All About Sled Dogs

Even a century or a half ago, most dog breeds had a specific purpose - some were used for hunting, others grazed herds, and others were useful only as a decorative decoration. Today the situation has changed - representatives of most breeds are kept at home simply as pets. If you decide to get yourself an unusual purebred dog, pay attention to the increasingly popular sled dogs. At the same time, domestic breeding of such dogs outside the Far North is not yet very common, so the topic deserves a more detailed study.

Belonging to a sled breed means that a particular dog can not only be trained in a certain type of activity, but also, by its physical and psychological characteristics, is predisposed to perform a certain type of action. For a dog of this category, the most important is the instinct that makes the animal run forward all the time. It is distinguished by its maximum restlessness and is constantly torn into the distance. Thanks to this, such an animal is used for the following needs.

• Transportation of goods in winter conditions. Such a pet is not only restless, but also very strong. Growing up in conditions of long winters, it is adapted to move efficiently through snow, in which it does not get stuck. With a properly designed and oiled sled, such an animal is capable of carrying twice its own weight for hours.
• Transportation of people. A sled dog is able to pull a sled with a certain degree of accuracy, choosing a road so that it is passable for the "trailer" too.In this case, the dogs obey the voice commands from the side of their passenger and the instinct of the leader, who leads the entire team.
• Participation in various races. High-speed sledding is also a sport, but humanity has come up with many alternative options for competitions until today. One of them is a race in which the cyclist and his pet, moving on a par, must cover the distance as quickly as possible.
• Motivation. Oddly enough, sled dogs are considered one of the best motivators for their owners - they always run ahead, even if they don't see the ultimate goal.

The International Federation of Cynologists includes in the list of sled dogs representatives of northern breeds, which are officially recognized by the organization. It did not include most of the currently existing breeds, but it is the "official" dogs that are most popular, since they are bred professionally and go to large exhibitions. Beginners will be surprised, but what they used to call just "likes" is a wide variety of breeds.

This dog went to mankind from the indigenous population of Alaska, who for generations roamed with the help of such animals. A dog that constantly lives next to a person is specially bred to be non-aggressive, therefore it cannot be a guard or a hunter.

There is a theory according to which this breed was not bred in Greenland. Contrary to the name, it was originally Siberian, and only in the 17th century was it brought to this island. Such a dog weighs no more than 32 kilograms, but it is highly independent and often behaves like a wolf, and therefore is not recommended for beginners. At the same time, the Greenlandshund (another name for the breed) does not seek to escape, and the territory, which it considers to be its own, is inclined to protect.

It is this dog that is most often recalled by our compatriots when they mention the word "Laika". Outwardly, the dog is very similar to the Malamute, but differs in more modest size - the west is no more than 28 kilograms. The Kamchatka Chukchi bred this breed even before they tamed the deer, and for them the Chukchi Laika is not a pet, but a member of the family.

Initially, the breed was bred by the small Russian people of the North - the Samoyeds, but gained wide popularity thanks to the British polar explorer Robert Scott, who used just such a thrust in his expeditions. Relatively small (18-30 kilograms), the dog is distinguished by excellent traction qualities and selfless friendliness, and their characteristic expression of the muzzle, aptly called "smile", fascinates a million dog lovers around the world.

Many breeds of sled dogs today have already gained wide popularity among dog owners, but are still not officially recognized by the same International Federation of Cynologists. The reasons for this may be different - sometimes experts do not see a fundamental difference from existing breeds or consider a novelty a banal cross between two purebred parents of different sled dogs, or the reason lies in simple bureaucratic red tape and the dog is about to be recognized. These most often include the following common animals:

• alaskan husky - it is extremely popular in the USA, it breaks speed records in a team, but the wire, apparently, is of natural origin - no one bred such a dog on purpose, and there is no standard for it either;

• Sakhalin Husky, or Gilyak Laika - contrary to what is named after the now Russian island of Sakhalin, it is bred mainly in Japan, suitable for both harness and hunting;

• chinook - completely unlike a husky, which does not prevent this big dog from racing with agility almost at the level of a husky, this is also a good option for protecting people and territory;

• Norwegian grayster - a special breed from the number of recently bred, never used by any people of the North, but created specifically for competitions;

• wolfdog - the Russian invention, which is a cross between a German shepherd and a wild wolf, has a specific semi-wild behavior and is still not sold officially anywhere;

• Eskimo and Yakut huskies - rare examples of how a sled dog can be suitable for both guarding and hunting.

