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This section of our website is here primarily for 'husky buffs', since we know that many people love the breed and are interested in the wider history of sled dogs. Below we look at dogs as animals and at the breeds most commonly used as sled dogs. For us there is also a tie-in to CAPE Lapland - the more extreme polar exploration arm of our business - and our own history of exploration.
- Dogs were domesticated around 33,000 years ago
- Siberian and Alaskan huskies are the most common tourism sled dogs in Lapland
- Our farm also keeps Malamutes, Nenet-Laika-Taimyr crosses and Taimyrs
Dogs as animals
Before looking at huskies in detail, it is worth considering dogs as animals. Dogs were domesticated 33,000 years ago, and their behaviour and physiology can no longer be compared to those of wolves. One difference in social hierarchy is that within a group of dogs, several male and female pairs can procreate.
Semi-feral dogs spend their time acquiring food, resting and tending to social relationships within the pack. Food-related behaviour - searching, hunting and tearing food to pieces - is a significant need for any dog, and the breed affects how pronounced such behavioural needs are.
Dogs have sensitive hearing, good vision and a wider field of vision than humans, while their primary tool of communication is smell. They adapt well to prevailing circumstances, though individuals differ. They are intelligent animals that need activation to maintain their mental and physical well-being, and much of their happiness comes from species-typical activities: exercising in varying surroundings, exploring by sniffing and running free. (Telkanranta Helena 2015, Hyvinvoiva koira, 9.)
Breeds used as sled dogs
Several breeds are well-suited to acting as sled dogs. Siberian huskies and Alaskan huskies are the breeds most commonly used as sled dogs in the tourism industry in Lapland. However on our farm, we also have Malamutes, Nenet-Laika-Taimyr crosses and Taimyrs. Another source of information about dogs in general that we have found interesting is http://www.doggenetics.co.uk/. Enjoy.
Dogs & ExplorationFrom Nansen and Amundsen to Scott, Shackleton, Fuchs, Herbert and Fiennes - the central role sled dogs played in the exploration and science of the Poles.
Famous DogsFrom Balto and Togo of the 1925 Serum Run to Boo Boo, Bothie and the dogs of Antarctica - the hall-of-fame sled dogs whose exploits made history.
History of Sled DogsHow dog sledding developed across Greenland, Siberia and Alaska - and how the Siberian and Alaskan Husky breeds came to be.
Other Polar BreedsBeyond the Siberian, Alaskan and Malamute - a tour of the lesser-known polar and spitz breeds, from the Greenland Dog and Canadian Inuit Dog to the Sakhalin Husky and the Laikas.
Types of HuskiesEurohounds, Alaskans, Siberians, Malamutes, Taimyrs and Laika crosses - the many types of sled dog at Hetta Huskies and what each is good at.