At an afternoon at the Fairbanks Dog Park in November, a total of 22 Alaskan Huskies made an appearance. Some were tall and lanky, others short. Some had thin, short hair, and others had thick, bushy or even long coats. Coats held colors of gray, black, brown, tan and white. Eyes were blue or brown. One thing they all had in common: They could run like the wind, and they spent the entire time they were enclosed in an old baseball field doing so. Alaskan Huskies are not a registered breed, and most are considered mixed breeds or even mutts. “They’re all mutts. They’re Alaskan Huskies. I look at them the same,” says musher-of-11-years Bill Steyer. Working dogs, while they may be a bit manic at times, are no different from any other dog. Labradors retrieve, huskies run and hounds track. If you were to put any of these dogs in a situation where they are not doing their jobs, they will find other ways to entertain themselves, such as digging, barking or ripping your house to shreds. Working dogs are much like that uncle who's been working full-time since the age of 14 and builds sheds and second homes while on vacation. Alaskan Huskies are at their happiest when they are running. It's what they've been bred to do. For more than 100 years, mushers have been slowly building the Alaskan Husky into what it is today. What are they hoping for? A dog that runs fast and is durable in the cold weather. Mushers have been mixing different breeds, such as English setters, Labrador retrievers, malamute huskies, Siberian huskies, and shorthair pointers in the hopes that their dogs will run fastest. The terms Alaskan Husky and sled dog are often interchangeably used to describe the same type of dog. A canine with husky characteristics is called an Alaskan Husky. Once that dog pulls a sled, it is referred to as a sled dog. What characteristics make up good sled dogs? They must be anywhere from 45 to 55 pounds. Anything over that would require too much effort from the muscles in long-distance runs. The coat must be thick enough so the dog can sleep on hard-packed snow comfortably, and survive in extreme cold temperatures without shivering or showing signs of being cold. Feet are meant to be durable, with good pads and webbing. A tender-footed sled dog is often taken out of the team early and not used for breeding. When a mushers are selecting what dogs they will use for a team, they will often look for the personalities rather than the speed. “I want the dog who is always in the middle of everything when they’re puppies,” says Bob Lamontagne, amateur musher of nine years. “The leaders are always the ones in front of the group.” A sled dog likes to run in front of the pack, eats its meal quickly and is always alert and ready for action. A true sled dog is often a dominant type that often will not make a good pet. When they are in their primes, sled dogs will most likely feel uncomfortable cooped up inside houses. If they get off their chains during the off season, they will run for days until they get picked up by the pound, return home or are never seen again. Although training starts as early as five months, Alaskan Huskies pull sleds competitively between the ages of two to six. There are cases of older dogs still pulling at the age of 10, but most are retired by that age. During these “prime” years, Alaskan Huskies can have a mind of their own, but also bond strongly with their owners. Years ago, Alaskan Huskies became popular because of the Iditarod. Newcomers to Alaska will also obtain huskies simply because it's the Alaska dog to have, and because they're so plentiful. People with a budding interest in mushing will obtain dog teams only to find out they don't have the time or money to keep their dogs.