Animation Source Forums

Well, as you can see from that topic (and this is for your attention too, Ac), it IS possible to acquire Seppala Siberian Sled Dogs in Europe! So if you want a champion-quality runner, with the genetics of Togo's line, they are the ones! However, Siberians do make good pets, if you have the right conditions (secure backyard, etc.). Even SSSDs can. But they do need to run. And for that, they need lots of exercise.


If you read a lot of these "working husky" sites (these are the breeders who also do dog sledding...show breeders rarely do...at least it seems that way in the U.S. and Canada), you'll find that what is really happening is that the breeders are crossing modern Siberian Huskies with Seppala Siberian Sled Dogs to bring back some of the original genetics into their lines...thus creating what they like to call "the working line Siberian Husky". They'll talk about a dog that is 80-90% one thing (usually husky), and 10-20% Seppala Siberian Sled Dog (or vice versa). It's a common practice, now that the SSSD is starting to get more notice even in the sled dog community. The Siberian Husky the world over is probably the same...shorter leg and heavier coat (and less drive) than it's ancestors. It's the crossing with SSSDs that has created the "workable" modern Siberian. Of course, it's also possible that an occasional genetic variant will pop up in the modern Siberian lines, and have longer legs and lighter coat (and more drive). It's my estimation, however, that breeders (especially working line breeders) are trying to reintroduce the original genetics back into an overbred and inbred dog breed, and freshen it up. Not a bad idea really. So many purebred lines (in any breed) can only go so far before they need outcrossing in order to continue prospering.

Heh heh. And I'm neither a breeder, nor musher, nor geneticist. I just have read enough about this to know what's going on.

Don't know if you know or not but I am a musher

In the UK it is rare for a breeder not to work their dogs, they make a name for themselves in the racing circle before they do in the show circle as 9 times out of 10 potential pup owners will want to come and see the parents working before they buy. Racing in the Uk is not like racing in the US but you probably know that. It is quite contained and is rare (but not uncommon) to see stock from other countries imported and mixed. Our siberian husky sleddogs quite often have shorter coats and longer legs as ones with the opposite are not favoured. It isn't a sport that is as serious as the US version, it is more a hobby for the Uk and races are short 4 mile sprints.

SADAS (Scottish league) however is a bit more serious but they don't favour the Sibe, nor do they favour the Alaskan, they prefer the 'Euro hound' aka 'Skandinavian hound'. This is a fairly new addition to the sleddog family and looks nothing like a husky, however they are about twice as fast and can go for longer, pulling the same weight. We have a 4-dog team of these in the kennel and wow.. they are fast. They can pull the 350cc quad bike without the engine helping.

The article I was talking about was actually published by the Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain in their official magazine (reminds me my membership has expired!)

Going back to the topic, our Sibes in this country have changed little since they were originally imported back some time about the 1940s.

Randomly this is the first team site on google.co.uk that came up http://www.eekonoo.co.uk/

It's all good, Ac. Like I said earlier, I'm still in the learning curve myself! But I wasn't criticizing you, or denying what you know. Actually, like I said, I only assumed that the situation with breeders in the U.K. is like it is here in the U.S. and Canada. Show and conformation breeders, in the U.S. and Canada, are a world apart from "working line" breeders (who are also mushers).

It is nice to see that Siberians in the U.K. have avoided too much over-breeding. That is promising for the breed itself. After all, they do originally stem from a long-legged, fast breed...one that could easily outpace most other sled dogs of the time, and probably still could today.

That probably is a factor, but there is another factor that plays a more important role. There have not been enough purebred teams competing in the Iditarod (or any other mid- to long-distance race, for that matter). Usually there are two or three purebred teams competing in the race. This is in sharp contrast to the 60 to 80 Alaskan Husky teams; almost all of which are faster than the purebred teams. Basically any purebred team is a non-factor since they are vastly outnumbered and have a slower average speed.

Racing/working line Siberian teams seem to do better in races that have distances between 100 and 400 miles. Sprint races are controlled by the Eurohound and sprint-line Alaskans. The Eurohound, as Ac mentioned, came about in the late '90s and quickly took control of the GCI Open North American Championship, the Anchorage Fur Rendezvous Open World Championship, and the Tok Race of Champions (aka the Triple Crown of the sled dog racing world). Races over 400 miles are controlled by distance-line Alaskans.

In the 100 -400 mile range, the gap between racing Siberians and Alaskans is the narrowest, which allows some teams to come up on top. The Frekings have done well in the Beargrease because they train their teams on race trail. That gives them a slight advantage over other teams and eliminates the gap between the two types.

Didn't think you were denying me BS, I was just sharing.

Finally. Someone who understands the facts! I, of course, I agree with you 100%.

I think I do renember you saying you were a musher once, its very impressive Ac! Though I have never heard of you, only of the Scottish sledders. And you are right about the SADAS. They do have these other hounds, from which I hear are actually very good as sled dogs. From the kennals I went to, they did have a lot of these dogs, but more huskies of different sorts and crosses. A wide selection of good sled dogs. But that's a bit of topic