When Koda was younger (and before I had gotten his line traced), there were quite a few people trying to tell me he was an Alaskan Husky as opposed to a Siberian Husky. I never really knew what to tell them other than he wasn't, but it always was something that I was curious about. How would one know the difference between the two? From my research so far, I've found that Alaskan Huskies can be significantly larger than Sibes, leaner, and have ears that rest on the corners of their skull as opposed to sitting on the top. Does anyone else have any other experience with this?

Alaskan Husky is another name for a mutt. All an Alaskan husky is is a cross between a Siberian Husky and various other breeds in order to become good race/seld dogs. That's it It's not actually a recognized breed.

Yeah! That's what I had gathered from my research, but are there any set distinctive ways to tell between the two by appearance?

Not really. Alaskan Huskies don't have a distinct set of features or characteristics themselves since they are not really a breed and can be crossed with literally ANYTHING. Any husky mix can be considered Alaskan.

So it'd be safe to say that a dog that is very husky-like in appearance has a greater chance of being full-blooded? I know people tend to say that when their coats aren't as long as they will get (in pups), as they expect all huskies to have bushy coats right out of the womb -_-. Thx for the input!

It would depend on the dog. But generally the term Alaskan Husky isn't applied unless the person bred the dogs for racing or are racing. Otherwise they are generally known as a husky cross.

Are you speaking of Koda?

Not with the Alaskan Husky thing again, Where does this come from. I don't even recall any movies with Alaskan huskies except maybe Snow Dogs but it seems people know "Alaskan Husky" more than Siberians or Malamutes.

Lordbroll wrote:

Not with the Alaskan Husky thing again, Where does this come from. I don't even recall any movies with Alaskan huskies except maybe Snow Dogs but it seems people know "Alaskan Husky" more than Siberians or Malamutes.

There is also a movie in the Disney "Buddies" series called Snow Buddies. The 5 goldens mistakenly get shipped off to Alaska and meet up with a Husky pup that introduces himself as an Alaskan Husky And of course they participate in a sled race with the husky pup as lead dog with the 5 goldens. It's actually a cute movie, one of my sons favorites, but leave it to Disney to lead to more confusion

Information about the Breed,
The ''Alaskan Husky'' is a cross between the Alaskan Malamute and the Siberian Husky. On occasion they are mixed with many different breeds even members of the Hound and terrier families. Though many believe it to be a new breed, It is not yet recognized by the AKC or any other Kennel Club. As they are not registrable, There is yet to be a 'breed standard'. In general, They are said to have both the best features from each breed. Beware of any Breeder to date trying to sell you an Alaskan Husky with ''Papers''. There is no such thing.

Appearance,
At this current point in time there is no definition to what features they should portray. They are said to be somewhere between the size of the Malamute and Siberian. They're colors may range from anything seen in either breed. Yes, Even that charming winter white to Agouti (Wolf Like). Fortunately they were able to get those stunning ice blue Siberian Husky eyes into this new mix. They're eyes may also be any color of either dog. The tail may also range from tightly curled, resting on the back or straight out. They are usually said to be well furred. Bare in mind, There is still no breed standard for them so it may change in the future.


Right for You?
There is a wide range from which temperament they are said to have. They are said to be somewhere between the two. Just be sure to do your homework and make sure your ready for either dog. All canines are different and are entitled to their own personalities. However, In general they are said to be courageous, strong, willful and a intelligent mix.


-This is a piece I wrote from my own Siberian Husky forum. I've researched Sibs, Mals and ''Alaskan Huskies'' since I was 7. So, 13 years. Hope it helps =]

Actually- I was wrong... Alaskan huskies are not even technically husky crosses. They can be any cross. Their sole characterizing factor is that they are bred to be race dogs and GENERALLY are crossed with a northern breed (could be Siberian, Malamute, Northern Inuit, etc) but they do not have to be.

I don't think it's accurate to say that they are Malamute Siberian crosses though... not from what I've read.

Majority of alaskan huskies are mixed with breeds of sporting dogs, not malamutes. Mixing with malamutes may make them stronger pullers, but they would not be good for speed and endurance. German short hair pointers and other similar breeds are what I have seen mixed in most often at the races I've been to. There is no two breeds that specifically make up an alaskan husky.

Dee&Frankie wrote:

Lordbroll wrote:

Not with the Alaskan Husky thing again, Where does this come from. I don't even recall any movies with Alaskan huskies except maybe Snow Dogs but it seems people know "Alaskan Husky" more than Siberians or Malamutes.

