This may have been addressed elsewhere in the forum if so I apologize for the repetition.

Having my Sibes out in public last weekend I was asked for the 100th+ time if the were Alaskan huskies. My reply was a polite "No they are Siberian Huskies and to my knowledge there is no such breed as an Alaskan husky. The term refers to a generic mix breed of sled dog". Anyone else come across this often and where is this information coming from? I don't mind clarifying the difference between Sibes and Mals but the whole Alaskan husky thing gets old.

I've found this quite a bit, actually (and not just with strangers, I think I've told my Mom a million times I dont believe there is 'Alaskan huskies' ) But there is 'Alaskan Sled dogs', of whom I met an owner with - and yeah, they did look rather similar to Siberians, only smaller?

Now, wouldn't it be funny to find out there IS Alaskan huskies, and we've just been wrong the whole time? >_>

Karen, Alaskan huskies do exist and they are basically a mutt for all intents and purposes. However the "Alaskan Sled dogs" you mentioned does not exist, in fact I'd like to know where you heard that one as I've never even heard that one myself. Could you be thinking of the Alaskan Klee Kai perhaps? Alaskan Klee Kais are a fairly new breed (since the 80's) and are recognized by some kennel clubs but not yet recognized by the AKC. AKK's came about from breeding huskies with smaller nordic breeds such as the Schipperke and American Eskimo dog to create a breed that bears the look of a Siberian husky but in a smaller package if you will. The AKK should not be confused with the unrecognized "Miniature" Siberian husky (which really does not exist although some dwarfed huskies are bred and sold as such), AKK's may resemble a small husky but they are quite different in temperament and all that jazz. Alaskan huskies are huskies crossed with other breeds to achieve the perfect dog for pulling sleds fast, think the sprinting version of a sled dog. Siberians were bred to pull light loads over long distances, basically sibes are built for endurance, not speed. Mals are the work horses and can do the heavy pulling for heavy loads. Alaskan huskies are bred for speed which is why pitting a team of Alaskan huskies against an all Siberian husky team in a sprint race will almost always result in the Alaskan husky team winning. But if you pit an all Alaskan husky team against an all Siberian husky team in an endurance race you will generally see the Siberian team win.

While they do exist and are recognized as husky mixes they are not officially recognized by any kennel clubs. You could mate a sibe with a greyhound and the result would qualify as an Alaskan husky, and there are so many possible combinations. So technically they are not recognized by kennel clubs but they are recognized enough to qualify their existence in my opinion.

Brian, your response of "...there is no such breed as an Alaskan husky. The term refers to a generic mix breed of sled dog" would be correct. They are not an officially recognized breed but they are recognized enough (especially in Alaska) that I would not expect the term to ever disappear. Most of the dogs in the Iditarod are Alaskan huskies and the owners and breeders will call them as such.

thanks for the clarification, it's exactly what I thought. It's like saying "that dog is a hound mix". It means nothing as to what it really is other than floppy ears and a good nose. Alaskan husky is nothing more than a sled dog that lives in Alaska, lol!

I have almost never been asked if he is a siberian, always asked if alaskan followed by "I love alaskan huskies."

Weird as i can't think if i have ever been asked if they are Alaskan... i just get Husky, maybe i should follow that up by saying yes a Siberian husky

I have always replied with an Alaskan husky is a mixed breed used for sledding and speed. if im ever asked so i just give a short answer.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. Not sure why I find it annoying but I do. Guess I have another personality flaw to work on, lol.

I haven't been asked if he's Alaskan Husky yet, but the other day I did get asked if he was a wolf. And no, not by a child.

rileyflorence wrote:

I haven't been asked if he's Alaskan Husky yet, but the other day I did get asked if he was a wolf. And no, not by a child.

Oh I've gotten that "it's a wolf" comment i'd say about 10 times with Mya. Yep, ADULTS..LOL!

lol. I got an it's a wolf by some little kids and one girl thought Elara was a coyote. I get people asking me why my huskies aren't bigger and I just tell them it's malamutes that are big.

Oh and found out from an old breeder of pointers, someone once raced a team of pointers and did very well with them. She got a lot of calls from people asking to breed her pointers with their dogs and she always refused. lol. She said, get a husky if you want to ride on sleds. lol

rileyflorence wrote:

I haven't been asked if he's Alaskan Husky yet, but the other day I did get asked if he was a wolf. And no, not by a child.

Get ready to hear that one a LOT! I get the wolf question more than any other! And I too get the Alaskan husky and even Malamute questions.

The one question that has always stuck with me though is when we were coming back from a hike in the Blue RIdge and a lady came up to me and asked if Dakota was an Australian Shepherd. Ughh.... I set her straight but I should have just said "Yes. Yes, he is an Australian Shepherd."

