Husky

A sled dog from way back, the Siberian Husky hails from Siberia, the northernmost Russian region that necessitated a robust dog tolerant of the frigid temperatures there. Siberian’s ancestors were developed by the Chukchi, indigenous people who needed dogs to pull their sleds. As temperatures changed in the region and the Chukchi shifted their hunting grounds, they needed a dog that could haul many goods over long distances in temperatures well below zero.

Their sledding heritage took its competitive turn at the beginning of the 20th Century when a Russian fur merchant involved the breed in a 653km race in Alaska. Soon, an adoring public took notice and the breed has remained highly popular ever since.

Siberian Huskies were recognised as a breed in 1966.