Full Grown Pitsky | How Big Does it Get? What’s the Cost?

What exactly is a full grown Pitsky anyway? Is it a good dog breed, and what’s so great about it if so? Is a Pitsky the right breed for you?

Full Grown Pitsky

A Pitsky is a designer mix between a Siberian Husky and an American Pitt Bull Terrier. Your full grown Pitsky will have traits of both breeds!

American Pitt Bull Terrier

The American Pitt Bull Terrier is an Americanized version of a similar line of English dogs, bred from Terriers and Old English Bulldogs.

There is much debate as to their original breeding purpose, but many believe Pit Bull Terriers were bred to participate in the English ‘Ratting’ and ‘Dog fighting’ spectator sports hundreds of years ago, after the cruel sport of ‘Bull-Baiting’ was finally deemed inhumane and outlawed.

Though American Pitt Bull Terriers have perhaps the single most misguided and feared reputation of all dog breeds, they would actually make for some of the absolute best family companions you’ll ever meet!

These dogs are extremely sociable with their humans and love any attention from children they can get. The American Kennel Club actually gives their separate line, the American Staffordshire Terrier, a perfect 5/5 rating with families!

Estimated Size: 35-60 lbs.

Siberian Husky

Siberian Huskies are descendants of hardy Northern dogs bred by the Chuckchee peoples of Northeastern Siberia hundreds of years ago. These working dogs would spend long hours pulling loads among harsh climates for their human companions and have near-limitless energy!

These dogs have so much energy, they can actually become destructive if those energy demands aren’t met. Holes dug throughout the yard are common, and your Husky might even leap your fence if it isn’t tall enough!

Huskies can also pose a danger to small animals if not stimulated enough, which is one reason why early socialization is so very important.

Siberian Huskies are double-coated breeds and shed heavily all year round. They will also ‘blow their coats’ twice annually, along with changes in season and weather patterns.

Estimated Size: 45-60 lbs.

Your Pitsky Generation

Your pup is going to inherit about half of his traits from the mother, and about half from the father. What those traits are will depend upon the traits each parent had.

Crossbred dogs are usually referred to by their generations. This is another way to distinguish hybrid puppies!

An F1 generation would be the offspring of a purebred Husky and a purebred Pitt Bull Terrier. It’s likely these pups would show equal traits from either breed. It’s sort of like a genetic toss of the dice. This isn’t accounting for previous genetic testing.

The F1B generation is 75% of one parent breed, and 25% of the other. An F1b results from pairing a purebred parent with an F1 parent. These puppies will show more of the P (purebred) parent breed’s traits.

An F2 generation is the result of a pairing between two F1 parents. An F2B is a second generation of backcrossed parents.

Generations can be confusing at first but will continue in this fashion. Genetic diversity is dependent upon a breeder not mating related dogs

At What Age is a Pitsky Full Grown?

A Pitsky will reach adulthood by about 15 months, or a year and three months. On average, many dogs are considered puppies until the 2-year mark and their adult transition.

Most Siberian Huskies will reach their adult, full-grown weight by 12-15 months. Pit Bulls, on the other hand, can continue to grow beyond their second year.

Again, this will depend upon genetics and inherited traits from the parent breeds! What breeding generation is your Pitsky? What percentage of Siberian Husky is he, and what percentage of American Pitt Bull Terrier?

The generation isn’t any guarantee of inherited traits, but a very good indicator of what you’ll likely get.

Though these dogs usually fall into the medium to large breed category, they still usually enjoy a nice lifespan of 12-15 years!

How Much Is A Pitsky Puppy Worth?

This will depend upon what part of the world you’re from, and where you get your Pisky Puppy from!

Let’s say you’re an American and are lucky enough to adopt a Pitsky from an animal shelter. You’ll probably pay a basic shelter adoption fee, usually between $250-$350. This will help cover shelter operations, feeding & housing, medical care, etc.

You’ll probably pay a professional breeder somewhere between 500 and 2,000 USD! Believe it or not, this is actually on the cheaper side when it comes to designer breeds. That being said, there is still a huge difference there!

Why is it so expensive? How could breeding dogs cost that much?

There are several factors that go into ethical dog breeding you might not have considered. Responsible breeders don’t just mate any old male with just any female.

Genetic Testing

Genetic testing is important to eliminate any hereditary or genetic medical conditions that could be passed on to offspring. A responsible breeder will do his best to make sure his puppies are as healthy as they can be, while promoting the overall health of the breed in general.

Thanks to advances in modern science, this is easily possible for a cost.

You could hop on the internet right now and order your own testing kit for your pup at home if you wanted! You’ll be able to learn what percentage of other breeds went into your pet (ancestry), several health factors, your dog’s inherited traits, and more!

Because unhealthy parents or those with recessive traits for health conditions aren’t mated, the available pool is limited, and cost goes up.

Pedigree

Pedigree means the record of an animal’s descent or lineage. Puppies born from world-class show dogs or championship dogs, for example, will likely be much more expensive.

