Alaskan Sled Dogs: The Breed that's Not a Breed
An Alaskan Husky (Image by Mikkel Borge from Pixabay)
Theo is a Poodle in Training to Become a Mobility Service Dog (Courtesy: MobilityDog.org)
When the American Kennel Club (AKC) judges choose which dogs best represent their breeds, they consider how closely each dog compares with the judge's mental image of the perfect animal, as described in the breed's official standard. The main considerations are:
The dog's overall appearance.
Temperament and
Structure.
The judges are looking for characteristics that allow the dog to perform the function for which the breed was developed. Poodles, for example, were originally bred to be water retrievers, bringing ducks and other birds back to their masters. In the Poodle category, the AKC recognizes three separate breeds:
Standard.
Miniature and
Toy.
The latter two were bred chiefly as companion dogs.
Alaskan Husky – Not Formally a Breed
One version of the stalwart sled dog, the Siberian Husky, is a formal AKC breed, which means it appears in dog shows and is eligible for breed-specific and overall awards. The Alaskan Husky, a cousin of the Siberian, does not merit this consideration, however. Why? Because the Alaskan sled dog was bred purely for function. The dog has the traits required to pull heavy loads long distances in Artic weather. Appearance matters only insofar as it reflects the traits required to handle heavy sledding in a brutal climate. Judges would find it difficult to identify consistent physical traits against which to judge individual animals.
What Makes an Alaskan Sled Dog?
A Saluki or Persian Hound Dog (Image by popovicmjeljica from Pixabay)
Alaskan sled dogs are mixed-breed animals, currently bred and selected mainly for sled dog racing. They are known for their quick, efficient gait, pulling strength, and endurance. Some animals are bred for short-distance sprint events (around 30 miles), whereas others specialize in long-distance racing (1,000 miles or more), like the famed Iditarod contest. Regardless of the actual race distance, Alaskan sled dogs must run fast for a long time and therefore must possess a strong work ethic (that is, willingness to run and keep on running) as well as high levels of endurance.
Which contributing breeds give the dogs this combination of talents? Some of the Alaskan dog’s DNA contributors are intuitive: Siberian Husky and Malamute genetics tend to show up in the most successful long-distance runners. These sprinters, however, also evidence DNA from some surprising sources: hunting dogs, herding dogs, and even sighthounds. DNA from Pointers and even Salukis, an ancient breed known for spotting and taking down game, appear in the genetic profile of the Alaskan sled dog sprinter group.
Balto, the Most Famous Alaskan Husky
Balto, the Most Famous Alaskan Husky (Courtesy: AKC.org)
Balto achieved fame when he led a team of sled dogs on the final leg of the 1925 run carrying the diphtheria antitoxin or serum from Anchorage, Alaska to Nome. The medicine arrived intact and in time to stem a diphtheria epidemic in Nome, a town so isolated and climatically harsh that 1920s-era aircraft could not safely land there. There was controversy about whether Balto was really the canine hero of the tale (at least one other dog, Togo, pulled longer and over a particularly difficult portion of the trek). Nonetheless, Balto was crowned the hero by the press and the public. He has a statue in New York’s Central Park celebrating his feat.
Like other Alaskan sled dogs, Balto was bred solely for physical performance. He displayed several DNA adaptations that promoted Arctic survival and sled-pulling prowess. He had a double-layered coat for protection against the elements. He also had a highly developed ability to digest starch, something lacking in wolf populations. Moreover, his specific bone and tissue development lent themselves to his job of long-distance exertion.
So What Does “Breed” Mean?
Breed specifications exist so that dog owners can know how their dogs should look and what kinds of performance they can expect. Form (appearance) and function (ability to do their expected jobs) both play a role. With the Alaskan sled dog, the emphasis falls almost entirely on function. Appearance need not be consistent from animal to animal, as long as the traits reflected contribute to the dog’s ability to do the hard work of pulling a sled at a high speed for a long time in an unfriendly climate. Form never followed function so completely as it does with the successors of the hero dog Balto. (Balto was neutered at six months, and so produced no offspring. His successors, therefore, are figurative rather than literal.)