Omg what type of dogs did they use for hunting? Those things are insanely well breed! That one guys dog ran back 93 miles none stop in deep snow and at night! What in the world kind of dogs are able to do that?? No wonder they die by age 5 or 6 on average. I really enjoyed this documentary. Some really touching stuff, shows how the human spirit can over come almost anything mother nature can throw our way. Fantastic stuff!
shareI felt bad for the dog watching that, but I guess they don't mind it. I was just thinking "let the poor dog on the sled for for christ's sake!"
shareI don't know but now I really want one. One of the best scenes of the film--out of many--was the dog trying to get that small animal
shareThe dogs were indigenous dogs bred with "Moscow" dogs, so Mutts. They died at 5 or 6 years due to misadventure (for example bear attack), not because they were overworked or because, as a breed, they simply die young.
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Why Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world... but for Wales?
Agree with the previous poster that these are Laikas:
http://www.laikabreeds.com/content/west-siberian-laika/
I was very interested in this as well! I talked to a friend who grew up in Russia about the dogs in this film - he immediately ID'd them as Laikas. He said that they're very commonly used in Siberia for hunting, guarding and general work. And, that many folks carefully breed them through selection, depending on what they'll be used for.
Strongly disagree that these were mutts. If you're depending on your dog partner to help you hunt and survive, and expending so much effort to feed them, supply fish for them and care for them, I believe they're carefully selected and bred. At one point Gennady showed one of his dogs that had a shorter coat, because it had Moscow bloodlines (these differences in coat are addressed in my link above.) This may have lead to some confusion that these dogs are mutts? Also just knowing that this one dog had Moscow blood shows a lot of diligence and knowledge on his part.
I also believe that Gennady (main character - the guy who made his own skis) was breeding lines of dogs himself - due to all the puppies he had, and how he was introducing them to the taiga. But this is just speculation.
His deep relationship with dogs was evident. My two favorite scenes:
1. Trapper and dog "Reddie" working together to flush the sable out of the dead/downed tree
2. Gennady talking philosophy about his dogs, and his relationship with them, outside of his winter trapping hut, all the while idly massaging the dog's head and ears.
I loved this film.
Mixed breed.
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When logic and science aren't on your side, you always lose.