The Alaska sourdough., 1911-10-10
DOGS OF THE NORTH


 give them first class character for honesty and industry.
 Dogs from the outside are as num- erous as the native breeds, are hon. est pullers and even make better lead CTS in the team where native intelli- gence would seem to be the best guide to picking out difficult trail or find ing the way home through the blizzards and snow wastes. There is a difference of opinion as to the two native breeds of dog, the Malamute and Husky, their origin, the country from which they come and the amount of wolf mixture in them. A lady, however, who has spent several winters on the Yukon, writes as follows: n
 "I think that the Malamute dog is the one breed with the wolf and na- tive of the Mckenzie country as have seen a large picture of the Me Kenzie river Indians with 50 or 75 of their dogs, every one of the wolf breed.
 ''The Indians put heavy loads on their sleighs and sometimes a squaw, and papoose on top. Other dogs carry packs and even the puppies carry small loads according to their strength. The Indians as rule treat their squaws better in the north than on the plains and exact less drudgery from them. The dog harness is ornamented with bead work and little bells jingle by the way.
 "The Husky is taller, bonier and gaunter dog than the Malamute, with characteristics in common. Laziness and knavery are common to all though a decent education and care sometimes overcomes this.
 ''To steal and steal craftily is a nee essity of the northern dogs existence, for as soon as the snow breaks up and they can no longer be used their own CTS almost unanimously turn them loose to shift for themselves just as if they were grazing animals, instead of carnivorous. When the whistle of the first steamboat sounds upon the barely open reaches of the river the wolf-like mournful howl of Malamute and Husky gives it's echo along the shore and they dash into the water for such scraps as the stewards throw overheard, swim ming around, fighting and diving until the last morsel has been secured
 "As soon as the snow flies again this indifference as to the dogs dis apears and men with chain and rope may be seen on all hands recovering the dogs they turned loose to shift for themselves in the spring. Puppies of the same litter vary very much in their dispositions, and fear of man in some is as pronounced as in a perfect wild wolf cub. The instinct to steal is not confined to food, they will carry off clothes and bring them home or secrete metal articles for which they them selves have no use. Molly Mute one day brought home flat iron and kept her owner fairly busy returning the things she stole. So long as a driver can speak they retain their fear of him, but if he becomes unconscious or dies from illness, they will eat him like pack of wolves. The native dogs, with help, start load, but so soon as it is going they will, if unwatched, trot along apparently pulling, but really loafing and allowing the other dogs from the outside to do the real work; thus it comes that cross bred or inn ported dogs are most largely used, all though they are not quite so able to care for themselves on bitter nights until they have learned to remain buri- ed in the snow The Malamute has a double coat of gray hair and under fur which enables him to defy the cold and withstand rigor of 70 degrees below zero. Dogs of all breeds suffer extrem- ely from the snowballs that form be- tween their toes on the trail and that 1r;v