Are you planning to become a dog parent soon? Are you a dog parent and planning to expand your four-legged family? Have you heard about the Alaskan husky? If you haven’t made up your mind about which breed to take home, then you have arrived at the right destination! Because we are here to share a few fun facts about these adorable creatures.
Keep reading to find out some fun facts about Alaskan huskies!
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Adopting An Alaskan Husky: 7 Fun Facts You Must Know!
Alaskan Huskies are pretty different from a purebred Siberian husky – instead, it’s a designed breed with genes from Siberian Huskies. While these dogs have a lifespan between twelve to fifteen years, they also happen to be pretty tall. On average, Alaskan Huskies weigh somewhere between 35 to 60 pounds and between 20 to 23.5 inches in height.
There are several types of husky dogs out there, and each one is so different from the others. So without wasting any more time, scroll down to find out all the interesting facts about Alaskan Huskies.
1. Alaskan Huskies Are A Mixed Bag:
In the whole Alaskan husky vs Siberian husky debate, the thing about Siberian Huskies are that these are purebred dogs, but Alsakan Huskies don’t really belong to any particular breed. Instead, these dogs were bred for the singular purpose of creating sled dogs.
Originally, Alaskan Huskies were bred in Alaskan villages from a northern breed group comprising the Siberian Husky, German Shorthaired-Pointer, and Greyhound. To date, this dog breed is bred in Alaska for sled dog racing, a popular Alaskan winter sport for dogs.
2. Appearances Can Be Different:
Since different husky mix breeds have different appearances, it is only normal that the Alaskan Husky dog breed also has appearances that vary. Although Alaskan huskies often share similarities with Siberian Huskies yet there are some differences.
Yes, they do have those fluffy tails which end up curling over their backs and pointed years, but what about the differences? Scroll down to find out now!
- Alaskan huskies are leaner and larger than Siberian Huskies.
- Alaskan huskies can be of any color or even a mix of colors, such as white, black, and grey.
- Alaskan Huskies usually have brown eyes, while Siberian Huskies have blue eyes.
3. An Alaskan Husky Can Run For Miles:
There’s a logical reason why an Alaskan Husky is bred to become a sled dog. Moreover, the grand husky size also guarantees that they can run fast. According to Vet Street, the seventh fastest dog globally is the Alaskan Husky.
In fact, these dogs are known as the ‘marathoner of dogs.’ This indicates that these digs run fast and can go on for a while. Naturally, extreme endurance is great quality, and then there are different types of huskies, often bred for running long distances, sometimes upto a 1000 miles.
4. Alaskan Huskies Prefer Colder Weather:
If you are wondering how long do huskies live, the answer is somewhere between 12 to 15 years. But then climate plays a huge role in a husky’s life expectancy. These dogs cannot survive in a hot climate for a long time. This shouldn’t come as a surprise since these dogs were bred in Alsaka, where temperature can fall as low as -62.2°C.
In fact, if you reside somewhere where temperatures go higher than 26 degrees often, then it would be safe to say that you should not get a Husky. Alaskan Huskies will suffer terribly since the dog has thick fur and a thermal underlayer.
5. Alaskan Huskies Are Calm Dogs:
In the whole malamute vs husky debate, Alaskan Huskies stand out because these dogs are far more calm compared to the Malamute breed or even Siberian Huskies. If you are able to provide them the healthy life they desperately need for survival then you will see how the Alaskian Husky is a mellow dog.
These dogs are always happy to accompany you home and good for keeping around children. However, choosing Alaskian Huskies as guard dogs are useless since they are friendly around strangers – instead of barking at strangers, these dogs are likely to wag those furry tails.
6. An Alaskan Husky Is a Healthy Dog:
It could be the hybridization, but Alaskian Huskies are usually healthy dogs and can easily live for fifteen years. It doesn’t matter whether you opt for a white husky, brown husky, or even a black and white husky – chnaces are if you take care of your Alaskan Husky like you are supposed to then your dog will lead a long, healthy life.
However, these dogs can also be prone to certain health risks. These health risks are as follows,
- The Lysosomal Storage disease,
- Eye problems like Retinal Atrophy,
- Hypothyroidism, and
- Larynx Malformation which in turn leads to a wheezing sound while breathing.
7. Alaskan Huskies Are Highly Trainable:
If you are grame then you must begin training your Alaskan Husky right away. Alaskan Huskies are very intelligent creatures who are highly trainable even when these dogs are just 8 weeks old – these babies can even learn your basic commands.
However, instead of wasting time on details like ‘husky weight’ or even ‘husky colors,’ it’s best to work ond eveloping strong leadership qualities for your Husky since these dogs can be stubborn at times, and refuse to even obey commands.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Check out the most frequently asked questions about an Alaskan Husky mentioned below!
➧ The five most interesting facts about Huskies are as follows,
⁍ Huskies are Russian dogs, but they were imported due to a Gold Rush at the time.
⁍ Siberian Huskies are not “Part Wolf” despite their appearance.
⁍ Siberian Huskies can not just survive the extreme cold but can also work in that weather.
⁍ Siberian Huskies often have the “Snow Nose” feature.
⁍ Nobody has taken these animals seriously as Racing Dogs!
➧ Alaskan Huskies are fiercely independent but really loyal at the same time. This creature will never cling to you once you let them off the leaHowever, sinceince Alaskan huskies are adventurers by nature and hate monotonous routines, it can be pretty complex to housebreak them without the help of a firm hand.
➧ Siberian Huskies are incredible working dogs since they were originally bred to simply help out the Chukchi tribe from Siberia for hunting more efficiently. These cuties are also known for their excellent sled-pulling skills, but they are also friendly and loyal.
➧ An Alaskan Husky runs at an average speed that falls between 15mph to 17mph for distances between 50 to 60 miles. In the case of long races like the legendary Iditarod, Huskies can cover upto 150 miles a day and that too for 10 days and, in some cases, even more by just alternatively trotting and loping.
And It’s A Wrap!
So now that you have a fair idea about the Alaskan husky life expectancy, and other related details, what do you think? We find these four-legged babies simply adorable – yes, if you are a fan of dog breeds like the retriever breed then you might not like huskies since these dogs are independent by nature.
In the meantime, don’t forget to share your thoughts and experiences with Alaskan Huskies in the comments below.
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