Utonagan
Like most Huskies, the Utonagan looks a lot like a wolf, with its long, dense coat so, it should come as no surprise that it was designed with that very goal in mind. Even the name is derived from the Chinook Indian word for ‘spirit of the wolf.’
A mix of Alaskan Malamute, German Shepherd, and Siberian Husky, the Utonagan is a young breed that emerged in the 1980s. It’s believed that the creator of the breed Edwina Harrison, bred the Utonagan in the hopes of producing a dog that would resemble a wolf, but that would be both easy to train and good with families.
The Utonagan has, in many ways, and, unlike most Huskies, has a well-balanced, gentle nature that enables it to adapt well to family life and thrive in the home environment. They are, nevertheless, active dogs that need plenty of exercise and display that independent streak that’s so typical of Huskies.
Although it was never bred to pull sleds or hunt, the Utonagan excels at physically and mentally demanding tasks and has the same boundless energy as its predecessors. Standing up to 30” at the shoulder and weighing as much as 110 lbs, the Utonagan towers over the Alaskan Malamute, but is laidback and affectionate with its owners.