Affectionate? Check! Adorable? Check! Fast and strong? Also check! While the Labrador and the Husky are 2 breeds that are supremely distinct, how desirable they are is something both these pooches share in common. Of course, there are a few more similarities about them, apart from the many distinctions. So if you find your fork on the road and unable to decide which breed would make a better fit to your home, fret not! We have drawn out a comparison to help in the decision-making process.
Weight And Size
When it comes to the Husky, the males weigh around 20-27 kg with a height of 54-60 cm and the females weigh 16-23 kg, reaching a height of 50-56 cm.
With regards to the Labrador, the males weigh 29-30 kg with a height of 57-62 cm and the females weigh 25-32 kg with a height of 55-60 cm.
Characteristics
The Huskies are powerful and athletic and come with a double coat, usually in the colours black, white, grey or a brick red. One of their most attractive features is undoubtedly the color of their eyes. You will notice that they highlight shades of blue, along with a subtle medley of colors with brown, green and yellow also thrown into the picture. It can be different for each of them. Huskies are medium sized, strong, compact dogs with very erect ears and curved tails.
The Labradors are lean and strong with a short, dense coat in the colours black, brown and yellow. As you may probably know, Labs fall in the category of medium large dogs. Noticeably, Labs feature a kind of conical shaped face which is slightly broad and comes to a pronounced stop of sorts. With some of these pooches, pigmentation around the eyes, nose and lips are also fairly common.
Temperament
The Husky is a dog for experienced dog parents. While they do not seek attention, they are very affectionate and friendly with people and other animals. They are not aggressive but rather intelligent and independent. But this does bring some difficulty in the training process. Huskies are forever on the lookout for an escape, and have quite a reputation for that, which means that you must be wary about the security of your house. However, when properly trained and socialized, Huskies make wonderful companions and soon become a part of the family.
Labradors are intelligent, energetic dogs that are devoted to their families. One of their easily recognizable traits is their sweet nature. Undoubtedly the reason they make such good therapy dogs. The friendliness of a Lab has no bounds, be it with children, other animals or even strangers. To the point that the general agreement is that they make very bad watch dogs. Labradors love nothing more than to make their owners happy and are rather obedient. Keeping in mind their strength and energy, they need to be trained and socialized to keep out of harm’s way.
Grooming
Unless you live in a cold and dry environment, you will notice that the Husky sheds throughout the year. They should be brushed at least once a week and given a bath once every two weeks, or sooner if they are working dogs, including cleaning their eyes and ears.
Labradors are very heavy shedders and produce a fair amount of dander. Brush them at least once a week and bathe them once every two weeks. Their ears, paws and underbelly need to be brushed and cleaned as well.
Both the husky and Labrador display a difficult attitude when approached with cleaning equipment, unless they are used to it from a young age. Also, regularly clean their toys and bedding as well. When it comes to grooming these dogs, a vacuum cleaner can be a very good friend to you!
Monthly Maintenance
The cost of vaccinating your Husky in their first year would be up to Rs 15,000. After that, every year, the price could be as minimal as Rs 5,000. Also, their monthly maintenance, including diet, toys and the cost of maintaining a suitable temperature in the house could be around Rs 5,000-Rs 7,000.
Vaccinating the Labrador in their first year would be around Rs 6,000- Rs 10,000. After that, the occasional check-up could be around Rs 2,000- Rs 3,000. Their monthly maintenance including the diet, toys, health supplements etc cost about Rs 3,000- Rs 4,000.
Diet And Nutrition
Both the Husky and the Labrador are big, active dogs with somewhat similar dietary requirements. They both need food high in protein and fats but less in carbohydrates. There are two types of diets that can be followed by the owners of the dogs – commercial dog food including dry and wet foods or a combination of both, or raw food.
The raw food would include lean meats like chicken, beef and lamb with the occasional vegetable to maintain the fibre in their diet, including essential vitamins and minerals. We would definitely advise you to stray away from all grains except brown rice and quinoa. Also, it’s in their best interest to not give them fruits and other human food like dairy, chocolate, caffeine based products, onions, garlic and nuts.
The Husky is a working dog of the colder climates so they don’t eat much. They eat only as much as they require and then they stop. As puppies, they need to be fed three times a day and you can make this twice a day once they reach adulthood. Whatever the recommended quantity be according to their weight, they only need 60% of that. However, be observant about the sufficiency of said quantity as there could be individual differences.
The Labrador, on the other hand, does not stop eating even when it is full. After all, overeating is their thing! So the portions you serve them must be monitored. Again, the amount of food required for a Lab depends on their weight and age. But the broadly accepted pattern is, three times a day when they are puppies and twice per day in adulthood.
Exercise
Huskies are working dogs with a lot of strength and energy. They can typically work and exercise all day long, so it is up to the capacity of the owner to decide the exercise routine of their pet. It is recommended to at least get them two hours of exercise daily, one hour in the morning and one in the evening. It would be an additional bonus if you were to have a lawn where the Husky could run around.
Labradors are another highly active breed that need an hour of exercise each in the morning and evening. Similarly they also require plenty of playtime, so keep a good stack of dog toys for their entertainment. If Labs don’t have their exercise requirements fulfilled, it can result in destructive behaviour such as barking and chewing.
Training
Huskies are stubborn, intelligent and not really the easiest to train. Having a consistent routine along with assertiveness is the key here. Huskies are also quick to spot the difference between the classroom and the house, and might not follow instructions outside of the class. So, the obedience training must be taken into account, since that is the requirement.
Contrastingly, Labradors are devoted to their owners and eager to please them. So that works in the favour of the owner, making the Labs much easier to train. In fact, they are quite the quick learners.
With both the Husky and the Lab, their training and socialization must start at an early age, and must be done consistently. They are also very active dogs, so taking care of their exercise needs is vital to preventing any angst that may result from lack of adequate physical activity.
Conclusion
Both the Husky and the Lab are wonderful dogs that blend seamlessly into the family. While they are both loyal to their family and friendly to strangers and animals, the Lab is more eager to please. Although, the Husky will still treat you like a partner and a best friend. It is important to objectively assess the physical and emotional requirements of either dog and your capacity to fulfil them before bringing them home. Once that is taken care of, you will have an addition to the family that one can only be lucky to have.
To know more about these two breeds, read these detailed articles on Siberian Husky and Labrador.
