View source for Husky

{{short description |Dog type}}
{{Other uses}}
[[File:Huskiesatrest.jpg|thumb|Dogsled huskies at rest after racing]]

'''Husky''' is a general term for a type of dog used in the [[Polar regions of Earth|polar regions]], primarily and specifically for work as [[sled dog]]s. It also refers to a traditional northern type, notable for its cold-weather tolerance and overall hardiness.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Bonham |first=Margaret H. |title=Northern breeds|date=2001|publisher=Barron's|oclc=1245640121}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Sled Dog Central: A Deeper History of the Origins of the Alaskan Husky by Stephanie Little Wolf |url=https://www.sleddogcentral.com/features/little_wolf/alaskans.htm |access-date=2022-01-13|website=www.sleddogcentral.com}}</ref> Modern racing huskies that maintain arctic breed traits (also known as Alaskan huskies) represent an ever-changing [[Dog crossbreed|crossbreed]] of the fastest dogs.<ref>{{cite book|last1= Schultz|first1= Jeff|title= Dogs of the Iditarod|date= 28 January 2003|publisher= Sasquatch Books|location= Seattle|isbn=1-57061-292-7|page= [https://archive.org/details/dogsofiditarod0000schu/page/41 41]|url= https://archive.org/details/dogsofiditarod0000schu/page/41}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Baggaley |first1=Ann |last2=John |first2=Katie |editor-last=Dennis-Bryan |editor-first=Kim |date=2013-10-01 |title=The Dog Encyclopedia |url=https://archive.org/details/dogencyclopedia0000unse_a6o6 |url-access=registration |edition=First American |location=New York |publisher=DK Publishing |page=[https://archive.org/details/dogencyclopedia0000unse_a6o6/page/101/mode/1up 101] |isbn=978-1-4654-2116-6 |oclc=859155647}}</ref>

Huskies have continued to be used in [[sled-dog racing]], as well as expedition and trek style [[tourist|tour]] businesses, and as a means of essential transportation in rural communities.<ref name="howstuffworks">{{cite web|title= How Sled Dogs Work|url= http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/snow-sports/sled-dog.htm|first1= Kathleen|last1= Neary|access-date= 3 June 2015|date= 2008-01-14}}</ref> Huskies are also kept as pets, and groups work to find new pet homes for retired racing and adventure-trekking dogs.<ref name="sfgate">
{{cite web |last1=Keith |first1=Christie |date=18 February 2011 |title=Lessons from a sled dog massacre |url=http://www.sfgate.com/pets/yourwholepet/article/Lessons-from-a-sled-dog-massacre-2380720.php |publisher=SFGate |access-date=3 June 2015}}</ref>

== Etymology ==
[[File:DOG-HUSKY 23JUL00.jpg|thumb|A Siberian Husky with [[heterochromia]] ]]

The term "husky" first came into usage in the mid to late 1700s. At this time, "Esquimaux" or "[[Eskimo]]" was a common term for pre-Columbian Arctic inhabitants of North America. Several dialectal permutations were in use including Uskee, Uskimay and Huskemaw. Thus, dogs used by Arctic people were the dogs of the Huskies, the Huskie's dogs, and eventually simply the husky dogs.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Harper|first=Kenn|date=2007-09-28 |title=The Evolution of a Word Husky |url=https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/The_Evolution_of_a_Word_Husky/ |access-date=2022-02-22 |website=Nunatsiaq News|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Dalziel|first=Hugh|url=http://archive.org/details/britishdogstheir00dalzrich|title=British dogs; their varieties, history, characteristics, breeding, management and exhibition..|publisher=London, The bazaar office|others=University of California Libraries|year=1879|pages=205–213}}</ref> Canadian and American settlers, not well versed on Russian geography, would later extend the word to [[Chukotka sled dog]]s imported from Russia, thus giving rise to the term Siberian husky.

