Kennel Management

Apparently, the Chukchis kept only the leader of the team unneutered; the rest of the male dogs were castrated with an iron knife. Castrated dogs tended to be more amicable with the rest of the team. They were also easier to train and kept their weight on better than unneutered males in that bitter climate, Thus only the best dogs, with proven pulling and leadership abilities, were bred. It is rumored that at least some of the Chukchis may have cut the tails off their sled dogs, erroneously believing that this would increase their speed. Dogs with temper problems had their teeth dulled or removed.

The Chukchi women took on the primary responsibility of selecting the puppies and breeding the adults. They even nursed orphaned puppies themselves. This feminine influence may have played an important role in breeding Siberians who were good family members, as well as reliable sled dogs. Chukchi dogs began learning to pull when they were only a few months old. Often entire liters were trained ogether, with their mother as the teacher. On average, sled dg worked for about seven years.