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Northern
Breeds
Chow Chow
No group has a more wolfish appearance than the northern or
spitz-type breeds: prick ears, sharp muzzle, broad chest,
thick double coat, strong well-muscled body, and bushy tail
curled over the back.
These confident, vigorous dogs come alive in cool, crisp weather;
taking part in winter sports with their families is what they
live for.
Most of the northern breeds were developed in cold, Arctic
regions hundreds of years ago and since then have served most
often as draft or sled dogs.
Alaskan malamutes pulled heavy supply sledges, while lighter
Siberian huskies transported people at a swifter pace. Samoyeds,
seen today in recreational sled racing, originally herded
reindeer. The massive fore-assembly that makes these breeds
function so admirably as sled dogs can also make them a challenge
to walk on-leash without proper training.
Some northern breeds were used in hunting. The Finnish spitz
and Shiba Inu went after small game, while the Norwegian elkhound
ran down lynx, wolves, and elk.
A number of northern hunters, including the Finnish spitz
and the elkhound, used their voices to alert the hunter to
the presence of game. This vocalism was passed on to smaller
northern breeds, such as the American Eskimo dog, keeshond,
Pomeranian, and schipperke, that were developed primarily
as watchdogs.
The larger Asiatic northern breeds include the Akita, developed
as a fighting dog and later used to hunt large game; the chow
chow, once a source of food and fur as well as a carting and
guard dog; and the Chinese shar-pei, first used in the dogfighting
ring and then in hunting and herding. Their fighting and guarding
backgrounds make these Asian breeds more reserved and at times
more aggressive with strangers than other breeds in the northern
group.
Pomeranian
Northern Breeds
Akita
Alaskan Malamute
American Eskimo Dog
Chinese Shar-Pei
Chow Chow
Finnish Spitz
Keeshond
Northern Breed Mixes
Norwegian Elkhound
Pomeranian
Samoyed
Schipperke
Shiba Inu
Siberian Husky
 
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