Those wiry little dogs who pull their mushers from Anchorage to Nome every March are not necessarily Siberian Huskies or Alaskan Malamutes or any other pure blooded dog of specific breed standards. They are called Alaskan huskies and do not conform to a certain description. They may be described by a musher as sled dogs with thick coats and tough feet who pull hard and run fast. In other words, the breed is defined by a standard of performance.
Huskies may be a combination of northern breeds, wolf, setter, or any other mix that can get the job done. In fact, the lead husky in Admiral Byrd's polar expedition was said to have been Labrador, wolf, and Newfoundland. In the early days of the North, sled dogs were draft animals, but as planes have replaced mail delivery and other practical jobs, the husky, through the years, has evolved into the lean, sleek racing dog of today. As veteran Iditarod musher Doug Swingley explains, they are "really nothing more than a successful mixed breed mutt." Rarely are they purebreds, however, purebreds are not excluded from sled dog racing.
In the 2006 Iditarod, Karen Ramstead successfully completed the 1100 mile wilderness trek with her team of registered Siberian Huskies. Several of them hold conformation championships but, in spite of the pampered looking showdog photos on her website, these dogs have proved themselves to be quality sled dogs, and true Alaskan huskies. They finished the Last Great Race on Earth in just under 14 days, in place number 62 of the original 83 teams entered.
The sled dog sport is gaining in popularity and, as registered northern breeds conform to breed standards, the Alaskan husky will probably continue to evolve until the right mix of genes answers the call of the wild at unprecedented speeds.
Husky photo courtesy of InternetClipArt
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Joy Butler - Writer, retired lab tech, mom, and animal lover with over 20 years' experience rescuing, kenneling, training and showing dogs.
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