I don't think any of the breeders who have worked so hard to produce their particular lines of Alaskan Husky would agree. They are as fastidious about bloodlines as any "pure breed fascist" - it is simply that they are focussed on performance, rather than the maintenance of a particular breed. They are no less "fascistic" about their bloodlines. Alaskan Huskies are the complete opposite of a huskamute. They are the result of long term, planned breeding aimed at the highest possible performance. Huskamutes are the result of mating two dogs for profit - not the same at all!

We are in the south, but a bit far from Essex. We train in Swinley Forest, Bracknell, but I think all the current allocation of permits is taken up.

Mick

True they are called Alaskan Huskies, but just like Labradoodles, Cockerpoos, it is just a fancy name for cross breeds, and the Alaskan Husky isn't normally just a cross breed, they tend to have more than two breeds in them, hence MUTTS.

The most recent winners of the Iditarod (Jeff King, Lance Mackey and Martin Buser - fastest time) all use even what they call mutts aka "Alaskan Huskies". The fastest time of a Siberian Husky team is 11 days, 20 hours, 39 minutes whereas Martin Buser holds it at 8 days, 22 hours, 47 minutes

I don't count the word "mutt" as an insult, it just annoys me when people have rules that exclude people/animals. In agility any dog can run the course, but classes are only determined by size, which is a lot fairer.



And not meaning to feed the "trolls" (sorry if you just misinterpreted my comment and did not intend to troll)

but I did not say "There are no pure Siberian Husky teams in the Iditerod"

Merely that what the recent winners use are not pure Siberian Husky teams, they are specifically bred for the race



There's nothing in the Iditarod rules that I can see that excludes any breeds. why should any other competition?

Meh... I have a huskamute... Somedays it's really just a case of deciding who to annoy today

who do you contact for licence? I have an army owned woodland near me that I know would be fantastic but don't know who to contact.... Mind you I'd still need to then invite if attract someone with a rig I could borrow to come visit

Sorry to anyone who took offence at me using the word "fascists" I wasn't implying that anyone with pure-bred dogs are fascists, merely that some people take the status of pedigrees too far (whether it being excluding other breeds of dogs from races/rallies or culling Rhodesian Ridgebacks who don't have the ridge) and as the original conversation was about someone with cross-bred dogs who was made to feel unwelcome at a rally, I think it was justified.

Please bare in mind that I have a Cocker Spaniel and a Siberian Husky along with two cross-breeds, so I am not against pedigree dogs, I just think that all dogs should be counted as equal.

Sorry I sounded a bit like Martin Luther King then

To me, the term "mutt" implies breeding randomly without particular purpose (other than perhaps making money). In this sense, Alaskan Huskies are much less "muttlike" than are many purebred litters. Many of the top AH breeders - like Buser, Mackey and King, are much more scientific about their breeding practices than are many "top" pedigree dog breeders.

It was the assertion that a "Huskamute" (usually a randomly bred dog created specifically to make money) is somehow the same as a carefully bred Alaskan Husky that was a bit upsetting.

The people with the Irish setters are very good friends of mine, their dogs are amazing on the rig, they are members of the same club as me, we also have RR's pulling, not to mention,border collies crosses, GSD's as well as my own NI, of course we do it for fun though so dont take it too seriously

very well said!

See disclaimer below

Once Jacub was assessed and proved he was happy to run in harness he joins in at SDAS rallies. He is made most welcome

Hope the guys are doing ok Magpye.

Take care.

Seoniad.

P.S. From Jacub to Kismet

TnT?
Me too.