The Labrador Husky is a spitz type of dog that was bred for work as a very strong, fast sled dog; it is a purebred originating from Canada. Although the breed's name may be baffling, it is not a mix between a Labrador Retriever and a Husky; these mongrel dogs are not automatically purebreds simply because the Labradorian Sleddog is. The breed is very little known, and there are no breed clubs that currently recognize it. 

History

The Labrador Husky originated in the Canadian area known as Labrador. The breed probably arrived in the area with the Inuit people who came to Canada around 1300 AD. Although they were once very closely related to other Northern breeds, such as the Siberian Husky, they became isolated in Canada and continued to develop on their own. These dogs were even allowed to breed with the wolves in the area. This does not, however, mean that they are wolf-dogs, nor do they have any recent wolf ancestry ut they still retain some of their wolflife physical features. While they were isolated, some Labradorian people have allowed the blood of Alaskan Malamutes and, later for trainability purposes, Alsatians. This was in order to create a larger sled dog that looks strikingly similar to the Siberian Husky, but much larger and more wolf-like.

Appearance and Size

The Labrador Husky looks much like a wolf because of their close relation to the species (traditionally they were let to breed with the wolves of Labrador to create a stronger dog with great endurance. The Labrador Husky is a fairly large dog which can weigh between 60-100 pounds and grow between 23 - 26 inches. Their round head is covered in plenty of fluffy fur and leads to their long narrow muzzles. Fluffy fur covers their large bodies and is double coated to protect them from freezing cold weather. It is likely to have been bred and introduced by the Thule Inuit of Canada. It has a wide chest with heavy bones. Their thick bodies are an obvious physical trait, especially when measured to a Siberian Husky or Alaskan Malamute. This breed has existed for hundreds of years, and is unique because it has become isolated from other northern dog breeds during this time. These dogs were heavily used until the invention of the snowmobile and are now often kept as loving pets. However there are Labardor Inuit and Metis who still use them as recreation and some even prefer the dog team to a snowmobile. Its dense coat allows it to thrive in the cold environments from which it originates. Coat colors vary from solid white, solid black, black & white, red & white, and gray & white. There are two rare coat colors in this breed: wolf gray, solid gray. Any coat color can appear in any litter, the most common being black & white, gray & white, solid black. Solid white and red & white do occur but are less common. Of all the northern dog breeds, the Labrador Husky is one of the most rare, leaving less than an estimated 50-60 purebred Labrador Huskies in Labrador.  It is also not well understood by many dog breeders. 

Personality

The Labrador Husky has a somewhat different temperament from other Northern breeds which means that they can often be unfriendly or, in the extreme, even aggressive with strangers. However, they can be good if socialized, and they often do well with children, especially if reared with them. Being with other dogs always makes them happy, because they are bred to work well in a pack. Training is easy and fun for them because they are an intelligent breed. Unlike the Siberian or Alaskan Husky, the Labrador Husky is not well known. It has many characteristics of a wolf because of its wolf ancestry, however, they have been a loyal and trusted companion to the Labrador Inuit for centuries. It rarely barks but tends to howl. Labrador Huskies have a combination of strength, intelligence, and stamina, properties that are good for virtually any breed. They are not as fast as their siberian or alaskan cousins because have been bred for endurance and strength. 

Wikipedia and GNU

The content of this entry is from the Wikipedia article "Labrador Husky" licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.