Nordic dog breeds

Nordic dogs were bred for the cold: they pull sleds, hunt in northern forests or herd reindeer. This list includes the Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, Samoyed, Finnish Spitz, Norwegian Elkhound and West Siberian Laika, among others.

How the breeds were chosen

The list includes breeds from FCI Group 5, in the sections for Nordic sledge dogs, Nordic hunting dogs, and Nordic watchdogs and herders. We added the Chinook and the Alaskan Husky, sled dogs not recognised by the FCI. These dogs have a dense coat, shed heavily and cope poorly with heat.

See all dog breeds.