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A rare working dog breed, the Seppala Siberian Sleddog is developed for the purpose of pulling a sled in cold country. It is a moderate-sized dog averaging 40 to 50 pounds (18 to 23 kg) weight and 22 or 23 inches (56 to 58 cm) height. Colours and markings are considered of little importance; eyes may be brown, blue or any combination of the two colours. Seppalas are active and energetic but very docile and trainable.
Seppalas show a primitive canine type, never having been bred
or selected for beauty or for the show ring. The breed shares
its ancestral base with the Siberian Husky and for half a
century shared the same registry with that breed, but was bred
always exclusively as a working sleddog breed in its own right
and kept apart from show bloodlines. In the late 1990s, it was
recognised by Canadian agricultural authorities as a new
“evolving breed” and in 2002 a similar separate breed
initiative was started in the USA.
History: Bred by the legendary dog driver Leonhard
Seppala from dogs imported into Alaska from eastern Siberia,
the Seppala Siberians became famous in Alaska for their
domination of the All-Alaska Sweepstakes distance race in the
period from 1914 to 1917. Later they became popular in New
England when Seppala raced there and ran a kennel in Poland
Spring, Maine.
In 1939 the last Siberia imports, along with several of
Seppala’s dogs, became the breed foundation for the
“Siberian Huskie” in Canada. The Canadian Seppala Kennels
of Harry R. Wheeler in St. Jovite Station, Quebec, developed
and bred Seppala Siberians until 1950 in genetic isolation
from the developing Siberian Husky breed in the USA, which
gradually became oriented more and more toward conformation
dog shows. A succession of Seppala breeders kept the strain
alive through the 1950s and 1960s.
In 1963, the third Seppala Kennels, run by C. S. MacLean
and J. D. McFaul in Maniwaki, Quebec, closed without a
successor kennel and by 1969 the unique Leonhard Seppala
strain faced extinction. It was primarily saved by the timely
action of two breeders: Markovo Kennels in Canada and
Seppineau Kennels in the USA. The bloodline was then carried
forward and developed as a serious mid-distance racing sleddog
by Douglas W. Willett of Sepp-Alta Kennels in the state of
Utah. The pure, original Seppala bloodlines are rare but found
in small numbers in several Canadian provinces, the main
population occurring in the Yukon Territory.
The Seppala Siberian Sleddog Project that was started in
1993 by the protagonists of the Markovo rescue effort won
Agriculture Canada’s recognition for Seppalas in July of
1997. The fourth historic Seppala Kennels in the Yukon
Territory carried the breeding forward. In July of 2002, Doug
Willett undertook a similar breed initiative through the
Continental Kennel Club’s registry in the USA.
Characteristics: Seppalas of today differ markedly from
many other Siberian Husky bloodlines in physical appearance,
being in general less flashily marked, longer in leg and body
length, and lighter in weight and physical build than some
Siberian Husky show dogs. Pure-strain Seppalas have dense,
smooth coats of medium length with an undercoat nearly as long
as the guard hairs. Their ears are taller, set close together
and strongly erect; the "stop" of the head less
well-defined than that of Siberian Huskies. The tail is held
high in a sickle curve over the back when alert, never
"snapped" flat to the back or curling down the
flank.
They tend to be more trainable than other sled dogs and to
be more highly bonded to their owners. The Seppala Siberian
Sleddog disposition is active, merry, and often quite
inquisitive, although sometimes showing great reserve with
strangers. A stable and serious temperament, neither nervous
nor aggressive, is characteristic. Natural, innate sleddog
mentality is a primary characteristic of Seppala dogs. Their
nature is highly cooperative. They show great seriousness in
their work in harness. Seppalas of today differ markedly from
many other Siberian Husky bloodlines in physical appearance,
being in general less flashily marked, longer in leg and body
length, and lighter in weight and physical build than some
Siberian Husky show dogs.
Pure-strain Seppalas have dense, smooth coats of medium
length with an undercoat nearly as long as the guard hairs.
Their ears are taller, set close together and strongly erect;
the "stop" of the head less well-defined than that
of Siberian Huskies. The tail is held high in a sickle curve
over the back when alert, never "snapped" flat to
the back or curling down the flank.
They tend to be more trainable than other sled dogs and to
be more highly bonded to their owners. The Seppala Siberian
Sleddog disposition is active, merry, and often quite
inquisitive, although sometimes showing great reserve with
strangers. A stable and serious temperament, neither nervous
nor aggressive, is characteristic. Natural, innate sleddog
mentality is a primary characteristic of Seppala dogs. Their
nature is highly cooperative. They show great seriousness in
their work in harness.
Many Seppalas are pure white or buff and white. Others are
very dark, black, or charcoal grey with dark faces and white
only on the feet and tail tip. There are many varied shades of
grey, brownish grey, and blue-grey. “Sable” reds with
black-tipped guard hairs and black noses occur, but the
liver-nosed “copper” phase seen in other lines of Siberian
Huskies is unknown in pure Seppalas. Agouti "wild
type" coloration and piebald spotting are common.
Seppalas are known for their extremely smooth and
well-coordinated gait and for the consistency and strength
with which they pull in harness. Although they appear to the
inexperienced eye to be rather small and lightly built for
sleddogs, actually they are far more efficient pullers than
some larger northern breeds. They are capable racing sleddogs,
particularly in middistance events, although perhaps not as
speedy as world-class Alaskan huskies or pointer-crossed
hybrids.
Like other northern breeds, they shed their coats hugely
once or twice a year, cannot safely be allowed to run free off
leash, and love to hunt small game. They are generally robust
and healthy, living twelve to sixteen years, usually working
well in harness up to ten or eleven years of age. Health
issues for the breed are those common to all northern breeds,
such as allergies, cancer and eye problems. They are highly
efficient in their use of food, eating relatively little but
requiring very high-quality nutrition that is rich in animal
protein, animal fat, and fish oil.
The defining characteristics of the breed are its natural,
primitive appearance, its highly developed work ethic, and its
affectionate, cooperative, and highly bonded nature.
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