9 times out of 10, I get asked if mine are Malamutes. The last time the "dad" asked me if Willow was a malamute, his son said "that's a siberian husky, geez dad" That made me laugh. Only once was I asked if Dakota was a wolf, well I wasn't asked, the guy just said "hey there's a wolf" and at the vets office of all places. I have never been asked if mine are Alaskan Huskies though. Maybe it depends on the area that you are in? I have never seen an Alaskan Husky around here.

Huskyluv wrote:

The one question that has always stuck with me though is when we were coming back from a hike in the Blue RIdge and a lady came up to me and asked if Dakota was an Australian Shepherd. Ughh.... I set her straight but I should have just said "Yes. Yes, he is an Australian Shepherd."

HAHAHAAAA! That literally just made me laugh out loud! How in the world does a husky look like an Australian Shepard. Ok, so, maybe she doesn't know what an Australian Shepard looks like, but just the "shepard" part should have told her that Dakota was not one..LOL!!

MelissaI wrote:

How in the world does a husky look like an Australian Shepard. Ok, so, maybe she doesn't know what an Australian Shepard looks like, but just the "shepard" part should have told her that Dakota was not one..LOL!!

I know! Some people I just don't understand. Here's another one for you. My mom has a 7 lb tan chihuahua and she was asked once if it was a German Shepherd puppy. Totally true!

We get a little of everything but never Malamute. I think I've only ever seen one Mal in the 20 some years I've lived in this area. Maybe that's why...

A cute little boy (maybe 8 yrs old) once asked me, "What kinda dog is that?" When I told him, he exclaimed, "Really?? Oh, seriously?!? You're not gonna believe this, but a Siberian Husky is my FAVORITE kind of dog!!" Nothing like not being able to recognize your favorite dog...

I gave him a huge break... he was eight... and very cute! LOL

Lisa, I love the new pic of Sabaka! He looks so much older!!

SabakaMom wrote:

A cute little boy (maybe 8 yrs old) once asked me, "What kinda dog is that?" When I told him, he exclaimed, "Really?? Oh, seriously?!? You're not gonna believe this, but a Siberian Husky is my FAVORITE kind of dog!!" Nothing like not being able to recognize your favorite dog...

That's too funny!

Btw, I LOVE your new avatar Lisa!

And Jenn, I love your new siggy as well!

I got one for ya out of both my two they always seem to think lil ole roxy is a wolf. Have you ever seen a 25lb wolf???? lol geez people

SabakaMom wrote:

"What kinda dog is that?" When I told him, he exclaimed, "Really?? Oh, seriously?!? You're not gonna believe this, but a Siberian Husky is my FAVORITE kind of dog!!" Nothing like not being able to recognize your favorite dog...

I gave him a huge break... he was eight... and very cute! LOL

You can thank Walt Disney movies for that effect.

We found two puppies running along side the road once. They were only 8 to 10 weeks old. One was a beagle and the other was clearly a red merle aussie, tail docked and everything. The animal control officer said, that's a husky right?! when filling out the paperwork! I was stunned.

I actually think the Australian Shepherd confusion is not as crazy as we think. My brother had an Aussie and they are also medium-sized dogs with the double coat and often a facial mask. They are one of the few other breeds with a possiblility of blue eyes. The reds may even have the light amber eyes that our red huskies often have. Aussies are also working dogs: highly intellegent and very energetic!
The few things that are so obviously different are the floppy ears of the Aussie and his tail.

I think some confusion here may go back to the belief by the average non-husky person that huskies are large breeds. When they see a small dog in a husky-looking package, they refuse to believe it is really a husky. That could be why little Roxy is often mis-labeled. We had the 35 lb husky and people would refuse to believe that she was really a husky (and she had no papers, so we had no proof that she really was...except she looked and acted EXACTLY like a husky).

(Thanks for the compliments on the pic. He is growing up fast...)

We have had a couple people ask if Kitty was a Karelian Bear Dog. I have to admit she does look like one, so now one of her nicknames is Kitty the bear dog! She would totally run after a bear too if she had the chance! We also get asked if she is a coyote sometimes.

I've had pizza delivery men exclaim "lupus"! When I open the door and the kids are right there trying to see who mom's letting in. I try not to laugh, but it's just so insane! lol

Storm is usually mistaken for being Malamute. I reply, 'No, he's just a big husky'...otherwise, people with mistake both Ginger and Storm as wolf-dog hybrids if they don't have a clue.

I just get asked if they are alaskan huskies for the most part. I have it pretty easy, lol.