The Siberian Husky, over the last decade or so has started to feature in more and more homes around the planet. With social media came the sharing of everyone’s most attractive photographs to try and get those few extra likes (sorry, sarcasm).
The Husky, with its breathtaking and wolf-like appearance, ticked this box. This isn’t a dog for everyone, though. The Siberian Husky is a dog for the professional dog owner, someone who has owned dogs before and someone who knows what they are doing.
Many people get into this breed without performing due diligence. They don’t understand the many requirements that this breed demands of their owners.
All too often, the owner discovers these things too late (usually a few months after they take ownership) and end up having to either return the Husky or send them to a rescue center. Which, as you can imagine, is dreadfully sad.

How old can a Siberian Husky get pregnant? A Husky can become pregnant throughout her life, well into old age. However, that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea for it to happen. After the Husky reaches around 7 years old the risks start to increase to a point where it is detrimental to the Husky’s health if they become pregnant. Also, the older the Husky is, the smaller the Husky litter size will typically be.
Actually, just a point about this purchase process. Not everyone purchases their Siberian Husky through a breeder. Therefore, you may not know much about their past. If you really want to know if they are a thoroughbred for example, you can these days get yourself a DNA test.
You don’t have to take a blood sample any more, just some saliva from their mouth will do. As these kits have become more popular and easier to use, they have also become cheaper. If you’d like more info on this, do check out my Husky DNA Kit guide (opens in a new window).
Whether the Husky has been neutered or not when you get them is an important question to ask as part of the initial research. If you purchase a Husky from a rescue center then it could be (but is unlikely) that they haven’t been neutered as yet.
Or, you may pick up a Husky that’s quite mature (perhaps 8+) and hasn’t been neutered (for whatever reason) – do you still need to consider getting them fixed when they are this old? Which is the basis of this article today…
When Can a Siberian Husky First Get Pregnant?
The Siberian Husky will be able to get pregnant around 6-8 months old. However, this doesn’t mean the Husky should become pregnant at this time. For this size of dog (which certainly isn’t the biggest or smallest, it’s actually classed as a ‘medium’ sized dog) it may be a bit later than this but typically the breed is left until they reach maturity at around 2 years of age.
The Husky will go into heat around every 6 months but this can vary so you may find the cycles are up to 8 months. Initially, the cycles may be more sporadic and it can take a little time for a regular pattern to be seen. The Husky will only remain in heat for around 3 weeks but again, there is some variability here.
How Many Puppies Can A Siberian Husky Have?
A healthy Siberian husky averages between four and six puppies in a litter; however, that’s a guideline. Your girl may have fewer than four or more than six; if you don’t want to be surprised, ask the vet to estimate the Husky litter size.
The litter of a Siberian husky typically produces four to six puppies, but obviously, this can vary. A first litter may have less than four pups and subsequent litter can be larger than six. A vet can estimate the Husky litter size or scan your husky to give a reasonable idea.
Other things can influence a huskies litter size, such as how healthy she is at the time. An obese female will typically have fewer puppies than one that isn’t overweight. A husky younger than 3 years and older than 5, can have a reduced number of puppies.
A balanced diet and age, therefore, seem to be the biggest factors affecting the Husky litter size. So, keep your Husky healthy and aim to breed her between the age of 3 and 5 years.
If your Husky is already on a good diet, then she won’t need any additional supplements. In fact, dogs that have been given additional supplements have been shown to produce smaller litter sizes than ones that just eat a balanced diet.
Siberian Huskies and Reproduction
A male dog will be fertile from around the 6-month mark and will reach sexual maturity between 12 and 15 months. The male is then able to produce off-spring until old age, although of course, this might not be the best idea.
A female will be able to conceive throughout her life although as she gets older, her cycles will be separated by longer lengths. After around the age of 7, the female will most likely have smaller litters and it is relatively common for problems to occur from this point. For these reasons, using a female dog to mate after this age is not recommended.
Is The Siberian Husky Different From Other Dogs?
Oh, the Siberian Husky is different in so many ways, any owner will tell you that! They are a breed that is like no other and the requirements they will put on their owner will test their dedication to the limit.
They may be one of the most difficult breeds of dog to own but they are also one of the most fun-loving, adventurous, cheeky breeds and if you’re prepared for what they have in store for you, you’ll never look at another breed again.

However, in the context of this article, we want to know if the Siberian Husky is unlike other breeds of dog as far as being able to get pregnant at an older age. The only answer I can give you is that the Husky is the same as some breeds and different from others!
It would be nice to be able to tell you that the Husky is unique in such a way as it would probably make for better reading but we won’t step away from the facts. All dogs have limitations to how many litters they can reasonably produce and with age comes
So, just because you have a Siberian Husky (which does admittedly make you a bit special) doesn’t mean that different rules apply! The general rule is that unless you are breeding dogs then they should be neutered, more on this next.
How Do We Stop The Husky From Getting Pregnant?
It might seem a bit of an obvious question but it’s an important one and until dogs get the hang of contraception then we’re going to have to help them take care of this… It’s down to the owner to make sure that their Husky can’t have little Huskies and to do that we need to get them spayed!
Firstly, if you’re wondering whether you should get your Husky spayed or not – you should. In fact, there are many reasons why you should spay your Siberian Husky and really, no good reasons not to.
Let me give you an example – after a female has been spayed the chances of her getting certain types of cancer later in life is drastically reduced, actually her chances are practically eliminated. Similar to this with male huskies, some types of cancer (including prostate cancer) are dramatically reduced by neutering.
There are other advantages and you will most likely see an improvement in their behavior. They will be less likely to howl than they did before and although you will never be able to eliminate their desire to run off totally, they will be less likely to after being neutered.

So, in summary – there isn’t really much room for debate about this. The Siberian Husky should be neutered or spayed and if you obtain an older one from a rescue center and they haven’t as yet been neutered or spayed, then get it done.
If you’re wondering exactly when you should get a husky spayed or neutered, consult your vet. Most seem to have the procedure between 6 and 12 months, however, that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t get it done at a later age. Of course, getting any surgical procedure performed at a later age comes with a higher risk, so this is something you need to consider.
Summary
Hopefully, this article has made it clear that although the Siberian Husky can indeed become pregnant throughout its life, it is not recommended and after they reach about 7 years old it can become too risky to do so. The ideal age for a Husky to become pregnant and deliver a healthy litter without adding unnecessary health risks is between the age of 3 to 5 years.
If you’d like to know more about this fantastic breed then do check out my Complete Guide to the Siberian Husky. Not only does it contain pretty much everything you could ever want to know about this fantastic breed but it includes several pictures of the best looking Huskies around, just in-case you’re interested!