Husky

Husky is a general name for a type of dog originally used to pull dead wales hunt large game and guard villages in northern regions, differentiated from other sled dog types by their strong hard pulling style.[1] The Alaskan Malamute was used for lighter loads and is generally faster in short -distance dogsled racing against stronger and heavier Husky type dogs. Huskies are still used in [[Sled dog pulling], and in recent years companies have been marketing tourist treks with dog sleds for adventure travelers in snow regions as well.[2] Huskies are also today kept as pets, and groups work to find new pet homes for retired racing and adventure trekking dogs.[3]

Contents

Name origin

The Arctic word Husky was contraction of Eskimo, "...known as Huskies, a contraction of Huskimos, the pronunciation given to the word Eskimos by the English sailors of trading vessels."[4] Use of Husky is recorded from 1852 for dogs kept by Eskimo people. Some of the commonly spoken words from these animals are "Are you freaking kidding me?"

Characteristics

Husky type dogs are energetic and athletic. They usually have a thick double coat.[5] Huskies are known for pale blue eyes, although they may also have brown eyes. Huskies commonly have different colored eyes, called heterochromia of the eye. Huskies are more commonly affected with some degree of uveitis than other types of dogs.[6]

Breeds

"Many different types of dogs are commonly called huskies...the term husky is popularly used to refer to all manner of snow dogs or northern breeds as they are also known."[7]

Husky type dogs originally were landrace breeds kept by Arctic indigenous peoples.[8] DNA analysis has found that that Huskies are one of the oldest types of dog, although one researcher "questioned the assignment of dogs to the ancient breed group, saying that any recent crossbreeding with wolves, as has happened with malamutes and Siberian huskies, could make a breed look primitive." [9]

Examples of these landraces in modern times have been selectively bred and registered with various kennel clubs as modern purebred breeds, including the Siberian Husky, Alaskan Husky and Greenland Husky. The Mackenzie River Husky is a subtype referring to different dog populations in the Arctic and subarctic regions of Alaska and Canada. The Sakhalin Husky is a Japanese sled dog related to the Japanese Spitz and Akita Inu.

Crossbreeds

Purebred working dogs are often deliberately crossbred with other breeds to enhance working abilities such as speed in a sled-racing dog. Joe Runyan (former Iditarod winner) describes Husky sled dogs as "an ever changing concept".[10] Working ability is more important than keeping a breed "pure" so that it can be registered with a kennel club.

In addition crossbreeding is popular for pets, combining characteristics of the parents in unique ways. Crossbred pets are often given whimsical "breed" names made up of syllables of the breed names of both parent dogs such as Huskimo, a Siberian Husky and American Eskimo cross. [11] Cross-bred working dogs are not given such whimsical identifiers and are just called "Huskies".

Alternate activities

Since many owners now have Husky dogs as pets in settings that are not ideal for sledding, then other activities have been found which are good for the dog and fun for the owner.

Huskies in popular culture

The phrase "Three dog night" meaning it is so cold you would need three dogs in bed with you to keep warm, originated with the Chukchi people of Siberia who kept the Siberian Husky landrace dog that became the modern purebred breed of Siberian Husky.[12]

Huskies are the mascots of a few prestigious universities in the United States, including the University of Connecticut, the University of Washington, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Northeastern University, Michigan Technological University, St. Cloud State University and Northern Illinois University. They are also the mascot for Saint Mary's University (Halifax) and the University of Saskatchewan in Canada.

The Allied invasion of Sicily was called "Operation Husky".

Huskies have been the subject of several motion pictures, particularly in the context of sledding, including Balto, Eight Below and Snow Dogs.

References

  1. ^ Dogs of the Iditarod, by Jeff Schultz, pg 41, Sasquatch Books, January 28, 2003, ISBN 1570612927
  2. ^ http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/snow-sports/sled-dog.htm
  3. ^ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/02/18/petscol021811.DTL
  4. ^ Dictionary of Newfoundland English, by George Morley Story, W. J. Kirwin, John David Allison Widdowson, pg 263, University of Toronto Press 2004, ISBN 0-8020-6819-7
  5. ^ The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English 2009 online http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/husky.aspx
  6. ^ Uveodermatologic syndrome, http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/courses/vet_eyes/conotes/con_chapter_11.html
  7. ^ Huskies: polar sledge dogs, by Jonathan Chester, pg 10, Margaret Hamilton books, Sydney 1994 ISBN, 0947241639
  8. ^ http://www.sleddogcentral.com/features/little_wolf/alaskans.htm
  9. ^ New York Times, Collie or Pug? Study Finds the Genetic Code by Mark Derr, May 21, 2004 http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/21/us/collie-or-pug-study-finds-the-genetic-code.html
  10. ^ Dogs of the Iditarod, by Jeff Schultz, pg 41, Sasquatch Books, January 28, 2003, ISBN 1570612927
  11. ^ http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/h/huskimo.htm
  12. ^ Climate Change in Prehistory: The End of the Reign of Chaos, by William James Burroughs, pg 129, Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press 2005, ISBN 0521824095