There is also a movie in the Disney "Buddies" series called Snow Buddies. The 5 goldens mistakenly get shipped off to Alaska and meet up with a Husky pup that introduces himself as an Alaskan Husky And of course they participate in a sled race with the husky pup as lead dog with the 5 goldens. It's actually a cute movie, one of my sons favorites, but leave it to Disney to lead to more confusion

that movie is so cute, i got it for my 10 year old sister for christmas and it's definitely one of her favorites,

That's what I said. Typically people assume the 'Alaskan' comes from 'Alaskan Malamute' and 'Husky' comes from 'Siberian Husky' so idiots out there that only care about making money take to dogs mix em together and try to sell them for $500 to $1,000 with ''Papers''. Its crazy and being as there is not breed standard because they are not accepted by any register some people cut corners even more so by mixing all kinds of random dogs into the mix. Its crazy, I'm not 100% okay with breeders in general but I do see a good point of it is better the breed, which Alaskan Husky breeders don't so..

http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=6860700

It seems like they can have any coloring, this is just an example i found. Very interesting how they breed small, lean, fast dogs with Huskys. I've always heard about the German Shorthair Pointers, but I've also heard Labs too, don't know if it's true or not lol They seem very slender fast dogs.

Exactly, and there are so many people out there getting dogs and not educating themselves before hand. I so often see ads for people wanting to rehome their ''Alaskan Husky'' with papers, which they usually are AKC registered Siberian Huskies.. people seem to commonly assume that Huskies are from Alaska which is not true, and Thus thinking they can say Alaskan Husky and it's the same thing. etc

hypers987 wrote:

http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=6860700

It seems like they can have any coloring, this is just an example i found. Very interesting how they breed small, lean, fast dogs with Huskys. I've always heard about the German Shorthair Pointers, but I've also heard Labs too, don't know if it's true or not lol They seem very slender fast dogs.

Very true that, they are engineered that way. I once came across a lady who was crossing a dog that was 3/4 Siberian Husky and 1/4 Alaskan Malamute with a greyhound! It was incredible, the offspring had so much agility and stamina. They were amazing!

Mysticfate wrote:

people seem to commonly assume that Huskies are from Alaska which is not true, and Thus thinking they can say Alaskan Husky and it's the same thing. etc

So true. I was even recently asked when out walking my sibe "is that one of those dogs from Alaska?" Not wanting to get into anything I just said "yes" and went on my way.

Mysticfate wrote:

hypers987 wrote:

http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=6860700

It seems like they can have any coloring, this is just an example i found. Very interesting how they breed small, lean, fast dogs with Huskys. I've always heard about the German Shorthair Pointers, but I've also heard Labs too, don't know if it's true or not lol They seem very slender fast dogs.

Very true that, they are engineered that way. I once came across a lady who was crossing a dog that was 3/4 Siberian Husky and 1/4 Alaskan Malamute with a greyhound! It was incredible, the offspring had so much agility and stamina. They were amazing!

OOO! Greyhound/sibe/mal! that would be an awesome running partner! lol

Woah o.o Thanks for the wealth of info guys! No, it's not Koda that was in question (any longer, at least), but a friend of a friend of mine has a husky girl that I was told was an Alaskan Husky. Granted, she never said that herself lol, but her friend did. I'm supposed to see the dog today, so I'll see this for myself. Another thing that I've thought up that could give rise to speculation: if a husky has poor nutrition, their coat can look bad enough to not meet breed standards to the general public. Think that'd also be an issue?

Often enough, Alaskan Huskies don't even have to have Sibe in them. Alaskans are pure mutt, through and through, for generations and generations. Bred for the sport only, but, of course, they are "purebred huskies". Ugh. Only ONE reason why I loathe the term "Husky" for Sibes and other true-bred northern breeds.

A Sibe with a poor coat is more likely to be scruffy and spotchy than thin. A thin and/or poor coat often comes from Sibes who were shaved by their idiot owners. A coat from poor nutrition just isn't as likely to grow in as well, shed as well, ect, leading to a dull and scruffy coat.

So I saw the dog, and I do believe she is indeed a Sibe but she is VERY obese. Now, I don't know if Koda should appear "fuller" as he seems more sleek and tapered from his sides leading to his hind legs, but this dog's back was literally two times the width of Koda's. I was actually VERY concerned =/ I asked what she fed the dog & she said she feeds Blue Wilderness, but gives her constant access to food. I was under the impression huskies only eat their fill and no more, but that appears to be incorrect. She also feeds her human foods, as well as cooks her chicken and rice. Her coat was relatively soft, but could definitely use some sort of sheen to it (looked soft & dull); she had just blown it though, if that matters much.

Eurith wrote:

I was under the impression huskies only eat their fill and no more, but that appears to be incorrect.

All animals have the ability to self regulate, some better than others. Huskies are no different, some will eat only what they need, others a good deal more than they need. Same goes for people, we are quite capable of self regulating our food intake yet you will find plenty of people who are thin and likewise plenty who are not so thin. I've never been a fan of free feeding, my dogs would be whales if they had constant access to food.

Your description of Koda sounds perfectly fine. Koda's still fairly young right? He may fill in more as he gets older. My sibe was 44 lbs at 2 yrs old but had filled out to 55 lbs by the time he was 3 yrs old. Sibes are normally pretty lean...well, they're supposed to be but there are plenty of overweight sibes out there as you know.