==History==
{{Further|Origin of the domestic dog}}
[[File:Three inuit men feeding Labrador huskies in Nain, Canada.jpg|thumb|Labrador huskies being fed by Inuit men]]

Nearly all dogs' genetic closeness to the [[Wolf|gray wolf]] is due to [[Genetic admixture|admixture]].<ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004016| pmid = 24453982| title = Genome Sequencing Highlights the Dynamic Early History of Dogs| journal = PLOS Genetics| volume = 10| issue = 1| article-number = e1004016| year = 2014| last1 = Freedman | first1 = A. H. | last2 = Gronau | first2 = I. | last3 = Schweizer | first3 = R. M. | last4 = Ortega-Del Vecchyo | first4 = D. | last5 = Han | first5 = E. | last6 = Silva | first6 = P. M. | last7 = Galaverni | first7 = M. | last8 = Fan | first8 = Z. | last9 = Marx | first9 = P. | last10 = Lorente-Galdos | first10 = B. | last11 = Beale | first11 = H. | last12 = Ramirez | first12 = O. | last13 = Hormozdiari | first13 = F. | last14 = Alkan | first14 = C. | last15 = Vilà | first15 = C. | last16 = Squire | first16 = K. | last17 = Geffen | first17 = E. | last18 = Kusak | first18 = J. | last19 = Boyko | first19 = A. R. | last20 = Parker | first20 = H. G. | last21 = Lee | first21 = C. | last22 = Tadigotla | first22 = V. | last23 = Siepel | first23 = A. | last24 = Bustamante | first24 = C. D. | last25 = Harkins | first25 = T. T. | last26 = Nelson | first26 = S. F. | last27 = Ostrander | first27 = E. A. | last28 = Marques-Bonet | first28 = T. | last29 = Wayne | first29 = R. K. | last30 = Novembre | first30 = J. | pmc = 3894170| doi-access = free}}</ref> However, several Arctic breeds also show a genetic closeness with the now-extinct [[Origin of the domestic dog|Taimyr wolf]] of [[North Asia]] due to admixture: the [[Siberian Husky]] and [[Greenland Dog]] (which are also historically associated with Arctic human populations) and to a lesser extent, the [[Shar Pei]] and [[Finnish Spitz]]. An admixture graph of the Greenland Dog indicates a best-fit of 3.5% shared material; however, an ancestry proportion ranging between 1.4% and 27.3% is consistent with the data and indicates admixture between the [[Evolution of the wolf|Taimyr wolf]] and the ancestors of these four high-latitude breeds.

This introgression could have provided early dogs living in high latitudes with [[Phenotype|phenotypic]] variation beneficial for adaption to a new and challenging environment, contributing significantly to the development of the husky. It also indicates that the ancestry of present-day dog breeds descends from more than one region.<ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1016/j.cub.2015.04.019| title = Ancient Wolf Genome Reveals an Early Divergence of Domestic Dog Ancestors and Admixture into High-Latitude Breeds| journal = Current Biology| year = 2015| last1 = Skoglund | first1 = P. | last2 = Ersmark | first2 = E. | last3 = Palkopoulou | first3 = E. | last4 = Dalén | first4 = L. | pmid=26004765 | volume=25 | issue = 11| pages=1515–9| doi-access = free }}</ref>

==Characteristics==
Huskies are energetic and athletic. They are distinguished by their hardiness and cold-weather tolerance, in contrast to many modern sprint sled dogs derived from [[Eurohound|hound and pointer crossbreeds]] and purebred sprinting dogs which do not have or retain these qualities.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Brown|first1=S K|last2=Darwent|first2=C M|last3=Wictum|first3=E J|last4=Sacks|first4=B N|date=2015-06-24|title=Using multiple markers to elucidate the ancient, historical and modern relationships among North American Arctic dog breeds|journal=Heredity|volume=115|issue=6|pages=488–495|doi=10.1038/hdy.2015.49|pmid=26103948|pmc=4806895|issn=0018-067X}}</ref> Likewise, they are distinguished from [[Laika (dog type)|laika]], as they were not developed for the primary purpose of hunting game and prey animals.<ref>{{Cite book|last=VLADIMIR.|first=BEREGOVOY|title=HUNTING LAIKA BREEDS OF RUSSIA.|date=2019|publisher=ROSEDOG PR|isbn=978-1-64426-696-0|oclc=1231601344}}</ref>

Huskies typically have a thick double coat that may come in a variety of colors.<ref>The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English 2009 online https://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/husky.aspx</ref> The double coat generally protects huskies against harsh winters and, contrary to what most believe, they can survive in hotter climates. During the hotter climates, huskies tend to shed their undercoat regularly to cool their bodies. In addition to shedding, huskies control their eating habits based on the season; in cooler climates, they tend to eat generous amounts, causing their digestion to generate heat, whilst in warmer climates, they eat less.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Eating Habits of Siberian Huskies|url=https://pets.thenest.com/eating-habits-siberian-huskies-12642.html|access-date=2020-09-04|website=Pets - The Nest|language=en}}</ref> Their eyes are typically pale blue, although they may also be brown, green, blue, yellow, or [[Heterochromia iridum|heterochromic]]. Huskies are more prone to some degree of [[uveitis]] than most other breeds.<ref>Uveodermatologic syndrome, http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/courses/vet_eyes/conotes/con_chapter_11.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120606181317/http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/courses/vet_eyes/conotes/con_chapter_11.html |date=2012-06-06 }}</ref>

==Breeds==
:''This is a list of dog breeds which contain "husky" in their name.  To see a complete list of sled breeds, see [[Sled dog]].''

