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88-413: Huskies have continued to be used in sled-dog racing , as well as expedition and trek style tour businesses, and as a means of essential transportation in rural communities. Huskies are also kept as pets, and groups work to find new pet homes for retired racing and adventure-trekking dogs. Nearly all dogs' genetic closeness to the gray wolf is due to admixture . However, several Arctic breeds also show

176-468: A Siberian Husky named Balto . Sled dog races include "sprint" races over relatively short distances of 4 to 100 miles, mid-distance races from 100 to 300 miles, or long-distance races of 300 to over 1,000 miles ( Iditarod ). Sprint races frequently are two or three-day events with heats run on successive days with the same dogs over the same course. Mid-distance races are continuous events of 100 to 300 miles. (These categories are informal and may overlap to

264-599: A ceremonial start in Anchorage, Alaska on the morning of the first Saturday in March, with mushers running 32 km (20 mi) to Eagle River along the Alaskan Highway, giving spectators a chance to see the dogs and the mushers. The teams are then loaded onto trucks and driven 48 km (30 mi) to Wasilla for the official race start in the afternoon. The race ends when the last musher either drops out of

352-440: A certain extent.) Long-distance races may be continuous or stage races, in which participants run a different course each day, usually from a central staging location. Races are categorized not only by distance, but by the maximum number of dogs allowed in each team. The most usual categories are four-dog, six-dog, eight-dog, ten-dog, and unlimited (also called open), although other team size categories can be found. One example of

440-542: A class of dogs that includes both pedigree and non-pedigree dogs. Alaskan Malamutes are thought to be one of the first domesticated breeds of dogs, originating in the Kotzebue Sound region of Alaska. These dogs are known for their broad chests, thick coats, and tough feet. Speed has little to no value for these dogs - instead, the emphasis is on pulling strength. They are used in expedition and long adventure trips, and for hauling heavy loads. Alaskan Malamutes were

528-550: A complete list of sled breeds, see Sled dog . The most commonly used dog in dog sled racing , the Alaskan husky is a mongrel bred specifically for its performance as a sled dog. The modern Alaskan husky reflects 100 years or more of crossbreeding with English Pointers, German Shepherd Dogs, Salukis and other breeds to improve its performance. They typically weigh between 18 and 34 kg (40 and 75 lb) and may have dense or sleek fur. Alaskan huskies bear little resemblance to

616-595: A dog race is the American Dog Derby, which was first started in 1917. Competitors enter a 20, 40, 60 or 100-mile category. The race starts in Ashton, Idaho. Races are organized either as "timed starts," or "mass start." In a timed start, teams start one after another in equal time intervals, competing against the clock rather than directly against one another. This simplifies some logistical considerations such as that of getting many teams of excited sleddogs to

704-421: A double coat, with the outer coat keeping snow away from the body, and a waterproof inner coat for insulation. In warm weather, dogs may have problems regulating their body temperature and may overheat. Their tails serve to protect their nose and feet from freezing when the dog is curled up to sleep. They also have a unique arrangement of blood vessels in their legs to help protect against frostbite . Appetite

792-411: A duty to treat their dogs humanely, and performance-enhancing substances are strictly forbidden. Dryland Dog Sled Racing is a variant where competitors use a rig (3–4-wheeled cart with a locking brake and handle/steering wheel), a scooter, a bicycle ( Bikejoring ), or remain on foot ( Canicross ), racing on packed dirt trails instead of snow. Another mode of dogsled racing is the freight race, in which

880-590: A genetic closeness with the now-extinct Taimyr wolf of North Asia due to admixture: the Siberian Husky and Greenland Dog (which are also historically associated with Arctic human populations) and to a lesser extent, the Shar Pei and Finnish Spitz . An admixture graph of the Greenland Dog indicates a best-fit of 3.5% shared material; however, an ancestry proportion ranging between 1.4% and 27.3%

968-444: A loop near the root of the tail. The dogs are hooked in pairs, their tuglines being attached in turn to a central "gangline". The lines usually include short "necklines" snapped to each dog's collar, just to keep the dogs in proper position. It is unusual ever to see more than 22 dogs hooked at once in a racing team, and that number is usually seen only on the first day of the most highly competitive sprint events. Dogs may be omitted from

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1056-420: A result of reduced sea ice (limiting their area of use), increasing use of snowmobiles, increasing dog food prices and disease among some local dog populations, the number has been gradually falling in decades and by 2016 there were 15,000 Greenland dogs. A number of projects have been initiated in an attempt of ensuring that Greenland's dog sledding culture, knowledge and use are not lost. The Sirius Patrol ,

