suited for most people and households due to high training, exercise and grooming requirements.

If you are looking to adopt one of these mixed breed dogs, you absolutely should learn all you can about the parent breeds as well as the very parents that breed the puppy you may have your eye on.

PROS

• Markedly intelligent
• Extremely beautiful dog
• Wonderful with children
• Can endure extremely cold weather
• Great for very active people, especially runners
• Tends to inherit very few possible diseases and ailments

CONS

• Can be very challenging to train
• Tends to be exceedingly domineering
• May easily escape despite seemingly secure boundaries
• Should never be off-leash when not very well-contained
• Requires more and constant socialization than most dogs
• Will need a lot of very careful training and discipline
• May be prompted to chase, capture and bite smaller pets
• Will shed a lot and when blowing out, will produce mounds of hair
• Absolutely must be exercised multiple times daily and at great length

Because designer hybrids are so new, there are other crossbred dog pairs that have been called Shusky (such as a Saint Bernard / Siberian Husky mix and a Shetland Sheepdog / Siberian Husky mix) as well as at least one other widely used name for the Shusky: Husky Inu.

Both parent breeds are intelligent, bold and curious, and it's a sure thing your Shusky will be equally so. Without early training, your Shusky will figure out how to dominate the household while pursuing obnoxious means of attention. You definitely need to be ready for the daily task of training and socializing this hybrid dog.

The Shusky may be overly friendly with strangers or keep them at a distance. If there is more Siberian Husky in her, she'll be as friendly with you as she will with anyone. If, however, she has a strong Shiba Inu demeanor, she'll be loyal to those who have have earned her trust but aloof to most everyone else.

Make no doubt about it: these are exceptionally energetic dogs. You must be prepared to exercise them at length every day and stimulate their mind via training as well. Allowing that energy to build up rather than be burned off will result in destructive behavior.

As the Shusky is a very new designer dog, the long-term health problems are far from being known let alone evaluated. There are a few problems known to occur, and those are with the dog's skin (allergies), eyes (blindness) and ears (deafness.) It is also believed that knee ailments may develop as this is an extremely active dog that loves to run and jump a lot.

The average lifespan of the Shusky tends to be about 8 to 11 years, although it could live a bit longer.