ON EXPERTS IN SYSTEM OF RUSSIAN ORGANIZED HUNTING DOG BREEFING

Recently, there was a two-year celebration of the Kamchatka Sled Dog as a purebred. On February 26, 1992, Russian Cynological Federation recognized our local dog breed. What is the origin of this dog?

What is his modern state? Does he have any future? I hope answers to these questions are interesting to people of Kamchatka and especially to those, who consider the breed their own. Now, not every part of the country in has its own breed. How many breeds created by wise people’s selection have vanished forever? Maybe someone, knowing more about the Kamchatka Dog, will take care of him and make a positive contribution to his future.

Let us take a look into the past going back about 10,000 years. Mammoths, hairy rhinoceros, muskoxen, and reindeer were scattered among tundra between frozen mountain ridges and plains. In the river valley, what now is called the Kamchatka River, there was a village of bison hunters. They already had Laika-like domesticated dogs. This was found by a noted archeologis,t N. N. Dikov, in the sixth layer of ancient burials at the Ushkopvskaya Site. Thus, history of the Kamchatka Dog is at least 10,000 years old.

Most likely, the first dog was a partner of a human hunter and, at a later time, in V-VIII Centuries, or even earlier, it became used by settled people as a sled dog. At least, archeologists find sled runners and other parts of dog-pulled sleds in cultural layers of burials of that time.

For centuries, the dog was playing an important role in life of peoples of Kamchatka. The dog was the only animal available for hunting and pulling sleds and it determined the very possibility of life and dispersion of humans under conditions of that time. This is why Itelmens believed that dogs were participants in the creation of the world. Myths of Itelmens tell us that mountains and valleys were formed when the first ancestor Kutkh was riding in dog sleds. When a dog named “Kozei” of spirit Tuil shook off snow from his coat, an earthquake happened. This is what kind of dog belonged to ancestors of Itelmens.

Intuitive, but at the same time optimal people’s selection allowed every ethnic group of Kamchatka to create its own breed (or breed type) of dog, which fit the best their practical and cultural needs. Naturally, their aboriginal breeds did not have names. They were called simply dogs (sobaka in Russian), but most often sobachki, which is a gentle form of sobaka. Development of Kamchatka is more obliged to dog, than any other region of Russia. However, sobachki went through many honors and hardships, particularly since the period of when Russia began exploration there. For example, many dogs died because of arduous work, when by order of Vitus Bering, Itelmens shipped equipment for his expedition from Bolsheretsk to Ust-Kamchatsk. Even small officials took away dogs from native people, despite their necessity for survival and the dogs often died because of arduous work and lacking of proper care. Whims of officials went so far that the dogs were harnessed to pull huge heated inside structures.

How many dogs paid with their lives for explorations in Arctic? In XIX Century, native dogs of Kamchatka were known was known as the best sled dogs of great endurance, strength, with fast and even trotting. Because of their fame as best sled dogs, many of them vanished in Arctic regions.

In 1934, sled dog teams were used for mail delivery between 100 communities, three collective farms and 30 Soviet farms. On January 1, 1934, total number of sled dogs in Kamchatka Province was 5,000.

Our «sobachkas» were used in WWII. They shipped loads, rescued wounded in battle fields, secured communication, searched for mines and destroyed tanks and, of course, they never came back home.

In late XIX Century, expert cynologists paid attention to northern dogs, including Kamchatka dogs. First Laika experts, Prince A. A Shirinsky-Shikhmatov and M. Dmitrieva-Sulima, wrote that every ethnic group of people of the north has its own variety of Laika and they classified them by ethnographic principle. These and other researchers of that time distinguished at least three breeds of Laika belonging to peoples of Kamchatka: the Lamut (Tungus) Laika, the Koryak Laika, and specialized sled Laika. In 30th-40th of XX Century wildlife biologist and cynologists M.G. Volkov studied dogs of Kamchatka. He praised hunting and sled pulling qualities of these dogs very highly and proposed standards of the Lamut Laika, the Koryak’s hunting Laika and the Kamchatka Sled Laika. However, voice of M.G. Volkov in defense of aboriginal breeds and their official recognition have never been heard. Central cynological organizations of that time were busy trying to unite several aboriginal breeds and create a few purebreds. This is how the Russo-European Laika, the West Siberian Laika, the Karelo-Finnish Laika and the East Siberian Laika emerged. In the process, dogs of Kamchatka were forgotten. There was an official opinion that in northeast of Russia, there are no local dog breeds. For some time, they were writing about northeastern sled dogs, including sled dogs of Kamchatka, but there were no officially accepted breed standard.