Most sled dogs do not lend themselves very well to training - the willfulness, due to the wolf nature, affects. A person who wants to train a real sled dog will have to be patient., after all, from a puppy that is too independent, you need to raise an animal that obeys not only a person, but also the leader of the pack. In this case, the dog must be trained in team interaction, because no one uses such pets for transportation alone.

The first thing that the animal is taught is commands such as "Sit!", "No!" or "Come to me!" This is an elementary discipline that is equally useful for a dog in a harness and for an apartment pet.

All components of one mechanism must work harmoniously, understanding the specific commands that indicate the beginning or end of the movement, as well as turns. When the animal as a whole masters the main wisdom of its "profession", it is taught the so-called correct behavior - it is unacceptable for individual individuals to be distracted by extraneous stimuli or to arrange a showdown among themselves. Only after mastering all these skills does it make sense to teach a pet some other skills, but in a city, when a dog is acquired simply as a companion, working in a team can be completely excluded from the training program.

At the same time, in the instincts of many representatives of sled breeds, the desire was initially laid not only to run forward, but also to "work", that is, to drag a certain load along with them.

Sled dogs are curious animals. Everyone knows that with their help you can move and transport goods, but there are several curious facts that most people do not know about.

• The history of using dog sleds goes back at least 8 thousand years. Confirmation of this was found on the territory of the New Siberian Islands, which belong to Russia.
• Without sled dogs, white spots from the world map would disappear much more slowly - for example, the first conquerors of the poles reached the coveted point on sledges.
• The dogs of the above-described breeds are able to overcome 80 kilometers in a team in a day. In this case, the musher, that is, the rider, must ensure that the animals do not overwork, and therefore the speed limit for them is no more than 12 km / h.
• In the harness, the load on all the participants should be even, and if one of the dogs "cheats", he will be punished by the leader at the nearest parking lot when the musher frees the animals.
• Unlike horses and most other living draft forces, physical "prompts" are not used in dog sleds - there are no whips or reins, animals are controlled exclusively by verbal voice commands. In this case, the rider must win the respect of his "engine", otherwise there can be no question of due obedience.
• Smart sled dogs have a soul of their own - as a reward, they want to receive not only tasty treats, but also obvious praise. Experienced mushers at the stops necessarily approach each pet and express their gratitude - they will stroke that one, they will pat it a little on the withers, they will scratch the third one. At the same time, the dogs are jealous of the owner and if they notice that he has singled out one person, they will give the pet a thrashing.

The choice of a puppy of a dog of sled breeds takes place according to its own, special rules. First of all, such a dog must be very active, and it is necessary to choose a healthy pet according to this criterion. At the same time, right after sleep, the babies will be lethargic for obvious reasons, and you will not see the reaction that you expected - usually northern dogs are very happy with the appearance of a new person and themselves strive to get to know him.

Make an appointment with the breeder so that you arrive shortly before feeding. - this will give you the opportunity to see both the normal behavior of the brood and how it reacts to food. Healthy dogs are always active and mobile, and you need to pay special attention to whether the fluffy lump you like is lame.

It's easy to check - reach out to a flock of kids and see who gets scared and will run away, and who will show leadership qualities and gullibility and decide to personally check why you are doing this.

Fright in any manifestation is, in principle, considered a negative reaction - such a dog may have mental disorders in the future. For younger puppies, they offer another way - take the brood from the mother and lay the cubs a few meters from her bed: they say that the dog first of all returns to the place the child whom it considers the most promising.

A healthy doggie a priori looks well-groomed, it has no traces of foreign secretions near the eyes or in the ears, the bite is even, the appetite is good. A cool and constantly moist nose, an emphasized pink color of the mucous membranes, the absence of any abdominal deformities, as well as a moderately slim figure are all signs of a healthy individual.

If you need a dog for traveling to exhibitions or breeding, approach the choice even more responsibly. First, delve into the topic - be like the exhibitions themselves, pay attention to whose representatives usually win and why. When looking for a good dog, make sure that it is directly related to a renowned kennel and has a decent yet documented pedigree.

For sled dog breeds, see the video.