=== Alaskan husky ===
{{Main|Alaskan husky}}
[[File:Alaskan husky (1815096882).jpg|thumb|An Alaskan husky]]

The most commonly used dog in [[dog sled racing]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=1999-11-21|title=Sled Dogs: An Alaskan Epic ~ About {{!}} Nature|url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/sled-dogs-an-alaskan-epic-introduction/3146/|access-date=2021-07-26|website=Nature|language=en-US}}</ref> the Alaskan husky is a [[mongrel]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sled Dogs in the North {{!}} Yukon Quest|url=https://www.yukonquest.com/news/sled-dogs-north |access-date=2021-07-26|website=www.yukonquest.com |archive-date=2022-01-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124012507/https://www.yukonquest.com/news/sled-dogs-north}}</ref> bred specifically for its performance as a sled dog.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Cary|first=Bob|url=https://archive.org/details/borntopullgloryo0000cary|title=Born to pull: the glory of sled dogs|date=2009|publisher=Minneapolis : University of Minnesota Press|others=Internet Archive|isbn=978-0-8166-6773-4}}</ref> The modern Alaskan husky reflects 100 years or more of crossbreeding with English Pointers, German Shepherd Dogs, Salukis and other breeds to improve its performance.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Brown|first1=S K|last2=Darwent|first2=C M|last3=Wictum|first3=E J|last4=Sacks|first4=B N|date=December 2015|title=Using multiple markers to elucidate the ancient, historical and modern relationships among North American Arctic dog breeds|journal=Heredity|volume=115|issue=6|pages=488–495|doi=10.1038/hdy.2015.49|issn=0018-067X|pmc=4806895|pmid=26103948}}</ref> They typically weigh between {{convert|18|and|34|kg|lb|abbr=on}} and may have dense or sleek fur. Alaskan huskies bear little resemblance to the typical husky breeds they originated from, or to each other.<ref name=":0" />

=== Labrador Husky ===
[[File:Labrador huskies.JPG|thumb|Labrador huskies]]

The Labrador Husky originated in the Canadian region of [[Labrador]]. The breed probably arrived in the area with the Inuit who came to Canada around 1300 AD. Despite the name, Labrador huskies are not related to the Labrador retriever, but in fact are most closely related to the [[Canadian Eskimo Dog]]. There are estimated to be 50–60 Labrador huskies in the world.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hoyles|first=Samantha|date=Summer 2017|title=The Great Labrador Husky|journal=Inside Labrador|pages=60–64}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.amazon.com/Dogs-North-Stories-Cooperation-Co-Domestication-ebook-dp-B07G432R2X/dp/B07G432R2X/ref=mt_other?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=|title=Dogs in the North: Stories of Cooperation and Co-Domestication|date=2018-06-13|publisher=Routledge |editor-last=Losey|editor-first=Robert J.|editor-last2=Wishart|editor-first2=Robert P.|editor-last3=Loovers|editor-first3=Jan Peter Laurens}}</ref>

=== Mackenzie River Husky ===
{{Main|Mackenzie River husky}}

The term [[Mackenzie River husky]] describes several overlapping historical populations of [[Arctic]] and [[sub-Arctic]] [[sled dog]]-[[Dog type|type dogs]], none of which constituted a [[breed]]. Dogs from the [[Yukon|Yukon Territory]] were crossed with large [[Europe]]an breeds such as [[St. Bernard (dog)|St. Bernards]] and [[Newfoundland (dog)|Newfoundlands]] to create a powerful freighting dog capable of surviving harsh arctic conditions during the [[Klondike Gold Rush]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=MacQuarrie|first=Gordon|date=December 1997|title=Kenai, Dog of Alaska|journal=The Gordon MacQuarrie Sporting Treasury|pages=98–99}}</ref>

