Al's Urban Animal Adventures: Winter Is Here!

Hello, my Fellow Animal Enthusiasts!

With less than 2 weeks to Thanksgiving (Oy!! Where did the time go!?); winter is officially upon us! (You know...unless you're a Northern Mockingbird...the State Bird of Florida...anyone?? :P ). Which, for some, is a bummer...BUT, if you are one of our featured animals today...you are WELL prepared for the winter, and probably love it! That's right! Today, we discuss... the beloved husky!!! :D

But not JUST the Husky! More specifically, we'll discuss the differences between Huskies and Malamutes, and even those less known Husky-family breeds! This post is brought to you by two guests at Woofs' N' Whiskers:

Tara: The Siberian Indian Dog!! (Can't Wait To Discuss This One!)

And Kobi! NOT A Malamute; But A BIG-BEAR-Of-A-Husky!! :D

You can already see the difference between those two; in the ear-shape, size of the head, body-length, and fur-growth...but let's not get ahead of ourselves! :P Let's first have a more in-depth look at...

THE SIBERIAN HUSKY

Siberian Huskies; GORGEOUS, of course! Hailing from (yup, you guessed it!) Siberia; originally developed by the Chukchi people of Northeastern Asia as endurance sled dogs; taken to Alaska for the races...and were loved by all!!

They are VERY loyal and loving and very much family dogs! They generally love and trust most people and other dogs. (Not much a guard dog, I'm afraid. ;) ) And though incredibly sweet; they have a decent predator instinct and will still chase after anything small (so look out, kitties!!)

They love big families and are FANTASTIC with kids; they really are a great dog for a kid to grow up with! :D

And, of course, they LOVE to run!!(And generally really love snow!!) So colder climates are best for these pups, and big outdoor spaces so they can get all that beautiful energy out safely!

They are truly fantastic pets; my Mom loves 'em, understandably.
GO HUSKIES!

(Oh, and Balto?? That story is completely based on real events...because huskies are heroes...and I love that dog...he's my idol!!)

And now... a VERY close brethren of the Husky...

THE ALASKAN MALAMUTE

The B-E-A-UTIFUL and powerful Alaskan Malamutes are one of the oldest Arctic sled dogs; developed by Eskimos after their ancestors came over from Siberia (with the huskies!) and settled in the Seward Peninsula (Yeah! ;) ) They were trained to pull heavy sleds loaded with food and camp supplies AND to hunt seals for food and chase away (and kill!) polar bears that tried to raid the camp!

Therefore; they are also VERY family and people oriented (and not the best guard dogs either!); but have MUCH stronger predator instincts than their Husky-brothers...and do best in a house by themselves without other dogs or any smaller animals. (Sorry, kitties!!)

They are super strong, playful, and energetic! Also pretty fantastic family pets; as long as they are respected and allowed independence! And might be a wee bit less inclined toward kids than Huskies; but will still easily fall in love with the right kid and be their best pal forever!! :D

And, of course, you can see the physical differences between Huskies & Malamutes; the ear placement, the snout shape, the tail, and the fur growth as well.

Very similar, and both AMAZING dogs...but they also have their differences; that are always good to be aware of...I love them both!! :D GO MALAMUTES!

And now, for the more unique...

SIMILAR WINTER/WORKING BREEDS:

The Siberian Indian Dog; As Previously Modeled By Tara. :P A cross-breed between Siberian Huskies and Native American Indian Dogs! A pretty perfect combination! :D

Native American Indian Dog! A gorgeous family-oriented breed developed by the original Native Americans and one of the first companion dogs (not wolves!) on the North American Continent! Awesome!!! :D

German Indian Dog! A cross-breed between The Native American Indian Dog and The German Shepherd! :D

And We Can't Forget The Beautiful Samoyed Dogs!! Yeah! Also originating from Siberia and used for pulling sleds and hunting; and ALSO a very skilled herding dog! :)

I find this breed of dog just FASCINATING and truly love them! Even with all the beautiful varieties; they each have such spunk and personality! (And huge hearts!) They are really fantastic animals and I highly recommend adopting ANY of them for your family! (Especially if you live in a year-long-winter climate...like, say, Montana...)