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83-420: A lurcher is a crossbred dog resulting from mating a greyhound or other sighthound with a dog of another type such as a herding dog or a terrier . The lurcher is not a "breed," but is a generic descriptor of a group of varying dogs. It was for hundreds of years strongly associated with poaching ; in modern times, it is kept as a hunting dog or companion dog . Lurcher is an old English term for

166-412: A crossbred dog; specifically, the result of mating a sighthound with a dog of another type , typically a working breed. The term was first used with this meaning in 1668; it is considered to be derived from the verb lurch , apparently a variant form of lurk , meaning lurk or steal . The tendency to "wrench" and "cut" rather than "course" was considered to be unfair and a violation of "The Law of

249-599: 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

332-542: 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

415-496: A dog better suited to this purpose, given the lurcher's combination of speed and intelligence. In more recent times, the crossing of different sighthound breeds with each other (e.g. A greyhound with a saluki ) has become more common. These dogs were traditionally called longdogs but these days "lurcher" is applied to them as well. Lurchers were traditionally bred in England to assist poachers in hunting rabbits and hares. Around

498-421: 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

581-484: A lower morbidity these are in order of highest risk to lowest risk: Drever , Norwegian Buhund , Schillerstövare , Jämthund , Gråhund , Siberian Husky , Karelian Bear Dog , Smålandsstövare , Finnish Spitz , and Norbottenspets . Notably all the breeds are native to the Scandinavian peninsula and are most commonly used as working dogs. Some health issues not common in either parent breed may be more common in

664-420: 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 ,

747-537: 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,

830-702: 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

913-600: 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

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996-781: 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

1079-484: 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

1162-606: 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

1245-640: 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

1328-462: 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

1411-754: 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

1494-496: 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

1577-404: Is that they are usually bred as companion dogs and pets . Working and hunting dogs deliberately crossbred for a particular working purpose are not generally given portmanteau names; they are most often referred to by a type name, such as eurohounds (racing sled dogs) or lurchers (hunting dogs). These dogs could be considered only as crossbreeds, not as designer animals, since appearance is not

1660-435: Is the famous case of Lord Orford 's Greyhounds , which were improved by adding courage through the crossing with Old English Bulldogs , achieving the desired result after six generations. With the success of Lord Orford's dogs, the practice was adopted by other Greyhound breeders and became more common. Crossbreeding has played a key characteristic in the development of sled dogs with various crossbreeds developing to meet

1743-611: The American Kennel Club , the United Kennel Club and the Canadian Kennel Club do not recognize designer crosses as dog breeds. If crossbred dogs are bred together for some period of time, and their breeding is well documented, they may eventually be considered a new breed of dog by major kennel clubs (an example of a recent crossbreed becoming a breed recognised by all major kennel clubs is

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1826-557: The Cesky Terrier ). New breeds of dogs must have a breed club that will document the ancestry of any individual member of that breed from the original founding dogs of the breed; when the kennel club that the breed club wishes to join is satisfied that the dogs are pedigreed, they will accept and register the dogs of that breed. Each kennel club has individual rules about how to document a new breed. Some minor registries and internet registry businesses will register dogs as any breed

1909-535: The English Pointer . The Encyclopædia Britannica traces what was the "designer dog" fad to the late 20th century when breeders began to cross purebred Poodles with other purebred breeds to obtain a dog with the Poodle's hypoallergenic coat , along with various desirable characteristics from other breeds. The resulting puppies are called by a portmanteau word made up of syllables (or sounds) from

1992-484: 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

2075-553: The Iditarod Trail and 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

2158-590: The Leash." In England from 1389, the right to keep a dog of any kind used in hunting was limited by law to those qualified by possessing lands, holdings, or income worth more than ten pounds per annum; in other words, royalty , nobility , the gentry , and the wealthy . This law, though repeatedly modified, remained in force until 1831. In the nineteenth century, the word was used to describe some rough-haired regional greyhounds, which were banned from competition by coursing clubs such as Swaffham and Newmarket, due to

