Just look at a Husky dog, and it is easy to imagine why they are so effective in the frozen tundra. These canine athletes are the latest in a long line of rugged, athletic working dogs, best known for being workhorses in the inhospitable icy terrain of the Northern hemisphere. History is filled with references to the Siberian Husky dog being hitched to a sled and mushing men, materials and equipment across the snowy landscapes of North America and Europe.
However, the ancestors of today's Husky dog first put their paws in the snows of northeast Asia. There, the Chukchi people bred strong dogs with muscular, medium builds and great endurance to haul them across Siberia's snows. As they moved west, so did their dogs.
The Husky dog made it to Alaska in the early 20th century and made a name for itself in this rugged, demanding environment. In 1919, the legendary John "Iron Man" Johnson mushed a team of Siberian Huskies to victory in the grueling 400-mile All Alaska Sweepstakes dog sled race. These handsome, powerful dogs went on to dominate sled dog racing in Alaska for the next decade. So popular were these Huskies that they made what amounts to a personal appearance tour in the U.S., capturing hearts wherever they went.
What cemented this dog's place in history, and set the bar high for the Husky dog, was the heroism shown in a crisis. In the year 1925, Nome, Alaska was beset by a deadly diphtheria epidemic. Twenty teams of sled dogs, primarily Siberian Huskies, made repeated trips from Nenana to Nome, carrying serum to combat the spread of the diphtheria. These dogs made the 674-mile trips in 27 1/2 hours, numerous times. It is no stretch to suggest that dogs, especially the Husky, saved many lives in Alaska that winter. Their heroics are remembered and that long hard trek is re-run each year. Today it is called the Iditarod, and this arduous race remains the pinnacle of canine athleticism.
Airplanes, snowmobiles and other forms of transportation have made the Husky dog more likely to pull a sled for recreational purposes than out of necessity. Still, "Sibes" as they are often called, are not only popular with those in northern climes, but elsewhere as well.
A Husky dog, once fully grown, stands between 20 and 23 1/2 inches at the shoulder and weighs about 35-60 lbs. These animals are not nearly the massive, often ferocious, dogs that populated the pages of Jack London's books. They are of modest size and built to move in an almost effortless way.
The coat of the Sibe requires attention. The Husky has a short, soft under coat covered by longer outer guard hairs. The Husky dog seems to have understood layering against the cold long before his master did.
"Iron Man" Johnson would easily recognize the Husky dog of today. These working dogs that range in color from solid black to solid white, with striking facial markings, remain true to their past. Today's Huskies are compact, medium-sized dogs with great endurance and a sweet disposition. They still have the power, speed and endurance, even if they only use these attributes to romp in the snow with their human families.
