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Also known as a Pomeranian Husky, a full grown Pomsky designer breed is a hybrid mix between a Siberian Husky and a Pomeranian!
What is so great about the Pomsky designer breed, and what traits can he offer a new human family? What are his drawbacks or faults? Is this new designer dog mix right for you and your family?
How Big is a Full Grown Pomsky?
How big is an adult Pomsky? There is no definite standard for size since this is a mixed breed dog. It really depends on the genetics inherited from the parent breeds, the traits/genes coding for size, and the generation of your Pomsky.
Remember, Siberian Huskies are a vastly different size than an adult Pomeranian. Huskies can weigh up to 60 lbs. While Pomeranians are much smaller, weighing an average of seven pounds.
Most Pomskies will weigh between 20-30 pounds as adults.
Siberian Husky
Siberian Huskies are working dogs, bred to pull loads long distances in the harsh climates of Eastern Russia. They are hardy dogs with thick, water-resistant double coats, and can tolerate frigid temperatures!
Huskies also shed quite a bit all year round, blowing their coats twice annually along with seasonal changes. This means they will shed heavily during these times, replacing old and damaged hairs with new hairs.
Siberian Huskies were bred hundreds of years ago to endure harsh Siberian climates along with their native handlers. When they weren’t acting as guardians, these hardy dogs would help pull loads long distances.
Huskies came to America during the Alaskan gold rush, and soon replaced the Alaskan Malamute as a favourite for endurance sled races!
Pomeranian
Named after the area of Pomerania near North-East Germany, Pomeranians are considered toy breeds. Poms are the descendants of their much larger Arctic sledding German Spitz cousins, and the smallest members of the Spitz family!
Believe it or not, Pomeranians used to be much larger! At one time, these fluffy guys weighed around 30 pounds. They were more of a working breed prior to the 19th century. They would originally act as guard dogs or assist their human companions pulling loads.
Today’s Pomeranian is much smaller, bred almost solely to be a family companion.
Age & Lifespan
Most smaller and many medium-sized dog breeds are lucky enough to enjoy longer lifespans! Pomskies are generally healthy breeds, especially if born to healthy parents and raised by a credible dog breeder.
A good breeder will do his best to eliminate hereditary health conditions known to either parent breed.
Most Pomskys will enjoy a ripe old age of 13-15 years!
Full Grown Pomsky: Generation 101
What does the Pomsky generation mean? This is another way of saying how far descended from a pure Husky and pure Pomeranian your Pomsky pup is. For example, an ‘F1’ Pomsky would be the offspring of both pure-bred parents.
- An F2 Pomsky is the offspring of two F1 Pomskies.
- An F1b Pomsky is the offspring of either purebred dog and another F1. It would inherit 75% of genetic traits from one purebred parent, and 25% from the other purebred parent.
Generations continue further but are general indicators of traits that a breeder will probably get. For example, the 75% Pomeranian F1b will probably resemble a Pomeranian mostly. Of course, this isn’t a guarantee!
Intelligence and Trainability
These dogs are very eager to please and highly sociable with their human owners! This usually means training with positive reinforcement and rewards will come much easier because your dog is driven to satisfy you.
Siberian Huskies have been ranked the 74th most intelligent breed when accounting for obedience and working intelligence, out of 138 candidates. You might think this is low at first, but it accounts for several factors.
Huskies can seem stubborn because they are so high energy!
Pomeranians have been ranked the 23rd most intelligent dog breed by Stanley Coren, a British canine psychology professor. Again, this accounts for several factors and doesn’t simply mean basic intelligence as humans would see it.
All things considered, a veteran trainer would know what drives the animal they are working with and train their Husky with nearly the ease they would need for a Labrador.
When it comes to dog training, the experience and knowledge of the human handler is far more important than the particular breed.
Socializing a Puppy
You’ll want to gradually start socializing your puppy as soon as you take him home at eight weeks. Introduce him to the family and household pets, slowly encouraging happy, pleasant interactions! Play fun games, and always use a happy, cheerful tone of voice!
Wait until your puppy has completed those 4 core DHPP vaccines, between 12-16 weeks, to begin socializing with outdoor animals. You don’t want the vulnerable puppy getting sick!
- Encourage pleasant interactions with other animals, people and children
- Always offer close supervision when first socializing, especially with puppies
- Shower your pet with praise, like these interactions are the most impressive things you’ve seen all week!
- Incorporate treats and other food rewards.
How Much do Pomskies Cost?
If you’re lucky enough to find and adopt a Pomsky from a dog shelter, you might pay a basic fee of 250-350 USD. This helps cover shelter operations, food, medical care, housing, etc.
The cost you’ll see from a breeder, however, is quite a bit different! In America, you could pay anywhere from around $1,000 to $5,000. This will depend upon several factors. Some of those factors are:
- Genetic Testing
- Pedigree
- Breeder credibility/ affiliations
- Additional vaccinations & medical care
- Additional training
- Supply & demand/ waitlists, etc.
What You Need to Know Before Getting a Pomsky
A Pomeranian Husky would probably be one of the most adorable dogs you’ve ever seen! This is especially true for puppies.