=== Sakhalin Husky ===
{{Main|Sakhalin Husky}}
The '''Sakhalin Husky''' is a critically endangered [[landrace]] and sled [[Laika (dog type)|laika]] associated with [[Sakhalin|Sakhalin Island]] and adjacent areas.<ref name="wildfrontier_sahalinskij-haski">{{Cite web |last=Niramin |date=2017-01-12 |title=Сахалинский хаски - исчезающая порода. Редкие фотографии собак в галерее. » Дикая граница |trans-title=The Sakhalin Husky is an Endangered Breed. |url=https://wildfrontier.ru/sahalinskij-haski-ischezayushhaya-poroda-redkie-fotografii-sobak-v-galeree/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421013054/http://wildfrontier.ru/sahalinskij-haski-ischezayushhaya-poroda-redkie-fotografii-sobak-v-galeree/ |archive-date=April 21, 2017 |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=Дикая граница }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Yasko |first=Kirill |date=2015-10-31 |title=Последний каюр псов Карафуто. Сахалин.Инфо |trans-title=The Last Musher of the Karafuto Dogs |url=https://sakhalin.info/weekly/108250 |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=sakhalin.info |language=ru}}</ref><ref name="ostrov">{{Cite web |last=Пасюков |first=Пётр |date=2020-10-08 |title=БЕЛЫЙ СОН |trans-title=White Dream |url=https://ostrov2049.ru/2020/10/08/%D0%B1%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8B%D0%B9-%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%BD/?amp=1 |access-date=2023-05-15 |website=ОСТРОВ 2049 |language=ru}}</ref> They are also known as Karafuto Ken, Sakhalin Laika, or Gilyak Laika.<ref name="unique">{{Cite web |last=Панкстьянов |first=Даниил |date=2023-02-21 |title=На Сахалине пытаются сохранить уникальную породу собак |trans-title=On Sakhalin, they are trying to save a unique breed of dogs |url=https://www.sakhalin.kp.ru/daily/27468/4724037/ |access-date=2023-05-16 |website=Комсомольская правда |language=ru}}</ref> While bred primarily as a [[sled dog]], Sakhalin Huskies are also used for hunting bear and fishing.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="ostrov" /> There are approximately 20 Sakhalin Huskies remaining on Sakhalin Island.<ref name="ostrov" />

=== Siberian Husky ===
{{Main|Siberian Husky}}
[[File:Siberian Husky with Blue Eyes.jpg|thumb|A black and white [[Siberian Husky]]]]

The Siberian Husky is smaller than the similar-appearing [[Alaskan Malamute]]. They are descendants of the [[Chukotka sled dog]]s bred and used by the native [[Chukchi people]] of Siberia, a people of Paleosiberian origin, around the year 2000 BC.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Siberian Husky|date=15 December 2018 |url=https://www.dognamehero.com/siberian-husky/}}</ref> Imported to Alaska in the early 1900s, they were used as working dogs and racing sled dogs in Nome, Alaska throughout the 1910s, often dominating the [[All Alaska Sweepstakes|All-Alaska Sweepstakes]].<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Thomas|first1=Bob |title=Leonhard Seppala: the Siberian dog and the golden age of sleddog racing 1908-1941|last2=Thomas|first2=Pat|date=2015|publisher=Pictorial Histories Publishing Company|isbn=978-1-57510-170-5|location=Missoula, Montana|language=English|oclc=931927411}}</ref> They later became widely bred by recreational mushers and show-dog fanciers in the U.S. and Canada as the Siberian Husky, after the popularity garnered from the [[1925 serum run to Nome]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Siberian Husky History|url=https://www.shca.org/siberian-husky-history|access-date=2021-07-26|website=Siberian Husky Club of America, Inc|language=en-US}}</ref> Siberians stand 20–23.5 inches, weigh between 35 and 60lbs (35-50 for females, 45-60 for males), and have been selectively bred for both appearance and pulling ability.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Siberian Husky Standard|url=https://www.shca.org/the-siberian-husky-standard|access-date=2021-07-26|website=Siberian Husky Club of America, Inc|language=en-US}}</ref> They are still used regularly today as sled dogs by competitive, recreational, and tour-guide mushers.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Do many Siberian Huskies run the Iditarod? If not, why? – Iditarod|url=https://iditarod.com/do-many-siberian-huskies-run-the-iditarod-if-not-why/|access-date=2021-07-26|website=iditarod.com|date=12 October 2020 }}</ref>[[File:Husky Siberiano Recién Nacido.jpg | thumb | right | Siberian husky puppies]]

==See also==
* {{Portal-inline|Dogs}}
* [[List of dog breeds]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary}}
* {{commons category-inline}}

{{Spitz}}
{{Primitive dogs}}
{{Domestic dog}}

[[Category:Dog types]]
[[Category:Sled dogs]]