Do you love the outdoors? Do you like dogs that are big and furry?
If so, then Husky breeds may be the perfect fit for you! There are many different types of Huskies, each with its own unique personality.
In this article, we will discuss the most popular Husky breeds and what makes them so special. We will also provide information on how to care for a Husky, including tips on feeding, training, and exercising.
Huskies are a type of working dog that was originally bred in Siberia. They were used by the Chukchi people for hunting and transportation, and later by Russian explorers and settlers. Huskies are known for their thick fur coats, which keep them warm in even the coldest climates. They are also known for being very friendly and good with children.
There are many different Husky breeds, but some of the most popular include the Alaskan Husky, Siberian Husky, and Samoyed.
Siberian Husky
The Husky Dog was first bred by the Chukchi people in Northern Asia and was trained to pull sleds in the harsh climates. They were first introduced to America when the Chukchi people brought the Husky to Alaska in the early 1900s so they could participate in Alaskan sled races. Though popular in Alaska, the Siberian Husky is not to be confused with the Alaskan Husky or Malamute, which are different breeds.
When the Siberian Husky won these races, everyone wanted one and by 1925 they had become a worldwide sensation. These dogs even helped to prevent a diphtheria outbreak in Nome by relaying sled teams to transport medicine.
Once recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1930, the Husky Dog became very popular in the United States as a companion dog.
The Husky Dog is a muscular dog and is often said to look like a wolf. Indeed, they are one of the best known wolf dog breeds. They have pointy ears and a fluffy tail. In the breed standard, it states that their body is the perfect balance of slenderness and endurance built for an efficient gait.
Male Husky Dogs usually stand between 21 to 23.5 inches and weigh between 45 to 60 pounds, while females are normally smaller and lighter, standing between 20 to 22 inches and weighing between 35 to 50 pounds.
Alaskan Husky
Alaskan Huskies are headstrong and hard-working dogs with an iconic wolf-like appearance. While many people are familiar with Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes, the Alaskan Husky is a more elusive breed that’s a common source of confusion.
These dogs all have a very long history of working for humans. They were sled dogs for the Paleo-Eskimo people. The Paleo-Eskimo people predate modern Intuit people and inhabited fairly large arctic regions. They lived in areas stretching from modern-day East Russia to Greenland.
Back then, Alaskan Huskies and other arctic dog breeds worked hard to pull sleds and protect humans. Fast forward several thousand years and they can still be found doing the same thing! You can find them pulling sleds, attending sporting events, and more throughout Alaska. Of course, they’re also beloved pets for dog owners around the globe.
The modern Alaskan Husky is believed to be a crossbreed of several different breeds. In addition to Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes, it’s theorized that these dogs share some genetic data with German Shorthaired Pointers, German Shepherds, and Salukis.
Currently, the Alaskan Husky is not recognized by the American Kennel Club, commonly referred to as the AKC.
Alaskan Malamute
The Alaskan Malamute is a strong and powerful breed of dog that closely resembles the wolf. One of the oldest dog breeds out there, this pup is not designed for apartment living or lap-sitting. These dogs need an owner who knows what they are doing and someone who is willing to meet the exercise and care needs of a high-energy and independent canine.
That being said, the Alaskan Malamute can adapt well to family life and is known to be an extremely social breed that’ll make a friend out of everyone they meet. They’re also intelligent and fun-loving, making them a relatively easy dog to train.
The Alaskan Malamute is always gaining popularity, but this purebred breed of dog is still relatively rare in the United States. These pups are normally born in litter sizes of between 4 to 10 puppies, but you may need to go on a waiting list with a breeder.
You can expect to pay between $1000 and $2000 for an Alaskan Malamute puppy, because they are so rare.
Samoyed
The Sammy’s head is wedge shaped with a medium-length muzzle, large brown eyes, firm black lips that can make all sorts of expressions, and wide set, erect ears. Samoyed’s have a thick soft undercoat with harsh outer coat growing through it.
The outer coat is water resistant and stands straight out from the body. The Sammy’s coat is either pure white, white and biscuit or cream and the outer coat has silver tips. Male Samoyeds stand 21 to 23.5 inches tall and females 19 to 21.5 inches tall at shoulder height. Females weigh from 35 to 55 pounds and males from 50 to 70 pounds.
Samoyeds have fairly large litters which range from 5 to 9 puppies. Sammy puppies are really adorable and look like teddy bear cubs. These puppies do best with early socialization with lots of strangers, cats and other dogs and they should be started on obedience training as soon as they have had their shots.
Samoyeds are members of the American Kennel Club (AKC) Working Dog Group.
Samoyeds are intelligent, gentle, friendly, loyal and affectionate. Sammys have none of the aggressiveness found in other sled dogs. The breed loves people, especially children and makes an outstanding family pet.
Samoyeds can be expected to live for 12 to 15 years and are generally fairly healthy. The most common genetic disorder is hip dysplasia. Less common but serious disorders include: eye diseases (such as cataracts, corneal dystrophy, glaucoma, progressive retinal atrophy and retinal dysplasia); heart disease (aortic stenosis); kidney disease; deafness; hemophilia; allergies; and skin disease.
