What breed is this?

    • Silver

    What breed is this?

    I saw these two beauties at the local 4th festivities downtown. What breed do you all think this is? I must say, they were getting a lot of attention (the good kind) from people. The owner stated that the larger girl is ~80lbs.
     



    • Gold Top Dog
    They look like wolf hybrids to me. Possibly Sarloos Wolfdogs but those are quite exceedingly rare.
    • Silver
    Sorry the pics are blurry but they kept moving and my digital camera is older.
    • Gold Top Dog
    I agree, they look like wolf mixes.
    • Gold Top Dog
    They could be wolf mixes, but are probably sled dogs. Most Alaskan sled dogs have a similar look. Alaskan sled dogs are mixes, too, of husky and other breeds.

    http://www.celticandmore.com/northernniche/yukonquest.html
    There is a quicktime movie of a very small snippet of the Yukon Quest. And more picture below that.

    Take a look at the dogs here. You will see plenty of dogs that look like the ones in your pictures up here.
    • Gold Top Dog
    I was given to understand that sled dogs were preferably a smaller size?
    80lbs. is a BIG dog, and they look at least 26" tall and probably over that.
     
     Most Alaskan huskies and racing dogs I've seen are barely 35-50lbs? The height on these dogs and set of their front legs, as well as their feet are very wolfish to me.
    • Puppy
    They are Siberian Husky or wolf hybrid
    • Puppy
    I agree with you.  I think they are wolf hybrids.  Look at their noses and distance between their eyes. 
    • Gold Top Dog
    they look like siberians to me. Siberians vary a lot in size.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Definately a wolf hybrid, they look quite a bit like wolves the only thing that slightly resembles a husky are the two eye spots above their eyes.
     
    No matter how much a husky may vary in appearence there is no way they can be pure huskies
    • Gold Top Dog
    Please define a pure husky to me?  Because there is no such thing as a pure northern Husky.  Northern or Alaskan huskies are bred from many other breeds to bring out the traits that make them good sled dogs.  These two may be big for a sled team but that may be why these people have them.  My friend has an Alaskan Husky that is too friendly for a sled team.  Sled dogs have to be kind of standoffish.  It just doesnt do to have your team running all over the place greeting everyone in sight.  As with crossbreeding of any kind, sometimes you get the trait you want and sometimes you dont.  I agree with Jean, these two look like Alaskans.  Possibly castoffs.
    • Gold Top Dog
    I vote for a wolf hybrid of some type.  They are beautiful animals.
    • Silver
    I would say alaskans. They definately are not Sibs.
     
     
    • Gold Top Dog
    Are they maybe Canadian Eskimo Dogs?  They get up to about 27.5" and 88 lbs.  I could be wrong but it is just a thought.
    • Bronze
    they look like wolf hybrids to me