University of Washington Mascot Debate: Should It NOT be a Husky?

Hear me out for a second, but I think that the University of Washington mascot should NOT be the Husky and I have multiple good reasons why.

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University of Washington: Unveiling the Husky Mascot Confusion

The University of Washington mascot should definitely not be the Husky although most everyone reading this statement right now will think I am crazy. What if I told you that not only is the official mascot for the University of Washington not really a Husky but there is also no logical reason why the "Husky" should even be considered as the mascot? Both of these things are very true, but it is mostly because of the confusion between two different similar dog breeds.

What is a Husky? Where Are They From Originally?

The term "Husky has been used since the late 1700s and was first used to describe dogs used in the Arctic people like the Esquimaux or Eskimo tribes. This broad name "Husky" was used for multiple breeds of dogs bred by Arctic people in both North America and Asia. Canadian and American settlers also used the name Husky to describe Chukotka sled dogs imported from Russia giving way to the name Siberian Husky. The Siberian Husky is a very specific dog breed known for pulling sleds quickly that came from the cold regions of Siberia where it gets its name. The dogs are "thickly coated, compact sled dogs of medium size and great endurance, was developed to work in packs, pulling light loads at moderate speeds over vast frozen expanses" according to the American Kennel Club. These dogs come from Asia, not the North American continent, and were bred by the "Chukchi people of Siberia for sled pulling and companionship" according to Wikipedia. The Siberian Husky is around 50 pounds full grown, which is much smaller than this dog which is often confused for the Husky and the dog I think should be the actual mascot for UW.

University of Washington Malamutes?

It doesn't really roll off the tongue, but the University of Washington should use the Malamute as their official mascot. In fact, UW already uses the Malamute as their mascot except most people don't even realize it. The dog used at events and games for the University of Washington named "Dubs"(see above) is not a Husky at all but is really a Malamute. The Alaskan Malamute is a large breed known for its strength and endurance to haul heavy freight as sled dogs and bred by the Malimiut Inupiaq people of Alaska's Norton Sound. They are smart, loving, and strong dogs that are actually from the area north of the now-famous university.

Malamutes were used in World War II and because of that most of the original dogs were lost and killed during the war in service. The remaining Malamute population today comes from around 30 dogs that managed to survive and were used to bring back this magnificent breed. The Malamute is similar to other arctic breeds such as the husky, the spitz, the Greenland Dog, the Canadian Eskimo Dog, the Siberian Husky, and the Samoyed but is larger. Unlike the Siberian Husky which is built for speed, the Alaskan Malamute is designed to pull lots of weight over really long distances. Malamutes might be slightly slower than Huskies, but they can run basically forever.

As the owner of a Malamute, people are always yelling "nice Husky" at us on our daily walks. It doesn't bug me that much and usually just smile and wave or yell "Thanks". All I ask is as you are watching the "Huskies" today take on the Wolverines for the College Football National Championship, just think in the back of your head how it is actually the power of the Malamute that sparks UW pride! Go Dawgs!