The various Sled Dogs-- a bit more about them

The Malamute, as I said in the last post, are the largest. They too are a recognized breed and one whose traits have changed little over an extended period of time. The average one is about 24 inches at the shoulder and weighs between 75 and 100 pounds. Their markings and colors are similar to the Siberians with the gray-black and tan or dark ivory being the most common. They probably go back to dogs that lived with some of the Alaskan Native peoples before any European settlers or explorers arrived. Here are a couple of pictures. Yes, they superficially look like the Siberians but a close look shows they are heavier and more massive, even heavier coated and the tail curl is normally very pronounced. Those are a few differences. They also probably most resemble the wolf and show some common genetic background there with their wild cousins. That includes the three-layered coat with thick outer guard hairs that tend to shed moisture and a very downy soft insulating inner layer.

The average Siberian is under 24 inches, generally about 20 inches high and weighs between 35 and 60 pounds. Blue eyes are common among Siberians although there are many brown eyed ones also. The biggest difference is the size, really and no doubt there are common ancestors if one goes back a century or two. The Siberians came from northern Eurasia and were raised and used in Siberia as well as Scandinavia.  I think that is where the Norse racers acquired them.

The Alaskan Huskies can and often do show strong similarities to their cousins, both the Mals and the Sibes. But as I said, starting with some of the serious racers back in the 1960s, 70s and on, there has been a lot of experimentation in mixing many breeds into the sled dog they wanted. I am especially familiar with the SP Kennel dogs because they have so much about theirs on their website and talk about them a great deal. They generally prefer smaller dogs, Sibe size or even less. Other racers have very decided ideas about their dogs--Martin Buser for example. He does not care for the Sibes at all and has little of that in his bloodlines. This also holds true for Jeff King and many others.  I have heard Susan Butcher even added a smidgen of Queensland Heeler to her dogs. Looking at our dog, Kaycee who is pure Heeler, I can see why. They are stout and some are pretty quick although they bulk up too much as they age. And a few years ago one man attempted the Iditarod with a team of purebred black standard poodles. I think he finished the race but the idea did not catch on!

A post just about the SPK dogs coming soon and I promise the story about Cindy Abbott also. Too much neat stuff and not enough time!