People have asked me, "What is the difference in sled dogs? Most of the ones I see in the races aren't anything like I expected them to be. They are tiny little things. Not anywhere near the big, fuzzy dogs I was expecting to see."
Well, most of the sled dogs you find up here are Alaskan Huskies. They aren't a pure-bred anything. A person that I used to work with refers to them as an "Alaskan Mutt-ski" because thats what they are, a mutt. A little bit of this and that.
When most people think "sled dog", they picture a Siberian Husky (upper L) like the "faithful lead dog, King" in the "Sgt. Preston of the Yukon" TV show. They are the precursor of today's sled dog. The Siberian was introduced in Alaska in the early 1900s. They are a great dog for this environment. With their thick, dense coats they can handle just about anything winter throws at them.
As time went on, people that were serious about racing these dogs decided that the stocky, short-legged Siberian wasn't quite what they wanted. So the cross-breeding began. Nowadays, one can't be exactly sure what they are getting when they get a husky. Some people take great care in tracking the bloodlines. For example, my dog Bert is, according to the people I got him from, 1/2 Alaskan Husky & 1/2 "hound" on his dad's side and 1/2 Malamute & 1/2 Greenland Red Inuit on his mom's side. So basically he is 1/4 of one breed, 1/4 of another, and 1/2 of "something".
The "hound" aspect is becoming more and more common. This is being bred into the husky for it's endurance trait. This is also why a lot of the dogs you see in the Yukon Quest and Iditarod are only about 40-50, rarely reaching 55, pounds. These smaller dogs are easier to care for, they eat less (more cost effective), they run faster, and they run longer without a break. Rather ideal for the serious racer. You can really see the "hound" in the dog on the upper right. She is a three year old Alaskan Husky in a Yukon Quest / Iditarod racer's kennel. I know the musher and I'm gonna guess that this dog weighs in at around 40#.
Well, most of the sled dogs you find up here are Alaskan Huskies. They aren't a pure-bred anything. A person that I used to work with refers to them as an "Alaskan Mutt-ski" because thats what they are, a mutt. A little bit of this and that.
When most people think "sled dog", they picture a Siberian Husky (upper L) like the "faithful lead dog, King" in the "Sgt. Preston of the Yukon" TV show. They are the precursor of today's sled dog. The Siberian was introduced in Alaska in the early 1900s. They are a great dog for this environment. With their thick, dense coats they can handle just about anything winter throws at them.
As time went on, people that were serious about racing these dogs decided that the stocky, short-legged Siberian wasn't quite what they wanted. So the cross-breeding began. Nowadays, one can't be exactly sure what they are getting when they get a husky. Some people take great care in tracking the bloodlines. For example, my dog Bert is, according to the people I got him from, 1/2 Alaskan Husky & 1/2 "hound" on his dad's side and 1/2 Malamute & 1/2 Greenland Red Inuit on his mom's side. So basically he is 1/4 of one breed, 1/4 of another, and 1/2 of "something".
The "hound" aspect is becoming more and more common. This is being bred into the husky for it's endurance trait. This is also why a lot of the dogs you see in the Yukon Quest and Iditarod are only about 40-50, rarely reaching 55, pounds. These smaller dogs are easier to care for, they eat less (more cost effective), they run faster, and they run longer without a break. Rather ideal for the serious racer. You can really see the "hound" in the dog on the upper right. She is a three year old Alaskan Husky in a Yukon Quest / Iditarod racer's kennel. I know the musher and I'm gonna guess that this dog weighs in at around 40#.
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