SLEDGE DOG. A dog used for hauling sledges. especially in the Arctic regions. Until civilized explorers, fur traders, and miners intro duced other breeds, the native (logs of all north ern peoples were little more than half-domesti cated wolves. The typical Eskimo dog is broad chested, with powerful shoulders, a short, thick neck, sharp wolf-like muzzle, slanting eyes, short and generally erect ears. He has a coat of the warmest and thickest hair, normally wolf gray, although black, black and white, and pure white occur. The Eskimo dog does not bark or bay, but howls a long-drawn wolfish howl. The .1\fae kenzie River dogs or 'huskies' resemble the Arctic fox. They are slenderer and more grace ful than the Eskimo dogs, with sharper noses and pricked ears. The 'native dogs' are able to en dure a surprising amount of cold and work, so long as they are fairly fed. Harnessed to a toboggan o• a sledge, a team of five will drag a heavy load 60 miles a day, day after day. The
demand for beasts of burden following the rush to Alaska in 1898 took there all kinds of large dogs. This incursion and the havoc wrought( among the native dogs by overwork is modifying the breed of the sledge dog in Alaska.
There are two other kinds of sledge dogs, the `Ostiaks' and 'Samoyeds.' The Ostiaks vary very much in appearance, some being stout, heavily boned, and weighing 50 to 70 pounds, others leggy and wolf-like. In color they range from gray to (lark brown, are thick-coated, prick eared, and more or less wolf-like in disposition, especially in their dealings with one another. The Samoyed dogs arc entirely white, with the exception of the nose; the tail is bushy and turned over the back, and the ears are pricked. They weigh from 40 to 60 pounds and much re semble large Pomeranians.