Alaskan Husky General Chat

How odd !!

I was replying to YOUR question "how would a show judge be able to comment on a working sled dogs health, stamina or speed"

Alaskan Huskies can't be shown except in companion shows as they aren't a breed...

Yes I should have just said that

yes I did quote that they were bred for working not showing,

but have totally lost interest now as it was a thread about Alaskan huskies, not Alaskan Malamutes.

Yes..and I said they can't be shown... I wasn't talking about Mals

so is a type rather than a breed a mongrel ? just wondered ...

Yes, I think that's right?! :?

pretty much.. yeah

progress at last lol x

Yes I believe it's a type and some of the pictures I have seen of them include some that look very 'collie'. The picture shown here I don't feel is a fair representation as the groups I have seen pictures of differed in looks from one dog to another whereas in the pic in this thread shows they seem pretty much similar.

I don't know much about them only that I was interested in an expedition for charity using these dogs and when I saw the pics of them they were not what I expected. I half remember a thread on it before and someone else saying the same thing.

thanks random, know what you mean, ...
i remember seeing jr a gorgeous hound type with blue eyes xx

Here's 2 of Lance Mackey's dogs, which are typical of his team dogs.

I think it is a fair representation as the differences between various strains of Alaskan Husky show exactly why it is a "type" not a "breed." The dogs in the picture I displayed were probably all bred by the same breeder, building on the lines with which he had had success. Another breeder's lines may look very different for exactly the same reason.

Mick

Hard to imagine those pics are of hard working stock eh ?
Not what most peoples conceptions are of sled dogs ect...love the second pic, he looks like he needs a cuddle xx

I think that's because they are pictures of hard "racing" stock, as opposed to hard "working" stock. There is a big difference between the requirements of a racing sled dog and those of an endurance working sled dog. Karen Ramstead, veteran of several Iditarod races with her purebred Siberian Huskies, pointed out these differences in 2001 when she said,

"I do not believe a Siberian team will ever win Iditarod or [Yukon]Quest. The races have evolved into something that do not suit the strengths of our breed. Good coats and good feet are not necessary to run Iditarod. As long as booties, jackets, sheath protectors, straw, and numerous food drops are available - Alaskans will, in my opinion, dominate the race scene. If we were to select for speed to the extent that the Swingley's and such do, we would stand to lose many of the qualities that make a Siberian a Siberian."​

Alaskan Huskies are bred to race. The original Chukchi dogs (which evolved into the Siberian Husky as we know it today) were bred to work - day in, day out every day, pulling sleds at moderate speeds in arctic/sub arctic winter conditions. If we think about the situation logically, racing ability - ie the ability/willingness to perform at maximum capacity for the duration of the race - actually runs counter to their crucial arctic/sub arctic survival ability. For the Chukchi, the "race" lasted the whole winter and a dog which put maximum effort into each and every outing would simply not last the pace of an arctic winter. Recovery time after exhaustion was not a luxury the Chukchi and their dogs could always afford.

That is why the show ring is so important for working breeds. The breed standard is a template by which the dogs can be measured. If the dog fits, then the likelihood is that it could still do the job it was developed for. Obviously working attitude cannot be measured in the show ring, which is why so many of us in the sled dog breeds still attempt to work our dogs, despite the pretty unsuitable conditions in which we live (high temperatures, short trails, no snow :? ).


Mick

Thanks for your input and pics everyone.

So the Mackenzie River Husky, is a "type" of sled dog too??

I came across these dogs a few years ago, and thought they were stunning looking dogs,I think I am right in saying these ae working dogs rather than bred for racing. Sorry,if I am wrong.
http://www.angelfire.com/on3/happyhuskies2/makriv.html

I think they are gorgeous

The Mackenzie River Husky is an almost extinct breed of frieghting dog, which was developed in a particular area of Alaska (they were also known as Porcupine River Dogs).
Donna Dowling of Fairbanks, Alaska is trying to re-establish the breed. This is what she says about it:

The "Mackenzie River Husky" is a catch all name, that can describe vastly different dogs depending on who is using that name. It can be used as follows: the mythical best northern sled dog ever; as a sales tool to sell mixed breed mutts or unwanted litters; in plain ignorance because someone said that’s what the dog was; someone trying to recreate the breed based on the falsehood that they are a mix of wolf, malamute and St. Bernard or some other unlikely working dog combination; or the truth that they are a freight husky, all but extinct."

More details here: http://www.sleddogcentral.com/mackenzies2.htm

Mick

I rememember seeing Graeme Scotts hounds coming in at a rally... they look fit to drop but still happy enough..they just seem to run and run and run

They RACED... flat out, non stop.. whereas sibes, males etc.. they don't go flat out.. they may go fast (sibes more than mals LOL) but they don't run flat out

Thanks Mick I have seen that before I think seems a shame that they are almost extinct:-( They really are stunning dogs,that have a purpose, I hope she can bring them back .


They look a lot bigger than Sibes, infact some of them look really huge. So they wouldn't be classed as an Alaskan Husky?
They would be Mackenzie River Huskies, so would call them a breed or a type? Sorry for the questions, just think they are wonderful looking dogs.