DOGS IN THE NORTH

Indigenous northern peoples have long understood that they cannot survive without dogs. Dogs can navigate the most difficult routes through the snow; they are resilient, patient, and strong. They guard, hunt, and, most importantly, transport. Dogs have always been valued in the North as a vital necessity.

The domestication of dogs occurred a very long time ago, during the Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic periods, between 10,000 and 15,000 BC. Northern peoples were among the first to do so. This is evidenced by the discovery of a Stone Age site on the Kamchatka Peninsula in 1961. It was there, on Kamenny Mys (Cape Mys) on the southern shore of Lake Ushkovskoye, that the burial of one of the oldest dogs, dating back to between 12,000 and 9,000 BC, was discovered in a prehistoric dwelling.

Sled dog breeding appeared in the North much later, only in the 6th-8th centuries AD. Archaeological finds of the first dog harnesses date back to this period. Over the millennia since the domestication of dogs, breeds have evolved that are best adapted to the harsh climate, strong, and resilient.

Sled dogs are a special source of pride for northerners; each people developed their own breed. Some of these breeds are still known today, while others have long since disappeared, lost to the mists of history, as have some northern peoples. The Indigirka dogs were considered the most resilient, and it was these that northern expeditions subsequently sought to acquire. The Yana, Kolyma, and Kamchatka dogs were noted for their excellent sled dogs. Alaskan Eskimos also bred the strong but slower Malamute breed.

The so-called draft dog breeding system also originated in the north. One or two dogs were harnessed to a hand sled pulled by a man. This method could easily carry up to 150 kg. Hand sleds were typically used by hunters, as they made it easier to haul hunting gear or game. This method was familiar to many northern peoples, including the Khanty, Mansi, Kets, Selkups, Orochs, Ultas, Nanais, and Negidals. The Udege and Ulchi used draft dogs to help navigate rivers; when a boat was going against the current, two or three dogs were harnessed to it, running along the bank and helping the boat move. The Yukaghirs and Evenks also used draft dogs not only for hunting but also for transporting household goods during migrations.

Reindeer herding emerged even later than sled dog breeding, in the 9th to 12th centuries. Some northern peoples (the Sami, Nenets, Dolgans, Nganasans, Khanty, and Mansi) began to adapt dogs to this new trade. This is how the reindeer herding Laikas emerged, helping humans herd reindeer.

Northern dogs were fed primarily on fish. In the summer, yukola (dried fish) was harvested, which fed both people and dogs in the winter. The bones of large fish were used to make dry dog food; the bones were dried and then ground into powder.
Four-legged polar explorers played a huge role in the history of Russian Arctic exploration. Without them, the expeditions of V. Bering, G. Sarychev, P. Anjou, F. Wrangel, E. Toll, G. Sedov, V. Bogoraz, G. Ushakov, and many other explorers and explorers would not have been possible. With the help of sled dog teams, both poles of the planet were discovered and the Arctic coasts of continents and islands were explored.

Machinery replaced sled dogs, but even today, the North is unimaginable without dogs. Unfortunately, not a single Russian sled dog breed has been recognized by the International Cynological Federation, and the Kamchatka, Chukotka, Indigirka, and Kolyma Laika sled dogs are currently on the verge of extinction. Yet these dogs are the ancestors of all modern sled dog breeds, covering thousands of kilometers on pioneering expeditions, and it is from the Kolyma Laika that today's huskies inherited their blue eyes.