Dogs are considered to give unconditional love. It is scientifically proven that owning a dog will help kids at home learn two important aspects of life; Empathy and responsibility.
Dogs are indeed very good companions for humans. They not only help guard the house, but they are also perfect friends while in need.
Origin of domestic dogs happened somewhere between 32000 years to 10000 years ago. From then on Man had made use of it in various ways.
Sled dogs are one such man-made discovery of dog usage. Dogs were trained for sledding more than 1000 years ago.
One such breed of dogs that were bred by humans is called Husky. There are two types of sled Huskies available in the world; Alaskan Husky and Siberian Husky.
Alaskan vs Siberian Husky
The main difference between Alaskan and Siberian Husky is that Alaskan Husky is bred only for working purposes while Siberian Husky is bred for both working as well as show purposes.
The two different breeds of huskies are from two different parts of the world. However, they are bred or cross-bred which would be right to say for the Alaskan Husky’s sake for working purposes. Though there are similarities between the two, there are many differences to spot an Alaskan as well as a Siberian Husky.
Comparison Table Between Alaskan and Siberian Husky (in Tabular Form)
| Parameter of Comparison | Alaskan Husky | Siberian Husky |
|---|---|---|
| Breed Type | Alaskan Husky is never considered a breed. It is cross bred many times from the time of existence. | It is a recognized breed called Husky belonging to the Spitz genetic family. |
| Purpose | Alaskan Husky is developed as a working dog. The main purpose is for working and sled pulling. | Siberian Husky is also a carefully developed breed for working but it is also used for show purposes. |
| Dog sled racing | Alaskan Huskies are used for dog sled racing for longer distances. | Siberian Huskies are used for dog sled racing for shorter distances. |
| Coat Type | Alaskan Huskies have a thick coat with a short to mid-length level. | Siberian Huskies have a very thick or long coat. |
| Country of Origin | USA | Siberia |
What is Alaskan Husky?
Alaskan Husky is a sled dog bred for working purposes to assist humans. They are carefully bred and trained to match the requirements of the owner.
They are not bred for looks, they are made to pull sleds, and work for the owner. Alaskan Huskies are not considered as any breed and not considered pure as it bred from various other breeds of dogs.
Alaskan Huskies are also used for Dog sled racing. They are predominantly used in long-distance races.
Alaskan Huskies have long legs and lean body compared to any husky family. It also has a thick, short to mid-length coat on its body.
Alaskan Huskies are world-class race dogs, they are the best on the snow-clad mountain races. They are also considered to best companions for the hikers and mountaineers.
Alaskan Husky is intelligent and likes to do things his way too. However, this category of dog is bred only for working purposes, so the owners will train them from the second month of their birth to suit their requirements. None buys Alaskan Husky as a pet. If at all anyone wants to buy for his domestic need, he can approach certain groups to buy them.
What is Siberian Husky?
Siberian Husky is a pure breed of the dog made for working as well as show purposes. Siberian Huskies are a bit smaller compared to other Husky varieties.
Siberian Huskies came into existence for guarding, pulling sleds, and also working purposes. They were technically bred to be a championship racer too.
Siberian Huskies are good at Short distance races. They have a very thick double-coated fur which is also long enough to protect it from extreme cold weather.
The eyes of the Siberian Husky are almond-shaped. The color of the eyes differs from Brown to Black.
Siberian Huskies are also used as show dogs and have impeccable colors. The grey dogs have a black nose and black dogs have a tan nose.
Siberian Huskies are well suited for the winter weather for its thick coat of fur. It may not be suitable for warm weather conditions.
Siberian Huskies are fond of prey, that means to say, the owner has to be taking control of the dog most of the time, or it may run behind anything to hunt it down. Siberian Huskies don’t bark much but they howl.
Siberian Huskies are a bit heavier compared to their Alaskan Counterpart. The male weighs till 27 kg while the female up to 23 kg. They are not made for hard-working purposes though, more of a show dog, and few are carefully bred for racing purposes.
Main Differences Between Alaskan and Siberian Husky
- Both the dogs have similar looks, however, there are many differences among them. The main difference between an Alaskan Husky and a Siberian Husky is, the Alaskan Husky is solely made for working purposes whereas Siberian Husky is also a show dog apart from being a sled dog.
- The countries of origin also differ, the Alaskan is of American Origin while Siberian is of Russian Origin. The difference in their sizes also differ, the Alaskan counterpart is leaner than the Siberian Husky.
- Alaskan and Siberian Huskies are used for dog sled racing too, however, Alaskan is used for long-distance racing while the Siberian is for short-distance racing.
- Alaskan Husky is not a pure breed, it is not registered with any kennel club while Siberian Husky is well recognized and pure breed of dogs.
- Alaskan Husky is shorter than the Siberian Husky.
Conclusion
Both the category of dogs are made for sledding and dog sled racing. However, the Siberian Husky is beautiful and also used for show purposes. The Alaskan breed is never made for any such ‘look purposes’.
Both the dogs have high temperament issues, it is prey fond; meaning it will chase behind anything to hunt it down. Also, they are friendly to homeowners. They, indeed share some genes from the ancestors and have similar qualities as well.
All the more, dogs are a good companion to humans from ancient times, and never did it prove wrong for their abilities and love.
References
- https://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/153/20/624.short
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/01652176.1986.9694059
- https://bmcgenet.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2156-11-71