I adopted a Siberian Husky cross from a local rescue and there has been some disagreement between the vet and the rescue about the age of the dog. The vet reckons the puppy is now 10 weeks old but the rescue thinks she is 12 weeks old. Not that it matter too very much but I'm curious to get the thoughts of people familiar with the breed type. She is roughly 17 pounds if that helps at all.

I'd love to hear what people think the cross might be as well! The guesses so far have been sheltie, shepherd (presumably German but they didn't specify), timber wolf (lol), and something that looks like a fox (nice, hahaha).

Here she is! These were all taken within a 24 hour period. She is from the Northwest Territories. My guess is about 2/3 Siberian and 1/3 mutt, lol.

I would be more apt to say 12 weeks personally but you can never be sure!

This was Yuki at 10 weeks:


This was Yuki at 12 weeks:

From what *I* see, she looks mostly Sibe and I'm not guessing what the mix would be if any. She just looks like a typical Husky puppy, though her colouring is a bit unusual - but that's not a disqualifier, Sibes can be any colour or combination. As for age, I'd be inclined to go with the rescue at 12+ weeks.
But as you say, since I presume this girl is a pet - does it really matter. She looks like she could be a charmer either way! Had to laugh at her setting in the water ... she seems to like playing in the wet stuff.

She definitely looks closer to Yuki at 12 weeks. It's amazing the amount of maturation that happens over such a short time period!

It'll be interesting to see what happens to her colour as she ages. I've been told there can be a huge amount of change over the first 6 months? A friend was saying that all her Sibes lost the colour under the eyes as they aged.

Qinu is a water dog for sure! She puts her paws in her water dish to sleep. This was the first time she's been at the river and she flopped into it like she was relieved to be home, hahaha.

Her name (pronounced kee-nuu) means "slushy ice by the sea". Her being from the north and me being from the islands it seemed like a good fit. Now that I know her affinity for water and dirt it fits even better :-)

Considering that about 12 weeks ago you could have held her in the palm of one hand, yep, they do grow up fast!!

Over the first year (not six months!) the changes to her mask (facial markings) and her colour are completely 'up for grabs'. Most will lose some or all of the mask, though as dark as her forehead is, I'd think she'll keep a bit of it.
Since they aren't mature until around two years, their markings can change drastically till then - and it's not unusual for them to change from a dark to light colouring almost at random as they blow their coats even as adults. (You are prepared for that, right?? <laugh!!>)
Thanks for the pronunciation of her name, I asked in the other thread ...

Our last dog was a pit/boxer/lab with virtually no shedding, hahaha. The difficulty though was that we love winter sports and the snow would cut up his tummy. So we're going to try and focus on the pros, hahaha

They can certainly change a lot in the first year! Yuki wasn't too drastic but she basically lost everything around her eyes and went from black to grey.

Oh wow, that looks like a pretty big change to me! Though the only thing that changed in our last dog was a pink splash disappearing from his nose :-)

She is adorable! Love her coloring! From her profile, she almost has a Great Dane look to her

Thank you :-)

Great Dane is a new one- she is quite long legged :-)

Oho, the Welsh lady from the Western British Colonies has a name!! Thank you much for that Sophie, that's ever so much easier to type than "the Westcoaster87"

Dane? As in Great Dane?? Nope, no way!! at least not to me!!

Hahaha, no worries at all ;-)

With the ears and the shape of the muzzle I would say husky/German Shepard.

I was trying to add a picture but the picture thing isn't working for me for some reason.
This is a link to my pup's scrapbook yes there markings can change but my guy kept his mask. He is now over 1 1/2 years old so I don't think it's going to go away. However his markings changed a ton.

https://www.itsahuskything.com/t12115-simon-scrapbook-born-11-5-2013

Well I am not the only one, I have the same problem Elise. I was going to post up a couple of pics of Miya, since we were discussing Qinu's possible second breed. Miya was considerably smaller at 12 weeks, and considerably larger at almost 3 years old. Funny her mask is coming back, lol, not sure how that is even possible. Anyways, Sophie, here is Miya's scrapbook, ignore the title to the thread, since I can not upload pics of her and her boyfriend.....

https://www.itsahuskything.com/t13185-miya-s-scrapbook-updated-photos-zeke-miya-s-boyfriend

With Elise's Simon, and Megan's Yuki, and my Miya, you will be able to see the varying differences of pure huskies and husky/gsd(or at least my conclusion she is husky/gsd).

Thanks for the scrapbook links! All your dogs are so beautiful :-) I definitely see the similarities between the Sibe/GSD and my Qinu.

In my inquiring into breed cross the rescue has said that from what they were told by law enforcement in the area the dad was a "pure Siberian" and mom could be a Seppala/Shepherd mutt cross. I looked into the Seppala's very briefly just now and from the (one) description I read it doesn't sound unreasonable. Tall, erect ears, longer legs and body, high erect tail that curves over the back, white feet and tail tip, etc. It talks briefly about the high colour variability Al mentioned that can be seen in Sibes.

I was thinking Siberian and shepherd/lab mix. I know a girl who has a husky black lab mix that is shaped just like her, though different coloring. The one picture you have shows a little length or looseness in her jowels/neck and a little drag in the eyes that gives a lab impression. I think it's these aspects that said Dane to Jimmy.

here's Leo at 10 weeks for size comparison.  one of the only ones that i have of him at that age    .


i believe he's about 12 weeks in this one, with hes best friend Pearl during puppy preschool.   .


i to believe that she is 12 weeks.


there he is at one year and two months today .he looked very leggy at one point, but seams to have grown into them. hes still a bit patchy from shedding hes almost done. not sure if its because his dad has more racing line linage vs his moms mostly show line ; not sure if that's why his so big. his about 24' at the withers and weights about 80lbs now .

She does have some looseness in her jowls though that third picture exaggerates it somewhat. The more I watch her ears from behind the more I agree there is some GSD in her! They're erect but soft so they move similarly to a GSDs ears. If that makes sense, lol.

Here is a picture of her with my mom's dog. He's a Black Lab cross German Pointer :-)



Here is a picture of a Seppala I pulled from the web (law enforcement reckoned mom is Seppala cross Shepherd):


AND here is a picture of her ACTUAL MOM!!


How exciting is that?! :-D

I can't personally even begin to guess what mom might actually be, lol.