1144-537: A sled dog standard and a hunting dog standard co-existed. The optimal maximum size for a sled dog is 20–25 kg (44–55 lb) based on thermo-regulation, and the ancient sled dogs were between 16 and 25 kg (35 and 55 lb). The same standard has been found in the remains of sled dogs from this region 2,000 years ago and in the modern Siberian Husky breed standard. Other dogs were more massive at 30 kg (66 lb) and appear to be dogs that had been crossed with wolves and used for polar bear hunting. At death,

1232-647: A sled dog. There are two genetically distinct varieties of the Alaskan husky: a sprinting group and a long-distance group. Alaskan Malamutes and Siberian Huskies contributed the most genetically to the long-distance group, while English Pointers and Salukis contributed the most to the sprinting group. Anatolian Shepherd Dogs contributed a strong work ethic to both varieties. There are many Alaskan huskies that are part Greyhound , which improves their speed. Alaskan Malamutes are large, strong freight dogs. They weigh between 36 and 54 kg (80 and 120 lb) and have round faces with soft features. Freight dogs are

1320-600: A special forces unit in the Danish military, enforces the sovereignty of the remote unpopulated northeast (essentially equalling the Northeast Greenland National Park ) and conduct long-range dog sled patrolling, which also record all sighted wildlife. The patrols averaged 14,876 km (9,244 mi) per year during 1978–1998. By 2011, the Greenland wolf had re-populated eastern Greenland from

1408-673: A specified weight per dog is carried in the sled. This type of race only has about 1 to 5 dogs pulling the sled or scooter at one time. There is also a huge following in the UK with the British Siberian Husky Racing Association providing premier racing on top-class trails. Almost every year, Marquette, Michigan holds an annual Dog Sled Race. Depending on how much snow there is in Marquette, they don't always hold an event. The breeds of dogs that they use in

1496-781: A very efficient gait, and "mushers strive for a well balanced dog team that matches all dogs for both size (approximately the same) and gait (the walking, trotting or running speeds of the dogs as well as the 'transition speed' where a dog will switch from one gait to another) so that the entire dog team moves in a similar fashion which increases overall team efficiency." They can run up to 45 km/h (28 mph). Because of this, sled dogs have very tough, webbed feet with closely spaced toes. Their webbed feet act as snow shoes. Sled dog breeds can typically be divided into further sub-types: A dog's fur depends on its use. Freight dogs should have dense, warm coats to hold heat in, and sprint dogs have short coats that let heat out. Most sled dogs have

1584-484: A very long history of using sled dogs and they are still widely used today. As of 2010, some 18,000 Greenland dogs were kept in western Greenland north of the Arctic Circle and in eastern Greenland (because of the effort of maintaining the purity of this culturally important breed, they are the only dogs allowed in these regions) and about half of these were in active use as sled dogs by hunters and fishers. As

1672-606: A vestige of fat. Each animal yielded very little, and the major part was fed to the surviving dogs, which ate the meat, skin and bones until nothing remained. The men also ate the dog's brains and livers. Unfortunately eating the liver of sled dogs produces the condition hypervitaminosis A because canines have a much higher tolerance for vitamin A than humans do. Mertz suffered a quick deterioration. He developed stomach pains and became incapacitated and incoherent. On 7 January 1913, Mertz died. Mawson continued alone, eventually making it back to camp alive. Roald Amundsen 's expedition

1760-551: Is a dog trained and used to pull a land vehicle in harness , most commonly a sled over snow. Sled dogs have been used in the Arctic for at least 8,000 years and, along with watercraft, were the only transportation in Arctic areas until the introduction of semi-trailer trucks , snowmobiles and airplanes in the 20th century, hauling supplies in areas that were inaccessible by other methods. They were used with varying success in

1848-640: Is a type of sled dog bred for sled dog racing , especially dryland sports like canicross and bikejoring . The Greyster is crossbred from the Greyhound and the German Shorthair Pointer . The Kamchatka Sled Dog (Russian: Камчатских ездовых собак, literally "Kamchatka riding dog") is a rare landrace of sled laika developed by the Itelmen and Koryak people of Kamchatka , Russia . There are currently efforts underway to revive

