By Dr. Anndrea Hatcher
Olive Branch Parke Veterinary Clinic
www.olivebranchvet.com
olivebranchvet@gmail.com

In 1925, 20 men and 150 sled dogs raced across the Alaskan territory over five and a half days to deliver life-saving antitoxin to the town of Nome that was suffering from a diphtheria epidemic. This was just prior to the advent of reliable aircraft and snowmobiles, making sled dogs the major method of transportation and communication in the territory. This brave trek became known the “Great Run of Mercy”. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska, in part, honors those men and sled dogs.
Three common sled dog breeds are the Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute and the Samoyed. They are well adapted for pulling weight in furiously cold weather over long distances and, unless you happen to have an example of each breed helpfully standing next to each other in front of you, it may be a little hard to tell them apart. All three breeds have thick double coats made up of a dense undercoat and longer top coat that protects them from the cold.

The name “Husky” is reportedly an adaption of the nickname “Esky” once applied to Eskimos and their dogs. Purebred Siberian Huskies usually run in size from 30 to 60 pounds. They can be any color plus white. Siberian Huskies can have blue or brown eyes, one of each, or even eyes that have both brown and blue in the same eye. This breed has a risk for genetic eye diseases and a small risk of hip dysplasia.

Alaskan Malamutes are named after the Mahlemute Eskimos who bred them. Although the Siberian Huskies have the “Husky” label, the Alaskan Malamutes are the super sized sled dogs, weighing between 75 and 85 pounds. Alaskan Malamutes also come in many colors plus white and look very similar to Huskies, but purebred Alaskan Malamutes should not have blue eyes. This breed has a risk of genetic eye diseases, hip dysplasia and genetic kidney disease.

Samoyeds are named after the people from Northern Siberia where the breed originated. They are similar in size to the Siberian Husky at 30 to 60 pounds, but have a longer coat than the Husky or the Malamute. Also Samoyeds are all white, except for sometimes a bit of cream or brown at the tips of the ears. Samoyeds will not have blue eyes. This breed is at risk for “Samoyed Hereditary Glomerulepathy”, a kidney disease that can be fatal in puppies. They also may suffer from diabetes, eye diseases and hip dysplasia.

All three breeds are well designed for what they were meant to do – pull sleds in freezing weather. They aren’t well adapted for being bored in small enclosures in hot climates. They can handle our Indiana summers, but it is important that they be provided plenty of shade and water and watched for overheating. Because of their heavy coats, they can lose an incredible amount of hair during the shedding season. If you like to wear black, this might not be the breed for you. They will require weekly brushing. Because these dogs are runners, it isn’t a good idea to let them run off leash, you may not get them back. Siberian Huskies also like to dig under fences and escape out of yards. They need lots of exercise and interest to keep them occupied. None of the three breeds make good guard dogs, being more likely to welcome a burglar with a smile and wagging tail, but it is this friendliness that also makes them good family pets. Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malemutes tend to croon or howl rather than bark. (I think Sinatra would be a good name for a Husky.) Sled dogs have a strong prey drive and should not be trusted not to hunt small animals outside or inside, such as pet cats or hamsters.


In New York City’s Central Park there is a bronze statue of Balto, one of the sled dogs from the Great Run of Mercy. The plaque reads, “Dedicated to the indomitable spirit of the sled dogs that relayed antitoxin six hundred miles over rough ice, across treacherous waters, through Arctic blizzards from Nenana to the relief of stricken Nome in the Winter of 1925. Endurance. Fidelity. Intelligence.”