Bill Carpenter of Yellowknife, who received a grant in the 1970's to bring back the Canadian Eskimo Dog, also known as the Greenland Husky, was gracious enough to share his research documentation on the sled dog with me. These valuable documents dated from the present back to the 1530's. What all this research disclosed, leaving out dissertations on the influence of the Gold Rush, the separation of the AKC Siberians and Alaskan Malamutes in the 1930's, and the high arctic aboriginal husky, is the emergence of the freight huskies more or less below the arctic circle during a traceable time span of 100 years, starting in the mid to late 1800's. These huskies were separately and distinctly developed for small working teams capable of hauling large loads through deep snow, woodland trails, and hilly or mountainous terrain while consuming limited and erratic food sources. Each village or community, separated by hundreds to thousands of miles, developed amazingly similar characteristics based on their similar need.
Differences occur cosmetically in coloration, markings, and ear position.
Social bonding, pack mentality, build and gait reflect the wolf influence which naturally occurs when you have sled dogs in remote environments. Wolf traits such as being unpredictable, unmanageable, skittish, or untrustworthy with children where culled out. The resulting temperament is one of a high social order, raising pups together, working well with team members once hierarchy is established, viewing their people as extensions of the pack. They are willing workers once they realize that they get to run with their 'pack' and view you as the alpha dog. This respect is earned or learned from the others and is not automatically given.