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1936-462: Is a big part of choosing sled dogs; picky dogs off trail may be pickier on the trail. They are fed high-fat diets, and on the trail may eat oily salmon or blubbery sea mammals . Sled dogs also must not be overly aggressive with other dogs. They also need a lot of exercise. The most commonly used dog in dog sled racing , the Alaskan husky is a mongrel bred specifically for its performance as

2024-611: Is a critically endangered landrace and sled laika associated with Sakhalin Island and adjacent areas. They are also known Karafuto Ken, Sakhalin Laika, or Gilyak Laika. While bred primarily as a sled dog , Sakhalin Huskies are also used for hunting bear and fishing. There are approximately 20 Sakhalin Huskies remaining on Sakhalin Island. The Siberian Husky is smaller than the similar-appearing Alaskan Malamute . They are descendants of

2112-471: Is a winter dog sport most popular in the Arctic regions of the United States , Canada , Russia , Greenland and some European countries . It involves the timed competition of teams of sled dogs that pull a sled with the dog driver or musher standing on the runners. The team completing the marked course in the least time is judged the winner. A sled dog race was a demonstration sport at

2200-701: Is an ancient working dog breed that originated in the Arctic seashore of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic . In terms of functionality, Yakutian Laikas are a sled laika , being able to herd, hunt, and as well as haul freight. The Yakutian Laika is recognized by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) and the AKC's Foundation Stock Service . The Yakutian Laika is a medium size, strong and compact dog, with powerful muscles and thick double coat to handle bitter Arctic temperatures. They were

2288-496: Is capable of pulling between 45 and 80 kg (99 and 176 lb) per dog for distances between 24 and 113 km (15 and 70 mi). The Canadian Eskimo Dog was also used as a hunting dog, helping Inuit hunters to catch seals, muskoxen , and polar bears . On 1 May 2000, the Canadian territory of Nunavut officially adopted the "Canadian Inuit Dog" as the animal symbol of the territory. They are considered genetically to be

2376-552: Is consistent with the data and indicates admixture between the Taimyr wolf and the ancestors of these four high-latitude breeds. This introgression could have provided early dogs living in high latitudes with phenotypic variation beneficial for adaption to a new and challenging environment, contributing significantly to the development of the husky. It also indicates that the ancestry of present-day dog breeds descends from more than one region. The term "husky" first came into usage in

2464-799: The 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York , and again at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo , and once more in the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer , but it did not gain official event status. Sled dogs , known also as sleighman dogs, sledge dogs, or sleddogs, are a highly trained dog type that are used to pull a dog sled , a wheel-less vehicle on runners, over snow or ice, by means of harnesses and lines. The first recorded sled race in North America took place in 1908 in Alaska ,

2552-473: The All Alaska Sweepstakes . It ran 400 miles through some of Alaska's most arduous areas from Nome to Candle and back. The International Sled Dog Racing Association lists the winners of the first and the third races: "The winning driver [the first] year was John Hegness, with a time of 119 hours, 15 minutes, and 12 seconds. By 1910, entries had increased considerably, as had the speed of

2640-598: The Chukotka sled dogs bred and used by the native Chukchi people of Siberia, a people of Paleosiberian origin, around the year 2000 BC. Imported to Alaska in the early 1900s, they were used as working dogs and racing sled dogs in Nome, Alaska throughout the 1910s, often dominating the All-Alaska Sweepstakes . They later became widely bred by recreational mushers and show-dog fanciers in the U.S. and Canada as

2728-484: The Far Eastern Party , a three-man sledging team with Lieutenant B.E.S. Ninnis , to survey King George V Land , Antarctica. On 14 December 1912, Ninnis fell through a snow-covered crevasse along with most of the party's rations, and was never seen again. Their meagre provisions forced them to eat their remaining dogs on their 507 km (315 mi) return journey. Their meat was tough, stringy and without

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2816-664: The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty as part of a larger ban on foreign species in order to protect the antarctic ecosystem. Carsten Borchgrevink used Sámi sled dogs with Finnish handlers in Antarctica during his Southern Cross Expedition (1898–1900), but it was much colder than expected at Cape Adare . The dogs were used to working on snow, not on ice, in much milder temperatures. The dogs were also inadequately fed, and eventually all of

2904-503: The Samoyede people of Siberia, who used them to herd reindeer and hunt, in addition to hauling sleds. These dogs were so prized, and the people who owned them so dependent upon them for survival, that the dogs were allowed to sleep in the tents with their owners. Samoyeds weigh about 20 to 29 kg (45 to 65 lb) for males and 16 to 23 kg (35 to 50 lb) for females and stands from 480 to 600 mm (19 to 23.5 in) at

