Common characteristic features of which dogs were the progenitors of the Alaskan husky, purpose, uniqueness of the breed, its current position. Although the Alaskan Husky or Alaskan husky is commonly referred to as a breed, they are actually a type or category of dog that is determined only by the purpose for which it serves - a durable and highly efficient mount. Dogs do not meet the requirements for being recognized as a single species, as there is no single standard and no definitive definitions of their origin. During the last half of the 20th century, a number of specializations by type have been developed for the alaskan husky category, which include sled dogs: Mackenzie River Husky, Malamute, Sprint Alaskans (eurohound).
Alaskan huskies are of moderate size, with an average of 16 to 28 kilograms. Some of them superficially resemble the racing lines of the Siberian Husky breed (which is part of the alaskan husky genetic mix), but they are usually smaller and more compact with a pronounced tightening. Color and markings may vary. "Alaskan" can be any possible dog color and with different markings. Slanting eyes also have a variety of shades. The coat is almost always short to medium in length, but never long. The shorter coating length is determined by the need for efficient heat dissipation during racing.
In very cold conditions, Alaskans often wear "dog coats" or protective suits that cover their back and stomach. Particularly on distance racing, these dogs often need "dog booties" to protect their paws from abrasion and cracking. The qualities of resilience and climatic stability that prevail in breeds such as the Siberian Husky and the Canadian Inuit are evident in the Alaskan Husky, as well as paramount in their speed. In long-distance competitions, they require considerable care and attention on the track when they stop during rest.
The origin of the ancestors of the Alaskan husky and their purpose
The history of the origin of the alaskan husky begins with the many native village dogs of North America, present in the region long before the arrival of Europeans and Russians. In the pre-Columbian period, before the 1492 travels of Christopher Columbus, archaeological research provided evidence that large populations of canids lived in this area.
The Innu people, indigenous to what is now present-day northeastern Quebec and Labrador, have lived here as hunter-gatherers for several thousand years. They kept pets to help them hunt canoes. Also in what is now Washington State and British Columbia, indigenous peoples bred salish wool dogs for their wool to make items such as blankets and clothing.
The Tahltan Indians of the Pacific Northwest Territories of Canada had a Tahltan bear dog. The size of these little dogs usually allowed them to be carried in backpacks on the hunt to save energy. "Assistants" were released only when they found the beast. Moreover, despite their diminutiveness, the talents worked for a large animal, as they were fearless and adapted to such activities. At the moment, very few breed representatives have survived. According to narrow-profile studies of some organizations, for example, the Guinness Book of Records, they are classified as an extinct species, which is incorrect.
In addition to these varieties, there were many other common Indian or country dogs throughout the North and South American continents. It is from these early progenitors, in particular the coastal eskimo dog, the northernmost rural species of the time, that the Alaskan husky derives its ancestry.
Both the inshore Eskimo dog and the Alaskan country house dog are descended from the ancient canines, the gatherer pets of the nomadic hunter who used the Beringian lands to migrate across the Bering Strait to Alaska over fourteen thousand years ago. According to recent DNA analysis, these early lineages originate from Eastern or Central Asian wolves. The recovered artifacts show that they were completely domesticated by humans during the migrations of the tribes.
For the early tribal groups of North America, these species were an extremely important part of their lifestyle. Animals helped humans survive in harsh climates, as well as various other functions. For example, they were used for hunting and tracking game, replenishing food supplies, were in the role of both companions and guardians of the hearth. They also efficiently transported heavy loads in the summer and dragged food and other human belongings through the snow in the winter as the early nomadic Alaskans had to constantly migrate from one area to another.
The history of the development of the Alaskan husky
It is theorized that the technology of the first sleigh movements or their appearance played a very important role and had the most significant impact on the development of the modern Alaskan husky. Along with the sled, the need arose to use the abilities, strength and endurance of these primitive canines to help humans in hunting and fishing. The advent of the sled also led to participation in small village competitions, as each local “breeder” wanted to know who had the fastest and most durable pet. They began to breed these early sled dogs, specialized because of their inherent qualities (stability and speed), and also because of their virtuoso hunting skills.
The beginnings of the coastal Eskimo dog tended to vary from region to region. In some areas, larger and stronger individuals lived, while others showed a predominance of the smallest and fastest, long-legged or slender animals. But they were united by one common denominator in appearance, regardless of their location. It consisted in the fact that all these dogs were well built, had tightly curled tails, large heads, thick hair with a dense undercoat and looked like huskies, showing the attributes of a modern Siberian husky.
These "coastal dwellers" or eskimo dogs were very hardy animals with heavy bones that were able to survive in very cold temperatures with minimal amounts of food and water. Like many ancient breeds, natural selection was instrumental in the development of the Alaskan husky. Due to the lack of food, since most of the meat products consumed by the villagers were hunted, many of the dogs were fed only in winter. Their owners expected the dogs to be perfectly able to take care of themselves during the summer days.
In addition, it was not uncommon to take these dogs to the islands during the summertime, while providing them with only occasional feedings - again leaving them on their own for most of the period. This extreme practice of "only the fittest survives" created a canine species that has been capable of incredible feats of strength, endurance and spirit to this day.
For example, one of the tasks assigned to them was for the animals to have the strength to pull large pieces of whale carcasses out of the sea, for further pulling along the sea ice, where they were then additionally cut by people. These were dogs, witnessed by the English sailor and explorer Martin Forbisher in 1577, and later in 1897 by the Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen.
