Huskamute? Why? Controversial

Yes ......

Ref new breeds.......and thoughtless breeding...there is nothing to suggest these people wouldn't breed pure bred dogs, if they were not breeding crosses and nothing to say these dogs wouldn't end up in shleters, sad as it is, I think it would still happen.

I can only really speak for my boy, my experience with his breeder and subsequent conversations with rescue centre managers.

The manager of the centre we picked Jacub up from is an incredible lady, dedicated to the point of 'stay awake' worry! She had held Jacub back in the boarding kennels rather than put him out on the main block where members of the public have access. Every one wants the 'snow dog'! Her first point of call with pure breds is always the breed clubs. The Siberian Husky Welfare Association had helped asses a number of sibes the centre had in and at the time of the co-ordinators visit the manager had asked if they could help find a home for Jacub. Luckily SHWA have a section for Husky crosses on their site and that's how we were made aware of Jacub.

When we arrived at the centre it was heart warming to see the amount of families arriving with their children to hopefully find a dog that suited their lifestyle and offer them a 'forever home' They were all escorted to the main block.

When we were taken through to the boarding kennels to collect our boy we found a sibe in the kennel next to him who had come in as his owner couldn't cope. We met a lovely young couple who had worked hard to prove they were the right home for a beautiful red sibe who had also been in for a while, they were there that day to collect him The centre had rehomed a Mal the week before and it was obvious from speaking to the manager that she was seeing more and more sled dogs in her care. The last thing she said to me when I left was 'you know dear, they really shouldn't be crossing the big northern breeds, it's hard enough for us to find the right home for the sibes and mals we get in' and with that she let out a HUGE sigh - my heart went out to her, she works so hard for the dogs in her care.

There are sibes and mals in rescue all over the country and with the rate of BYB'ing it will continue to stretch the breed club welfare schemes. But this particular breeder, mass producing husky x mals and giving them a designer label is gonna give rescue centre managers even more worry, as if they are not under enough stress :-(

I'm taking my time to gather as much information as I can on this particular breeder. If anyone can help and add a little to the case I would very very much appreciated it

I hope this finds everyone well.

Take good care.

Seoniad.

What makes you think it doesn't already happen??

I don't think it doesn't already happen. My point is , ref the kennel that has been brought up in particular, I am sure if they didn't cross their dogs, they would still produce dogs at the same rate and still have the same 'ethics' ref potential owners and rehoming etc

It was a slightly rhetorical phrase - they already do

One disadvanatge of net talk I guess, missing out on certain cues.

Not sure what you mean, are you saying you are against cross breeding?

I have been thinking......ref crossing the Malamute and the Husky....and reasons for it. Obviously the people we have been discussing, do it for other reasons but I was wondering : what if it was done for 'work' reasons. Could it produce a dog which has the best of both breeds for working? Has it been done, I know of the Alaskan Husky but believe that is not a Mal x Husky?

From watching the Alaskan race programme and the bit of research i did do before getting my Huskamute. This type of Husky/Mal cross does have a working precedent. The long distance sledders often used mixed teams of Huskies for speed and intelligence and Malmutes for strength and endurance when taking on long runs and the Huskamute mixes that these kennels created were often used as 'sturdy draft dogs'. A dog that could be used singly or in pairs for solid day to day work or for the middle of a team. The inclusion of labradors and hounds to the breeding for the Alaskan sled dogs came later...

Of course this may be completely wrong as it's mostly based on such amazing factual resources as stories, films, wikipedia and sites belonging to people that breed Huskamutes .

Thanks xxxxx What triggered my thinking was something I read in the book by G Salisbury, he talks of how the dogs were called Malamutes but were of not necasarily Malamutes.

From what I can see, most of the "breeders" crossing Mals and Sibes in the UK don't work their dogs, have never worked their dogs and have nothing further from their minds than working their dogs. What they do have on their minds is the money they can make from a "designer" crossbreed. Some specifically breed blue-eyed Huskamutes for the pet market.
As far as working goes, I really don't see what a mix of the two breeds could add. The Sibe is a moderately fast sled dog used for carrying light loads over long distances. The Mal is a freighting dog, used for carrying heavy loads. It would be like breeding a carthorse to a trotting pony - both fantastic and beautiful animals in their own right, but what would a carthorse cross trotting pony add to the equine world?????

Mick

I like the analogy

No - you are right, an Alaskan Husky is not simply a Mal x Sibe. With regards to the other part of your post - how often do we see people mate two different breeds together and the vast majority of the time they do not combine the way people want. One example that springs to mind is the Labradoodle, they crossed Poodles and Labs in order to produce a non-shedding cross. However most people know it didn't work and very few actually were non-shedding. This is almost like saying you are going to cross a GSD with a Lab and produce a good gundog that is also going to be great at protection. Genes do not always combine how we want them to.

Unfortunately all those sources you mention above aren't exactly reliable Why would they mix Mals and Sibes? You are only as fast as your slowest dog so the Sibes speed would be of no use and what tests have been done to prove that Sibes are more intelligent then Mals? I know of many Malamute lead dogs (mostly in the States) who are highly intelligent.

If you can locate some factual sites then I'd be interested in reading them

A solid, big boned horse that is lighter than a carthorse and has better movement but has more substance and theoretically calmer temperament than the trotting pony -- in other words, a warmblood. To be fair, it's a pretty standard practice to cross heavy boned horses -- draft horses and "carthorses" -- with lighter boned horses. This a lot more socially acceptable amongst horse breeders than dog breeders and adds a lot to the equine world: again, warmbloods.

Do those "warmbloods" have a working purpose? It is hard to see a working purpose for Huskamutes in the UK.

Mick

And what is the working purpose of a Husky or Malamute in the UK?

I know quite a few eventers who are ID x TB, so yes in the horse world there is a purpose. However I am not sure the same can be applied to Mal x Sibes. These 'designer' dogs are solely bred for money

[/QUOTE]Unfortunately all those sources you mention above aren't exactly reliable Why would they mix Mals and Sibes? You are only as fast as your slowest dog so the Sibes speed would be of no use and what tests have been done to prove that Sibes are more intelligent then Mals? I know of many Malamute lead dogs (mostly in the States) who are highly intelligent.

If you can locate some factual sites then I'd be interested in reading them [/QUOTE]

Well after watching the Alaska race program the mushers all said they have their fastest dogs up front when they want to speed up so it must have some effect on the slower dogs or they would not do it. I am no musher so do not understand it, are you Greyhawk?

Oh, aye. If you want an upper level dressage horse or show jumper, there are not too many other breeds that will be competitive. Everything that wins the major dressage shows and a lot of show jumping, up to and including the Olympics, is generally a warmblood.

For whatever reason, crossing different breeds of horses is a generally accepted practice in a way that it's not in dogs. If the breeder knows what they are doing they can cross a stallion and mare whose offspring will have the good characteristics of both breeds. It's a very common thing to do.

To work obviously!!

Yes Greyhawk works ALL her dogs

Look here http://www.dogsey.com/showthread.php?t=100032