2992-465: The Yukon Quest . Sled dogs are used in countries and regions such as Canada, Greenland , Siberia , Russia , Norway, Sweden, and Alaska . A 2017 study showed that 9,000 years ago, the domestic dog was present at what is now Zhokhov Island , northeastern Siberia, which at that time was connected to the mainland. The dogs were selectively bred as either sled dogs or hunting dogs, implying that

3080-544: The "Era of the Sled Dog". Sled dogs were used to deliver the mail in Alaska during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Alaskan Malamutes were the favored breed, with teams averaging eight to 10 dogs. Dogs were capable of delivering mail in conditions that would stop boats, trains, and horses. Each team hauled between 230 and 320 kg (500 and 700 lb) of mail. The mail was stored in waterproofed bags to protect it from

3168-524: The Dog Sled Race are Huskies. The UP 200 held in Michigan's Upper Peninsula is one of America's top-notch sled dog races. The trial covers over 240 miles of challenging terrain through the areas of Marquette, Grand Marais, Wetmore, and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and finishes at Mattson Lower Harbor Park in Marquette. Either before the dogs' race or after the spectators can have a chance to feed

3256-525: The IFSS ( International Federation of Sleddog Sports ) sanctions World Cup races all over the world, as well as a world championship race every two years. For the race to be sanctioned, a variety of rules must be followed. For example, the ISDRA sanctioning rules specify that all hazards must be avoided, distances must be reported correctly, and the trail must be clearly described to the competitors. The racers have

3344-621: The Iditarod is roughly 1000 miles of some of the roughest terrain in the world. The race consists of fierce mountains, frozen rivers, thick forests, and desolate tundras. Each team of 12–16 dogs must go from Anchorage all the way to Nome. Although each musher has different strategies, each team must have certain pieces of equipment, such as an arctic parka, an ax, snowshoes, and boots for each dog's feet to protect against cutting ice and hard packed snow injuries. Racing sleddogs wear individual harnesses to which "tuglines" are snapped, pulling from

3432-634: The National Park in the northeast through following these dog-sled patrols over distances of up to 560 km (350 mi). In 2019, a study found that those dogs brought initially into the North American Arctic from northeastern Siberia were later replaced by dogs accompanying the Inuit during their expansion beginning 2,000 years ago. These Inuit dogs were more genetically diverse and more morphologically divergent when compared with

3520-789: The Norwegian Sled Dog Racing Association, the German Shorthair Pointer quickly emerged as the dog breed of choice. At the beginning of the 1970s, the "sled pointer" had emerged, a pointing dog who was bred exclusively for sledding and not hunting. During the 1970s, "Nome-style" sled racing, which mimicked the big sled dog teams running long distances and overnighting in subzero temperatures seen in North American-style races, started to attract interest in Scandinavia. In 1974,

3608-506: The Siberian Husky, after the popularity garnered from the 1925 serum run to Nome . Siberians stand 20–23.5 inches, weigh between 35 and 60lbs (35-50 for females, 45-60 for males), and have been selectively bred for both appearance and pulling ability. They are still used regularly today as sled dogs by competitive, recreational, and tour-guide mushers. Sled-dog racing Sled dog racing (sometimes termed dog sled racing )

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3696-511: The Sámi and Finnish cultures. In 1925, a massive diphtheria outbreak crippled Nome, Alaska . There was no serum in Nome to treat the people infected by the disease. There was serum in Nenana , but the town was more than 970 km (600 mi) away, and inaccessible except by dog sled. A dog sled relay was set up by the villages between Nenana and Nome, and 20 teams worked together to relay

3784-626: The Yukon less than a century earlier to increase the hauling capacity of their lighter sled dogs." Outside of Alaska, dog-drawn carts were used to haul peddler's wares in cities like New York . After World War II, skijor and pulka style dog sled racing gained rapidly in popularity in Norway and neighboring Scandinavian countries. These styles of racing required small, fast teams of 1-4 dogs who competed over short, hilly distances of 15–30 km (9.3–18.6 mi). Required to use purebred dogs by

3872-583: The breed. The Labrador Husky originated in the Labrador portion of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador . The breed probably arrived in the area with the Inuit who came to Canada around 1300 AD. Despite the name, Labrador huskies are not related to the Labrador retriever, but in fact most closely related the Canadian Eskimo Dog . There are estimated to be 50-60 Labrador huskies in

