Adventures in Siber-Space
Energetic Siberian huskies lead their owners on an exciting ride..
By Keith Bush
People scoffed at the first racing team of Siberian huskies in the United States, but 18 years later, 40 sled dogs of this breed toured the country as heroes. A monument to one of them stands in New York City’s Central Park.
Actually, the forebears of today’s Siberian huskies enjoyed the respect of the Chuchki people of Russia for centuries. These dogs played a central role in village life, pulling sleds, guarding homes and providing warmth on cold arctic nights. According to one legend, the spirit of a person who had mistreated dogs might find the entrance to heaven blocked by canine sentries.
But when Russian fur trader William Goosak brought his dogs to the 1909 All Alaska Sweepstakes, a 408-mile race with a $10,000 first prize, his competitors didn’t think much of them. The dogs looked too small to pose much of a threat to big Alaskan malamutes. The “Siberian rats,” as some people derisively called them, surprised nearly everyone when they took the lead. In the end they came in third, but they converted many skeptics with their speed and endurance.
Leonhard Seppala won the All Alaska Sweepstakes with Siberian huskies in 1915, 1916 and 1917, but their most-celebrated achievement came in early 1925, when a diphtheria epidemic threatened the children of Nome, Alaska. A relay of 20 dogsled drivers rushed the vaccine to Nome from the nearest train station, across 674 miles in 5 days, 7½ hours. A Siberian husky named Togo led Seppala’s team 260 miles across ice and snow, braving darkness, a fierce gale and an air temperature of 30 below. Balto, another Siberian belonging to Seppala, led the team that covered the final stretch and delivered the lifesaving serum to the grateful village. Many of today’s Siberians descend from Seppala’s dogs
Radios and newspapers across the United States carried dramatic reports of “The Race Against Death,” and Seppala and his dogs became celebrities. In the next few years, they raced in New England and Canada, amassing victories and increasing demand for the breed.
President Herbert Hoover owned a Siberian husky, as did film legends Clara Bow and Carole Lombard. Siberians accompanied Admiral Richard Byrd on his Antarctic expeditions. During World War II, many Siberian husky owners gave their dogs to the U.S. Army for search-and-rescue training.
Not just another husky.
The American Kennel Club recognized the Siberian husky in 1930. The first breed standard, a written description of the ideal dog toward which breeders should aspire, appeared in the AKC Gazette in 1932. This distinguishes it from the Alaskan husky, an unregistered type of sled dog that varies widely in appearance.A Siberian husky has almond-shaped, blue or brown eyes. Some dogs have one eye of each color, or both colors in each eye. All are acceptable. Ears should point straight up.
Adult Siberian huskies typically weigh between 35 and 60 pounds and stand between 20 and 23½ inches high at the withers, or shoulders. In contrast, Alaskan malamutes range from 75 to 85 pounds and from 23 to 25 inches.
Siberian huskies carry their tails in a sickle curve over the back when at attention and trailing behind them when relaxed – never curled to the side like a Samoyed or flat against the back like an Akita.
Siberian husky fur comes in a variety of colors and patterns, all perfectly acceptable. The medium-length coat consists of slightly harsh guard hairs and a very soft undercoat.
The inner Siberian
“Siberians are active, gregarious, affectionate and playful,” says Sandy Carman, president of the North Georgia Siberian Husky Club. “So long as they view you as the boss, or ‘alpha,’ in the pack, they can be as obedient as the next dog, properly trained. They have a sense of humor and fun and love to make you laugh, particularly when they've done something wrong and are being scolded for it. They are not clingy, but do like to know where you are. Usually when I'm working in my home office, there's one or two in the room with me, and the others are down the hall, maybe in a bedroom or looking out the front window. If my chair squeaks, though, they're all right there, trying to figure out what I'm about to do and whether or not they'll be included, and whether or not it might include food -- and if so, do they get some?”Despite its obvious charms, this breed may not suit everyone.
“The person who dreams of taking walks or playing in the park with an off-lead dog should not own a Siberian,” Carman says. “The person who likes things neat and tidy, and has a wardrobe that leans heavily to dark blues and blacks should not own a Siberian. The person who wants only one dog and has no one home for seven or eight hours a day should not own a Siberian. Between the extreme desire to run, the heavy shedding twice a year, and the gregarious nature of the breed, these people would be very unhappy with this breed. If you do choose to tackle the negatives, you'll find Siberians to be some of the most beautiful, best friends you'll ever have. I've had the breed since 1979 and can't imagine owning anything else.” 