Husky Golden Retriever Mix: Breed Facts & Temperament

History

The Husky-Golden Retriever Mix originated in the early 2000s when an uprise of the “designer dog” began. Breeders chose the most popular features from both breeds to create the “most beautiful” dog that could be sold for thousands of dollars.

It is unclear who exactly began breeding these two dogs together to create the Husky-Golden Retriever Mix, but it quickly became a trend among dog breeders and an even bigger trend to own them by trendy dog collectors. In order to understand the history of the Siberian Husky and Golden Retriever being mixed together, it’s important to know the background of both breeds individually.

Who Are The Parents?

Siberian Husky: The Husky is one of the few dog breeds that have strong origins that can be tied to a specific time period. The breed began during the time of the Chukchi people in Eastern Russia, who were using the dogs as working dogs to pull their sleds and carry supplies, food, and children. Russian fur traders brought Huskies to Alaska when they moved into that region in the early 1900s to be sold and used in the gold mine industry and by arctic explorers. The dogs became even more popular in Alaska when the locals realized that they could be used as sled dogs, and there are regular sled racing competitions in Alaska yearly to celebrate the use of the dogs in that way. Alaska had their own breed of Huskies before the Russians brought them in, but they were inferior in strength, size, and endurance.

Golden Retriever: The Golden Retriever was originally bred in Scotland in the mid-1800s to hunt birds on land and in water. The wealthy people of the time were quickly becoming fans of Fowl hunting and realized Golden Retrievers could easily do the job. This led to an early need to own these dogs to fulfill the interests of the Scottish wealthy. To create the purebred Golden Retriever, dog breeders of the time mixed Tweed Water Spaniels and the Irish Setter for their hunting skills and aesthetically pleasing features. Though the dog isn’t used as much for hunting anymore, it still is capable of hunting birds and this quality has been passed on to the Husky-Golden Retriever mix.

The most-loved features about the Husky and Golden Retriever were bred together to now create the Husky-Golden Retriever mix.

Check out our guide on the Best Dog Food for Golden Retrievers.

Quick Facts

If you’re considering owning a Husky-Golden Retriever mix, here are 10 facts to help you decide if this beautiful dog breed is for you:

