In Part I of this Blog posting I wrote about the tragedy of the deaths of approximately 100 sled dogs at the hands of a kennel employee in Whistler British Columbia in April, 2010. While this is not in itself an event rooted in history, the ongoing media discussion of these dog deaths suggested that there was something about the “nature” and temperament of working sled dogs that is deeply rooted in the past, making sled dogs unsuitable for rehoming as pet animals once their working career is over.
It has also been stated in the media that at least one animal behaviourist who had been consulted before these dogs were put down had deemed that the negative aspects of the sled dogs’ “nature” were further exacerbated because these animals had been cared for in a large kennel. The suggestion is that they had developed behaviours that would make it impossible for them to make the transition from life as a working dog to life in a pet home. It was inferred that the lack of socialization and stimulation, the fact that they were either tethered or housed in pens and that they had to “compete” with large numbers of other animals made them prone to irreversible behavioural issues such as various “neurotic” traits, undue shyness or aggression. There was also the inference that it is the norm that sled dogs are treated with harsh physical discipline and/or emotional indifference by their owners or caretakers.
This has prompted me to ask just how accurate is this characterization of the world of the working sled dog? If it is not accurate, just where does this stereotype come from? In this blog entry, I will try to look into the history of sled dog husbandry as well as just how sled dogs have been portrayed over time.
In May of 1983, I received six Canadian Eskimo Dogs from the Canadian Eskimo Dog Research Foundation. These dogs were flown from Yellowknife to my home in Quesnel, British Columbia. Before arriving in Yellowknife they had been used as a type of “Early Warning System” as several of them were staked out around the perimeter of an oil drilling operation at Husky Lakes in the NWT, to warn of the presence of polar bears.
These dogs were the real McCoy, some referred to them as “primitive” animals. While I certainly discourage the use of terms like primal and primitive, the fact is, these dogs were the result of a couple of thousand years of evolution that had prepared them to survive in the harshest environment on the face of the earth. It was also a fact that the dogs I received 27 years ago were essentially unchanged from their ancestors going back countless generations. These dogs were worked and fed and cared for in a manner that was no different than the manner in which Inuit hunters had raised and managed their dogs essentially for ever.
So what was their “nature”? These dogs were rugged, rough, reckless animals. They didn’t just go to the end of their chain, they ran to the end of their chain until they came to a jerking stop and then they did it again. They thought nothing of curling up in a tight ball in the midst of a downpour and sleeping in the middle of the muddy puddle that formed around them as they slept. They never missed a meal and they sure didn’t fuss over their food, they devoured it every time. They competed with their kennel mates for everything, their life was extremely stressful. It was all about survival. They were aggressive with other animals of the same breed and the same sex.
When I first acquired these dogs, I was still raising Siberian Huskies as well and for about 5+ years I had both Siberian Huskies and Canadian Eskimo Dogs in my kennel. There was virtually no aggression between the same sex dogs of the different breeds. The Canadian Eskimo Dogs largely ignored the Sibes. But when two Canadian Eskimo Dogs were in close proximity to each other, their front legs would stiffen, the hair on their ruff would straighten and they would give each other “the look”. This was a posturing that essentially said “don’t mess with me….I am stronger than you…..I will take what I want…..me and my bloodline will survive”. It was apparent that the Siberian Huskies simply didn’t give out the same vibes, their “nature” was different.
Over the past 27 years, these aspects of my Canadian Eskimo Dogs “nature” have not really changed, they are still committed to survival in the face of a potential threat from another same sex Canadian Eskimo Dog. I realize that I have observed this breed over a period of time that is just a small fraction of their time on this earth but in some ways I feel that my kennel has been like a laboratory that has allowed me to “study” the archetype of the sled dog.
I would suggest that on a continuum of tractability of the “husky” breeds, my Canadian Eskimo Dogs are at one end, probably followed by Alaskan Malamutes and then possibly by Siberian Huskies, then Samoyeds (although I don’t know much about that breed). But what about the Alaskan Huskies those dogs that have some “husky” blood but which have been crossed with everything under the sun to produce these incredible working animals? What is their “nature”? I have spent a great deal of time with thousands of sled dogs, most of them Alaskan Huskies, and I have observed how tractable they are.
With specific reference to aggression, it is true, virtually every sled dog kennel owner has some issues with aggression but I have also heard from those who breed hounds and shepherds and terriers and whatever, that they also have some issues with aggression. This is what happens when you have several animals competing for something that is in demand, be it food or sex.
Jack London was a 21 year old adventurer in 1897 as he set out from San Francisco as part of the “Rush of ‘98”, the Klondike Gold Rush. London was only in the north for just over one year, but during this short period of time he observed the life of the Stampeders clamouring over the Chilkoot and White Passes and floating down the Yukon River to the gold fields. He observed the animals that were part of this gold rush, the horses and oxen but particularly the dogs. They (along with wolves) were to become the focal point of perhaps his two greatest literary works, The Call of the Wild and White Fang.