2241-664: 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

2324-503: 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

2407-407: The lurcher or the longdog . Historically, crosses between dogs of different types were more well accepted at a time when modern purebred breeds (based on the eugenics principles) did not yet exist. These types of crosses were performed to aggregate qualities of two different types in the same dog or to perfect an already fixed type of dog, always for working purposes. An example to be cited

2490-435: The phenotype of the offspring, is one strategy breeders can use to decrease the incidences of genetic defects. Knowing the disease incidence in the breed, and the genetic history of the individual, is important. Some crossbred dogs, created by breeding two purebred dogs of different breeds, may have the advantage of heterosis , or crossbreed vigor. This advantage can be progressively diluted when two crossbreeds are bred in

2573-544: 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

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2656-475: The German Chusky (German Shepherd Dog, Siberian Husky and Chow Chow cross). Like children in a family, a percentage of designer dogs with the same breed ancestry will look similar to each other, even though crossbreeding does not result in as uniform a phenotype as the breeding of purebreds. Often even pups in the same litter will look quite different. Another defining characteristic of designer dogs

2739-634: 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

2822-789: 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,

2905-562: 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

2988-533: The US lurchers can be registered with the North American Lurcher and Longdog Association. Dog crossbreed Dog crossbreeds are combinations of lineages of the domestic dog ; they are distinguished from canid hybrids , which are interspecific crosses between Canis species (wolves, coyotes, jackals, etc.). Several types of working dog crossbreeds date from the 14th century or earlier, such as

3071-629: The US shows the difference in life expectancy between mixed breed dogs and pedigree dogs to be minimal. A review of cemetery data in Japan found that the Shiba Inu had a life expectancy greater than crossbreeds; however crossbreeds still had a higher life expectancy than the average pedigree dog in this study. A Swedish study reviewing over 200,000 dogs registered for a veterinary insurance company in 1995 and 1996 found morbidity to be higher in most pedigrees than mongrels; however several pedigree breeds had

3154-626: 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

3237-504: The attempt to create a breed, narrowing the gene pool. The best way to continue taking advantage of crossbreed vigor is from the breeding of dogs of purebred ancestry, as this vigor is typically seen only in the first generation cross of two purebred animals of separate breeds, thus taking advantage of genetic diversity . Health of crossbred dogs depends on their being descended from healthy parents. Breeders who select their breeding stock for cost-effectiveness and who skip health testing for

3320-480: The breed names of the two purebred parents, such as Schnoodle ( Schnauzer and Poodle cross), or Shepsky ( German Shepherd Dog / Siberian Husky cross). Other purebred breeds are being crossed to provide designer dogs described with an endless range of created labels, such as the Puggle (Pug and Beagle cross). There are even complex crosses (with multiple breeds in recent ancestry) being labeled in this manner, such as

3403-583: 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

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3486-410: 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

3569-605: 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

3652-468: The crossbreed than both of the parent breeds. Prolapsed nictitating membrane gland is a condition more common in the Puggle and Jug than both of the parent breeds, which shows the complexity of genetics and provides evidence against the theory of hybrid vigour . Overall designer dog breeds had lower rates of PNMG. Crossbreed dogs are not recognized by traditional breed registries, even if both parents are registered purebreds. Breed associations such as

3735-688: The desired trait being bred for (such as a hypoallergenic coat) needs to be known; "Heritability is the proportion of the measurable difference observed between animals for a given trait that is due to genetics (and can be passed to the next generation)." In addition, the goals of dog crossbreeding may be harder to define than the goals of livestock crossbreeding; good temperament may be harder to define and measure than high calf weight. Designer dog breeders are often criticized for being more interested in profitable puppy production than in dog health and welfare. Wally Conron, writing in Reader's Digest , comments on