• One of the official breed names for Husky-Golden Retriever mixes is “Goberian”, which is something you may want to search for when you’re looking to purchase the breed. It may look confusing when you first see the name, but when you notice the “-erian” part is borrowed from “Siberian”, it’s not so confusing anymore. To look for a genuine Husky-Golden Retriever mix from a local breeder, searching for “Goberian” may be the best way to find it, as scamming breeders may not know or understand the term.
• The Siberian Husky and Golden Retriever are very similar in height, which means the mixed breed should not have a large height margin. According to the American Kennel Club, the average male and female Siberian Husky is 21 to 23.5 inches tall. The average male and female Golden Retriever is 23-24 inches tall. This allows a 1 to 2-inch height difference depending on the gender and muscularity of the breed. Even though the dogs are quite similar in height, their frames have originally been bred for different reasons and so are different in separate ways. The Golden Retriever is a thicker and stronger dog, which makes the Husky a far more petite and delicate dog in comparison. Being bred together has created a petite, but muscular dog.
• The two breeds are also very similar in weight. A male and female Golden Retriever generally weighs 65 to 75 pounds. A male and female Husky weighs between 45 and 60 pounds. This is a slightly larger margin than with the height, with a 15 pound weight difference. This makes the mixed breed a heavy, strong dog that is capable of being used for hunting, sledding, or pulling your children around the house. If you purchase a Husky-Golden Retriever mix and its weight varies drastically from these common statistics, it may not be a true mix and it is worth inquiring to the dog breeder you bought it from.
• The Golden Retriever and Siberian Husky have unique coats with different characteristics, but when bred together, there are common traits shared between the two. Both of the breeds have water-repelling double coats that is medium length that shed with the seasons. The Husky can shed a slightly thicker coat than the Golden Retriever, but the amount they shed between the two is average. The golden color of the Golden Retriever’s coat and the white or silver of the Siberian Husky coat mix together to create a golden/silver coat that makes for multicolored shedding all over your home.
• “Goberian” puppies inherit the Siberian Husky’s natural desire to explore the environment around them, taken from the breed’s original ancestry of sledding and traveling through the forests of Russia and Alaska. This means that Goberian puppies in particularly need to be kept in enclosed areas with fences, or else you will accidentally lose your 6 month old puppy! Due to this funny little trait, you will have to actively work on recall and leash training so that this natural desire is trained out before the puppy grows into a full grown Goberian adult. It’s also important to remember that these puppies are prone to joint issues if they are over exercised, so following their desire to explore can also be dangerous for them.
• The Husky-Golden Retriever mix is best suited for a busy, family-filled home with active young children. They have plenty of energy that can be taken out on your shoes and furniture if they do not receive enough exercise as adults. These dogs are happy to be spending time playing with your children, jogging, hiking, sledding, and swimming with you. They also love to learn new tricks with you and take quickly to active socialization and training. Taking advantage of their high energy is a great way to teach them new abilities and stop them from being bored. Due to their willingness to be active, they are perfectly suited to a home full of children willing to spend hours playing with them.
• The top 3 favorite qualities that is bred into this mixed breed are the most popular ones from each of their individual breeds. Some of these essential features include floppy ears, narrow muzzles, and their rounded heads. The most popular colors to be bred into them are golden, gray, black, brown, white, and cream. Some of the most common features seen in the coat are dense, straight, and wavy hairs. People love the unique traits that the Husky-Golden Retriever create together and is the main reason why people choose to buy this breed mixed instead of the individual ones.
• Goberians are alert dogs, which makes them fantastic watch dogs and are great for protecting your family home. This trait has been taken from both the Golden Retriever and Siberian Husky side, but predominantly from the Husky side of the breed. They will be the first to let you know if there are intruders on your property or in your home, so you can feel safe having them sleep in your home (as opposed to outside). Though they are not loud dogs, they will bark to indicate danger or voice their feelings of being unsure about what’s going on in their territory. They are not violent or aggressive dogs, but will be reluctant to trust new people until they have been acquainted several times in the presence of their owners.
• The fun of breeding, owning and raising a Husky-Golden Retriever mix is that you can never be 100% sure of what it will look like until after it’s born. Unless your dog is a pedigree, you cannot determine which genes from which side of it’s breed will be the most predominant. You cannot be guaranteed the color of it’s fur or eyes, as well as it’s height or weight. The options are endless and that is the fun of handling the mixed breed. Both dogs are equally beautiful and were created as a “designer dog” for a reason, so you can be sure that your dog will be physically gorgeous either way.
• Neither of the breeds in the Husky-Golden Retriever mix are scared of anything in particular and so, are not the type of dog to be afraid of the vacuum, broom, or the neighborhood cat. This can be a useful trait during times of thunderstorms and fireworks, where some dogs require attention and are deeply frightened. Your Husky-Golden Retriever mix will not deal with any of these issues and will likely be sleeping during the loud noise. If you have children, it may help them to stay calm in a thunderstorm to see that the dog isn’t afraid of it either!

Things You Should Know

The Husky-Golden Retriever mix is one breed that is easy to train, due to the individual breeds both being bred to be used as working dogs. This means they take to training and learning new abilities quickly. The Husky is known for being a quick learner, and the Golden Retriever is known for being eager and willing. Meshing these two traits together means you have a great dog to be trained. The best way to keep their attention when teaching them various tricks is to use a clicker. When they achieve a certain skill or ability, make a noise with a clicker and the dog will learn positive reinforcement. Using this method, your mixed breed canine will easily learn all the tricks you want to teach it. Another aspect of training your Husky-Golden Retriever mix is crate training. The best way to do this is to put a memory-foam dog bed into your dog’s crate so that it is comfortable and the dog will be more willing to stay in there.