That being said, any prospective first-time owner better prepare themselves! This designer breed can throw a lot of surprises your way if you are unprepared.
Intensive Grooming Requirements
Because Siberian Huskies are considered high shedding dogs, your Pomsky likely will be too! This depends upon the generation of Pomsky and the percentage of Husky traits passed on. Be sure to prepare yourself! This is certainly not an allergy-friendly breed.
Daily brushing is recommended for Siberian Huskies to make grooming easiest, so you may consider the same with your Pomsky. If you don’t brush frequently, you might wind up with hair all over your home and matted fur! The occasional grooming you do offer will be, at the least, much more intensive.
Extremely High Energy
This certainly isn’t a relaxing dog breed! If you want to keep your pup happy, there won’t be any resting on the couch after a long day of work for you. Siberian Huskies have an almost unlimited amount of energy (compared to a human), so it’s likely your Pomsky will also.
Your Pomsky could become frustrated if you don’t meet these energy requirements. Your pet might find a way to entertain himself, and you might not like what he decides to do. Excessive digging or chewing can become problematic.
Your pup may even become a little escape artist!
High Prey Drive
Like Siberian Huskies before them, Pomskies will probably have a very high prey drive!
A prey drive is an inherent instinct to chase and kill other prey animals. It can also refer to a dog’s motivation and excitement relating to hunting tasks. Prey drives are often encouraged among several hunting breeds through artificial selection.
This means your Pomsky might feel the instinct to chase (and potentially kill) smaller animals, like squirrels, chickens, or the neighborhood cats! This is actually a known problem many Siberian Huskies who aren’t properly socialized or confined have experienced.
It could also result in escape attempts. Huskies have been known to leap 5-foot fences! Digging underneath fences is also possible, and a cement base is recommended.
So how can you avoid these problems?
- Socialize your pet at a young age with other animals! Teach him all other animals in his environment are friendly creatures and mean good things for him. You want your pup to be friendly with all other species he may encounter!
- Make sure your dog is exercised well so he doesn’t grow bored and feel the need to act upon these instincts.
Pomskies Aren’t Born Naturally
First-generation Pomskies aren’t conceived naturally due to the size difference between two adults. Natural mating would be impossible. A male Pomeranian is always used to artificially inseminate a female Husky, again, due to the size requirements and birthing process.
If done the other way around, the process becomes much more dangerous for both the puppies and the mother.
There Are No Guarantees
Outside of genetic testing, your Pomsky’s generation doesn’t guarantee specific personality traits or physical attributes. It only offers a good guideline and gives you a probability.
Does a 75% Husky 25% Pomeranian mix guarantee you’ll get Husky traits? It doesn’t, but there is a good chance you will.
Training, nurturing and socialization will have a much larger impact on your pup’s development!
Beware Escape Attempts.
This is a larger problem with Huskies and could easily become problematic with your own pup. You’ll want to cement in the base of your outdoor fencing to prevent digging out and provide a 6-8 foot too fence that your dog can’t jump over.
Look for a Credible Breeder!
- There is currently an overpopulation crisis when it comes to dogs all over the world. There often just aren’t enough homes to care for all of the animals out there! Sadly, many end up in shelters or euthanized in order to prevent disease.
Countries like India are currently facing a health crisis from extreme dog overpopulation! Thousands of people die each year from Rabies, a highly lethal disease that has nearly been eradicated in many other developed nations.
- Credible breeders will genetically test their dams and sires, doing their best to promote overall breed health and produce healthy puppies! They won’t skimp on veterinary care and do things by the book.
Ametuer ‘backyard’ breeders will often skimp out on these costs if they are even aware they exist at all. They don’t always promote breed health and may not even know how to properly whelp a litter of puppies.
- Amateur breeders, or ‘puppy mill’ breeders, contribute to the mass overpopulation problem!
- You’ll often get insurances with credible breeders in the form of registration paperwork, family health histories, vaccination records, and sometimes even replacement guarantees. You might pay quite a bit more at first, but a healthy adult Pomsky is well worth it!
Is a Full Grown Pomsky a Good Dog?
What is a good dog to you? Just like any other dog breed, an adult Pomsky can make fantastic family pets and companions! No dog breed alive today is inherently a bad dog, and all have the potential to be good! There is always more to this question.
Nurturing a dog properly means raising it around a happy, enjoyable environment, socializing it well as a puppy, and introducing it to pleasurable situations! An adult Pomsky has the potential to become a great dog, as long as he is trained well.
Because Siberian Huskies have an extremely high level of energy, your Pomsky is likely going to be extremely energetic also. He’s going to need a lot of exercise and mental stimulation!
Your Pomsky could become destructive if bored or under stimulated. Digging holes or chewing may become problematic if you don’t meet these energy demands. This doesn’t mean he is a bad dog at all, but rather not meant for certain owners.
For example, your mixed breed probably wouldn’t be satisfied if you were gone much of the day, only to return home to the couch before bed. He will need an active family to be truly happy!
A full grown Pomsky is a great dog for you if you’re looking for an energetic pet with the cuddly, loving transits of a Pomeranian, heavy, double coat of a Husky, the ability to work and play for long hours, and tolerance to cold climates!