3960-410: The conditions Scott placed them in, with four dogs pulling heavily loaded sleds through 45 cm (18 in) of snow with bleeding feet. Scott blamed their failure on rotten dried fish. In 1910, Scott returned with 33 Sakhalin huskies but noted that they performed poorly in deep snow and their docked tails prevented them from curling up to keep warm. Douglas Mawson and Xavier Mertz were part of

4048-486: The cost of maintaining Sakhalins was wasteful and exterminated them, with only a handful residing in Japan surviving. There are approximately 20 Sakhalin Huskies remaining on Sakhalin Island. Smaller than the similar-appearing Alaskan Malamute, the Siberian Husky pulls more, pound for pound, than a Malamute. Descendants of the sled dogs bred and used by the native Chukchi people of Siberia which were imported to Alaska in

4136-586: The dog of choice for hauling and messenger work in World War II . The Canadian Eskimo Dog or Canadian Inuit Dog, also known as the Exquimaux Husky, Esquimaux Dog, and Qimmiq (an Inuit language word for dog), has its origins in the aboriginal sled dogs used by the Thule people of Arctic Canada. The breed as it exists today was primarily developed through the work of the Canadian government. It

4224-579: The dogs died. Erich von Drygalski used Kamchatka sled dogs in his 1901–1903 expedition, and fared much better because his dogs were used to the cold and he hired an experienced dog handler. His dogs were allowed to breed freely and many had to be shot because there was no room on the ship to take them home. Many that were not shot were left behind on the Kerguelen Islands . Otto Nordenskjöld intended to use Greenland dogs in his 1901–1904 expedition, but all but four of his huskies died on

4312-461: The dogs to become lighter than they were historically. Americans and others living in Alaska then began to import sled dogs from the native tribes of Siberia (which would later evolve and become the Siberian Husky breed) to increase the speed of their own dogs, presenting "a direct contrast to the idea that Russian traders sought heavier draft-type sled dogs from the Interior regions of Alaska and

4400-400: The dogs. The UP 200 is one of America's premier 12-dog, mid-distance sled dog races, qualifying teams for the famous Iditarod. For the mushers, it's a chance to test their dogs in the Iditarod qualifying race. For the spectators, it's a time to enjoy the wintry weather and the local culture of this Upper Peninsula city. Here's what to expect if you're planning a visit. The American Dog Derby is

4488-467: The earlier dogs. Today, Arctic sledge dogs are the last descendants in the Americas of this pre-European dog lineage. Historical references of the dogs and dog harnesses that were used by Native American cultures date back to before European contact. The use of dogs as draft animals was widespread in North America. There were two main kinds of sled dogs; one kind was kept by coastal cultures, and

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4576-830: The early 1900s, they were used as working dogs and racing sled dogs in Nome, Alaska throughout the 1910s, often dominating the All-Alaska Sweepstakes . They later became widely bred by recreational mushers and show-dog fanciers in the United States and Canada as the Siberian Husky, after the popularity garnered from the 1925 serum run to Nome . Siberians stand 510–600 mm (20–23.5 in), weigh between 16 and 27 kg (35 and 60 lb) (16–23 kg (35–50 lb) for females, 20–27 kg (45–60 lb) for males), and have been selectively bred for both appearance and pulling ability. They are still used regularly today as sled dogs by competitive, recreational, and tour-guide mushers. The Yakutian Laika (Russian: Якутская лайка)

4664-485: The explorations of both poles , as well as during the Alaskan gold rush . Sled dog teams delivered mail to rural communities in Alaska , Yukon , Northwest Territories and Nunavut . Sled dogs today are still used by some rural communities, especially in areas of Russia, Canada, and Alaska as well as much of Greenland . They are used for recreational purposes and racing events , such as the Iditarod Trail and

4752-462: The first Alaskan airmail delivery. Dog sleds were used to patrol western Alaska during World War II . Highways and trucking in the 40s and 50s, and the snowmobile in the 50s and 60s, contributed to the decline of the working sled dog. Recreational mushing came into place to maintain the tradition of dog mushing. The desire for larger, stronger, load-pulling dogs changed to one for faster dogs with high endurance used in racing, which caused

