Black collie and black and white husky — The Husky cross Collie is loyal, energetic and very intelligent.
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Your guide to the Husky cross Collie

By Alice Lang Copywriter

Updated on the 03/05/2022

Loyal, friendly, enthusiastic, energetic and loving? We’re describing the Husky cross Collie of course! A mix between the beautiful Siberian Husky and the popular Border Collie, this Husky crossbreed makes an incredible family pet.

The Border Collie and Husky are extremely popular dog breeds all over the world - so there’s no surprise the Border Collie cross Husky mix is loved. This hybrid is all the things you want it to be - smart, eager to learn, affectionate and even rather amusing! However, if you don’t control the Husky cross Collie’s energy, the energy will control you.

With two active, athletic parents, this crossbreed needs a lot of physical and mental stimulation to keep them happy, healthy and calm. Let’s take a quick look at the parents breeds responsible for this charming crossbreed!

A cross between a Husky and a Border Collie

Husky

“The Siberian Husky loves the company of people, and at the same time, he is very active and independent. The gorgeous Husky was bred to tirelessly pull loaded sleds for miles on end filled with supplies over frozen terrain. Companionship is what the Siberian Husky brings to their owners at the end of the day” explains Fadi Ayat in the book Dog Breeds: Guide to Understanding Canine Personality Profiles.

Border Collie

“When correctly bread, reared, socialized, trained and handle, the Border Collie can be the most exceptionally rewarding of companions. This is an incredibly versatile, willing and intelligent dog, with not only a sense of humour but also a generous heart,” says Carol Price in Border Collie. “If you respect your Border Collie, its essential character, genetic legacy and daily needs, then he will respect you in return, and you will find yourself with a rewarding and intelligent canine companion beyond compare.”

Physical characteristics of the Husky cross Collie

Height: Around 20 inches
Weight: 35-45lbs - with males being towards the heavier end
Life expectancy: 20 years (much longer than average!)

You can expect your Husky cross Collie to be a medium sized dog, lean dog with a rich, shiny and silky coat in shades of white, black, grey or brown. These pups often inherit the striking eyes which the Husky is famous for - making it a very attractive pooch!

Temperament of the Husky cross Collie

Perhaps the most striking part of the Border collie cross Husky breed is their intense energy. Coming from two working dogs, this mix needs to be part of a family who has a large garden and can take it out for long, challenging walks. For this reason, this mix breed isn’t a good match for someone elderly.

Because this breed loves to get involved in everything, enjoys taking part in activities and is extremely loyal, they make a fantastic family pooch. They'll bond well with children once trained.

Overall, they’re extremely sweet-natured and loving with their family. The Husky cross Collie is often called comical and expressive by their owners, often leaving the whole family howling with laughter! They love to involve themselves in the conversation - quite literally - with their expressive, but not aggressive, barks.

This mixed dog breed is also super affectionate and craves the human touch. Yes, that means lots of cuddles and nuzzling on the sofa - perfect for any dog lover!

On the downside, Husky cross Collie dogs are somewhat ‘needy’ - their strong family bonds mean they can’t be left alone for long without suffering from separation anxiety. They’re also natural hunters, meaning they might chase smaller animals if not thoroughly trained.

How much exercise does the Husky cross Collie need

We’ve already mentioned how much energy the Husky cross Collie has! The Collie Husky mix requires a lot of exercise. This pooch is happiest with regular exercise, constant play-time and lots of mental stimulation through games, toys, sports and puzzles.

This breed quite literally needs tiring out on a daily basis. If not, they’ll tire you out with their destructive behaviour. Yep - that relentless high energy has to go somewhere! In a family setting, this shouldn’t be hard to achieve. Take it in turns walking, running, playing fetch and letting them out in the garden throughout the day. They’ll need at least two good walks per day to stay happy and healthy.

Training & Socialisation

We mentioned how sweet, loving and lovely these pups were - but that’s only when they’re well-trained and socialised. The Husky cross Collie’s is highly intelligent and because of that, a stubborn streak can sometimes show its face.

The Border collie cross Husky learns quickly and is easily bored. They might come across as disinterested or refuse to obey during training at first - but consistency will get you there. It’s important to be patient and incorporate lots of fun, fresh and exciting activities, games and rewards into the training process to keep them engaged. Training and socialisation should start as soon as possible.

Get these cute yet stubborn pups used to obeying rules and being around adults, kids, groups and other animals from the get-go.

Grooming a Husky cross Collie

The Husky cross Collie’s plush coat sheds heavily - which is not good news for dog allergy sufferers! You’ll need a vacuum to get all the hair up - but a good daily brushing can help to minimise the mess. But, with a coat that beautiful, a little bit of daily maintenance is more than worth it!

Health issues of a Husky cross Collie

Without adequate exercise, the Husky cross Collie is prone to bone issues, osteoarthritis, intervertebral disc disorder and chronic myelopathy. In some cases, this just can’t be avoided. However, a healthy, high-quality diet and plenty of exercise can help minimise the risk. It’s also advisable to check a full medical history of both the parent dogs so you know if your puppy is particularly at risk.

So, that was our short guide to the Husky cross Collie. We love this sweet, smart breed and hope you do too!

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