3818-582: The development of the eurohound and greyster , crosses utilizing German shorthair pointers with Alaskan huskies and greyhounds, respectively. While the Mackenzie River husky has been largely replaced by mechanized travel, Alaskan huskies continue to be the most commonly used type of dog for competitive sled dog racing today. Other historical examples are the bull and terrier ( Old English Bulldog and terrier cross) and crosses between foxhounds and Old Spanish Pointers that later resulted in

3901-586: 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

3984-579: 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

4067-461: 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

4150-530: 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

4233-968: 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)

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4316-462: 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

4399-636: 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

4482-479: 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,

4565-650: 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 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

4648-603: 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

4731-462: The main reason for them to be bred. An exception to this is the Labradoodle , which although having a portmanteau name, is often used as a Guide or Assistance dog as well as being a popular family dog. Although designer dogs are often selected by owners for their novelty, reputable breeders sometimes use crossbreeding in an attempt to reduce the incidence of certain hereditary problems found in

4814-716: 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

4897-569: 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

4980-472: The owner chooses with minimal or no documentation; some even allow the breeder or owner to make up a designer "breed name" for their pet. Sled dog A sled dog 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

5063-429: The perception that they cut "turns" to kill instead of working the hare to gain points. A lurcher is a cross , generally between a sighthound and a working dog breed. Generally, the aim of the cross is to produce a sighthound with more intelligence, a canny animal suitable for poaching rabbits, hares, and game birds. Over time, poachers and hunters discovered that the crossing of certain breeds with sighthounds produced

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5146-401: 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

5229-520: The popularity of crosses after his introduction of the Labradoodle: "Were breeders bothering to check their sires and bitches for heredity faults, or were they simply caught up in delivering to hungry customers the next status symbol?" 'Designer dog' puppies sometimes bring higher prices than the purebreds from which they are bred. Fanciers of designer dogs say that all modern dog breeds were created from earlier breeds and types of dogs through

5312-453: 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

5395-537: 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

5478-521: The purebred dogs, while retaining their more appealing traits. Jon Mooallem, writing in The New York Times , commented, "Given the roughly 350 inherited disorders littering the dog genome, crossing two purebreds and expanding their gene pools can be 'a phenomenally good idea,' according to one canine geneticist—if it is done conscientiously." Crossbreeding has not been well studied in dogs, although it has been for livestock. The heritability of

5561-500: 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

5644-551: 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

5727-404: 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

5810-478: 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

5893-554: 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

5976-402: The same kind of selective breeding that is used to create designer dogs. Most of the modern breeds have ancestries that include various older dog types and breeds; see individual breed articles for details of the origin of each breed. Crossbreeding that takes advantage of the increased chance that a recessive detrimental allele will only be inherited from one parent and therefore not expressed in

6059-559: The same reason will not produce puppies that are as reliably healthy as those bred by more conscientious breeders. However, studies of longevity in dogs have found some advantage for crossbreeds compared to purebred dogs. In general it is believed that crossbred dogs "have a far lower chance of exhibiting the disorders that are common with the parental breeds. Their genetic health will be substantially higher." Despite commonly believed to be substantially healthier than pedigree dogs data from clinical records of over 1,000 veterinary hospitals in

6142-464: 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

6225-597: 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

6308-619: 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

6391-639: The specific needs of the era and geographical region, including the Mackenzie River husky , in which European breeds were crossed with Native American dogs to produce a powerful and hardy freighting dog in the 19th century, and the Alaskan husky , bred specifically for sled dog racing . In the 1980s, a rise in Nordic-style sled racing in Scandinavia, characterized by shorter distances than typically seen in North American sled racing, led to

6474-516: 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

6557-434: 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

6640-594: The world they are kept as sporting dogs and family pets , or to compete in sports such as lure coursing and dog racing . In the United States they may compete in lure coursing events through the AKC and the UKC. Cross-breeds are not registered and formally recognized by any major kennel club. In North America, the Canadian Kennel Club can deprive individual members of their club rights if they have been proven of crossbreeding any breed as in creating lurchers; in

6723-408: 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

6806-454: 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

6889-676: 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

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