The dogs of the Klondike Gold Rush consisted of what London referred to as the Northerners -- the dogs that came from the north and had lived in the north for centuries and the Outlanders, those dogs like Buck, the hero of The Call of the Wild that had been scooped from the streets of Santa Clara, Oakland, Seattle, Portland and Victoria and sold in the north by opportunists. Pulling dogs were in great demand during the Gold Rush. It has been said that they made it possible for the Stampeders to get to the Klondike…..they may have been worth their weight in gold.
The Northerners were Mackenzie River Huskies. These were dogs that came from the Mackenzie Delta region of the Northwest Territories including the Peel River area and points between these regions and the Klondike. Mackenzie River Huskies are a mix of several influences. It is known that the Native people traditionally living in the north and along the Mackenzie River kept and used dogs for working. Samuel Hearne writing in the 1790’s documented this fact as he travelled from Fort Prince of Wales to the mouth of the Coppermine river and back. From the east and the Inuit came the Eskimo Dog. These animals are well documented in arctic history and prehistory going back 4000 years. Originally from Siberia, they made it possible for more than one wave of people to travel from west to east, eventually ending in the eastern and High Arctic, Northern Labrador and Quebec and even in Greenland. From the west and the Malamuet people of Northwestern Alaska came the dog now known as the Alaskan Malamute. This area of transition became a vortex. The various influences represented by these different types of dogs were brought together and swirled around producing something that was unique. The end result of this mix of influences were many different changes in the world of sled dogs, just one of these was the development of the Mackenzie Husky.
Those dogs from the south, that London referred to as Outlanders were essentially big dogs with thick coats and floppy ears that were put to work as pulling dogs. London describes these animals and their experiences in graphic detail throughout his books.
I can speculate with some degree of confidence that the “nature” of the Northerners (Mackenzie River Huskies) 120 years ago was probably not a great deal different from the “nature” of my Canadian Eskimo Dogs. Essentially, an ongoing quest for survival was waged amongst the dogs as each one attempted to ensure that it would find food to eat and safety to ensure it’s physical survival. This is what London observed.
The Call of the Wild was first published in 1903 and it immediately mesmerized a world that was yearning for news about the incredible adventure that was unfolding in the Klondike. London’s characters have become household names and his writings, coming at the end of the prissy Victorian era, gave the world a new insight into the world of wilderness, wolves…and sled dogs. Over 5 million copies of this book have been published in many world languages and it has been made into a movie at least five times. The book is still being read and captivating each new generation of readers in the process.
Just how accurate was his description of sled dog husbandry? The fact is that for many people, 120 years after he put his adventure stories down on paper, London’s vivid descriptions comprise their knowledge and understanding of sled dogs and their care.
London wrote phenomenal adventure stories and scholars have analyzed and studied his works and more than one Phd. thesis has probably been written about the true meaning of his writings. I am not one of these scholars, but it would appear to me that one of the underlying messages in London’s writing was of a battle for dominance between the human and the animals that worked for man.
“For the last time he rushed. The man struck the shrewd blow he had purposely withheld for so long, and Buck crumpled up and went down, knocked utterly senseless. ‘He’s no slouch at dog-breakin’, that’s wot I say’, one of the men on the wall cried enthusiastically…….‘Answers to the name of Buck’, the man soliloquized…..‘Well Buck my boy’, he went on in a genial voice, ‘we’ve had our little ruction, and the best thing we can do is to let it go at that. You’ve learned your place and I know mine. Be a good dog and all’l go well and the goose hang high. Be a bad dog, and I’ll whale the stuffin’ outa you. Understand’?”
In London’s writings, the dog mushers treated their animals horribly, always using the club and the lash to force the dogs, to punish the dogs, to teach them a lesson, to maintain control. The dogs had to fend for themselves in the camp, they were frequently injured yet always had to work.
London’s writings indelibly imprinted onto the minds of generations of readers that because of their “nature”, sled dogs don’t make good pets, that these animals had developed behaviours that would make it impossible for them to make the transition from life as a working dog to life in a pet home. There was also the clear message that it is the norm that sled dogs must be treated with harsh physical discipline and emotional indifference by their owners or caretakers.
I would like to suggest that the consultant animal behaviourist who indicated that the Whistler sled dogs could not be rehomed because of their “nature” had read too much Jack London. It is true that my Canadian Eskimo Dogs are not everyone’s cup of tea and that their temperaments represent a time when survival of the fittest truly was the norm. As a result, I believe that they should only live with proven knowledgeable owners, in working homes and in a locale where they are secure and safe.
But these do not represent most working sled dogs. Today’s Alaskan Huskies do not have the temperaments of London’s dogs, and today’s working sled dogs are not being raised and treated like poor Buck and Spitz and the rest of Jack London’s team. When dogs are treated with abuse they do become fearful and they may become withdrawn or aggressive. If dogs are treated with kindness and consistency and praise they will respond with reassuring confidence and will show that they are anxious to please. I would suggest that most sled dogs will respond positively to life in a pet home that considers the fact that sled dogs are strong, active working dogs that love to run and so must be kept secure and under supervision for their own safety.
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