Breeder Reputation

You also might pay more depending on where your breeder is from, what organizations he is associated with, how much experience he has, medical care, etc.

What You Need to Know Before Getting a Pitsky

These are very energetic dogs and might not be the ideal choice for the first-time dog owner or apartment dweller. What else should you know before investing in one of these fantastic mixed breeds?

There are No Guarantees for Pitsky Development

Outside of genetic testing (which is a fantastic idea for any dog owner), there are no guarantees as to what traits you’ll wind up with when it comes to any mixed breed! This is sort of like a genetic toss of the dice.

Depending on what recessive or dominant traits are inherited from what parent, your pup could wind up with the immense energy of a Husky and short, single coat of a Pitt Bull!

The generation of your puppy will go a long way. For example, if you have an F2b Pitsky would be 75% of one breed and 25% of the other, so the likelihood is high it would inherit most traits from the dominant parent.

Breeders may also select for certain traits, like blue eyes, breeding two blue-eyed parents with the hopes that offspring will have blue eyes.

Extremely High Energy

Their Siberian Husky parents were bred to perform labor intensive work all day long and have a near-limitless level of energy! It’s going to take a lot of effort to tire out a healthy adult Husky. There is no guarantee, but your Pitsky is probably going to inherit this same energy!

These aren’t couch potato dogs. You’re not going to be able to lounge around after a full day of work. Your pup is going to need plenty of exercise and enrichment activity to be truly happy!

A bored and under stimulated Pitsky might easily decide to entertain himself. This could lead to unwanted behaviours like excessive digging, destructive chewing, and even escape attempts! This is one unfortunate reason why many Siberian Huskies wind up sheltered.

Very Playful!

Both of these parent breeds are extremely playful, love their human companions, and are very eager to please! American Pitt Bull Terriers are perhaps even more sociable with humans. They absolutely love their people!

Combine that with the boundless energy of a Siberian Husky, and you have a dog that will gladly play with the kids for hours! In fact, your children will probably tire out before your Pitsky pet does.

You’ve found the absolute perfect family companion to raise around children here! Your dog will probably love the snow also, making him a perfect northern breed (assuming the husky coat was inherited).

High Prey Drive & Possible Animal Aggression

Siberian Huskies are known for having very high prey drives! A prey drive usually means a dog’s motivation or excitement when performing hunting-related tasks, like chasing small game. This can become problematic for smaller animals if their exercise demands aren’t met.

At one time hundreds of years ago, the predecessors of today’s American Pitt Bull Terrier were bred in part for their animal aggression. Much of that genetic tendency for aggression has been bred out over these many years and a good breeder will discourage it, but there is still the possibility.

Your full grown Pitsky might have a slight tendency for animal aggression, but that doesn’t mean he will be aggressive by any means!

Socialization is Very Important

You want to be sure and begin socializing your pup with all other animals he might meet throughout his life at a very young age! Begin slowly introducing other animals, people, children, etc. During the 12-16 week mark.

You want to show your pup that all other animals are fun and mean good things for him! They aren’t threats or food, but rather friends to play with. This will help curb that prey drive and hunting instinct while preventing any aggressive tendencies from developing.

Invest in Running Shoes!

Your new pet is probably going to have a lot of energy! For this particular dog, you’ll probably be devoting at least two walks a day (or one very long one). Trust us, your feet will thank you for the investment!

Offer your pet plenty of mentally stimulating enrichment activities, like food puzzle games, tracking or hiding/seeking games, and social trips to the dog park! It’s important to keep your pet mentally stimulated as well as physically.

Heavy Grooming Requirements?

Siberian Huskies are known for their heavy coats and shedding! These dogs will shed heavily all year round while blowing their coats twice annually along with seasonal changes. This means they will shed extra-heavily, replacing that old coat with new.

In order to keep up with your pup’s extreme shedding, you’ll want to lightly brush daily. Brushing will become more difficult, and you might find loose hairs all over your house if you don’t brush daily.

American Pitt Bull Terriers don’t shed nearly as heavily as Huskies do, so your full grown Pitsky might not inherit the genes for a Huskie’s double coat. It’s also possible your pet won’t shed much at all.

Many Pitskys won’t shed and are considered more hypoallergenic! Again, this all depends upon genetics and the generation of your pet.

How Big Does a Full Grown Pitsky Get?

Pitskys are a mixture of the two breeds above and their weight is dependent upon inherited genetics. Both Huskies and Pitt Bulls are considered medium to large breeds, and very similar in weight.

Your adult male dog will probably weigh between 35-70 pounds, very close to either purebred parent. An adult female Pitsky might weigh slightly less on average.

Your full grown Pitsky dog will probably stand between 16-25 inches at shoulder height.

Of course, this is just an average and not a guarantee! About 40% of adult dogs in the United States are estimated to be overweight, so this is all assuming your Pitsky remains healthy.