Miniature Husky
Miniature Huskies are pedigree dogs that share genes and chromosomes with the Siberian Husky. Siberian Husky breeders looked for the smallest puppies in each litter known as the runts. They then bred males and females with different parents to create a miniature Husky. The smallest dogs in a litter will typically be the smallest adults. Mini Huskies can be more than 40% smaller than a traditional Husky.
The history of the Mini Husky dates back to the 20th century when breeders in the United States looked for a way to breed smaller than average Huskies. They wanted these dogs to have the same temperament and the features that reminded owners of wolves.
The first Siberian Huskies appeared several thousand years ago when the Chucki people bred them. Those people used them as both sled dogs and for companionship on their long trips. They found that the dogs would curl up with them on cold nights but also protect their livestock from intruders. The Siberian Husky name came from the Siberian region where the Chucki lived.
As Siberian and Miniature Huskies share the same genes, you can expect the miniature version to act in the same way that the large breed does. They are very sassy, which is why you often see this dog walking down the street with a strut in its step and a wiggle in its tail. Miniature Huskies can also be downright naughty. Not only can the dog ignore you when you state a command, but it may take off if you drop the leash on a walk because it sees something interesting.
Utonagan
The Utonagan is a beautiful, large dog with wolf-like features. The muscular, and graceful, Utonagan is a relatively new dog breed and as a hybrid dog, it is not yet recognized by the major Kennel Clubs, such as the American Kennel Club (AKC).
A Utonagan dog is intelligent and strong-willed, but not aggressive, and it’s good with children; so when socialized it would make a great family pet for an active family, or an outdoor-loving experienced dog owner. The Utonagan is not a dog breed for first time dog owners!
A Utonagan puppy is simply an adorable big ball of fluff.
As a pack dog, the Utonagan Dog will want to be around people and other animals as much as possible. It is a highly loyal dog and will bond very closely with the one that feeds it, and the rest of the family. It is not regarded as a guard dog by nature but it will become quite vocal if it senses any threat to its loved ones.
Red Husky
The Red Husky is a medium-sized working dog with wolf-like features, a red coat color and often has piercing, almond-shaped blue eyes. It is one of several Husky colors within the Siberian Husky dog breed; not a separate dog breed.
The most famous Siberian Husky dog was Balto. Based on the true story or the Serum Run, Balto stole the hearts of many over the years in the movie, later animated as the wolf-like husky dog, ‘Krypto the Superdog’.
Balto is now recognized with his own bronze statue in Central Park, NYC.
The Siberian Husky breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1930 and has its own breed club, the Siberian Husky Club of America.
The Siberian Husky is a pure breed that comes in a mix of Husky coat colors – black and white Husky, Red and white Husky or even pure white. The pure white Siberian Husky is the rarest color of the breed.
White Husky
The White Husky was originally a sledding dog used by the Chukchi tribe. This ingenious tribe lived in Russia and commonly traveled around the Arctic Ocean. As they moved around parts of Asia, they began depending more on their dogs because they served as loyal companions and watchdogs. Chukchi people kept Huskies as far back as 3,000 years ago, which makes this breed one of the oldest in the world.
While all Huskies descended from the dogs used by that tribe, the color and type of dog that you get will depend on its parents. The color white comes from the recessive gene that both parents must have. You can only get a White Husky if both parents are White Huskies. This will result in a full little of Husky puppies that are pure white. The odds of two parent dogs having a litter of white puppies if they are not pure white is very rare.
Though you’ll often have a harder time finding a White Husky than another type of Husky, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on a new puppy. If one or both parents are show dogs, the puppies can cost as much as $1,000.
Breeders who have mixed litters may charge more for the white dogs and less for those that are brown or a mix of colors.
Northern Inuit Dog
Although there are two fairly common origin stories for the breed, the most carefully documented version of the bloodline says that the first NI dogs were bred in the United Kingdom in the late 1980’s by Eddie Harrison.
Several large dog breeds were used in the initial bloodline of the NI dog including the German Shepherd, Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamute. The crossbreed was created in hopes of breeding a domestic dog with a wolf-like appearance.
While these dogs do resemble wolves, and some people still think that they have wolf ancestry, according to The Northern Inuit Society, this breed does not contain any wolf blood. The society states that, while it may be possible that the breed had some wolf ancestry many years ago, “if there ever was it would now be diluted to almost 0%.” Still, the Northern Inuit dog is said by many to more closely resemble prehistoric direwolves than any other dog breed.
Currently, the Northern Inuit dog is bred exclusively by The Northern Inuit Society. Until 2014, it was only bred in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, although puppies have been exported throughout the world for decades.
The breed is not officially recognized by the American Kennel Club, nor any other kennel club, but it is still considered by many to be a true breed. As it is exclusively bred by the NIS, and only ever bred true, with no crossbreeding, these dogs still very closely resemble the very first of the breed. The NIS is hoping to eventually receive, and is working towards, official recognition by various kennel clubs.
Related: Husky Mix Breeds