Feeding

To help your Husky-Golden Retriever mix stay happy and healthy, it’s best to feed them a high-quality canine dry food brand. Given that this mixed breed is so large, you should feed them kibble in 3 1-cup increments per day to keep them at average weight and healthy. If you must, divide the feedings into twice a day rather than three to suit your schedule. However, the dog doesn’t mind how often you feed it – so be sure it’s regular and not too much! Be aware that the age and size of your mixed breed dog can change their needs drastically, so it is best to consult a vet on what the current needs of your dog are. If you’re also feeding your Husky-Golden Retriever mix wet food regularly, it is best to cut down on feeding it 3 cups of dry food per day. Excessive weight gain is not good for this breed.

For more guides on choosing the right dog food, you may wish to check out our reviews of the best dry dog food, organic dog food, grain free dog food, cheap dog food and wet dog food.

Grooming

In order to groom your Goberian dog to keep it at full health, there are a few methods that you can follow yourself at home or have it done completely by a dog groomer. Due to their size and length of their coat, these mixed breed dogs need regular (weekly or daily) brushing and it is good to keep on top of this. However, this only has to be done for a few seasons out of the year, when it will get truly bad (and you will have dog hair all over your home). It is also important to keep their fur trimmed, though this can be hard to do on your own without accidentally clipping the wrong parts of the undercoat and causing mats. Trimming the fur is better left up to a professional dog groomer who can keep your Husky-Golden Retriever mix comfortable throughout every season. If you are insistent on doing the grooming yourself, you can simply consult a groomer and ask for tips on upkeeping your dog’s coat.

For more help on dog grooming, you may wish to read our guides on the best dog nail grinders, dog ear cleaners, dog shampoos, dog grooming clippers, and dog toothbrushes.  

Health

It is not hard to keep your Husky-Golden Retriever mix healthy, so long as you are feeding it a moderate amount and keeping it exercised regularly. Grooming is also important for it’s health, as it may not be able to perform at max capacity as your loving family dog if it has rocks stuck in it’s paws or mats in it’s fur. However, apart from basic feeding and grooming, every dog breed has certain health issues that it is prone to. The Goberian has been known to develop a few different health problems as it grows older. Some of these health problems include hip and elbow dysplasia, torn cartilage, eye problems (predominantly from the Husky side of the breed), lymphoma, and heart issues. Though many of these issues cannot be prevented and will develop naturally, it’s important to be aware of any strange symptoms your dog may be showing and report it to your local vet immediately.

Related Posts: Dog Joint Supplements and Dog Vitamins

Temperament

Despite their naturally hardworking sides on both ends of the breed, the Husky-Golden Retriever mix has the classic personality of a loyal dog. It is willing to learn from, help, and love you and your family from the first day it enters your home. It’s loyal to you – and though it may try to be independent at times (especially as puppies), they will never be dominant over you and will respect your head leadership of it’s pack. This beautiful breed has endless love for the people in it’s life and will protect them until the end. It is the perfect dog to have in your home if you’re looking for a canine friend for yourself and/your children who will also fiercely protect you from strangers. The more aggressive behaviors can easily be trained out and replaced with gentle ones if you are using them as a service dog (which the breed is also good for).

Conclusion

Husky-Golden Retriever mix is a great dog to have in your home. It is worth noting that, since these dogs are so high-energy, you will need to provide them the exercise they crave or it will not work out for you. If you don’t have the time for them, it may be best to seek out a local dog walker or dog daycare that will walk your dog twice a day.

If you are interested in purchasing a Husky-Golden Retriever mix (or Goberian, for that matter), be sure to do your research on local breeders so that you don’t end up getting scammed and buying a puppy that is only Siberian Husky or only Golden Retriever. If this is the breed you want, you need to make sure you are not getting tricked into spending thousands of dollars for a dog you did not originally want.

Either way, you will get a wonderful canine companion out of it who will love you for years to come.

Sources:

1. Golden Retriever – AKC
2. Siberian Husky – AKC