4840-636: The first Nome-style sled race, the Skjelbreia Sweepstakes, was hosted near Oslo . For this style of racing, Norwegian mushers began to import Alaskan huskies ; popularized by mushers like Stein Havard Fjelstad and Roger Leegaard who traveled to Alaska to race in the Iditarod . However, as a performance crossbreed, the Alaskan husky could not be legally raced in Norway until 1985, when the Norwegian Sled Dog Racing Association removed

4928-479: The heads of the dogs had been carefully separated from their bodies by humans. Anthropologists speculated that this might have been for ceremonial reasons. The Kungur Chronicle and the Remezov Chronicle , created at the end of the 16th century and 1703 respectively, tells about the people living along Siberian rivers, whose primary means of transport was riding on reindeer or dogs. In these documents,

5016-603: The journey south. He picked up a mixed breed in the Falklands , but after his arrival in the Antarctic, these were all hunted down and killed by his four surviving huskies hunting as a pack because of dog handler Ole Jonassen's failure to tether the dogs. These huskies were later able to pull 265 kg (584 lb) over 29 km (18 mi) in three and a half hours. Robert Falcon Scott brought twenty Samoyeds with him during his 1902 journey. The dogs struggled under

5104-479: The mid to late 1700s. At this time, "Esquimaux" or " Eskimo " was a common term for pre-Columbian Arctic inhabitants of North America. Several dialectal permutations were in use including Uskee, Uskimay and Huskemaw. Thus, dogs used by Arctic people were the dogs of the Huskies, the Huskie's dogs, and eventually simply the husky dogs. Canadian and American settlers, not well versed on Russian geography, would later extend

5192-716: The number was significantly higher and projects have been initiated to ensure the survival of the breed. In many regions north of the Arctic Circle in Greenland, they are a primary mode of transportation in the winter. Most hunters in Greenland favour dog sled teams over snowmobiles, as the dog sled teams are more reliable. They are considered genetically to be the same breed as the Canadian Eskimo Dog, as research shows they have not yet diverged enough genetically to be considered separate breeds. The Greyster

5280-641: The oldest dogsled race in the United States and was the first dogsled race that rose to international prominence. Begun in 1917 and heavily promoted by Union Pacific Railroad, it was on par with the Kentucky Derby and with the Indianapolis 500 in terms of interest and press coverage in the early part of the 20th century and was considered to be the world championship dogsled race. American Dog Derby mushers were international celebrities to such degree that one photogenic female musher named Lydia Hutchinson

5368-569: The other kind was kept by interior cultures such as the Athabascan Indians . These interior dogs formed the basis of the Alaskan husky. Russian traders following the Yukon River inland in the mid-1800s acquired sled dogs from the interior villages along the river. The dogs of this area were reputed to be stronger and better at hauling heavy loads than the native Russian sled dogs. The Alaskan Gold Rush brought renewed interest in

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5456-401: The pole. On the return trip, a man skied ahead of the dogs and hid meat in the cairns to encourage them to run. The original sled dogs were chosen for size, strength and stamina, but modern dogs are bred for speed and endurance Most sled dogs weigh around 25 kg (55 lb), but they can weigh as little as 16 kg (35 lb), and can exceed 32 kg (71 lb). Sled dogs have

5544-453: The preferred dog of Russian polar explorer Georgy Ushakov , who prized them for their hardiness and versatility, being able to hunt seals and polar bears as well as haul sleds for thousands of miles. Numerous non-sled dog breeds have been used as sled dogs. Poodles , Irish Setters , German Shorthaired Pointers , Labrador Retrievers , golden retriever, Newfoundlands , Chow Chows and St. Bernards have all been used to pull sleds in

5632-441: The primary purpose of hunting game and prey animals. Huskies typically have a thick double coat that may come in a variety of colors. The double coat generally protects huskies against harsh winters and, contrary to what most believe, they can survive in hotter climates. During the hotter climates, huskies tend to shed their undercoat regularly to cool their bodies. In addition to shedding, huskies control their eating habits based on

5720-537: The progenitor of the Siberian husky. A Eurohound is a type of dog bred for sprint-style sled dog racing. The Eurohound is typically crossbred from the Alaskan husky group and any of a number of pointing breeds ("pointers"). Greenland Dogs are heavy dogs with high endurance but little speed. They are frequently used by people offering dog sled adventures and long expeditions. As of 2016, there were about 15,000 Greenland Dogs living in Greenland, but decades ago

