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For our favorite holiday—International Dog Day—we're bringing you the ulti-mutt list of facts about the UW's mascots.

By Caitlin Klask | August 20, 2026

Here at the UW, we can't get enough of our dogs—also known as "dawgs." Our cherished live mascot, Dubs II, howls on the sidelines at each football game. Our sports rivals are cats. We even have Dawg Dash, a popular 5K/10K race where participants bring their furry friends to run through campus.

We’re celebrating International Dog Day on Aug. 26, 2026 by leaning into our canine roots with a list of 26 facts about dogs, including everything you ever wanted to know about Dubs II, our current live mascot.

The Huskies have had live mascots since 1922, the debut of their “Huskies” moniker.
Dubs II is not related to Dubs I. Unlike other schools, the UW does not breed within the same family line.
One notable exception to that rule, however, is Prince Redoubt. When his father, King Redoubt, unexpectedly died in 1998, Prince, who was untrained, took over for one season before the UW found a trained mascot—Spirit.

You come at King Redoubt, you best not miss. King Redoubt was a beloved mascot from 1992–1998.

Maybe we don’t deserve dogs, but all Huskies deserve a glamor shot like this.
The father-and-son duo got their name “Redoubt” from a word for forts used in military combat. Mount Redoubt is also the name of an active volcano in Alaska, which last erupted in 2009, as well as a mountain in Washington in the Cascades.
The statue of a husky outside Husky Stadium was created by Georgia Gerber, ’82. Gerber said she wanted to create a “proud husky, larger than life, that would become an iconic image.” You may recognize her work when you pass by Rachel the Pig at Pike Place Market.
In December 1921, local newspapers urged the UW to retire their former “Sun Dodgers” nickname and began referring to University of Washington athletes as “Vikings.” This lasted only a few weeks before the UW community gathered and put together a committee to decide on a new name.
According to a 1922 issue of The Seattle Times, other names considered during that 1921-1922 naming forum included Wolves, Malamutes, Tyees, Northmen and Olympics.
As for our beloved Harry the Husky’s origin story, we turn to former band director Brad McDavid. In his 30 years with the UW, he worked with more than 7,000 students, toured the marching band across the world and—in the 1995-96 school year—convened with a committee to decide on a costumed human mascot named Harry the Husky.
UW Tacoma has a costumed mascot, too: Hendrix! He began appearing at UW Tacoma events in 2008.
And of course, UW Bothell has Holly the Husky. She also joined the mascot squad in 2008 and is the first female mascot in UW history.

Hendrix the Husky at UW Tacoma

Holly the Husky at UW Bothell
The UW has never had a female live mascot.
The UW’s first live mascot was named Frosty. He wandered freely around Seattle, sometimes taking a taxi back to his home—the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house.

Frosty in his semi-feral glory.
Ski, the live mascot in 1949, was one of eight in a litter from two husky sled dogs from Fairbanks, Alaska. Psyche, his mother, was a wheel-dog on a famous Alaska dog racing team. Ricky flew to Seattle in May of 1946, and in July, Psyche was flown south from Alaska to meet him.

Ricky and Lt. Commander F.G. Dustin greet Psyche at Boeing Field on her arrival by Pan American Clipper form Fairbanks on July 9, 1946.
Dubs is the 14th mascot in Husky history.
The UW is the largest school to have a husky mascot; University of Connecticut, Northeastern University and Northern Illinois University are also Huskies. The UW is also the oldest school in the USA to have a husky mascot—only Saint Mary’s in Halifax, Nova Scotia is older.

Regent Denali, circa 1970.
Dubs, whose birthday is Jan. 4, is a Capricorn—known for their work ethic. He’s currently 8 years old. His birthday treat of choice is a pup cup of whipped cream, though he loves a bowl of ice water on game days.
Treats make Dubs happy, as he is very food-motivated. But Dubs knows a very important trick: Never accept a treat from a Cougar. Or a Duck.
The Dog Aging Project, a study that aims to improve longevity and health quality in dogs (and humans!), started right here at the UW. The project now benefits from the contributions of more than 50,000 dogs and dozens of major institutions worldwide. We take our dogs’ health very seriously.
Dubs kicks off Dawg Dash every year. If you’ve ever wanted to run with the famously fast fuzzball, you can register for Dawg Dash now.

Dubs II awaits the start of Dawg Dash in 2022.
Allegedly, Dubs has a fear of his tail being stepped on; that’s why he travels with a small platform that he can sit on to keep his tail elevated. He also has a handler who guards his tail.
More than 100 students apply to be a Dubs handler each year.
Dubs is an Alaskan Malamute. Huskies, as many know, are smaller and more temperamental than Alaskan Malamutes.
While Dubs came from Akaila Alaskan Malamutes, a breeder in Snohomish, he is also a big fan of WAMAL—the Washington Alaskan Malamute Adoption League.
Though some early UW mascots lived on campus, Dubs currently lives with his human family in Sammamish.
Dubs has his own merchandise line at University Book Store.

Photo by Jorge Azpeitia.
Dubs has met some very famous canine sports stars, like Ben, the beloved Golden Retriever who traveled with ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit. Who will he meet next? Polo? Tucker?