How Long Do Huskies Live – Husky Lifespan 101

Athletic, intelligent, and absolutely stunning, the Siberian Husky is one of the most sought dog breeds, and it’s easy to see why.

Another reason they stand out amongst the pack — pun very much intended — is that the lifespan of a Husky Dog differs a fair amount from other dog breeds in their weight class.

How Long Do Dogs Live?

The lifespan of a dog is most dependent on their breed. Small breeds like Poodles, Shih Tzus, and Pomeranians typically live 12-16 years, with some living close to two decades.

While the biggest of the biggest have the shortest lifespan with Great Danes, Bernese Mountain Dogs, and Irish Wolfhounds rarely making past the decade mark.

How Long do Siberian Huskies Live?

Even though Siberian Huskies are a medium-size breed that typically lives 10-13 years, the Siberian Husky itself has a longer lifespan, typically living between 12-15 years. And it’s not uncommon to hear of them living to the ripe old age 16.

When comparing them to similar dogs in their size range, Golden Retrievers only live about 10-12 years while the average German Shepherd lives anywhere from 9-13 years.

The Siberian Huskies’ cousin, the Alaskan Malamute, has a shorter lifespan as well — between 10-12 years.

 

How Long Do Alaskan Huskies Live

Due to their complex genetic mix of various Northern breeds including our Siberian Husky, along with the German Shorthaired-pointer, Greyhound, and sometimes other dogs, The Alaskan Husky is a particularly healthy dog. They have a lifespan that matches the Siberian Husky at 12-15 years.

What is The Longest Living Husky?

Strangely, there appears to be no concrete record for the oldest living Siberian Husky. No Siberian Husky appears on Guinness’ longest living dogs list.

Murmurs around the internet appear to show that the oldest husky may have lived to age 18. There is even some talk about one living to age 20.

What do Huskies Usually Die From?

With regular vet checkups, a nutrient well-balanced diet, and of course, love, you can expect your husky to live 10+ years and well into their senior years.

Unfortunately, like most senior dogs, cancer is by far the biggest killer.

While a pretty healthy breed all things considered, like any breed, the Siberian Husky is prone to some genetic disorders including eye problems (cataracts, glaucoma, & Corneal dystrophy), and bleeding disorders (Von Willebrand’s disease), epilepsy, Laryngeal Paralysis, high blood pressure.

Hip dysplasia, Degenerative Myelopathy, autoimmune skin disease, skin Infections, and hypothyroidism.

What Age is a Husky Full Grown?

Huskies grow the fastest between 0-6 months old then slow down a bit until they reach a year old — at which they are usually at their adult height — then continue to fill out their frame until they are about 2 years old.

Some males can continue to grow past that, and won’t reach their full size until they are 3 years old.

At 6 months, a Siberian Husky is old enough to have her first litter, though it’s usually not recommended until she is at least one year old.

 

Is it Better to Get a Male or Female Husky?

When it comes to how long each sex lives, as long as you get your female sprayed, there little to no difference in lifespan.

There is the myth that males are better tempered (once neutered) than females but don’t learn as well. While females are great learners but can be temperamental even after being fixed. It’s all crap if you ask us.

An untrained husky regardless of their sex is likely to be pretty stubborn, may hunt small animals like squirrels, and try escaping your house whenever they feel like it.

But when you train you Husky — which isn’t hard but you’ll want previous training experience — you’ll have one incredible dog to call your best friend.

How to Keep Your Husky Healthy so They Can Live a Longer Life

Here is a substantial list of simple things you can do to help your Siberian Husky live a longer life.

• Regular Veterinarian Checkups and Vaccinations: A disease caught early is a disease that’s often curable, so make sure you take your Siberian Husky to their regular checkups with the veterinarian and resolve small concerns with online vet help.

. This is doubly important because they receive important vaccinations that can save their life.

• Parasite Control: A heartworm preventive like Heartgard is an absolute must because heartworms can kill your dog.

• Spaying: It’s important to spray and neuter your dogs, but getting your female husky spayed is especially important as several studies show that spayed females live longer than unspayed females.

• Keeping Slim With An Active Life: Research shows dogs within their appropriate weight range life 2-3 years longer than overweight dogs. Siberian have enormous appetites because they are bred for pulling heavy sleds for miles and miles.

So don’t even think about getting a husky if you’re not an active person that can’t spend an hour heavily exercising your huskaroo.

Do Huskies Make Good Family Dogs — Other Characteristics Of The Siberian Husky

Siberian Huskies are best described as wickedly smart dogs with incredible agility and energy that’s backed massive personalities — often on the stubbornly goofy or dorky side.

They are super friendly and loving members of the house. However, this is only true for certain people and families.

 

Huskies have a downside, and it all has to do with their intelligence and energy. They are too smart for their good and like to test your patience to see how far they can get.

They can be especially stubborn during training, or whenever they feel like it, and will often try darting out an open door to run.

Huskies owners all have fond stories of them chasing their husky down the street, yards, you name it, because they left the door slightly too open for too long when bringing in groceries.

As such, taking care of a Siberian Husky on your own, especially, if you’re not experienced owning and training a dog, can often be a disaster.

They do best with families where the parents are previous dog owners and can teach their kids the importance of properly training their new husky pup.

Siberian Husky Characteristic Chart

Adaptability	Needs Lots Of Space – Does OK With High Temperatures, But Great With Cold Temps
Exercise Demand	30-60 Minutes Minimum
Good With Children	Yes
Good With Other Dogs	Yes
Good With Small Animals	Training Required
Grooming	Sheds All Year
Health	Fairy To Extremely Healthy
Height	Female: 20-22 Inches Male: 21-14 Inches
Weight	Female: 35-51 Pounds Male: 40-60 Pounds
Trainability	Difficult
Lifespan	12-15 Years
Personality	Smart, loving, friendly, stubborn, goofy, and sometimes stern

Are Huskies Good Family Dogs?

Huskies can be fantastic family dogs, especially because they have all that energy that is perfect for tuckering out the little ones.

Huskies are mostly graceful around kids, but they can be dorks and spaz out with energy, but even then, they’re good about not running into people.

Most huskies do get random independent episodes — usually only lasting a few hours to a day at most — where they want to be left alone.

They can become territorial over their area (bed/den) when this happens, and will growl or get angry if pressed upon. Usually, this happens with other animals, not people.

Last, you want to make sure you can handle their training needs as their intelligence makes them prone to boredom resulting in them disobeying.

As well, don’t expect a husky to walk without a leash by your kid’s side. They love to run, and they love to run after other things that run.

Do Huskies Sleep a Lot?

Like all dogs, huskies sleep a lot — between 12 to 16 hours each day. After 6 months, your husky pup should be sleeping through the night and taking multiple naps throughout the day. Maybe we should take a clue from our pups cause they seem to know what’s up.

When awake, Siberian Huskies are alert and active dogs bursting at the seams with energy. A poor diet can result in low energy as well as a serious condition such as a thyroid issue.

Conclusion

With many Siberian Huskies living to 15  and sometimes 16 years olds, the husky may just be the medium size breed with the longest lifespan.

They make exceptional dogs, but for the right kind of owner. If you think a Siberian Husky is just what the doctor ordered for you, check out a husky rescue or your local rescues.