Ode to the Husky, Champion of the Great White North

Alaskan Huskies with man

In the Land of the Midnight Sun: “Our friend, the husky, has not been forgotten.” Words spoken almost a century ago, from one of the many who traveled hundreds of miles to brave the Far North of the Yukon Klondike during the height of its gold rush heyday from 1897 to 1898.

The late 19th/early 20th century iconography of the sledding dog was born from the native Husky, a breed that has evolved to endure the cold and ice and snowy wastes of Alaska and the Canadian provinces of the Arctic. The Inuit, who have lived and hunted these lands – their “Nunaat” or “homeland” – consider these dogs as companions and allies in an environment that is inhospitable and timeless in its ability to freeze, starve, isolate, and bring a quick- or slow-end to those who take it for granted.

Alaskan Huskies with man
illustration of a husky

Teams of Alaskan huskies pulled sleds into and out of Alaska, bringing supplies, furs, loads of prospected gold, merchants with all sorts of wares offered at all sorts of inflated prices, postal mail, canned goods, blankets, medical supplies and vaccines, and all manner of People. Many arrived by steamship to Alaska coastal ports of Skagway and Dyea, only to then cross hundreds of miles of wilderness using sleds as a major mode of transportation. All the while, they spread the word to those too isolated, or lost, or busy with surviving the night to the next day.

The Alaskan husky is a working-breed of dog. They thrive on having a job, being given commands (“Mush! Gee! Haw! Easy!”) and want to be active. As the Musher, or Dog Driver, slips each Husky into harness, they know what comes next, and as their excitement and anticipation at a journey with the sled builds, they Know Their Purpose, and are glad for it. Known as an intelligent breed, those that show exceptional ability in this regard are assigned roles as Lead Dogs, in either single- or double-lead teams.

Equally so, they are comfortable in the outdoors, their fur coats thick and insulated to protect them from the ice, snow, and freezing temperatures of the Arctic. The well-muscled bodies of these dogs can go for long distances of travels pulling a sled in teams of six and eight at a time, reaching speeds of up to 30km an hour. The strongest of the team are called “Wheel Dogs” and placed in harness closest to the sled, a position that requires more strength and endurance to fill effectively.

Lacking direction, activity, or couped up indoors for prolonged periods of time, the Husky undergoes a behavioral transformation into the “Abdominal A-Hole” – destroying shoes, furniture, making their mark with raised leg and displeasure at such imposed idleness, howling without end. Woe be to the uneducated or uncaring pet owner who treats a Husky so.

Back home in the Arctic, the Alaskan husky has a story that has been shaped by the coming and going of the prospecting era, subsequent settlement of new communities in Alaska, and the influx of different breeds literally into the mix.

husky

This has become such a concern, that today Greenland has effectively banned all other types of dog breeds from entering its country. The Greenland dog has a lineage that stretches back to the Sarqaq people dating around 2,500 BCE (the Sarqaq probably knew well enough not to keep them couped up inside, lest the dogs chewed up all of the rawhide).

greenland dogs

Greenland Esquimaux Dogs

6 Things To Know Before You get a Husky
  1. As a pack breed, Huskies do well in a family environment, but are better suited to older children.
  2. Huskies are very active, and require frequent exercise.
  3. While Huskies are known for their quirky antics, this can also include a tendency to be escape artists and have a stubborn temperament.
  4. The thick fur coats of Huskies have evolved for arctic environments, so they are not suited for warmer climates. They also shed a lot.
  5. “Prey Drive” – they instinctively go after poultry, rabbits, and other small animals.
  6. They require consistent training to curb destructive behaviors.

As the climate has warmed and glaciers have receded, dog sledding in Greenland has become primarily a winter activity only possible during the coldest months. Even now, the winter season is getting shorter, leaving those who rely upon their dogs here as part of hunting for seals, whales, and polar bears for subsistence questioning what the future yet holds for their way of life. Areas where it was once safe to take a sled dog team have become unpredictable, melting earlier, with thinning ice and rising sea levels markedly visible within a single lifetime. By comparison, the number of Greenland dogs has also been diminished: in 2016, there were an estimated 15,000, down from a population of 25,000 in 2002.

In the meantime, the dog team endures. Racing competitions now offer challenges to Alaskan huskies on the other side of the world. Apart, but not so far removed, in the grand scheme of things.

And still racing to meet the sled leader’s commands, as Before.

twins with their sled
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words by :By Fred Poyner IV

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