Many people wonder if huskies are related to wolves since they do look a lot alike. They’re indeed similar and it can be hard to distinguish them apart from a great distance. A Siberian husky is a pure bred dog not to be confused with the term “Alaskan husky” which is simply a generic name for a category of sled dogs. While all dogs descended from wolves, there’s a world of difference between grey wolves and dogs which is chiefly defined by their genetic makeup.
There are several striking features that are common to both the Siberian husky and wolf. For starters, they both have a double coat to keep them warm from cold temperatures. Second, their eyes secrete a unique type of oil that protects their eye from the snow and cold. Another interesting feature is their ears which has inner guard hairs to protect them from the freezing cold weather. That’s about how much similar the Siberian Huskies are to wolves.
A brief history of the Siberia husky
As the name suggests, the Siberian husky is native to Siberia where it was developed as a sledge dog within the Chukchi tribe of North Eastern Asia. The Huskies were primarily used for hunting purposes as they took the hunters into vast, barren areas of the Siberian Arctic. Although they were highly valued by the Chukchi people, the Huskies were given little food in return for their assistance in hunting.
Their popularity in the USA took off when they were used in the All Alaska Sweepstakes race for the first time in 1909. In 1925, diphtheria (a serious infection of the nose and throat) hit Nome, Alaska, and would have spread to other cities but for the Huskies that helped save the day by delivering the antitoxin via sledge.
Wolf vs Husky
Although wolves and Huskies have similar features, they also have their differences which can be broadly classified into two behavioral characteristics.
Wolves are territorial by nature but are also wild animals. They’re not domesticated as they can only be trained to a limited extent and in spite of this, they do not follow the usual basic dog instructions like sit and fetch. They may seem to be affectionate, but they’re really not, and can become violent towards strangers. Wolves howl loudly as a warning sign and can bark much like dogs.
On the other hand, huskies are not wild animals as they need an owner to lead them. They are active, energetic, resilient and playful. They are also very curious animals and would do anything to get noticed and love attention as they are very affectionate animals. On the flip side, they dislike being neglected and may become destructive in such situations. Since huskies are not wild animals, it’s important that they are exposed to many people, sights and sounds when they’re young so they can grow to become well-behaved pets. Another noticeable difference between wolves and Huskies is that huskies rarely bark, but they howl at things and people that trigger them.
Physical characteristics
As earlier stated, a wolf has two coats for protection from cold temperatures. One of the two coats (undercoat) keeps the wolf from being wet during the rain to protect their skin. A typical wolf’s height is between 31 to 33 inches while they can weigh from 100 lbs to 200 lbs in weight. The colors of their eyes are usually either sky gold or chocolate brown.
A husky also has two coats for protection from cold, but the difference here is that while a wolf can survive in hot regions, a husky would not do as well out in the wild in a hot region. Huskies can go from 20 to 23.5 inches in height and 35 to 65 lbs in weight which indicates that there has a smaller body size than wolves. They have various colored eyes which include blue, black, brown, green, amber, and even bi-eyed.
Going further, huskies have smaller heads and canine teeth than wolves. A wolf’s canine teeth are longer which is essential for its survival since it has to hunt for its meal.
Summary
Huskies have a wolf ancestry which is the reason they have a similar appearance, but they’re no more related to a wolf than any other dog. A wolf cannot be domesticated and is hunted for fun in some areas while they are protected species in others. Huskies, on the other hand are just dogs that make great family members. Unlike wolves, you can keep Huskies as a pet, provided you have qualities of being a good pet owner and have the time to spend with them.