On the other hand, Alaskan Country Dogs sometimes had short and curvy curling tails and were generally slimmer and rather unusual in appearance than the Coastal Eskimo Dogs. Unlike the coastal eskimo dog, which survived in the modern version of the inuit sled dog, the canadian eskimo dog and the greenlander, the country dog was completely diluted with imported European and Siberian breeds and left into the past. The death of an Alaskan country dog set off a gold rush on the Klondike River, which was fueled on August 16, 1896 by the discovery of rich Skoom gold deposits by Jim Mason in Bonanza Creek, western Yukon, Canada. The ensuing frenzied immigration of humans to the Alaska goldfields also led to the emergence of imported canine species, which were then crossed with native Alaskan varieties to create more hardy breeds.
The developers even tried to reproduce the physical attributes and abilities of the coastal Eskimo dog. Captured wolves were bred by crossing them with St. Bernard and and Newfoundland. Unfortunately, such amateur breeding attempts did not lead to the creation of the final animal, despite their hopes and plans. Instead, it so happened that these new hybrids were more interested in competing with each other than doing quality work in a close-knit dog sledding team.
Features of the use of Alaskan husky
As more and more prospectors and settlers came to the "golden area" hoping to succeed in enrichment, any large dog that had the ability to handle heavy loads was immediately added to the breeding lines. Government services such as postal deliveries had to be upgraded to support population growth. This state of affairs further increased the demand for strong, sled dogs, capable of carrying more than three hundred kilograms of mail messages for many kilometers over rough terrain from one postal address to another.
Leonard Seppala, a Norwegian born in America, was a big fan of sled dog racing. He is responsible for further diluting the bloodlines and replacing the Alaskan Country Dog by mixing his imported siberian huskies. These new dogs showed significant swiftness abilities than the larger slower Eskimos and other large mixed breed species used at the time.
Known for their resilience, happy nature and solid work ethic, numerous Siberian huskies have been brought to rural areas and further blended with local village varieties to create the "Alaskans" (Successors of the Alaskan Husky). Bloods from other breeds such as hounds, pointers and irish setters will subsequently be added to increase various parameters such as speed, stamina and stamina.
A good example of one of these early mixed breeds with huskies, pointers or hounds is the famous Balto. He was the lead sled dog on the final 1925 expedition to Nome to deliver serum to critically ill people.
Diphtheria antitoxin was transported to this area from the city of Nenana, Alaska. By delivering the medicine on a dog sled, people fought the outbreak. This race is celebrated today with the annual iditarod trail sled dog race. The popularity of long distance racing in the 1970s also led to the addition of greyhounds to the alaskan husky gene pool.
The uniqueness of the Alaskan husky
Some modern hound nurseries have even added pointer and saluki blood to create specialized eurohounds.
Although still technically an Alaskan husky, it is actually considered a descendant of the cross between the Alaskan husky and the German shorthaired pointer. The eurohound is said by many to be the most consummate sprint hound in the world. It is an animal that combines years of experience with the honed ability to sled alaskan husky, but with the enthusiasm and athleticism of a german shorthaired pointer.
The modern Alaskan husky or "Alaskan" is a mixture of all these types. Alaskan husky took the very best from them. Linda Sperlin, the founder of the Alaskan Klee Kai breed, knew and wrote a lot about these dogs. The passage on the history of the variety states the following:
“For many of those who do not know the Alaskan Husky breed, it should be known that this breed represents an important part of the history and legends about the edges of Alaska. Their characteristics (endurance, speed and character) make them one of the best sled dogs in the world.
These are not the fictional huskies from Jack London's famous books, nor are they the beautiful Siberian huskies that the Russians imported from the Kamchatka Peninsula in the 18th century to haul their sleds laden with furs. In fact, the predecessors of the Alaskan Husky were a battered little Indian dog used by humans inside Alaska. It is suspected that the whalebone sleds discovered in Savoonga were "estimated" by anthropologists at almost five thousand years, which were pulled by the great ancestors of today's alaskan husky.
However, this little Indian dog did not enjoy much respect in the canine world until the last fifty years or so. In the first half of the century, the Siberian Husky, for the most part, reigned as a leader in the riding world. Then, in the late 1940s, when dog sled racing became quite a lucrative pursuit, this situation became a turning point. Alaskan breeders began to seriously develop a variety into the Alaskan husky, the breed we know it today. Alaskan husky is a mixture of the best."
The current position of the Alaskan husky
In modern times, representatives of a variety can be crosses of hounds, husky types, or a combination of both. They also vary greatly in size and change in appearance depending on the use of a particular individual, whether it is a sled race or a hunting activity. For example, a working dog for a sled race has a mass of 22 to 36 kilograms, while an individual used in a sled cross has a weight of 15 to 27 kilograms.
Sled dog races vary greatly in type and may contain purebred pointers or a hound for the modern eurohound - a sprint dog that is unmatched for winning short distance competition and is a predominantly black combination of a husky and a German short-haired pointer.
Distance racing Alaskan huskies will compete between 50 and 1000 miles, as medium distance dogs compete over distances ranging from 20 to 250 miles. Many of them retain the extraordinary thick coat, balanced bodies and stiff limbs derived from other northern breeds. The Alaskan husky can sometimes be worn in booties and coats during competition due to its shorter and finer coat and less sturdy legs.
