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Siberian Husky Husky = Eskimo When we think of sled dogs, the Siberian Husky is usually the first breed that comes to mind. Indeed, the Husky is the most popular dog for sled racing. It can pull light loads long distances at a fast average speed. The breed is generally tolerant, making them team players par excellence. Huskies have also become popular as companion dogs and show dogs. However, its owners must be able to cope with a self-willed temperament and an unlimited passion for hunting. It is known that the Inuit used sled dogs to pull sleds 1,000 years ago. However, there is evidence that people in Central Asia used dogs for the same purpose 4,000 years ago. Archaeological excavations indicate that these people lived in the most northern parts of Siberia and crossed their jackal-like dogs with wolves. The word “husky” is derived from “Huskemaw” (“Eskimo”), a derogatory Algonquian term used to describe the Labrador Inuit. Every dog with a pointed muzzle, erect ears, thick coat and bushy tail was called ‘husky’. The Americans added ‘Siberian’, to distinguish those from Siberia.
Chukchi – ‘rich in reindeer’ The early history of the Siberian Husky probably began with the Chukchi people that lived in northeastern Siberia, in the Anadyr district near the Arctic coast. “Chukchi” means ‘rich in reindeer’. Although there are no written sources, it’s known that Chukchi were not nomads. They lived in permanent villages and travelled great distances with sleds and dogs over the vast tundra and ice shelf to reach the sea – their fishing and hunting grounds. Their isolation discouraged contact with other people.
Sled dog races with Huskies were held since the middle of the 19th century. In 1869, a race over 150 miles was organized between a Rus-sian officer driving a Russian team and a native Chukchi team. The race was won by a margin of more than an hour by the Chukchi. For centuries the Russians tried to subjugate
this independent and proud people, but in 1837, the Chukchi received
guarantees of political and cultural independency. It didn’t last
long. Chieftains were killed and old traditions became forbidden
at the beginning of the 20th century. Later, Russians and others
took their place making the true history of the Chukchi dogs so
complicated. Russian anthropologist Waldemar Bogoras (1865-1936)
wrote an interesting study of this community – The Chukchee - in
1904.
Four types of northern breeds, and Seppala In the 1930s, the Russians divided all ‘northern breeds’ into four types: sled dogs, game-hunting dogs, reindeer dogs and small-game-hunting-dogs. Later, the Soviets banned the breeding of dogs other than those that fell in these four categories. It is remarkable that the Chukchi dog was excluded; the Russians deemed it too small to pull freight. Could it be that political considerations played a role in this decision? A team of Huskies was first entered in the
“All Alaska Sweepstakes” race in 1909. The team’ owner was William
Goosak, a Russian furrier who travelled regularly to Siberia. Goosak’s
dogs were small compared to the other sled dogs and nobody expected
him to win anything with his “Siberian rats”. Goosak’s team nearly
won the race and placed third. A legendary name in Huskies is the Norwegian
Leonhard Seppala, one of the best “Alaskan dog drivers” of all time.
Seppala was obsessed by sled dog racing; his achievements were tremendous.
He won the Alaskan Sweepstakes in 1915, 1916 and 1917 and participated
in the “serum run” in 1925. Afterwards he made a promotional tour
with his dogs from Alaska to New York. In America, Husky owners
still speak about a ‘Seppala Siberian’, a Husky whose pedigree goes
back 100 percent to Seppala’s dogs or to dogs imported directly
from Siberia. Others state that a pure Seppala Husky has 95 percent
Seppala blood in its pedigree.
