What Exactly is an Alaskan Husky?

Happy Tuesday! Today, we’re going to attempt to answer a question we get asked a lot: “What kind of a dog is Boo/Pence?”.

Answer: a cute one, of course 😉 Boom. Question answered.

But in all seriousness…

Whenever we’re out walking the dogs in the neighborhood or at a local park, or posting photos on social media, we are often asked that question. My first instinct is to turn it around on the person asking the question and ask them what breed they think the dogs are. I just love hearing their guesses. To this day, only one person has been mostly-correct.

Some of the guesses people have said for Boo are German Shepherd, giant Chihuahua (uh what? lol), and black Lab mix. Our neighbor is the only one to have correctly guessed that Boo was “some sort of a Husky”. How she came up with that, I have no idea, because “Huskies” in Indiana don’t really look like him.

When we brought Pence home, someone asked if she was a yellow Lab mix. But again, our neighbor correctly guessed that she was some sort of a husky, due to the fact that she was similarly built like Boo.

Everyone is very surprised when we tell them they are Alaskan Huskies and that they are sled dogs. Especially around where we live, when we say “Husky” and “sled dog”, everyone immediately thinks of a Siberian Husky - big and fluffy, grey and white (sometimes referred to as “Slowberians” in the mushing world).

Clearly, Boo and Pence are not built like Siberians and are not colored like them either. So this often confuses people and they tend to ask more questions, which we love to answer.

Alaskan Huskies originate from - you guessed it - Alaska. They were initially bred to be hard-working, strong, and resilient dogs for pulling sleds of goods and materials to remote locations where other types of transportation couldn’t reach. Some Alaskan Huskies are still used for those purposes today, but over the last few decades their primary use has shifted more from utility to sport, in competitive sled dog racing like the Iditarod.

So what exactly is an Alaskan Husky? The Alaskan Husky is not actually an officially recognized breed of dog by any kennel club. Nor does it have any official breed standards. It’s more of a - type - of dog. One that is bred specifically for desirable sled dog traits from various other breeds, such as aptitude for pulling, endurance, speed, intelligence, appetite, and tolerance of extreme weather.

As a result of careful and calculated breeding for the sport of dog sledding, Alaskan Huskies share genetic signatures and can be identified accurately on DNA breed tests. A lot of them have a mix of Siberian Husky, Greyhound/Eurohound, German Shorthair Pointer, and Eskimo dogs in their genes. However, visually, Alaskan Huskies can be quite different. Some do share the traits of the more “traditional” husky look, with pointed ears, curly tails, and fluffier fur. But, some are “houndier”, with shorter coats, floppy ears, and straight or tucked tails. There are several photos at the bottom of this newsletter showing the variety in Alaskan Huskies.

The variety of Alaskan Husky certain mushers have depends on what type of mushing they do. The bulkier, fluffier dogs may be used for more weight pulling or distance mushing, while the houndier dogs may be used more for shorter distance or sprint-type mushing.

Size-wise, Alaskan Huskies are typically taller than Siberians, and have a thinner build than Malamutes. They can range anywhere from 35 to 75 pounds. Due to the careful breeding and active lifestyles, they can often live 12-15+ years old, with many still pulling sleds recreationally or for tours in their teens.

Alaskan Huskies are a very active breed, so they typically need an active home where they can do activities like hiking, walking, running, etc., often. They also partake in the traditional “husky talk” a lot of times, meaning they can be vocal, especially when they’re excited to run or go for a W-A-L-K like Boo.

Luckily, Alaskan Huskies do not require a ton of grooming. A lot of them have self-cleaning coats. A bath every now and then is probably more for the human’s sake of getting the dirt and smell out of their fur. When they blow their coats, brushing definitely comes into play, and you can expect fur shedding everywhere. During the cooler months when the dogs are running more, their nails keep fairly trimmed from the ground. When they aren’t running as much, their nails may need clipped more.

Check out all of these Alaskan Huskies from BraverMountain Mushing! They all have their own unique markings and build, but are genetically very similar, and 110% adorable.

Of course, Alaskan Huskies aren’t the only type of sled dog. At races, we’ve seen more “traditional” sled dogs like Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes. We’ve also seen German Shorthair Pointers, Belgian Malinois, Golden Retrievers, Border Collies, and even a wiener dog mix!

What other questions about sled dogs do you have?

We’d love to answer your questions about mushing and sled dogs (to the best of our abilities)! Let us know in the comments or in a reply (if you’re reading this in email).