5808-500: The race or crosses the finish line in Nome. The winner of the race receives a prize of US$ 50,000. It has been billed as the "World Series of mushing events" and "The Last Great Race on Earth". The first Arctic explorers were men with sled dogs. Due to the success of using sled dogs in the Arctic, it was thought they would be helpful in the Antarctic exploration as well, and many explorers made attempts to use them. Sled dogs were used until 1992, when they were banned from Antarctica by

5896-551: The requirement that sled dogs be purebred. This new ruling also paved the way for Nordic-style mushers to breed their best performing dogs regardless of breed, with mushers mixing Alaskan husky and German Shorthair Pointer to produce the Eurohound as well as Greyhound with German Shorthair Pointer to produce the Greyster . These Nordic-style crossbreeds gained in popularity across Europe and later North America, especially with

5984-404: The rise in popularity of dryland mushing, such as bikejoring and canicross. Sled dogs and husky safaris are not native to Sápmi (Lapland) and Finland and are considered a major nuisance by reindeer herders as they directly impact their livelihoods. These and glass-domed "iglus" have been appropriated from other cultures by the tourist industry in the 1980s and falsely portrayed as being part of

6072-478: The rivers Olenyok, Yana, Indigirka and Kolyma were called “dog rivers”, as they were rich in fish for the dogs to eat. Rivers with no fish or not enough to feed the dogs were called "deer rivers,” as reindeer were then used for transportation. From the 1940s to the 1990s, Russian dog sled numbers were in decline. The breed population reached an all-time low of 3,000 in 1998 before revival efforts took off. Reasons for their decline include The Greenlandic Inuit have

6160-491: The same breed as the Greenland Dog, as research shows they have not yet diverged enough genetically to be considered separate breeds. The Chinook is a rare breed of sled dog developed in New Hampshire in the early 1900s by Arthur Walden , a gold rush adventurer and dog driver, and is a blend of English Mastiff , Greenland Dog , German Shepherd Dog , and Belgian Shepherd . It is the state dog of New Hampshire and

6248-412: The season; in cooler climates, they tend to eat generous amounts, causing their digestion to generate heat, whilst in warmer climates, they eat less. Their eyes are typically pale blue, although they may also be brown, green, blue, yellow, or heterochromic . Huskies are more prone to some degree of uveitis than most other breeds. This is a list of dog breeds which contain "husky" in their name. To see

6336-411: The second and fourth places in the race. Due to their small size and docile nature the breed had not been thought of as worthy competitors, but after that they dominated racing for a decade capturing some of the most prestigious Alaska racing titles, especially in rugged terrain where the breed was known for their endurance capability. Siberian Huskies were further popularized in 1925 when the city of Nome

6424-464: The serum to Nome. The serum reached Nome in six days. The Iditarod Trail was established on the path between these two towns. It was known as the Iditarod Trail because, at the time, Iditarod was the largest town on the trail. During the 1940s, the trail fell into disuse. However, in 1967, Dorothy Page, who was conducting Alaska's centennial celebration, ordered 14 km (9 mi) of

6512-597: The shoulder. The Sakhalin Husky , also known as the Karafuto Ken (樺太犬), is a breed of sled dog developed on the island of Sakhalin . Sakhalin huskies are prized for their hardiness, great temperaments and easy trainability, even being the preferred dog used by the Soviet army for hauling gear in harsh condition prior to World War II . Unfortunately with the advent of mechanized travel, Soviet officials determined that

6600-619: The snow. By 1901, dog trails had been established along the entirety of the Yukon River. Mail delivery by dog sled came to an end in 1963 when the last mail carrier to use a dog sled, Chester Noongwook of Savoonga , retired. He was honored by the US Postal Service in a ceremony on St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea . Airplanes took over Alaskan mail delivery in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1924, Carl Ben Eielson flew

6688-622: The starting line simultaneously. In mass starts, all of the dog teams start simultaneously. Mass starts are popular in Europe and many parts of Canada. Some mass start events can have up to 30 teams (300 dogs) start all at once. Although some races are unsanctioned, held under the sole guidance of a local club, many races fall under one of three international organizations. In the United States and Canada, ISDRA ( International Sled Dog Racing Association ) sanctions many races. In Europe ESDRA ( European Sled Dog Racing Association ) provides sanctioning, and

6776-541: The teams on subsequent days, but none may be added. Many other rules apply, most of which have been in effect since the beginning of organized dogsled racing in the city of Nome, Alaska , in 1908. In December 2013 the South Gauteng High Court confirmed sled dog racing as a form of dog racing, and therefore sled dog racing was declared illegal in South Africa . Sled dog A sled dog