Dual-purpose Huskies The breed gained AKC recognition in 1930. The first breed standard was published in 1932, the first breed club – The Siberian Husky Club of America (www.shca.org) - was founded in 1938. Eva Seely (‘Chinook’ and ‘Kotzebue’ kennels), a breeder/owner of Alaskan Malamutes, also bred Siberian Huskies for work and show, as did Earl and Natalie Norris. They became world famous in the sport of sled dog racing as well as in the show ring. The Norris’s kennel ‘Anadyr’ is known all over the world. They bred the first Siberian Husky to win a Best in Show (1955): Ch. Bonzo of Anadyr. At the same time, Bonzo was Earl Norris’s most important lead dog in races. Anadyr Huskies were sold worldwide and many kennels began with dogs from this line. In 1996, the Anadyr kennel had existed for 50 years! Preserving a dual-purpose Siberian Husky is
an important task for today’s breeders; they must follow the adage
of Earl and Natalie Norris by breeding a dog that can work and fits
the standard.
The breed standard The general appearance is that of a medium-sized working dog, quick and light on his feet and free and graceful in action. His body proportions and form reflect this basic balance of power, speed and endurance. The Siberian Husky does not carry excess weight. About proportions, the standard says: In profile, the length of the body from the point of the shoulder to the rear point of the croup is slightly longer than the height of the body from the ground to the top of the withers. A Siberian Husky’s skull is of medium size, slightly rounded at top and tapering from the widest points to the eyes. There must be a well-defined stop. The muzzle is of medium length tapering gradually to the nose. Eyes: almond shaped and set a trifle obliquely. They may be brown or blue in color, one of each or parti-coloured are acceptable. As in other Spitz breeds, ears are of medium size and triangular in shape. The loin is narrower than the ribcage with a slight tuck-up. As this is a working dog, the chest is deep and strong. The well-furred tail is of fox-brush shape and set on just below the level of the topline, usually carried over the back in a graceful sickle curve when the dog is at attention. Forelegs and hind legs are moderately spaced, parallel and straight, stifle well bent. Feet are oval in shape, but not long. The coat of the Siberian Husky is double and medium in length, giving a well-furred appearance. The undercoat is soft and dense. It should be noted that the absence of the undercoat during the shedding season is normal. The standard is very clear that trimming: whiskers and fur between the toes and around the feet is permissible, but trimming the fur on any other part of the dog is not to be condoned and should be severely penalized. All colours from black to pure white are allowed. Height for males: 21 to 23.5 inches, females
20 to 22 inches. Weight for males: 40-60 pounds, females 35-50 pounds An important summary in the standard of the
Siberian Husky includes this comment about appearance: Any appearance
of excessive bone or weight, constricted or clumsy gait, or long,
rough coat should be penalized. The Siberian Husky never appears
so heavy or coarse as to suggest a freighting animal; nor he is
so light and fragile as to suggest a sprint-racing animal.
Workers in a white world The early history of sled dog breeds is complicated, not only because various types of ‘Eskimo Dogs’ were crossbred in early times, but because writers in the past were not consistent in using the proper names. In Hutchinson’s Illustrated and Popular Dog Encyclopedia for example, searching the word ‘Husky’ the reader is referred to ‘Eskimo Dog’. In that text, nothing, however, is stated about Huskies, but there is a description of the dogs of Eskimos in general, the Canadian Eskimo Dog, Alaskan Malamute and Greenland Dog. Illustrations in this encyclopedia show wolfish dogs with wedge-shaped heads, obliquely set and almond-shaped eyes, and erect, triangular ears. They all have thick coats in various colors. In short, their general appearance fits the standards of today’s sled dogs. In Vero Shaw’s The Illustrated Book of the Dog, there is a chapter about the ‘Esquimaux Dog’, but the dog referred to is the Greenland Dog, also called ‘Arctic Dog’. Looking at the illustrated dog, it could be an Alaskan Malamute… Today, the Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamute
are, almost everywhere, ‘divided’ into a working type and a show
type, with the usual discussions. All sled dog breeds, however,
no matter what they look like, have one thing in common: they started
as workers in a white world and hold their jobs to this day. A breeder/exhibitor/judge and retired bookseller and publisher, Ria Hörter is a contributing editor of “Onze Hond”, leading dog magazine in The Netherlands. She also writes for “The Canine Chronicle”, “Dogs in Canada” and the Austrian dog magazine “Wuff”. (www.riahorter.com).
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