All about sled dogs

A century or a half ago, most dog breeds had a specific purpose - some were used for hunting, others herded herds, and others were useful only as a decorative decoration. Today the situation has changed - representatives of most breeds are kept at home just as pets. If you decide to get yourself an unusual thoroughbred dog, pay attention to sleds that are gaining more and more popularity. At the same time, home breeding of such dogs outside the far North is not too 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 in its physical and psychological characteristics is predisposed to perform a certain type of action. For a dog of this category, instinct is the most important, forcing the animal to run forward all the time. It is characterized by maximum restraint and is always torn into the distance. Due to this, such an animal is used for the following needs.

• Transportation of goods in winter. Such a pet is not only restless, but also very strong. Growing up in the conditions of a long winter, it is able to move effectively in the snow, in which it does not bite. With properly designed and oiled sleighs such a beast is able to drag for hours, twice the weight of its own.
• Transportation of people. A sled dog can drag a sled with a certain degree of accuracy, choosing a road so that it is passable for the "trailer".At the same time, the dogs obey 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, however, until today, mankind has come up with many alternative options for competition. One of them is a race in which a cyclist and his pet, moving on an equal footing, must overcome the distance as quickly as possible.
• Motivation. Oddly enough, sled dogs are considered one of the best motivators for their owners - they always run forward, even if they don’t see the ultimate goal.

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

This dog has inherited humanity from the indigenous population of Alaska, which has been wandering for generations with the help of such animals. A dog constantly living next to a person is specially bred non-aggressive, therefore it cannot be a guard or a hunter.

There is a theory according to which this breed is not far from Greenland. Contrary to the name, it was originally Siberian, and only in the XVII century it was brought to this island. Such a dog weighs no more than 32 kilograms, but 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 tends to protect the territory that it considers its own.

This is the dog most often remembered by our compatriots when mentioning the word "like." Outwardly, the dog is very similar to malamute, but differs in more modest sizes - west no more than 28 kilograms. Kamchatka Chukchi bred this breed even before they tamed deer, and for them the Chukchi husky is not a pet, but a family member.

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

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

• alaskan husky - extremely popular in the United States, in a team breaks speed records, but the delay, apparently, is of natural origin - no one has specifically brought such a dog, and there is also no standard for it;

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

• chinook - absolutely unlike the like, 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 graster - a special breed from the number recently bred has never been used by any people of the North, but it was created specifically for competitions;

• wolfhounds - Russian fiction, which is a cross between a German shepherd and a wild wolf, is characterized by specific semi-wild behavior and is still not officially sold anywhere;

• Eskimo and Yakut likes - Rare examples of how a sled dog can be suitable for both protection and hunting.

Most sled dogs are not too good at training - willfulness caused by wolf nature affects. A person who wants to train a real sled dog will have to be patient, because from an too independent puppy it is necessary to grow an animal that obeys not only a person, but also a leader of the pack. In this case, the dog must be trained in teamwork, because no one uses such pets for transportation alone.

The first thing the beast is taught is the standard for all dogs commands such as "Sit!", "Do not!" or "To me!". This is an elementary discipline, which is equally useful for both a dog from a harness and a pet.

All the components of one mechanism should work together, understanding the specific commands that indicate the beginning or end of the movement, as well as turns. When in general the animal 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 arrange a showdown between themselves. Only after mastering all these skills does it make sense to teach your pet any other skills, but in a city where the dog is acquired simply as a companion, work in a team can be completely excluded from the training program.

At the same time, the instincts of many representatives of sled breeds initially laid the desire not only to run forward, but also to “work”, that is, to carry a certain load.

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

• The history of the use of dog teams lasts at least 8 thousand years. Confirmation of this was found on the territory of the Novosibirsk islands belonging to Russia.
• Without sled dogs, white spots from the world map would disappear much more slowly - for example, the first conquerors of the poles got to the desired point on sledges.
• Dogs of the above breeds are able to overcome 80 kilometers in a harness per day. At the same time, the musher, that is, the rider, must ensure that the animals do not overwork, and therefore for them the speed limit is applicable - no more than 12 km / h.
• In the harness, the load on all participants should be uniform, and if one of the dogs “hacks”, he will be punished by the leader at the nearest parking lot when the musher releases the animals.
• Unlike horses and most other live draft power, physical “hints” are not used in dog teams - there isn’t anything like whips or reins, animals are controlled exclusively by verbal voice commands. At the same time, the rider must win the respect of his “engine”, otherwise there can be no talk of proper obedience.
• Clever sled dogs have their own souls - as a reward they want to receive not only tasty treats, but also obviously expressed praise. Experienced carriages at stops are sure to come up to each pet and express their appreciation - they will pet it, this will be a little patted at the withers, and the third will be scratched. At the same time, the dogs are jealous of the owner and if they notice that he singled out someone alone, they will arrange a pet thrashing.

The selection of a puppy of a dog of sled breeds occurs according to its own special rules. First of all, such a dog should be very active, and you need to choose a healthy pet by this criterion. At the same time, immediately after sleep, the babies for obvious reasons will be lethargic, and you will not see the reaction that was expected - usually the northern dogs are very happy about the appearance of a new person and themselves strive to get to know him.

Arrange with the breeder regarding the time so that you arrive shortly before feeding. - this will give you the opportunity to look at the usual behavior of the brood and how it reacts to food. Healthy doggies are always active and agile, and special attention should be paid to whether the fluffy lump you like is lame.

This is easily verified - reach out to the flock of kids and see who is scared and will run away, and who will show leadership qualities and credulity 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 of the child whom he considers the most promising.

A healthy doggie a priori looks well-groomed, it has no traces of extraneous discharge near the eyes or in the auricles, the bite is even, the appetite is good. A cool and constantly moistened nose, the pink color of the mucous membranes is emphasized, the absence of any deformities of the abdomen, as well as a figure of medium harmony - all these are signs of a healthy individual.

If you need a dog for trips to exhibitions or breeding, approach the choice even more responsibly. To get started, delve into the topic - look at 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 the illustrious kennel and has a decent and documented pedigree.

About sled dog breeds, see the video.