Chula Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 I know that huskies are not any more wolf than a chihuahua, but how did they manage to maintain some of the most wolf-like physical characteristics? Was just wondering this today. I'm no expert in the sciences, so I'm always interested in the thoughts of those smarter than I. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elyse Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 I'm not an expert on the Sibe heritage, but I believe the Chukchi dogs were bred a long time ago with wolves, maybe to keep the genetic diversity high? That's what I have been told, anyways. Feel free to correct me, anyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuramaxDiesel Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 And here I think that the brown and grey coated ones (like Suka in SolitaryHowls sig) look like Coyotes... at least around here they do anyway. Our Coyotes are huge here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chula Posted September 9, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 I always think of coyotes having smaller heads. But I don't think I've actually seen one in the wild before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elyse Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Removed #5 Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 Elyse, your coyotes look a lot better than those around here do - when you can see them - ours look pretty scruffy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emma Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 Hmmmmn, that coyote looks very similar in facial features to the foxes we get over here in the uk. Wonder if they're related? No idea why huskies have some more wolf type qualities than other breeds though, sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidnightPaws Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 I believe they look like wolves because they were bred to have similarities to wolves. So that they could live in cold environments and hunt. I always think Sophie looks like a coyote. xD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stranger Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 could it be because they have been messed around with less. most breeds have been changed to excel in other areas. Would it be safe to say that Huskys are similar looking due to what they are bred to do?!?! I believe we haven't messed around with the breed too much that facial features etc etc haven't changed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 I'm not sure either...I watch the Dogs 101 on the Animal planet all the time and it is interesting how certain dogs were bred for different things, like rat terriers or retreivers. Probably someone a long long time ago needed dogs to pull sleds and the weight and build of a wolf was more suited for the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chula Posted September 9, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 (edited) But...what did they breed wolves with to make chihuahuas? Or did they just keep breeding smaller and smaller wolves with funny faces until they got a chihuahua. If every breed has a similar ancestor, how did dogs become so varied? Even people aren't as varied physically as dogs are. Evolution is so interesting. I never gave a lot of thought to dog evolution because I was never a dog person, but now I'm fascinated by it. Edited September 9, 2013 by Chula Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elyse Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 Hmmmmn, that coyote looks very similar in facial features to the foxes we get over here in the uk. Wonder if they're related? No idea why huskies have some more wolf type qualities than other breeds though, sorry. No, they are not related. To put it in simple terms, foxes belong to the genus Vulpes, and Coyotes/Wolves/Dogs belong to the genus Canis. That means: coyotes, wolves, and dogs can all interbreed. But the fox can't because it isn't the same genus. They probably look similar (snout, etc) because they evolved to hunt smaller game (mice and etc). Their snouts would have to be long, narrow, and pointy to stick through the mice holes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elyse Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 But...what did they breed wolves with to make chihuahuas? Or did they just keep breeding smaller and smaller wolves with funny faces until they got a chihuahua. If every breed has a similar ancestor, how did dogs become so varied? Even people aren't as varied physically as dogs are. Evolution is so interesting. I never gave a lot of thought to dog evolution because I was never a dog person, but now I'm fascinated by it. Sorry for the double post, but I guess they all branched out from the first 'breed' of dog. They were selectively bred to perform certain tasks (herding, pulling, hunting, etc), and along with that their appearance changed. I had this book once about the history of the dog, it was really fascinating. Can't seem to find it though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchie Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 No, they are not related. To put it in simple terms, foxes belong to the genus Vulpes, and Coyotes/Wolves/Dogs belong to the genus Canis. That means: coyotes, wolves, and dogs can all interbreed. But the fox can't because it isn't the same genus. They probably look similar (snout, etc) because they evolved to hunt smaller game (mice and etc). Their snouts would have to be long, narrow, and pointy to stick through the mice holes. The ones here are more evolved to hunt the bins Our foxes look so bad, I used to see beautiful foxes in the countryside in France. Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elyse Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 The ones here are more evolved to hunt the bins Our foxes look so bad, I used to see beautiful foxes in the countryside in France. Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk 2 LOL - that too. They can be scavengers, much like the coyote, and are well equipped to handle the human world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchie Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 LOL - that too. They can be scavengers, much like the coyote, and are well equipped to handle the human world. Yepp! People here tend to think they're a nuisance but I love them, they're clever little things and a beautiful animal aswell (Well meant to be lol...) but I much prefered seeing them in the countryside than ravaging through the bins when I come of Lidl lol Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elyse Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 Yepp! People here tend to think they're a nuisance but I love them, they're clever little things and a beautiful animal aswell (Well meant to be lol...) but I much prefered seeing them in the countryside than ravaging through the bins when I come of Lidl lol Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk 2 lol, true. But think about it. If you were a fox, and you didn't care about your appearance, would you rather waste energy hunting in the countryside? Or would you rather just wait for the food to be brought to you (ie: garbage)? Also, in the city, the foxes wouldn't have as many predators as they would in the country. So that's another incentive for them to move into the city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchie Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 lol, true. But think about it. If you were a fox, and you didn't care about your appearance, would you rather waste energy hunting in the countryside? Or would you rather just wait for the food to be brought to you (ie: garbage)? Also, in the city, the foxes wouldn't have as many predators as they would in the country. So that's another incentive for them to move into the city. Yeah definately, I know what you mean lol Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazz Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 (edited) This is a most excellent topic, because it really provokes good back and forth posting, plus it is extremely interesting to me. I liked Toni's comment that perhaps we have not messed with them as much, because I think that is the essence of why Siberian Huskies have remained stable as a breed. If you think about it, they have only been out of Russia for a little over 100 years, and for the majority of that 100 year span, in the frozen tundra areas. Unlike many other breeds that have been around larger civilized areas for a much longer period. This is all opinion and conjecture, with no scientific fact at all, but I don't know, seems to make sense to me. Edited September 9, 2013 by Mazz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emma Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 The ones here are more evolved to hunt the bins Our foxes look so bad, I used to see beautiful foxes in the countryside in France. Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk 2 Lmao, I was just about to say that! You beat me to it! Ha ha ha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmscott Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 · Hidden Hidden Dogs in the Chukotka region of Siberia were not bred to fit any looks, they were a landrace. The one who survived (and later became the Siberian Husky) were the dogs who were prepared the best. Working ability was a must, so a good coat, feet, and the ability to travel tirelessly for long distances, were key. They are no more related to wolves than our neighbor's poodle, but the similar conditions and requirements for the type of work made for a dog that shared similar physical traits to wolves. Link to comment
jmscott Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 · Hidden Hidden Chukotka sled dogs were also used as laikas, so they have lost some of the traits that differentiate modern Sibes from their landrace ancestors. Link to comment
Chula Posted September 9, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 I guess where I get tripped up is the idea that something was "bred" to be a certain way. In order to get to a chihuahua from a primitive wolf, a lot of something crazy had to happen. I can understand it better from an evolutionary standpoint, but the breeding thing is what confuses me. What did they breed a primitive wolf ancestor with to get something other than a primitive wolf? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 I guess where I get tripped up is the idea that something was "bred" to be a certain way. In order to get to a chihuahua from a primitive wolf, a lot of something crazy had to happen. I can understand it better from an evolutionary standpoint, but the breeding thing is what confuses me. What did they breed a primitive wolf ancestor with to get something other than a primitive wolf? I don't think they bred them with anything originally, more a case of the function they needed the dogs to perform i.e smaller etc, for getting into badger sets that sort of thing required a smaller dog and so the owners bred FROM the smaller dog and so theose genes became dominant and the shape of that particular type of dog changed and became a breed (terrier for example) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueWolf Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 I'm pretty sure the husky just happened to have the general look of the wolves rather than it being directly from wolf. Though tbh huskies don't look very much to wolves to me. Researches tried to figure out the ancient breeds and how they connect to each other using their DNA. This is what they figured out: Since the husky is also an ancient breed it's also being featured. Interesting is that it's believed to be descended from the Basenji which doesn't really have the husky look at al. Also notable is the Shar-Pei being believed to be directly related to the wolf. Though if you see them, they don't look ANYTHING like a wolf. From this I can make up that looks don't say anything about how 'far' a breed is from the wolves. Either that, or the graphs is wrong or both breeds used to look completely different in the past which I doubt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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