Alaskan Husky

While I was working at Sollia Gjestegård, which was running sleddog trips for tourists, I was responsible for 40 Huskys and learned to love and appreciate these wonderful dogs.

The Alaskan Husky is not an officially accepted breed, accordingly there is no standard. This type of dog is supposed to be a perfect sleddog for races, how it looks like doesn't matter. Alaskans are mostly mixbreeds between all kind of nordic breeds, hunting dogs and hounds.

It's really important that the dogs have enough desire to go and are able to keep a certain speed over distance. Their fur must be thick enough to keep them warm even in a snowstorm with temperatures below -40°C. Anything can happen while being outside. The more appetite a sleddog has, the better. Eating and drinking at all times is essential for those who are running on maximum power in extreme weather. Only healthy dogs have a chance to keep up with this kind of harsh life. Having a good anatomy is desirable, but debilities can be compensated by willpower. As the dogs are running thousands of kilometers on snow and ice, the quality of paws and claws is fundamental.