Richard Jernigan -> RE: Paco - our new dog - (Feb. 23 2016 22:06:17)
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ORIGINAL: Ruphus It is unquestionable that a pack of dogs presents another degree of danger than a pack of wolves. There is however one item unclear to me regarding location and point in time. Huskies are reknown for having been selected in a way that left them strictly harmless to men (kind of like dollcats), no matter how they be treated. It is being said that these breeds will under no circumstance attack humans. (Which again is why they can´t be expected to function as guards / as they welcome strangers friendly.) From there I assume that a potentially dangerous pack up there in the north would need to have non-sledge dog genetics. (Which today should be quite thinkable, with all the different breeds like e.g. ovtsharkas that must have spread further up north.) Ruphus I can't speak to the genetics of sled dogs in Alaska in the late 1940s-early 1950s, nor do I choose to speculate. Among my friends, family and associates it was generally considered wise to be cautious around them, even when confined, but especially when they were allowed to run free. I learned this from people born and raised in Alaska. Instances of attacks upon humans were regularly reported with occasional fatalities. In the immediate vicinity of Anchorage dogs killed more people than bears did. There were no brown bears around Anchorage at that time, but black bears were quite plentiful. Unlike brown bears which are dangerously unpredictable, and may attack people with little apparent provocation, black bears are generally shy and retiring. But accidentally coming between a black bear and her cub could be a fatal mistake. One quickly learned to be cautious around them. In February in Anchorage there was the annual Fur Rendezvous. This was named after the old custom of the trappers coming into town in mid-winter to sell a few furs and re-stock their store of provisions. One feature of the Fur Rendezvous were dogsled races that began on the street downtown, went out into the countryside and finished downtown again. Often there were a dozen or more teams of dogs hitched to their sleds, tied up to posts along 4th Avenue waiting to start a race. Frequently a team would work its way loose and attack a nearby team. The owners would appear and wade into the fray, grabbing dogs by their harnesses and hauling them away from one another. The dogs attacked the opposing owners without hesitation, indeed with considerable enthusiasm. The owners wore heavy leather protective clothing, and were seldom seriously injured. Perhaps Huskies for the pet trade have been bred for docility in the last sixty-odd years? Twenty generations would be plenty of time to instill this trait. Over the same period the appearance of the winning teams in the Iditarod race has changed markedly. Today's winning dogs are much lighter and more slender than the ones years ago. I haven't seen any of these racing dogs among the pets. RNJ
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