Why the Alaskan Husky Is Not AKC

Why isn't the Alaskan Husky in the AKC registry?

This is a common question among people searching for information about the Alaskan Husky.

The sled dog is not really a breed, it is a mix of several types of working dogs. The only thing that really matters in determining an Alaskan Husky is the willingness to work and the drive to pull. It is ideal to have traditional looking sled dogs for working in cold weather, but that has not been the recent mix. The latest trend in sled dog breeding is the addition of the hound and pointer breeds.

The downside to this less winterized breed is the weather. Hounds and pointers were not made for cold weather. Extra protection is required for the short fur and long floppy hound ears. The tips of their ears can freeze in cold weather. Some mushers use dog styled ear muffs to protect the floppy ears. The other problem is the lack of a thick winter coat.

Keeping the dog warm in cold weather takes extra time, money, and effort. The musher has to take care of her team. A huge part of taking care of the team involves keeping the dogs warm and keeping the foot healthy. Sore, ragged feet means a husky that cannot work. Some of the dainty footed hounds need extra foot care. Foot care consists of applying medicated creams, clean dry booties, and trimming toe nails to keep feet in top condition.

This may seem easy enough if you have just a few huskies, but it becomes a daily chore when you have over 50 huskies. The more dog care a musher has to provide for her team, the more stuff she has to pack for the trail (dog blankets, booties, straw), and the more time it takes to take care of the team every time you stop the sled. In the end, these husky hounds end up costing the musher extra time in the form of dog care at a sled dog race.

Let me point out not every long haired husky looking dog is ideal for pulling a sled either. Conformation (the way a dog is put together physically), size, weight, and physical ability are all part of the sled dog package. Large dogs have a tough time staying cool, keeping up with fast dogs, and floating across the snow. Malemutes, McKenzie River Huskies, and many Siberian Huskies are beautiful dogs which can be registered with the AKC, but most aren't cut out physically to be on a race team.

Before hounds and pointers, the Alaskan Husky had some of its history in the Alaskan Village. You may conjure up an imagine of a small, snow covered amber lit cabin with husky and Alaskan sitting peacefully under the Northern Lights. The role of the Alaskan Husky was not this spiritual. In fact, village dogs as they are called, are some of the toughest huskies on the planet. Often being left to fend for themselves in a harsh climate with little access to creature comforts.

That is if they were lucky enough to break free of restraint.

Before you run to call the animal authorities, keep in mind that this is a culture of people struggling with the encroachment of the American way of life just as much as their huskies. The social problems arising out of the Americanization of an Alaskan village are beyond the scope of this article.

The village husky is a sled dog with a good winter coat and tough feet. Making them the ideal mushing dog. No fancy dog jackets, ear muffs, or booties for the village dog. Only the strongest survive in an Alaskan village.

Why add pointers and hounds to the mix?

The job of a village dog is to help the society. Racing came second. A freshly killed moose can weigh upwards of 1000 pounds, and you need strong (but not necessarily fast) dogs to get it back to the village. Siberians, Malemutes, and other Northern Breeds were ideal for this task.

The idea behind mixing a husky with pointers or hounds is to add a fast sleek working dog with a desire to please into the sled dog line. The hound mix is intended more for sprint mushing (consecutive races, each less than 30 miles long). Long distance mushers (1000 mile races) are trying to see what these mixes can do for their racing style.

In the end, all sled dog racing is about speed.

What does any of this have to do with the AKC registry?

Most mushers have no interest in registration of the breed. Registration doesn't enhance the mushing lifestyle or quality of the dog.

There isn't a good way to improve the breed by way of AKC standards. The breeding lines come from mushers everywhere and individual mushers breed for what works for their sport, and not national standards. Click here for more on mushing and mushing history