Tiny Husky? Discover Why Your Pup Is Smaller Than Expected!

Naturally, huskies are not small breeds, so if you are wondering why is my husky so small, you’ve got all the reasons in the world to be worried if yours seems to be different. In this article, you’ll learn why this might happen and also what you can do to get your dog to grow. 

Why is My Husky So Small?

Why is my Husky so small?

Some of the reasons that might contribute to your husky being small include dietary issues, diseases, illnesses, anxiety, and genetics. 

Table of Contents

Average Husky size

I’ve noted over the years that people have a perception of a husky as a big breed dog. This perception is linked to how similar they look to wild wolves. In a real sense, huskies are medium-sized dogs. The following is the typical size of huskies both male and female. 

Males 

  • Height: 21-23.5 Inches
  • Weight: 45-60 Pounds

The following is a table showing the conventional growth patterns for male huskies. 

Male Husky size chart

AgeWeightWHeight
8-16weeks10-25 lbs 10-12 inches
4-6months25-40 lbs12-15 inches
6-8months40-50 lbs 15-19 inches
8-10months50-55 lbs19-22 inches 
10-12months55-60 lbs22-24 inches
1 yr ++60 lbs+24 inches

Females

  • Height: 20-22 Inches
  • Weight: 35-50 Pounds

Female Husky size chart

AgeWeightHeight
8-16 weeks10-25 lbs10-12 inches
4-6 months25-38 lbs12-14 inches
6-8 months38-46 lbs 14-16 inches
8-10 months46-50 lbs16-18 inches 
10-12 months50-55 lbs 18-20 inches
1 yr ++55 lbs 20-22 inches 

As the two tables show, the male husky will surpass the female counterparts at around 6 months. 

So that’s the first thing that could help you to worry less about the size of your dog. Chances are, that there’s nothing wrong with it in the first place.

Why is My Husky So Small?

Factors that could be making your Husky small

As highlighted earlier, there are different factors that could make your husky small. So far, I’ve made it clear that huskies are medium-sized dogs and so it’s not fair to expect them to be huge. Let’s now turn our attention to other four factors:

1. Wrong diet

This is one of the prevalent causes of small size in huskies. Could you be feeding your precious husky companion the wrong diet? It could be that you’re not even sure of the food you’re giving your dog. That is where your search for answers should begin. 

The first thing to check is the number of calories in the diet. For huskies, it’s recommended that they feed on between 860 and 1,290 calories in a single day. If your pet is active, you might want to increase this amount.

But the best thing is for you to check in with your vet and let them know the current amount of calories you’re giving to your dog and have them weigh in on the same. 

Another explanation is that it could be the foods you’re feeding your husky that don’t contain the recommended amounts of calorie content. If your husky has the habit of feeding on dirt, it’s probably trying to make up for that deficiency by fending for itself. 

2. Illness

If your dog has been sick, or it’s in that state of sickness, then it’s normal for it to lose weight. Check to see if there are other signs of the dog being unwell besides the massive loss of weight.

Does your dog look dull and fatigued especially when it’s awake? Does it seem to spend time sleeping a lot more than is the norm? If you realize anything close to these signs and symptoms, you’ll need to talk to your vet about the issue. 

3. Genes

Sometimes, you’ll find huskies that are biologically small. That’s to mean that its ancestors are small and so there’s nothing much you could do about that.

If you’ve been to the vet a couple of times and they’ve never raised any alarm over the size of your husky, it’s most likely they know that the size has to do with the genes. 

If that’s the case, there’s nothing much you can do to change that. If at some point you’ll want to buy another dog, it’s always wise to ask the breeder to show you the parents and the accompanying documentation of the puppy so that you verify what you’re getting yourself into. 

4. Anxiety

Maybe, your husky has always been of reasonable weight only for something to happen midway. If there was a stressful event that saw your dog lose a lot of weight, it could be an indication of anxiety.

Some of the causes of anxiety could be the death of another pet in the family, moving homes, mistreatment, or separation from its owner for a long time. 

The best route here would be to check in with the vet and also consider seeing a dog behaviorist. But in the meantime, if there is anything you can do to minimize the level of anxiety or stressful conditions, start right away. 

5. Has it always been small?

This is the best place to begin. For how long have you known your husky? Has it always been small for its age? If indeed it’s a sudden loss that’s happened, the next thing to consider is the kind of lifestyle of the dog. Is it ever active?

If yes, what are its feeding patterns? Does it get enough food to match its energy requirements?

If it was big and then became sick, it’s likely that the sickness has a lot to do with the weight loss. Consider the changes that took place prior to the loss of weight and work out a solution from there. 

If your dog has always been small right from the time it was a puppy, that could be genetics at play. Try your best to create an atmosphere that’s peaceful and fun for the dog, feed it and see if that can have an effect on the dog. 

Why is My Husky So Small?

How to help my Husky gain weight

The following are my quick tips to lead the way in ensuring that your husky gets to grow big. Where possible, combine several of them to enhance the outcomes. 

1. Talk to a vet

This needs to be the first thing to do when you realize it is not all well with your dog. If your fears are unfounded, the vet is the best person to relieve you of the worry.

And if there’s a cause to worry, the vet will recommend the best course of action. The vet will draw up a tailored solution so that you’re not guessing with the solutions you’re implementing. 

2. Get the correct diet

If the vet advises diet is the main issue, ask for recommendations on what are the best foods to give to your pet. You might even recall that everything started going south when you changed the diet of your dog.

If that’s the case, then you need to put away the new diet and revert to the old one or any other the vet recommends. You can even carry a sample package of the food you’re feeding your dog to the vet. 

3. Match food quantity with the level of activity

Ensure you’re feeding your dog the quantity of food that corresponds to its level of activity. The correct quantity of calories for a husky range from 860 and 1290 on a daily basis.

Again, this amount varies based on the needs of your dog. The best way to be sure is to get the word of a vet on what will work best for your dog. 

4. Reduce anxiety

If the vet finds no particular health issue with your dog to explain why it has lost a lot of weight suddenly, it’s most definitely suffering from anxiety. Take the necessary measures on the stressors in the environment of the dog so that it becomes relaxed.

If that means spending more time with it, it’s a good idea you adjust your schedule as that could have a tremendous effect on the outcomes. 

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