Chowski - Chusky - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Designer dog breed
The Chowski is a so called designer dog breed, which is just another term for a crossbreed. In this case a cross of the Siberian Husky and Chow Chow. The Chow Chow is an ancient dog breed from Northern China that was used for hunting and protection, while the Siberian Husky comes from Northeast Asia where it was used by Chukchi people for sled pulling.

2) Spitz
The Chowski is not officially registered under any dog group, but we can easily say, that it would belong into the Spitz dog category. Both of its parents are Spitz dogs and the Chowski has all the Spitz like characteristics, from which some of them are very dense doublecoat, erect ears, very often curled tail, independent, alert, courageous and lively personality.

3) Appearance
First of all, it is important to say, that the appearance, and even the temperament, of Chowski is not very well predictable. Some of the Chowskies will look more like Huskies, while others more like Chow Chows. There is no official breed standard that would specify ideal size, coat type, color, body type of the Chowski. But on average, the the Chowski looks like a very very fluffy Siberian Husky and you can expect them to be pretty strong dogs with deep chest, long and muscular body, wide head and broad muzzle, almond shaped eyes in various colors, such as brown or blue. Of course, some Chowskies can inherit the typical Chow Chow wrinkles as well.

4) Size
The Chowski is medium to large sized dog breed with average height between 17-23 inch, which is 43-58 cm and weight between 40-65 lbs, which is 18-30 kg. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males.

5) Coat and color
This crossbreed always posses extremely dense doublecoat which is protecting the dog from harsh and cold climate. The main colors of Chuskies are brown, black, cream, red, and white. Sometimes their coats are solid, and sometimes they have a mix of colors.

6) Maintenance
Speaking of the coat, it is important to mention the grooming and maintenance as well. And sadly, the Chowski is a heavy shedder which sheds all year long, more heavily during shedding seasons. Daily brushing is recommended to minimize the shedding by removing all the dead and loose hair and it will also help to redistribute natural oils all over the coat. By doing this, you can minimize the shedding, but it is impossible to stop it. Other than that, you should also regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed.

7) Cold lovers
Both of the Chuskies parent breeds evolved in very cold areas and even the Chowski will prefer to live in colder area. This does not mean, that they can not live in warm regions, but they should always have access to some shady shelter or cool zone, to water all day long and you should not take them on long walks and hikes during extremely hot days. It is also extremely important to not shave their coat during hot summer. It would not help them to cool down. Their doublecoat is helping them to withstand freezing temperatures, but it is also helping them to insulate from the heat and it is much much better for them if you keep their coat natural.

8) Personality
Just like the appearance, even the temperament of Chowski, and any other first generational cross, is rather unpredictable. Most often, the Chowski is intelligent, but stubborn and independent breed, which means they can understand the commands you teach them, but they will not always obey them. They are suited for experienced owners who know how to properly train and socialize independent dog breed. This dog is typically protective and territorial, especially if it inherit more personality traits from the Chow Chow, which makes them good protectors. In the right hands, they will make very loyal companion pets, they can live with other dogs in a pack and they can be good playful partners for kids as well, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a young child unsupervised. Many Chowskies also have higher prey drive, which means they might try to chase down other household pets, but not all of them do it. Again, you never know what you will get when you buy a Chowski, so you must be prepared for it.

9) Exercise
These dogs have high energy and they are better suited for active owners and families. Both parent breeds are workers and even the Chowski must have some kind of a job in their life. It can be daily long walks, jogs, hikes, vigorous playtime, regular fun training sessions.. Just anything that will occupy them physically, but also mentally. Without enough exercise, they might develop some problematic behaviour, such as excessive barking or destruction.

10) Health
The Chowski is predisposed to the same health issues as its parent breeds. The life expectany of this breed is around 12 or 13 years and they can ocassionally suffer from health issues such as hip dysplasia, entropion, cataracts and different allergies and infections.