During recent 25 years, I observed declining of pure type of local dogs in all parts of Kamchatka. With increase of accessibility of most remote parts, traditional primitive methods of breeding of dogs became inefficient. Transformation of the country, not always wise, mechanization and loss of cultural traditions resulted in disappearance of typical aboriginal dogs and even in their complete extermination.

Cynological scientific and applied organization “Kinos” conducted survey of dogs in parts of Kamchatka with still surviving dog sledding. They found pockets of more or less pure type dogs with characteristics of aboriginal sled dog of Kamchatka. Materials of this survey became a basis for recognition of a breed the Kamchatak Sled Dog, preparation, and acceptance of the first standard of the breed as a necessary tool for well-grounded pedigree work.

Now, when the breed became genetically contaminated, we are trying to create a basis for preservation of best qualities of aboriginal dogs and meet modern international requirements to a purebred dog. This work is conducted under auspices of “Kinos” and Russian Club “Northern Dog” as a part of general program: Restoration of Northern Dog Breeding of Russia”. Typical Kamchatka Sled Dogs. Lead dogs of team of Anatoly Paramzin of Ust-Kharyuzovo, Kamchatka, Russia. The gray lead dog on the picture is 16 years old. Photo by Victor Gumenyuk.

Yearly dog races, called “Beringia”, were started in 1990 and became a very important means of public attention to aboriginal sled dogs (Director Mr. A. M. Pephen). These races serve as trials of sled dogs for working qualities and evaluation of their conformation is being done at the same time. Because of “Berinigia” dog races, people of Kamchatka became familiarized with the existing interest to sled dogs in North America and Western Europe. Now, they know about preserved and improved local breeds, such as the Alaskan Malamute, the Eskimo Dog, and the Greenland Dog. They also know that original material for development of most popular worldwide sled dog breed, the Siberian Husky, were dogs from Chukotka and Kamchatka.

Just like the sport of horse riding requires purebred horses, the sport of dog racing requires purebred dogs. Results of dog races, “Beringia”, showed that the best conformation rated dogs by expert cynologists were the best sled racing dogs. However, sled dog races as sport contests can not solve problem of restoration of aboriginal breed. My survey of conformation of Kamchatka dogs participants in the races showed decline of their conformation from one year to another. The Kamchatka Sled Dog can become a purebred only under conditions of systematic scientifically substantiated pedigree work.

Now, it is necessary to conduct evaluation of breeding stock dogs of remote, poorly accessible regions of Kamchatka, selecting the best breeding pairs and educating of local dog breeders. We need kennels and breeders, whose dogs actually are used for pulling sleds. The Kamchatle Sled Dog will become recognized and popular and, if he will be used for dog shows and dog races, at home and abroad.

Sled dog races, “Beringia”, could do much for restoring the Kamchatka Sled Dog, if sled dogs teams are evaluated by the conformation and true type within each team. It would be important to distinguish dogs with best breeding potential, provide their owners with documents and encourage them with special diplomas, medals and prizes. It would be important to show the onlookers most typical representatives of Kamchatka Sled Dogs, compare them with Chukotka Sled Dogs and foreign sled dog breeds. Without such work, at dog races we will see increasingly degenerating dogs. In about two years, dog teams will be composed of mongrels. Some owners with money will keep foreign dogs. References to dog teams of foreign mushers, who do not care, if their dogs are purebred, are not convincing, because in their countries their sled dog breeds are saved, improved, and they are developing new ones. Now, when we are trying to preserve natural complexes and promote harmonious development of Kamchatka, restore traditional businesses based on ethnic cultures, the Kamchatcka Sled Dog is a necessity. This dog is important as a part of applied culture and as a biological resource of the country as an ecologically perfect form of transportation and communication and as a sledding sport dog in popular sled dog races.



The Kamchatka Sled Dog needs preservation, improvement, and protection as a national treasure and unique gene pool. It would be hard to imagine a natural face of Kamchatka without this dog.