Items19The creator’s order
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Siberian HuskyThe benchmark cold-weather companion, developed by the Chukchi people of the Russian Far East to pull sleds over long distances. A medium frame, thick double coat and well-furred feet make it a natural partner for skijoring or a long day on snowy trails.
The trade-offs are escape artistry, a…0i - 2
Alaskan MalamuteWhere the husky is built for speed, the Malamute is built for freight: a big, powerful dog bred to haul heavy loads, and strong enough to pull a gear sled or carry a pack on winter hikes. It sleeps out a blizzard with its bushy tail wrapped over its nose.
Malamutes are strong-willed and shed…0i - 3
Alaskan huskyStrictly a working type rather than a registered breed, bred by mushers purely for performance, and the most common dog in Iditarod and Yukon Quest teams. Distance lines carry denser coats and tough feet, while sprint lines are leaner and shorter-coated, so the kennel's racing record tells you more…0i - 4
Samoyed dogBred from the herding dogs of the Nenets in Arctic Siberia, the Samoyed herded reindeer, hunted and pulled sleds, and later went south with early Antarctic expeditions. It is among the friendliest of the sled breeds, and its dense white coat handles deep cold beautifully.
The price is fur: a heavy…0i - 5
Greenland DogThe genuine article: a heavy, powerful sled dog descended from dogs the Thule people brought from Siberia about a thousand years ago, and still pulling working teams in Greenland. It is valued so highly there that bringing other dogs into the sledding regions north of the Arctic Circle is…0i - 6
Canadian Eskimo DogAlso called the Canadian Inuit Dog or qimmiq, this is the dog that carried Inuit families across the Canadian Arctic, and one of the rarest breeds here: a 2008 estimate put the purebred population at about 300. Snowmobiles, disease and the disputed killings of Inuit sled dogs between 1950 and 1970…0i - 7
Chinook (dog breed)An American sled dog with a New England story. Arthur Walden bred it in Wonalancet, New Hampshire, from his lead dog Chinook, born in 1917, and was lead driver on Richard Byrd's first Antarctic expedition.
It is calmer and more family-minded than most northern breeds, and especially devoted to…0i - 8
Yakutian LaikaFrom Yakutia in north-east Siberia, home of some of the coldest inhabited places on earth, this all-rounder herded reindeer, hunted game and pulled sleds for the Yakut people. It is FCI recognised and joined the AKC's Miscellaneous Group in 2024.
Still uncommon in North America, it suits a buyer…0i - 9
Norwegian ElkhoundNorway's national dog was bred to track moose through Scandinavian forest and hold the animal at bay with loud, persistent barking until the hunter catches up. That job produced a compact, tireless companion for long cold days outdoors, with a dense grey coat that shrugs off snow.
It also produced…0i - 10
Finnish LapphundThe Sami people's reindeer herder, and one of the most popular breeds in Finland, is among the easiest-going dogs on this list. Its long, profuse coat and thickly furred tail are made for Lapland winters, yet at medium size it fits a family house rather than a kennel.
Herding instincts bring…0i
