Husky : From Military Dog to The Funniest Dog
Picture from West Studio
As a fur lovers and netizens, you may be familiar with the real time strategy videogame, Command & Conquer: Red Alert. There are two camps in Red Alert: The Soviet-dominated federal and the US-led coalition. In both camps, there is a very powerful unit - the military dog.
US military uses the famous German Shepherd, which ranks third in IQ rankings of all dogs, displaying rapid movement and fierce attack strength.
The military dog equipped over at the Soviet camp, however, is another famous online meme celebrity - Husky.
Wiki: Command and Conquer
While the Husky is often viewed as an adorable, comedic and hilarious dog, during historical war periods, Huskies once fought as a brave warrior alongside their masters.
Huskies are loved by all sides. During World War II, famous American army general Dwight D. Eisenhower commanded an important landing operation, known as the battle of the Allied invasion of Sicily, also codenamed Operation Husky. Specific historical specifics are unknown, but victory was achieved.
Allied invasion of Sicily
Americans use the husky as mascots for various teams. According to limited statistics, mascots of at least seven universities in the United States are huskies.
The famous University of Connecticut mascot is a Siberian husky that looks like a wolf.
The mascot of the University of Washington is also a husky, covering an entire husky stadium with the words "Go Huskies" on the ceiling.
The mascot of Michigan Technological University is a Siberian husky.
On a global scale, many companies perceive the Husky as unique and iconic. A number of large corporations have adopted the animal as part of their brand identity, including Huskies Finance, Husky Energy, Husky Power...The world is very much Husky crazy.
Why do Americans have to use a silly dog as a mascot?
Huskies aren’t just charming dogs. They are used as mascots because of their qualities of strength and agility.
It’s well known that Husky dogs are cultivated as a working dog for sledding, participating in large-scale hunting activities and protection of villages. Huskies are strong, swift and intelligent, making them a reliable companion of loyalty.
Huskies have a resounding amount of respect and prestige.
In 1925, a fierce diphtheria crisis broke out in Nome Town, Alaska, USA. Four children were killed and nearly 10,000 residents in the town were facing infection. Once the infectious disease spread, the whole town would be cleansed of its population.
The core of this crisis was a dilemma of anti-toxin shortage. An even more terrifying fact was only three planes flying in Alaska. Because of extreme cold weather, it was impossible to take off, the nearest railway line from Nome Town is Nenana in 1085 km away.
Adding to further disastrous factors, in extreme temperatures, the shelf life of antitoxins was reduced to just 6 days, yet with the help of the US Postal Service, more than 150 huskies and 20 sled masters transported to send the serum by relay.
Unexpectedly, this group of huskies completed the task in just five and a half days, an incredible display of super stamina and speed.
The dog Tago and its owner braved the blizzard and ran through the 32-kilometer ice overnight.
Since then, people have realized the daring and loyal tenacity that Huskies possesses, trusting them with a series of important tasks, such as helping soldiers to carry machine guns:
Training huskies to parachute, and deliver supplies at a fixed point to accomplish tasks that are difficult for people to accomplish:
After the war ended, many determined it unethical and unfair to continue to let the Husky work.
So huskies simply took off their work clothes and entered a new era of retried life. They became pets to many families around the world. However, the energy level of Husky dogs remains high and are not often met in a household setting. Unrest is easy when there is nowhere to vent, and obedience of Husky dogs are seen to be relatively poor as a result. Understanding of needs and attention needs be clearly thought through before homing a Husky.
Husky dogs have since turned into funny net celebrities and have contributed many funny memes.
If you have a Husky around you, be sure to cherish it, underneath the goofy loveable appearance, its blood still flows with courage and strength, a most valuable companion that will never fail when depended on.