Navi & Link
The Husky and Malamute
Navi is a Siberian Husky and Link is an Alaskin malamute.
When you think of dogs pulling sleds in the Arctic, what breed comes to
mind? Is it the Husky (Siberian) or the
Alaskan Malamute (Mal)? Maybe you didn’t
realize that, for all their similarities, these are two distinct breeds.
Granted, they both originated in Arctic areas, both have thick double
coats, and they both pull sleds. According to Lenore Demmin, president
of the Siberian Husky Club of America, they both even curl their thick
tails over their noses when they lay down in the cold, to warm the air
they’re breathing. But in fact, these two breeds have different origins,
physical traits, and temperaments. “The average person is confused about
which is which,” says Demmin, who has been involved with Siberians for
almost 35 years. “When they see Siberians, they are frequently surprised
at how ‘small’ they are. They are amazed that they are strong enough to
pull a person on a sled.”
Gena Box Young, current judges education chair for the Alaskan Malamute Club of America, agrees that those not in the know easily confuse the two breeds, and occasionally mistake them for their wild ancestors. “Sometimes the general public even calls these breeds wolves,” admits Box Young.
Navi Link