6864-517: The teams. The winner of [the third] race was John (Iron Man) Johnson, with an (as yet) unbroken record time of 74 hours, 14 minutes, and 37 seconds." John Johnson ran a team of all Siberian Huskies , though he was not the owner of the dogs. The owner was a Scotsman named Charles Fox Maule Ramsay who had taken notice of the Siberian Huskies that had been used by a team in the 1909 race. His other teams, also led by Siberian Huskies, won both

6952-460: The trail to be cleared for a dog sled race. In 1972, the US Army performed a survey of the trail, and in 1973 the Iditarod was established by Joe Redington, Sr. The race was won by Dick Wilmarth , who took three weeks to complete the race. The modern Iditarod is a 1,800 km (1,100 mi) endurance sled dog race. It usually lasts for ten to eleven days, weather permitting. It begins with

7040-416: The typical husky breeds they originated from, or to each other. The Labrador Husky originated in the Canadian region of Labrador . The breed probably arrived in the area with the Inuit who came to Canada around 1300 AD. Despite the name, Labrador huskies are not related to the Labrador retriever, but in fact most closely related to the Canadian Eskimo Dog . There are estimated to be 50–60 Labrador huskies in

7128-434: The use of sled dogs as transportation. Most gold camps were accessible only by dogsled in the winter. "Everything that moved during the frozen season moved by dog team; prospectors , trappers , doctors, mail, commerce, trade, freighting of supplies … if it needed to move in winter, it was moved by sled dogs." This, along with the dogs' use in the exploration of the poles, led to the late 1800s and early 1900s being nicknamed

7216-447: The word to Chukotka sled dogs imported from Russia, thus giving rise to the term Siberian husky. Huskies are energetic and athletic. They are distinguished by their hardiness and cold-weather tolerance, in contrast to many modern sprint sled dogs derived from hound and pointer crossbreeds and purebred sprinting dogs which do not have or retain these qualities. Likewise, they are distinguished from laika , as they were not developed for

7304-408: The world. The term Mackenzie River husky describes several overlapping local populations of Arctic and sub-Arctic sled dog- type dogs , none of which constitutes a breed . Dogs from Yukon were crossed with large European breeds such as St. Bernards and Newfoundlands to create a powerful freighting dog capable of surviving harsh Arctic conditions. The Samoyed is a laika developed by

7392-575: The world. The term Mackenzie River husky describes several overlapping historical populations of Arctic and sub-Arctic sled dog - type dogs , none of which constituted a breed . Dogs from the Yukon Territory were crossed with large European breeds such as St. Bernards and Newfoundlands to create a powerful freighting dog capable of surviving harsh arctic conditions during the Klondike Gold Rush . The Sakhalin Husky

7480-454: Was planned around 97 Esquimaux dogs (possibly Canadian Eskimo Dogs , Greenland Dogs or both). On his first try, two of his dogs froze to death in the −56 °C (−69 °F) temperatures. He tried a second time and was successful. Amundsen was covering 27 km (17 mi) a day, with stops every 4.8 km (3 mi) to build a cairn to mark the trail. He had 55 dogs with him, which he culled until he had 14 left when he returned from

7568-747: Was recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in the Working Group in 2013. They are described as athletic and "hard bodied" with a "tireless gait". Their coat colour is always tawny, ranging from a pale honey color to reddish-gold. The Chukotka Sled Dog (чукотская ездовая) is the aboriginal spitz breed of dog indigenous to the Chukchi people of Russia . Chukotka sled dog teams have been used since prehistoric times to pull sleds in harsh conditions, such as hunting sea mammals on oceanic pack ice . Chukotka sled dogs are most famous as

7656-429: Was stricken with a diphtheria epidemic and medical supplies were urgently needed. In what came to be known as the " Great Race of Mercy ", 20 mushers and 150 sled dogs transported the diphtheria antitoxin 674 miles across Alaska in a record-breaking five and a half days. The mushers and their dogs became instantly famous across the United States, especially the dog that lead the team on the final 55 mile stretch into Nome,

7744-512: Was tapped by a producer to star in his movie. She may have been on her way to being a movie star when she died of pneumonia in 1930. The American Dog Derby popularized dogsled racing in the 1920s and other dogsled races were organized in towns and cities across North America and Northern Europe in its wake. The most famous long-distance race is the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Also known as the "Last Great Race on Earth",

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