Siberian
huskies were first imported from their native Russia to Alaska
(then under Russian ownership) around a century ago. They are
famously used as sled dogs, competing in sled races within the
Arctic Circle and providing invaluable assistance as working
dogs in Antarctica. The 2006 Disney movie Eight Below
showed the hardiness of this breed. It depicted a pack of
huskies having to fend for themselves after being left behind at
an Antarctic base.
Temperamentally, the
Siberian husky is energetic, but playful and loveable. Because of
their history as working dogs, they are easy to train and sociable,
working best in packs. When picking out names for your husky,
you will need to find names that reflect these characteristics.
Russian Names for Your Siberian Husky
Because of their origins in
Siberia, it is common practice to give Russian names to huskies.
Alexei is a Russian name meaning "defender of mankind". It seems
particularly appropriate as a husky name
given the sterling work that huskies do in protecting people from
the elements in some of the most hostile climates on Earth.
The feminine name Zaria
means "dawn" in Russian. Huskies are often early risers, so this
would be a good name for a
female husky.
Kremlin, from the former St.
Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, later turned into the headquarters of
the Russian government, is another common male husky name.
In this case, it is chosen less for its meaning than because it is
something obviously Russian. Other names in this category include
Smirnoff, Trotsky and Ivan, the latter being the most common male
name in Russia.
Native Alaskan Husky Names
Because of their long
association with Alaska, Inuit names are also common for huskies.
For example, the name Tupit refers to the Inuit word for tattoo
lines on the face. It would be a suitable name for a male husky
with distinctive patterning on his face.
Saghani is a
male Inuit name meaning Raven. It would be a suitable name for a
black, or predominantly black, male husky.
Female Inuit husky names
include Kinguyakkii, which is the Native Alaskan name for the
Northern Lights, and Qannik, which means "snowflake". The former
name is perhaps best for a multicolored female husky, while the
latter is more suitable for a white or mainly white dog.
Other Siberian Husky Names
Of course you don't have to
look within the Arctic Circle to find a name for your Siberian husky.
Inspiration can be found anywhere. We have previously mentioned the
movie Eight Below. The names of the sled dogs in that movie
were: Max, Maya, Old Jack, Shadow, Buck, Truman, Dewey and Shorty.
Each husky was played by two real life sled dogs, so there are
sixteen names in the cast list, not eight. The names of the dogs
that were used in the making of the film were: DJ, Timba, Koda,
Jasmin, Apache, Buck, Noble, Troika, Flapjack, Dino, Sitka, Chase,
Floyd, Ryan, Jasper and Lightning. Looking over that list of names
reveals an interesting mix of influences. Sitka and Troika were
obviously chosen for their Russian sound. Koda comes from the Kodiak
islands in Alaska and the dog's full name is Koda Bear, from the
Alaskan subspecies of the brown bear which was named after those
islands. Dewey and Truman were named after the 1948 presidential
candidates (in the film, the two dogs were former rivals for the
position of pack leader). All the names are very active sounding,
showing that cutesy, Chihuahua or Yorkie type names won't work for huskies.
In 1999, Wayeh
Working Housedogs, a breeder in Tennessee that specializes in the
breeding and rescue of sled dogs (huskies and Alaskan Malamutes),
did a survey of 1800 sled dog names. They were only interested in
the names that were actually used to call them, rather than the
names on the breeder's certificate. The most popular call name was
Cody, possibly a variation on the Kodiak bear name mentioned above,
with 13 instances. Nikki came second followed by Angel, Kyra, Max,
Storm, Dancer, Juneau, Sasha, Silver, Tundra and Willow. The full
list can be found at: http://www.wayeh.com/aboutsleddogs/names.htm
Again we see a
strong Alaskan and Siberian influence, with Juneau, Tundra and
possibly Storm. The name Dancer is interesting too, as it makes a
logical connection between sled dogs and the reindeer that pull
Santa's sleigh. In fact all Santa's reindeer names were popular with
one notable exception. Poor Rudolph didn't make the list, though
there was a single Rudy. It looks like the Iditarod operates the
same rules as the Reindeer Games – no Rudolphs allowed!
Attention: To discover how
YOU can have the Happiest, Healthiest and Best Behaved Siberian Husky,
get a copy of this Siberian Husky Guide
NOW!
