Life with Siberian Huskies
The Journey is more important than the destination
Sled Dogs
I didn’t write this but it’s a great article.
Jake Hway
MuarchStSg uhe6Srpo, n2sorsomgecof0d19 · Dogs are descendants of wolves…Sled dogs are more closely related to their original ancestor than your average house pet. It would be unfair to sled dogs to compare them to an average house pet, sled dogs are so much more than that. Many sled dogs prefer living outside, some even prefer sleeping in the snow than in their doghouse with fresh straw bedding when it’s -40 or more. And in the morning, they are like… Oh hey, Good morning! Oh, it’s -40… whatever.
People might think it’s because they have been conditioned to living in these colder temps, so their bodies must have adapted to it… but that’s not true. They haven’t been conditioned not to live in their natural environment. They have always lived in their natural environment, so there is no reason to be conditioned back to it. Sled dogs live the same way as literally any animal that lives in their natural environment… which is most animals. There are some animals that don’t live in their natural environment but we will talk about them in a minute. Sled dogs have been living naturally for many, many generations, and before that, they were pure wolves.
They haven’t been forced into living in people’s ideal living conditions in a temperature-controlled environment where it is heated in the winter and cooled in the summer. We are a bald/tropical species and we think that descendants of wolves need to live in the same conditions as us. Homeostasis is the body’s natural ability to maintain a constant core temperature in the changing conditions around it. Sled dog’s homeostasis is in good working order. Their bodies adjust naturally to the ever-fluctuating conditions and changes of seasons, just like a wolf… or any animal living naturally It’s only been 60 or 70 years that Air Conditioning has been popular and now for some reason, all dogs need air conditioning. But hey, dogs were around before that… and they were healthier back then. Go figure.
All dogs are descendants of wolves and wolves used to live as far south as Mexico until people messed with them. When a dog’s body is changed over several generations to only ever be in a maybe 10-degree temperature swing… then they suffer when they are in temps higher or lower than that and they are missing out on life. But a sled dog might live in an area where it can commonly change 150*F between summer and winter. And they live and thrive right along with their wolf ancestors that also live in that climate.
A sled dog might be sprawled out and soaking up the sun and really enjoying it on a hot day, and a house pet that has been conditioned to air conditioning is stuck inside cuz he can’t handle it out in the environment that was once natural to him. Living in their natural environment is just one of many reasons that sled dogs live healthier, longer, fuller, and more fulfilled lives.
That doesn’t mean you should throw your Chihuahua out in the snow and tell them to deal with it, you are a wolf… that would be very cruel. They have been bred for warmer climates and different lifestyles just like many other breeds. It’s not their fault they were bred that way…Whatever kind of dog you have… as long as you do right by that dog, and you have allowed the dog to do breed-specific activities that fulfill their soul, and by the time they get toward the end of their life and they have no regrets, then you know you did the right thing.
They tell you with their body language and their eyes. You can’t miss it if know how to listen. This post was not meant to deter someone from getting a dog, dogs are fantastic, dogs fill our lives with joy. And as long as that feeling is mutual, and it’s a give-and-take relationship… dogs give 100% though so we need to give that back. The bond you create with a dog can be amazing.
Life with Siberian Huskies 